With all the recent movement from the Dallas Cowboys, a name many might have forgotten is Anthony Brown.
Brown tore his Achilles in Week 13, and boy was his absence felt in the secondary the moment he went out. Brown was not great by any means, but I saw the difference in the secondary when he was in the lineup compared to after he got hurt.
I have had my fair share of thoughts about Brown and his production on the field, but after he got hurt, you could tell how much worse the backend of the defense became.
The team was also without Jourdan Lewis, who found his way onto the injured reserve list due to a Lisfranc injury in his foot. Either way, throw the numbers out the window.
Regardless of how you feel about Brown, when he tore his Achilles, the team replaced him with Kelvin Joseph and guys like Trayvon Mullen.
It was a SIGNIFICANT drop-off; am I lying?
With the team trading for Stephon Gilmore, they now have Trevon Diggs, Gilmore, DaRon Bland, and Israel Mukuamu.
Before the team traded for Gilmore, Brown was the team’s most experienced corner.
His injury takes some time to heal, and I think he still has a chip on his shoulder. If the Cowboys can bring Brown back on a one or two-year veteran minimum-type deal to return to the team, I would be all for it.
I have a strong feeling that he may need most of the year to rehab his injury and maybe come back for the playoffs.
The team got another star to put on the other side of Diggs in Gilmore. It is easy to say we have seen the last of Brown in Dallas because of that trade, but I still think he is worthy of a flyer deal for depth.
Even if he isn’t ready until the end of the year, it is always a luxury to have a starter that can come in and produce even at an average level.
I am sure the team will use a late-round pick or two to add to the position’s depth, but having Brown, who already knows the playbook inside and out, would help.
Nahshon Wright could also have a bigger role; he and Bland are under 25. Both could step into a bigger role if Brown is not brought back.
At some point, Dallas will have another injury for a week and may need one of those guys for a game or two.
No movement has been made regarding Brown yet, but he popped into my head as I looked at some moves the team could make in the next few months.
He probably won’t be ready until November, so that is the risk you take, but I wouldn’t hate to have Brown sitting at CB4 when the playoffs roll around.