5 Leighton Vander Esch Replacements the Cowboys Must Target
• Could the Patriots be ready to deal?
• Denver is set for a fire sale and could part with a stud LB
By Randy Gurzi
On Sunday Night Football, the Dallas Cowboys suffered their worst loss under Mike McCarthy with the San Francisco 49ers running them out of the stadium 42-10.
As if that wasn't enough, they also lost a couple of key players in the game. Receiver/return man KaVontae Turpin injured his ankle hauling in his first receiving touchdown of his career and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch went down with a neck injury.
Turpin will most likely return this season but Vander Esch appears headed to the IR. It's wise to be cautious given his history of neck injuries but that leaves Dallas really thin at the position. That's why it would make sense to bring in one of these five players to help the defense stay afloat.
5. Rashaan Evans
A former first-round pick in 2018, Rashaan Evans spent four seasons with the Tennessee Titans and was a starter for the majority of that time. He recorded 317 tackles with 15 going for a loss and added two interceptions during that time.
He then signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons in 2023 and had his best statistical season as a pro. Evans started all 17 games and had 159 tackles, two sacks, and four pass defenses. Despite his performance, the Falcons didn't retain him and Evans signed with the Eagles practice squad.
Philly wound up releasing him just a few days later and he has yet to land anywhere.
Adding Evans would give Dallas a sure tackler with 76 games of experience under his belt. He's also the only free agent on this list, so it wouldn't cost them any draft capital to add via trade.