Dallas Cowboys fans got their hopes up that desperately needed pass rush help was on its way after they saw the news that their team hosted Jadeveon Clowney for a visit on Wednesday morning. The hole left by the Micah Parsons trade was about to get filled by a still-productive veteran pass rusher. Clowney may not be the wrecking ball he once was earlier in his career, but he has proven to still have a ton of gas left in the tank by recording 16 sacks in 31 games over the last two seasons.
Yet, when it's Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, one can never get too excited about a potential signing or a trade. This organization will find a way to drag its feet after injecting its fans with some hope and optimism. And it looks like that is exactly what happened on Wednesday.
Cowboys' Jadeveon Clowney Dream Is Over Before It Could Even Start
Josina Anderson, who was the first to report the initial visit, said that Clowney left the Cowboys' facility without a contract, but Dallas will "keep in contact with" the former first-overall pick. Cowboys insider Clarence Hill Jr. also confirmed that the team is "probably not going to sign" Clowney.
Perhaps this is not too surprising to hear after head coach Brian Schottenheimer's comments earlier in the day. Schottenheimer, who was the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator during Clowney's stint there, sounded lukewarm about the possibility of a reunion with Clowney, saying that the team is "always in the business of seeing what's out there". While that may be dismissed as meaningless coachspeak, it's clear that Schotty doesn't sound desperate to coach the 32-year-old defender.
Now that it's unlikely that Clowney will be signed between now and the Week 2 game against the New York Giants, the Cowboys will once again rely on Sam Williams, Dante Fowler, Marshawn Kneeland, and rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku in their pass rush rotation. James Houston also saw nine defensive snaps as part of the rotation, but the heavy lifting will be done by the Williams-Fowler-Kneeland-Ezeiruaku quartet. Kneeland was the best among that group against the Eagles, receiving a 73.0 PFF grade and recording the team's only sack.
Whether it's Clowney, another free agent, or someone on the trade block, it behooves the Cowboys to add more depth and quality to their rotation. Unfortunately, however, most Cowboys fans know that the more likely scenario is instead watching their rivals, the Eagles, sign perfect fits such as Za'Darius Smith, like they did earlier this week.