As the calendar year moves along, we edge closer and closer to the 2017 NFL season. With this comes roster moves, as teams get ready for the next offseason, and we all wonder what the Dallas Cowboys free agency period will bring.
This past week the Jacksonville Jaguars released veteran defensive end Jared Odrick, making him a free agent in this year's open market. Odrick, 29 years old, was only in year two of a five year, $42.5 million deal with the Jaguars before being released.
In 2015, Odrick played all sixteen games and led the Jags in sacks with 5.5. This season, however, Odrick played in only six games and tallied just 1 sack after being placed on the Injured Reserve with a shoulder injury early in the year.
So, after missing most of 2016 and being less than a “War Daddy” when healthy, why would I be suggesting Jared Odrick be welcomed by the Dallas Cowboys during free agency? Well, he is not be the pass rusher we absolutely need, but he does fit the Rod Marinelli mold to a “T.”
Jared Odrick: Versatility
Marinelli and the Cowboys love guys that can be moved around the defensive line. Last year, Jack Crawford was the perfect example of this. Though Crawford mostly played at defensive end, he did see time in the tackle rotation when necessary.
He wasn't the most productive of players, but Crawford made himself useful through his versatility.
Jared Odrick could have a similar story in Dallas. When playing in a 4-3 defense for the Miami Dolphins, Odrick saw time both at defensive end and tackle. While in Jacksonville playing in a 3-4 scheme, Odrick solely played defensive end, but was not a true “edge” player.
At 6'5 304 pounds Odrick can play both inside and out, and make himself valuable for the Cowboys regardless of what his final sack totals look like.
The Cowboys Need Defensive Linemen
The fact of the matter is, the entire defensive line is a need. After a more-than-solid rookie campaign, Maliek Collins looks like he could have a breakout season in 2017. David Irving also emerged as a potential stud, and Cedric Thornton can be a useful defensive tackle as well, but the rest of the depth chart remains in flux.
Terrell McClain is an unrestricted free agent, and may get overpaid somewhere else due to his quality play in 2016. On the outside, Randy Gregory is suspended for 2017 and the health of Demarcus Lawrence is always in question. And for the rest of the roster, who knows what you are going to get each week?
Jared Odrick is not the perfect player by any means, nor is he the double digit sack EDGE player I want in Dallas. But with that being said, Odrick is a solid defensive linemen who can fill in where and when needed to bring decent production.
As long as he remains healthy, Jared Odrick can be an aggressive rotational player who can provide a spark on every third possession or so. He would have to potentially take less money than he could get elsewhere, but Jared Odrick would fit both the scheme and mentality of the Dallas Cowboys defense if signed during free agency.
