Throughout the 2015 NFL season reports and rumors began to trickle out that enigmatic defensive lineman Greg Hardy, who joined the Dallas Cowboys last offseason on an incentive-laden deal in the hopes of improving his standing across the league and even outside the game - leaving a girlfriend bruised and bloodied will really put a hamper on your public image - was having issues showing up on time to team meetings. After the season, it was revealed that Hardy's focus on his off-field exploits - namely drinking and clubbing - and lack of concern with his play on Sunday's was pushing the team to reconsider his spot on the roster.
And now, word has come from 105.3 The Fan in Dallas that the Cowboys are officially "done" with the embattled pass rusher.
Really, it's a credit to Hardy that he was able to play as well as he did this past season while also keeping up with the busy Dallas nightlife scene. Sure, he only collected 6 sacks, but he was a disruptive force as usual when he was on the field. But it didn't amount to much in terms of stats or overall team success. And Hardy's looming ousting combined with Randy Gregory's four-game suspension suddenly leaves the Cowboys with almost no depth at a pass rushing position that was already devoid of talent.
So - what is a man like Jerry Jones to do now that his defensive line is set to lose two of its most talented quarterback wranglers?
Unfortunately for ol' leather face Jerry, there's no easy answer here. The 2016 NFL Draft will probably provide at least one addition. Whether that addition comes at the fourth-overall pick remains to be seen, though there are plenty of players who could be of use. Ohio States' Joey Bosa, Eastern Kentucky's Noah Spence, and fast-rising Oregon defender DeForest Buckner are all likely to be available, but the question becomes value and really, where Jones and Co. see the team headed in the immediate future.
Does Tony Romo have four seasons left in his increasingly fragile body? That seems farfetched after Romo lost most of 2015 to a broken collarbone, but only the doctors in Dallas can be certain. If they can convince Jerry and son Stephen that Romo's got enough left in the tank, then going with an impact defensive player at No. 4 instead of say, Cal's Jared Goff, is a likely scenario.
But as we stand here today, there's simply no way to make that statement with any type of definitiveness. At some point the Cowboys will have to plan for life without Tony. It doesn't have to be this offseason, but banking on someone akin to Brandon Weeden and Kellen Moore to back up Romo again seems not only like a risk, but an outright unintelligent decision.
Which, all put together, is a long way of saying that the fourth-overall selection is something the Cowboys probably hope they won't have again anytime in the near future and thus may be better served being spent on the heir apparent to Romo.
What then to do at pass rusher? Chris Long was recently cut by the Los Angeles Rams and he's missed a lot of time over the last two seasons - 10 and four games, respectively - but he's the right kind of personality and player who could be a fit on a short-term deal. Will he rack up sacks? No. But he can certainly be of assistance to Sean Lee and the rest of the Cowboys defenders (assuming of course that both players can remain on the field). The Miami Dolphins may not be able to keep Olivier Vernon, who collected 25.5 sacks over the last three years. But talk has already begun to swirl that the decision-makers in South Beach are willing to bite the bullet on the franchise tag for a guy with Vernon's skillset. And the Broncos are haggling with Malik Jackson, but he's less of a pass-rusher and more of a block-eating disruptor.
Heck, even rival New York is set to lose Jason Pierre-Paul and most of his eight fingers. And the Rams aren't keeping 31-year-old William Hayes. But the truth of the matter for the Cowboys is this - there simply isn't much out there.
Sacks are, and will remain, at a premium. It's why Dallas was willing to take a chance on Gregory in the second-round last year and Hardy on an incentive-based deal, even if both decisions have now come back to bite them.
But it's the NFL - hard choices have to be made. And if the Cowboys are to have any chance of competing next season without Hardy, they'll need to invest assets at the defensive end position, somehow, some way. And that may very well mean another season spent hoping with fingers and toes crossed that Romo remains upright and intact.
