Archer: Could Greg Hardy be a fit for the Cowboys?

boozeman

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Could Greg Hardy be a fit for the Cowboys?

February, 9, 2015

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com


IRVING, Texas -- With just 25 sacks in 2014, there is no secret the Dallas Cowboys need to improve their pass rush in 2015.

That’s not the only need, but it’s the top need. An effective pass rush makes everything better on defense.

How do the Cowboys get there?

They drafted DeMarcus Lawrence in the second round last year, but had to give up their third rounder to the Washington Redskins to get him. They signed Jeremy Mincey to a modest free-agent deal and he led the Cowboys with six sacks. They saw Tyrone Crawford develop in his third year after missing his second season with a torn Achilles.

But they are only the beginning of a good pass rush. They need more.

There will be options in the draft this year, but it is difficult to expect much from rookie pass-rushers. There will be options in free agency, but the likelihood of the Cowboys of going after the super high-priced players is slim.

And then there is Greg Hardy.

The Carolina Panthers defensive end had domestic violence charges dismissed on Monday after his accuser did not make herself available to help with the case. He was found guilty of assaulting and threatening Nicole Holder, his ex-girlfriend, by a judge but sought a jury trial, which set aside the guilty verdict per North Carolina law.

Hardy played in one game in 2014 before spending the rest of the season on the commissioner’s exempt list after the third week of the season. He made $13.1 million after the Panthers used the franchise tag on him last year.

He could still face sanctions from the NFL under the new personal conduct policy, which could lead to a six-game suspension.

Hardy had a sack in the one game he played in 2014. He has 15 sacks in 2013 and 11 in 2012. He could give the Cowboys an elite pass-rusher.

But would he be worth the negative attention he would bring to the team? It’s a question every team has to answer, including the Cowboys.

The Cowboys have taken troubled players in before but this is a different climate in the NFL. The Cowboys have welcomed back Josh Brent to the team after his involvement in a 2012 car accident that killed teammate and friend Jerry Brown. They have not parted ways with Joseph Randle after his most recent brush with the law last week and fined the running back for his arrest last fall.

Jason Garrett always talks about the “right kind of guys,” on the roster.

There is no simple definition for “right kind of guys.” To Garrett, the players need to be team-first players who have a passion and enthusiasm for football.

To be sure, the Cowboys will check out Hardy should he be available.

As with anything, the level of what can or cannot be tolerated comes down to how good a player is and how much can he help.

Another question will be how much will it cost.
 

ravidubey

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It's not the top need. The biggest need is to replace the awesome production we lose when DeMarco Murray says goodbye. Y'know, the running game that was the biggest reason we went 12-4 instead of 8-8.

Also, it would be misplacing too much money and resources into one player. Better to upgrade the defensive interior with powerful, stout players who will allow the younger and cheaper pass rushers around them to flourish.

Edge rushers are way, way too overpaid these days. Was Julius Peppers worth the 30 million he got from Chicago in the uncapped 2010? Don't think so.

I don't believe in 100 million dollar contracts for any defensive player.

Mega-contracts belong to QB, LT, and WR. Next tier are impact DL (preferably tackle, ala Casey Hampton), and then your best players wherever they might be.

Superstar potential Hall of Famers like JJ Watt are the obvious exception, but you get too little by overpaying one defensive player.
 
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boozeman

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It's not the top need. The biggest need is to replace the awesome production we lose when DeMarco Murray says goodbye. Y'know, the running game that was the biggest reason we went 12-4 instead of 8-8.
I agree, but there is no way we go 12-4 with Murray again if we don't get a pass rush. There was a strong element of fortune to our 12 win season, without question.
 

ravidubey

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I agree, but there is no way we go 12-4 with Murray again if we don't get a pass rush. There was a strong element of fortune to our 12 win season, without question.
Even still, there were games vs SF, Philly, Arizona, and Washington where QB shitting the bed made the defense irrelevant. A consistent performance by the QB in each of those games gets us 2-2 or 3-1 instead of 0-4. That's without question HFA and a first round bye for Dallas.

Where the pass-rusher really matters is in taking the next step and beating Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning on a consistent basis. Even still, had Dallas drawn any team but Green Bay they'd have been in the Superbowl. And then it's anybody's game.

But you have to take the first step before you can get to that critical next step. Murray's exit is a huge step backwards that has to be taken care of or we're not even in the conversation.
 

Cotton

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It's not the top need. The biggest need is to replace the awesome production we lose when DeMarco Murray says goodbye. Y'know, the running game that was the biggest reason we went 12-4 instead of 8-8.
Yeah, but if we can formulate a good pass rush we won't have to hide the defense as much with a good run game. I still feel like DL is our biggest need.
 

ravidubey

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Yeah, but if we can formulate a good pass rush we won't have to hide the defense as much with a good run game. I still feel like DL is our biggest need.
It's a huge need, obviously, but you can't forget the gaping hole that is our running game. Without Murray's 1800+ yards and habit of stepping up big when the offense needed it most, Romo is nowhere near as effective and the defense is much, much worse on top of it.

You could add Reggie White in his prime and we'd probably lose more games with Joseph Randle starting in Murray's place.
 

boozeman

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It's a huge need, obviously, but you can't forget the gaping hole that is our running game. Without Murray's 1800+ yards and habit of stepping up big when the offense needed it most, Romo is nowhere near as effective and the defense is much, much worse on top of it.

You could add Reggie White in his prime and we'd probably lose more games with Joseph Randle starting in Murray's place.
Preaching to the choir.

I think keeping the running game intact and the straw that stirs the drink is a huge necessity.

But even if that's done, this team is not moving forward without a pass rush.
 

Cowboysrock55

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It's a huge need, obviously, but you can't forget the gaping hole that is our running game. Without Murray's 1800+ yards and habit of stepping up big when the offense needed it most, Romo is nowhere near as effective and the defense is much, much worse on top of it.

You could add Reggie White in his prime and we'd probably lose more games with Joseph Randle starting in Murray's place.
It's funny all year hearing people bitch about the yards that Murray leaves on the field and the fumbles. Now suddenly he is this impossible to replace commodity.
 

boozeman

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It's funny all year hearing people bitch about the yards that Murray leaves on the field and the fumbles. Now suddenly he is this impossible to replace commodity.
Nobody is saying "impossible". But you aren't going to replace him with a POS like Randle and some schlub rookie.

It will require a real commitment, i.e. getting a top RB out of this class, or a FA like Ingram, to make up the loss of production and talent.

I would as soon not go into the draft needing a RB. Even Ingram may not be noticeably cheaper. Nor do I want to play a waiting game hoping that Peterson shakes loose, which is hardly a certainty.
 

BipolarFuk

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Yeah, let's pay big money to Demarco Murray and he comes back this season as a flaming pile of dog shit just like most other players in history that have been given similar workloads.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Nobody is saying "impossible". But you aren't going to replace him with a POS like Randle and some schlub rookie.

It will require a real commitment, i.e. getting a top RB out of this class, or a FA like Ingram, to make up the loss of production and talent.

I would as soon not go into the draft needing a RB. Even Ingram may not be noticeably cheaper. Nor do I want to play a waiting game hoping that Peterson shakes loose, which is hardly a certainty.
I doubt Ingram gets similar money to Murray. The dudes never crack 1000 yards in a season. Justin Forsett is a free agent coming off a great year who would be a good signing for our system as well.

I think we need to sign a free agent RB but we shouldn't spend too much on one. Then go draft a guy in the third/fourth round and you're good to go.
 

ravidubey

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Yeah, let's pay big money to Demarco Murray and he comes back this season as a flaming pile of dog shit just like most other players in history that have been given similar workloads.
I didn't say we just go re-sign him. We need to replace his production and big-play ability. That will come from a combination of FA and the draft-- and not just some late-round flier either. Dallas should be looked upon as the standard for an elite running game. That means multiple quality backs and a dedication to using them.

We should also go from 3 active tailbacks to 4 for sure.

This is who we are.

Maintaining a high standard at RB will help more than anything else when Romo finally does call it quits.
 

BipolarFuk

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I didn't say we just go re-sign him. We need to replace his production and big-play ability. That will come from a combination of FA and the draft-- and not just some late-round flier either. Dallas should be looked upon as the standard for an elite running game. That means multiple quality backs and a dedication to using them.

We should also go from 3 active tailbacks to 4 for sure.

This is who we are.

Maintaining a high standard at RB will help more than anything else when Romo finally does call it quits.
TRIPLE OPTION!
 

boozeman

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Carrying 4 guys at a position that has only 1 guy ever on the field at a time seems awfully silly to me.
So does a "platoon" system when you have a team built on the running game.

Hard to name the last time that a team that wanted a running attack built it off of splitting the workload with a bunch of backs.

Seattle has not given Turbin or Michael more carries instead of Lynch the last two years. His carries have remained stable.

An attack like that is built on rhythm and a back getting worked into the game.

If it isn't Murray, then they should devote high resources to his replacement....draft or free agency.

Going with some asinine platoon, especially one involving any of the current backs on this roster, is a recipe for failure.
 

Simpleton

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I would be truly shocked if Ingram got anything more than about half of what Murray gets, he should be very affordable, Forsett would be a decent signing as well. I assume we are going to draft a RB no later than the 3rd or 4th under this scenario, a guy like Ajayi or Tevin Coleman would be great.

And as long as we address the DL in free agency I'd be completely fine taking Melvin Gordon in the 1st and then dedicating the rest of our draft to the defense. We could realistically end up with guys like Michael Bennett, Mario Edwards Jr., Trey Flowers, Preston Smith, Chris Hackett, Zadarius Smith, Gabe Wright, Cody Prewitt, Xavier Cooper, Paul Dawson, Markus Golden and Derron Smith in the 2nd-3rd round.

Give me two of those guys plus Gordon in the 1st and that'd be a damn solid first 3 rounds.
 

Carl

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If the thread is about Hardy there is no way he comes here. If it's about Murray I think he is gone. Too much depth in this draft. I would love to have him back, he is impressive but not irreplaceable
 

Cowboysrock55

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Coleman would be a horrible fit in our scheme.
I don't know about that. He is a one cut runner with big play speed. That's basically the definition of the type of back you want in this running scheme.
 
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