3 Defensive Starters the Cowboys Can Still Add in Free Agency

1. Willie Gay, Jr., LB, Kansas City Chiefs

Leighton Vander Esch was sorely missed after the veteran linebacker was lost due to a neck injury. His ability to slow down the opposing team's ground game made him special and while Damone Clark and Markquese Bell played well in coverage, neither did what LVE could against the run.

The front office will try and sell their fan base on the return of DeMarvion Overshown being enough to improve the defense, but it's not. He might be a solid addition but there are no guarantees that a third-round pick coming off a torn ACL will even be able to hold down a starting job.

That's why it would make sense to go after Willie Gay, Jr. — a linebacker who has been tied to the team since before free agency started.

Gay stands 6-foot-1 and 243 pounds, which would give the Cowboys that big body in the middle of the defense they were missing at the end of the year. He's also proven he can get the job done with 233 tackles, 5.0 sacks, four interceptions, and 19 pass defenses in four seasons.

On top of that, Gay knows what it takes to win since he's been on the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs roster for the entirety of his career. He's the exact type of player they need and could help salvage an otherwise lackluster offseason.

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