4 Pending Free Agents Cowboys Must Re-Sign This Offseason
3. Dorance Armstrong, DE
Dorance Armstrong seems to be one of those players who just gets better with each passing year.
The veteran defensive end broke out in 2022 despite starting in just five of 17 appearances, tallying a career-high 8.5 sacks. Even though he started in four fewer games this past season, he was still productive, racking up 7.5 sacks, 20 solo tackles, and 34 total pressures.
The below chart also illustrates how Armstrong's PFF grades improved from last year.
Year | Overall Defense | Run Defense | Tackling | Pass Rush | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | 70.1 | 58.2 | 71.4 | 70.1 | 72.4 |
2022 | 61.8 | 57.5 | 56.0 | 62.3 | 68.0 |
Considering how the Cowboys were PFF's second-best team in terms of pass rush, it isn't hard to see just how important Armstrong was to that success. Signing him to another one- or two-year deal makes a lot of sense given the size of Dallas' championship window.