After finishing his rookie contract last season, Leighton Vander Esch signed a one-year deal to return to Dallas and hopefully convince someone that he deserves a long-term deal. But after the Cowboys' 2022 draft, it's starting to look like the linebacker's “prove it” season will be to attract the NFL's 31 other teams.
Vander Esch became an unrestricted free agent this offseason after Dallas declined the 5th-year option on his original contract. While Leighton had an outstanding rookie season in 2018, injuries and scheme changes marred his 2019-2020 seasons and left the Cowboys dubious about his long-term potential.
Leighton started to get back to form last year, finishing 2021 on a high note with a strong second half to the regular season and being one of the team's best performers in the playoff loss to the 49ers. It was enough for Dallas to give him an almost fully guaranteed $2 million for the upcoming season.
The Cowboys already have two linebackers they seem committed to for the long term in Micah Parsons and Jabril Cox. One is obvious; Parsons is already one of the best defensive players in the league and probably the centerpiece of Dallas' defense for years to come.
Cox is already feeling like a valued asset based on the evidence. The front office has commented that they expect a full recovery and significant role for Jabril in 2022, and then validated that by not selecting a linebacker until the 5th round of last week's draft.
That rookie, LSU's Damone Clark, had a limited chance of playing this year due to recent spinal fusion surgery. But the Cowboys have stated that they expect him to get on the field at some point as a rookie, and if so Clark may get a chance to flash talent that was generally expected to make him a Day 2 pick before the surgery.
None of this bodes well for Leighton Vander Esch's future in Dallas. Even if he has a fantastic 2022 season, will the cap-conscious Cowboys give him a lucrative deal next offseason when they already have Cox and Clark to work with?
It's not like Vander Esch's departure would leave Dallas with nothing, either. If another team scoops him up in 2023 free agency then that could factor into the compensatory pick formula and help the Cowboys score a mid-round pick in 2024.
It really feels like a classic “damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario for Leighton. If he struggles on the field or with injuries this season then Dallas just moves on to younger prospects. If Vander Esch has a good year he just might price himself out of the Cowboys' range.
However it shakes out, bad or good, 2022 is looking like Leighton Vander Esch's last season in Dallas.
