The Dallas Cowboys want to get back to their winning ways and to do that, they’ll have to climb the standings in the NFC East. The Philadelphia Eagles are the top threat as remaining Super Bowl champions and the Cowboys will get to take the first shot when they travel for a Week 1 showdown. But the Cowboys second-biggest threat to a successful season may have an old friend standing in the way.
Dan Quinn took over the Washington Commanders last season and had a successful first year. After cultivating quarterback Jayden Daniels and leading the Commanders to an NFC Championship Game appearance, there are big expectations in Year 2. But the Cowboys could find a way to sabotage Quinn’s plans and strengthen their own team if they can beat them to a newly released All-Pro.
Cowboys Can Sabotage Commanders By Signing Jaire Alexander
According to multiple sources including ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, the Green Bay Packers are planning to release cornerback Jaire Alexander. Alexander has been the Packers’ top corner since arriving in Green Bay during the 2017 NFL Draft but his contract and availability caused the two sides to split one day before the Packers commenced their mandatory minicamp.
Alexander is still an effective cornerback when healthy, posting an overall grade over 70 in each season of his career according to Pro Football Focus. But the issue has been staying on the field with 34 missed games over the past four seasons due to injury or suspension. Still, Alexander’s track record will make him a hot commodity on the free agent market and the Cowboys should be a team interested in his services.
Dallas has DaRon Bland penciled in as the nickel cornerback after the departure of Jourdan Lewis in free agency, but the outside cornerbacks are currently a wasteland. Trevon Diggs has an uncertain timetable for his recovery from a knee procedure and did not report to voluntary OTA workouts last week. The Cowboys also traded for first-round draft bust Kaiir Elam from the Buffalo Bills and selected East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. in the third round of April’s draft. But neither player is guaranteed to become a starting-caliber player like Alexander would be.
Perhaps the biggest factor in their pursuit is that the Commanders should also be interested in Alexander. Washington currently has Marshon Lattimore manning one outside cornerback spot but his 56.8 PFF grade ranked 92nd out of 128 qualifiers last season. Mike Sanristil has the other starting spot on the outside but ranked 53rd among qualifiers with a 65.8 overall grade and 51st with a 64.5 grade in coverage.
It makes Alexander a coveted target no matter which team pulls the trigger. But for the Cowboys, it might be the difference between taking a step forward or allowing Washington to be a top contender next season.