Whether it was God or the dwindling figure in his bank account, something is urging veteran NFLer Antonio Cromartie back onto a professional football field. After 10 NFL seasons, 402 tackles, 31 interceptions and 114 passes defensed, it wouldn't have been surprising to see Cromartie cut loose by the New York Jets and then call it a career.
However, the former first-round pick sounds like he plans on giving it one last go. And it sounds like he knows where he'd want to land, given the choice.
"My dream choice? That'd be the Dallas Cowboys," Cromartie said. "That's very high on my list."
The Cowboys, as things currently stand, could certainly use the injection of talent that would come with adding Cromartie to their defensive secondary this offseason. Due to some recent poor drafting, Dallas was forced to re-sign disappointing former first-round pick Morris Claiborne to a one-year deal.
And while they'll see the return of Orlando Scandrick, who missed all of last season due to a knee injury, and still have Brandon Carr, another former high pick whose mostly been a disappointment during his time in Dallas, the Cowboys are mighty thin on the back end.
Last year's first rounder, Byron Jones, has the versatility to line up at a number of spots for the Cowboys if need be, but his current home and long-term future looks to be at safety.
The Cowboys, despite a lack of depth in their secondary and a mediocre pass rush last year, were actually fairly stingy against the pass. They allowed an average of just 227 yards per game through the air (5th), as well as just 19 total passing touchdowns (tied for 3rd).
The problem is, they also allowed quarterbacks to rack up a 94.2 average rating against them, which is 20th in the league. And they finished the year with just eight total interceptions, which was tied for the second-worst mark in the NFL.
In short, yes the Cowboys were stingy, but they weren't able to make plays to change the tide of the game.
Add that to a pass rush that lacks an elite punch, doubly so now with Greg Hardy gone and Randy Gregory suspended, and the need for increased talent on Rod Marinelli's unit becomes clear.
But Cromartie, despite his desire to join the Cowboys, likely isn't the best choice. His skills are clearly declining and he was a liability at times for the Jets last year.
If the Cowboys strike out in the 2016 NFL Draft, adding Cromartie on a cheap deal makes sense. But this team should focus first and foremost on draft talent and upgrading their pass rush before they go handing out free agent deals to 32-year-old corners.
