3 Former Cowboys Who Failed Miserably With Their New Teams in Week 1

2. Dorance Armstrong, EDGE, Washington Commanders

A fourth-round pick out of Kansas in 2018, Dorance Armstrong was an underrated pass-rusher throughout his tenure in Dallas. He recorded five sacks in 2021 and then re-signed on an affordable two-year deal.

That drew a lot of criticism since it followed the loss of Randy Gregory, who had six sacks but was a much more recognizable name. Stephen Jones even took a lot of heat for stating facts, saying Armstrong's production was similar to Gregory's.

While Gregory proved to be a bust for the Denver Broncos, Armstrong had 16 sacks over the past two years. This led to his departure as he signed a three-year deal worth $45 million with the Washington Commanders. He followed Dan Quinn, who was his defensive coordinator in Dallas and was expected to anchor their pass rush.

As is the case with everyone on this list, the sample size for Armstrong is minimal but he didn't set the league on fire in his D.C. debut. The veteran defensive end had just one tackle and two pressures as Baker Mayfield lit up the Washington defense.

Armstrong made the money but was joined by Dante Fowler, Jr. who was a teammate of his with Dallas. Fowler signed a much more affordable deal as he counts for just over $3 million against the cap this season. He was still far more active with two tackles and three pressures.

There are still 16 games remaining and Armstrong knows what Quinn expects. Having said that, his first outing as the No. 1 pass rusher didn't go as expected.