Dallas Cowboys: Maliek Collins, Michael Bennett, or Robert Quinn?

As of now Maliek Collins, Michael Bennett, and Robert Quinn are all free agents, and given the Dallas Cowboys cap situation, they’ll probably only be able to keep one…

It’s not like the Dallas Cowboys are short of cash or anything. The way things project, they’re likely to have roughly $82 million in space under the salary cap (per Spotrac). And as we discussed this past offseason, the salary cap is fake news anyway. Teams can work around the league-imposed spending barrier with ease if they want to.

But since free spending has a way of EVENTUALLY catching up with big spenders, and with so many items on the Dallas Cowboys to-do list, chances are the Cowboys will once again operate with restraint this offseason –  essentially meaning they’re going to let some good players leave in free agency this offseason. The three we’re discussing today are three of Dallas’ top-4 pass-rushers.

Robert Quinn

Robert Quinn was brilliant in his one season with the Dallas Cowboys. Not only did he lead the team in sacks, but he led the NFL in pass-rush win rate nearly every week of the season. His burst and bend from the RDE spot helped make up the season-long loss of Randy Gregory and was one of the few bright spots of this otherwise disappointing season.

Quinn wasn’t without flaws, though. Like Gregory, Quinn was a liability against the run. Often times it appeared he couldn’t care less about the running game and was perfectly content selling out for the pass. Re-signing the soon-to-be 30-year-old Quinn is investing heavily in a one-dimensional edge rusher. And it ain’t gonna be cheap.

Maliek Collins

Oddly enough, Maliek Collins stands to make even more than Quinn. Collins turns 25 this offseason and unlike Quinn, his best football is still ahead of him. Like DeMarcus Lawrence and Quinn, Collins also ranks amongst the best in pass-rush win rate. He may not have a ton of sacks but he’s winning battles.

Throughout his career, Collins has been poor against the run and this season is no different. His 55 run stopping score from Pro Football Focus is the lowest score on the team (in his position group) and one of the lowest in the NFL.

But you can’t teach size, speed, or quickness and Collins has that in spades. It’s hard to predict what the market brings but Collins stands to cash in big and Dallas may opt to use that money elsewhere.

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Michael Bennett

Finally, we have Michael Bennett. I would expect Bennett to have the least amount of support from the fanbase given his age, limited time on the team, and propensity for lining up offsides. But he can’t be totally disregarded given his knack for the big play, leadership qualities, and low contract demands.

At what cost?

If money was no object, and the team is ready to win now, Quinn would be the obvious choice for most of Cowboys Nation. And if building for the future is the goal, Collins would be the wise choice. But both are going to cost a truck load and Dallas still has to re-sign their signal caller, lead receiver, and rebuild their secondary. Aiming for a bargain player like Bennett doesn’t seem to be the choice either even if his price and production make him the most optimal choice.

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I would expect Dallas to keep either Quinn or Collins. And I’d expect Bennett to look for a team he sees as a more stable contender. But I wouldn’t be shocked to see them all go and Dallas to just reshuffle the deck on their D-line. Whatever the Dallas Cowboys decide will tell us a lot about what kind of scheme new defensive line coach Jim Tomsula

• Published on 01/10/2020 at 12:01 PM
• Last updated at 01/10/2020 at 08:00 AM