Cowboys Make Heartless Leighton Vander Esch Move After Retirement Rumors

The Dallas Cowboys have been relatively quiet during the offseason. They haven't made any splash signings or dished out any mega-deals. The only move they have made thus far was signing veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks.

Aside from that, Dallas hasn't done much. It was reported that LB Leighton Vander Esch is going to retire in the next couple of weeks due to ongoing neck injuries.

Unfortunately for him, he won't be retiring a Cowboy if he does make that decision. According to ESPN's Todd Archer, Dallas is releasing Vander Esch with a failed physical designation.

Cowboys News: Leighton Vander Esch Is Going to Be Released

Vander Esch has been dealing with neck injuries since he was in college. Those same problems have followed Vander Esch into the NFL. Last season, he missed 12 games after suffering yet another neck injury against the San Francisco 49ers.

It's a pinched nerve in his neck that gives him trouble and there might not be a real resolution for him.

When healthy, the 28-year-old is a very effective defender on the second level. Vander Esch has great closing speed and has superb instincts.

In his six-year tenure with the Cowboys, he amassed 469 total stops, 3.5 sacks, and three interceptions.

The timing of this release is tough. It's sad to see a one time fan favorite cast aside during a very difficult moment in his career. But at the end of the day, the Cowboys simply don't have enough salary cap space to be keeping players under contract out of the goodness of their hearts.

Despite parting ways with Vander Esch the Cowboys own one of the best rosters in the league and have a real shot of reaching Super Bowl LIX. They currently have the seventh-best odds in the NFL to win the whole thing at +1700. Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook, claim your sign-up bonus, and take advantage of these odds to back the Cowboys.

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