One of the top player still available in 2021 free agency in veteran Linebacker K.J. Wright. With his old Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn now working for the Cowboys, it’s no surprise that Wright’s been linked to Dallas a good bit over the last few weeks.
Wright won a Super Bowl with Quinn coordinating the “Legion of Boom” defense in Seattle. When Dan left to become the Falcons’ head coach, Wright was quoted as calling him a “defensive mastermind.”
The Cowboys certainly need some help at linebacker. Joe Thomas is now with Houston, Sean Lee is contemplating retirement, and the duo of Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch are going into 2021 with serious concerns about their performance and Leighton’s health.
K.J. Wright could walk into training camp at age 32 and still perhaps be Dallas’ best linebacker. If nothing else, he could provide exceptional depth and veteran leadership while also helping teammates to adapt to Dan Quinn.
So yeah, unsurprisingly, Wright and the Cowboys appear to be flirting a bit this offseason.
If Wright and the Cowboys do end up together it shouldn’t be surprise that it took some time. Dallas has become very conservative with free agency over time and isn’t looking to pay those first-wave salaries and bonuses.
But now it’s been a week and K.J. remains unsigned. Depending on what other offers or interest he’s received, the lure of reuniting with Quinn and joining the Cowboys could get him here at an acceptable price.
Dallas doesn’t want to go into the draft with any glaring needs. If they can add a player like K.J. Wright, it will fill one of their bigger holes and provide additional leverage for the big weekend in April.
