Cowboys eye Pro Bowl EDGE Jonathan Greenard from Vikings. A potential cap-saving move could bolster Dallas' pass rush before free agency opens.
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys backed away from overpaying in their push to pull off a blockbuster trade for Maxx Crosby.
But as NFL free agency is about to open, maybe another EDGE trade can be executed.
NFL sources suggest to CowboysRoundtable.com that Dallas could be examining a deal for Pro Bowler linebacker Jonathan Greenard of the Minnesota Vikings.
Dallas balked at the Las Vegas Raiders‘ asking price of two first-round picks for Crosby, leaving room for the Baltimore Ravens to swoop in and do that deal.
On Monday comes the start of the NFL's "legal tampering period,'' and pass-rushers like Trey Hendrickson (Bengals), Odafe Oweh (Chargers), Jaelan Phillips (Eagles) and Boye Mafe (Seahawks) are surely on the wish list of the Cowboys and other teams seeking pass-rush help.
But what if Greenard - maybe the subject of a Minny trade-dump here in order to shave $12 million of the cap - could be had for a later-round pick?
Greenard, who turns 29 in May, has two years left on his current deal at around $38 million in total; that's pretty pricey. ... and there are rumors he'd like a new contract.
The money could be a deal-killer here; can't Dallas pivot to free agency to land a pass-rusher who is just as good and comes at a similar price point but doesn't cost a pick?
The downside to the idea? Last season was a poor one for Greenard, as he totaled just three sacks during his 12 games. But he notched 12 sacks in 2023 with Houston and 12 more in 2024 after he was dealt to the Vikings?
The upside to the connection? Dallas' new defensive coordinator Christian Parker just hired Marcus Dixon as the Cowboys D-line coach. Where did Dixon work previously?
In Minnesota with Greenard.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has spoken boldly about "busting the bank'' in a win-now effort to fix his NFL-worst defense.
"We have the ammunition to be good at it,” Jones said recently. “And I wouldn’t hesitate to be good at it if it will help our team and help the timeline that we’re talking about.”