Dallas needs pass-rush help. Bradley Chubb, cut by Miami, was a past target for the Cowboys. How about another try?
FRISCO - Shortly after the trade-away of Micah Parsons to Green Bay, Dallas Cowboys watchers largely shared the opinion that a pass-rushing replacement - with all due respect to the guys still in the D-line room here at The Star - might be needed.
The NFL trade deadline saw Cowboys owner Jerry Jones act as a buyer, eventually landing Jets star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
And yet the Micah replacement need remains.
Now here comes NFL free agency, and some of the same edge names kicked around then are resurfacing.
Maxx Crosby and the Raiders? Believe the rumors that suggest he might want a trade.
Trey Hendrickson from the Bengals? He’s free, but that might be an expensive $30 million APY guy.
The Miami Dolphins’ just-announced decision to cut edge Bradley Chubb in a money-saving move?
The reason Cowboys fans should pay attention now dates back to right before the deadline, that morning, before the Quinnen deal.
I wrote then: “I’m told Chubb is a #cowboys ‘iron in the fire’ trade target today.”
And what’s changed? Nothing - except that now Dallas doesn’t need to give up a pick for him.
Dallas still desperately needs pass-rushing help, and the Dolphins ex made an impressive comeback last season after overcoming multiple significant injuries. The 6-4, 270-pound Chubb, 29, finished with 8.5 sacks. He had 11 in a healthy 2023 campaign.
He has pedigree. (And you know how much Dallas loves its pedigree-rejuvenation projects.) He was a Broncos’ first-round pick - fifth overall! - in 2018. And in 2022 Miami gave up a first-rounder - and then gave him a five-year, $110 million extension with $63.2 million guaranteed - to secure him.
Injuries slowed him down. But as is the case with Crosby, even a layman (like me!) can see the effort and energy he brings on every snap.
What’s the price tag here? Surely lower than that $30 mil range of Maxx and Hendrickson.
There can be a lot of options here when free agency opens in March.
But this particular idea? Chubb played for Vic Fangio in Miami … and new Dallas coordinator Christian Parker is a Vic disciple.
Chubb would jump into the top of the rotation with a group led by keyed by young Donovan Ezeiruaku, with help from James Houston and hopefully from free agent Jadeveon Clowney, among others.
Could Bradley Chubb be a game-wrecker at the right price? It was an “iron-in-the-fire” idea worth believing in by Dallas a few months ago. … so I say we should take that as a hint this time around as well.