Cowboys: McClain, Thornton Change Draft For Dallas

The Dallas Cowboys have been predictably quiet during the opening hours of free agency, but the moves that have been made tell something about NFL Draft approach.

Dallas Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones stated repeatedly in the weeks leading up to the start of the free agent signing period that his franchise wouldn’t exactly be waiting to beat down the doors on ‘Black Wednesday.’ America’s Team cared not about the not-so-great deals to be had once unwanted veterans became eligible to sign lucrative contracts with other teams.

As the new league year approached on Wednesday, there was also rampant speculation regarding the 2016 NFL Draft that continues at this very moment. Interesting is how free agency in professional football, always beginning well before the annual player selection meeting, immediately re-shapes mock drafts all over the football universe online.

In recent months, there’s been a good handful of mock draft sites that predict that the Cowboys will select UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, a highly athletic machine for the Bruins over the last few seasons, with the fourth-overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft in April.

Things were really pointing in the right direction for Jack until he injured his knee last September and missed most of his junior year. At this point, Jack is still a pretty hot prospect, but it looks like the pending return of middle linebacker Rolando McClain all but nixes the idea of Jack going to Dallas, especially with the fourth overall selection.

McClain has had a respectable run with the Cowboys over the last couple of seasons. He hasn’t always been healthy and there’s always been concerns over his presence and activities off the football field, but you won’t find many that doubt his talent on the field.

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When you combine McClain with Pro Bowl linebacker Sean Lee, who successfully returned from a torn ACL injury during the summer of 2014, the Cowboys have two outstanding linebackers with elite-level talent. Dallas also has a couple of stars at the position that seem to be a bit fragile, Lee having torn his ACL three times during his career.

McClain signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Cowboys as free agency opened, and while the investment seems minimal where overall value is concerned, it more than suggests that Dallas might be done in the linebacker game for this offseason.

This is not to state that the Cowboys will not sign another veteran or draft another linebacker in late April.

I do, however, think that history suggests that this franchise won’t be prioritizing this position from this point forward. I just can’t see the Cowboys paying McClain his money while also paying Lee under the terms of his extension signed in 2013 – but then allocating more premium resources to a player like Jack.

Anything is possible, but I don’t see it here.

The reality is that the Cowboys have linebackers – a lot of linebackers, in fact.

With only Kyle Wilber as a remaining unrestricted free agent at this position, the Cowboys don’t stand to lose much else in terms of their linebacker depth. Anthony Hitchens is heading into his third season and appears right now to have the inside track on a starting job next season alongside McClain and Lee.

Update:

According to Brandon George of Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys have agreed to terms with free-agent defensive lineman Cedric Thornton, a former defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles. Thornton went undrafted out of Southern Arkansas in 2011 and will scoot inside to play defensive tackle with the Cowboys.

Thornton will apparently replace veteran Nick Hayden on the inside, but also has the positional versatility to also play along the edge of the line. While Thornton’s stats aren’t going to knock anybody’s socks off, there’s undoubtedly a plan for the five-year veteran in defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli’s 4-3 alignment. Having come from Philly’s 3-4 scheme as an inside presence, Thornton might be in position to make more splash plays as one of Marinelli’s ‘rush men.’

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While the contract signed by McClain might reduce the need for more linebacker interest early in the draft, adding Thornton will have nothing to do with the Cowboys intent to improve the pass rush with a premium talent like Joey Bosa of Ohio State or DeForest Buckner of Oregon.

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