The Dallas Cowboys’ defense has been a glaring weakness early this season, and the unit has shown little consistency under Matt Eberflus’ leadership.
With the offense already reeling from injuries, the pressure on Jerry Jones and the front office is only increasing.
Fortunately, a rare opportunity has just emerged: veteran S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, recently released by the Houston Texans, is available on the open market.
For a defense desperately in need of stability and playmaking, this is the kind of move that could pay immediate dividends. Jones shouldn’t hesitate to make the call.
Here are three reasons why Gardner-Johnson makes perfect sense for the Cowboys right now.
Terrible Safety Play
Dallas entered the season with high hopes for its secondary, but the reality has been much different.
Missed tackles, busted coverages, and poor communication have been a recurring theme in the back end of the defense.
Opposing quarterbacks are finding too many easy completions over the middle, while tight ends and slot receivers are routinely exploiting mismatches in the deep middle of the field.
The struggles at safety have only magnified the lack of cohesion across the defense.
Neither the veterans nor the younger players have stepped up to steady the ship, and it’s been costly in key moments.
Gardner-Johnson’s arrival would immediately raise the floor of the unit, providing a dependable and experienced presence who understands how to clean up those breakdowns.
An Immediate Upgrade
Few players on the market can step into a defense midseason and immediately raise its ceiling, but Gardner-Johnson fits that bill.
At 26 years old, he’s still in his prime and brings proven versatility.
During his time in New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Detroit, he demonstrated the ability to play both safety spots and cover from the slot, giving defensive coordinators flexibility in how to deploy him.
His physicality, instincts, and ball skills would instantly elevate the Cowboys’ secondary.
He’s known for his ability to generate turnovers, whether through interceptions or forcing fumbles, something this defense has sorely lacked through the first month of the season.
Gardner-Johnson doesn’t just fill a hole; he changes the dynamic of the defense.
Seize the Opportunity
It’s rare for a player of Gardner-Johnson’s caliber to be available at this point in the season, let alone at a potentially team-friendly price.
Typically, if a team is in the market for defensive help in late September, they’re left sifting through practice-squad call-ups or aging veterans well past their prime.
Gardner-Johnson represents the opposite: a battle-tested playmaker with recent playoff experience and the ability to lead by example.
Adding him would send a strong message to the locker room that the Cowboys aren’t sitting idly by while the defense flounders.
For a franchise with playoff and championship aspirations, waiting isn’t an option, especially when the solution is right there in free agency.
Something Must Be Done
The Cowboys need answers, and they need them now.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson is the type of player who can provide an immediate upgrade in the secondary, bolster a struggling defense, and inject some badly needed energy into a locker room searching for answers.
With a rare opportunity sitting in front of him, Jerry Jones should waste no time picking up the phone.
Cowboys are in patch work mode now. Losing Zion Childress to Houston was inexcusable, but looking at journeyman veterans like Gardner-Johnson, Clowney to save their season is a pipedream. Rumor has it that the Cowboys are looking at adding another WR in some big guy named Legette from Carolina. He is a first round bust and it will require at least a third round draft pick to pry him loose! This bad ballclub needs an Edge rusher and those currently on the roster are turning into bigtime busts! This is all on Jones and his tight fisted policies. His interference is dragging this club down. I still maintain that this club will struggle to win 4 games this season.
Might want to consider WHY he’s available, for the 6th time in 7 years. DeMeco Ryans will only say that, “he did what was best for the team” in releasing Gardner-Johnson after only three games. The book on him is that he is not a team player and rubs even his own teammates the wrong way with his constant yapping.
Is he really a good fit on this team and in this locker room? If he is not a team player, how is he going to help solve the miscommunication issues that plague our defense? Can he be counted on to play the role Eberflus needs filled to make his D work? From his undisciplined play in the past, I highly doubt it. He’s more likely to be yet another player doing his own thing and leaving gaps while he freelances looking for his own glory.