Future Hall of Famer Von Miller, 36, is a man without a team. The Super Bowl winning, former All-Pro defensive end has made a career chasing quarterbacks and with DeMarcus Lawrence now gone from Dallas, some have suggested Miller could be the needed replacement. Former Cowboys writer and current NFL analyst David Helman wisely put that idea to bed.
Worthwhile news can be hard to come by at this time of year so sometimes analysts need to dig pretty deep to find interesting “what ifs” to talk about. Miller, who has made over $191 million across his storied career, probably wouldn’t be as fruitful in Dallas as he would elsewhere, despite his DeSoto, TX roots.
Not only is Miller beginning to slow down, but the Cowboys have the defensive end position largely covered. Dallas signed Dante Fowler to a $6 million deal early in free agency to pick up the slack and they also welcome back fourth-year player Sam Williams after missing 2024 with an ACL tear.
As if those two aren’t enough, the Cowboys also have a pair of second-round picks, Marshawn Kneeland and Donovan Ezeiruaku, to round out a pretty impressive rotation.
And did I mention that guy Micah Parsons?
The Cowboys have some needs on their defense and options in free agency to consider. Cornerback and defensive tackle look particularly problematic but defensive end is not a comparable concern. Adding a veteran like Miller would only stand in the way of the development of Williams, Kneeland and Ezeiruaku. Perhaps if Fowler wasn’t signed and option like Miller would make sense but the ideal looks redundant in these current circumstances.
The issue at hand isn’t a debate about a single player, but rather a point about how not all additions are good additions. Just because someone has name recognition doesn’t mean he’s an upgrade and just because someone might be a slight upgrade doesn’t mean he’s helpful for the position group long-term.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys will be fine at edge without signing Von Miller