Getty The pressure is on Mike McCarthy heading into 2022.
The Dallas Cowboys have had a quiet offseason but may have an opportunity to improve their roster via trade. As the Falcons continue to rebuild, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett is player that could be on the move.
Jarrett played the best football of his career when Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was the Atlanta head coach. Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay sees the Cowboys as a potential landing spot for Jarrett in exchange for a day-two draft pick.
“The Dallas Cowboys could make a run at the defensive tackle, a move that would reunite the Clemson product with Dan Quinn,” Kay wrote on April 6, 2022. “Jarrett played all but one of his professional seasons and made a pair of Pro Bowls under Quinn during his head coaching stint in Atlanta.
“Quinn has done well with his current crop of defensive tackles, but Jarrett would immediately slot in as the best of a steady but unspectacular group that includes Carlos Watkins, Neville Gallimore, Osa Odighizuwa, Trysten Hill and Quinton Bohanna.
“The Cowboys defensive coordinator seems to know how to get the most out of the DT position. If Dallas offers up a Day 2 pick, it could be enough to pry Jarrett away from the Falcons.”
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Jarrett Was Named to the Pro Bowl in 2019 & 2020
Jarrett posted 59 tackles, 12 quarterback hits and one sack during his 17 appearances in 2021. The defensive tackle earned an underwhelming 67.8 grade from Pro Football Focus after previously notching 80.2 and 90.1 during the prior two years, which earned him Pro Bowl nominations. Jarrett notched 52 tackles, 21 quarterback hits, four sacks and a fumble recovery in 2020.
If the team made a deal for Jarrett, the Cowboys would be hoping they could get Jarrett back to his 2020 production. The advantage of having a player like Jarrett is the pressure he applies to the quarterback from the middle of the defense. This creates lanes for Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dante Fowler Jr. and Dorance Armstrong among others to have success coming off the edge.
Jarrett has one season remaining on his four-year, $68 million contract. The defensive lineman is due a $16.5 million salary in 2022, and the Cowboys would likely need the Falcons to consider eating some of this money to make a deal feasible.
Quinn on Returning to Dallas: ‘I Have Unfinished Business Here’
The Cowboys were surprisingly able to bring back both of their coordinators despite interest from other teams. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones indicated that Quinn turned down head coaching opportunities in favor of returning to Dallas. Quinn admitted he felt there was “unfinished business” with the Cowboys.
“I have unfinished business here,” Quinn told Sports Illustrated’s Mike Fisher on March 11. “We have the right people in place to accomplish the things everyone in this building is working to accomplish. We’re doing that right now. We’re doing it today – grinding toward a goal.”
The Cowboys have $15.4 million in remaining cap space but some of this is allotted for the team’s upcoming draft picks. Time will tell if the Cowboys will end the offseason with an aggressive trade, but so far there is a reason to be skeptical about the team’s lack of moves.
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Proposed Trade Sends 2-Time Pro Bowler to Cowboys