Defensive tackle has been a hot topic as the 2018 offseason looms closer. One player Dallas Cowboys fans shouldn’t forget about is Brian Price, who was active for eight games last year before a season-ending knee injury.
Dallas claimed Price off waivers when he failed to make the Green Bay Packers’ roster last season. Veteran Cedric Thornton was waived to make room for the 23-year-old prospect.
Brian Price went undrafted in 2016 and then signed with Green Bay. He spent most of the season on their practice squad but did get signed to the 53-man roster for a few weeks. The Packers did not get a chance to have him back in 2017 after the Cowboys scooped him up.
Even though he’d just arrived to the team and was relatively inexperienced, Dallas trusted Price to be one of their reserve defensive tackles for the first eight games of 2017. This was even over prospects like Richard Ash and Lewis Neal, who’d been around the system longer. Given that, Brian Price should not be ignored when considering how the Cowboys will fill the depth chart for next season.
Assuming he recovers fully from the dislocated knee, Brian will be right in the competitive mix with Ash, Neal, and anyone else contending for roster spots.
Even though his contract has expired, Price only has two accrued season in the NFL. That means he will be an Exclusive Rights Free Agent, giving Dallas total control as to whether or not they want him back.
It’s a safe assumption the Cowboys will bring Price back after last year. He now has his own system experience to build on and will have just turned 24 years old in June.
While some have projected that defensive tackle could be a major draft priority for Dallas this year, it’s one of many positions they need to address. The Cowboys could decide they have enough intriguing young prospects already, allowing Price, Ash, Neal, and others to compete for jobs without investing more resources.
We’ll see where Brian Price fits in next year, or if Dallas even chooses to re-sign him. He’s a name we shouldn’t forget, though, when considering 2018 options at defensive tackle.
