Getty Images
When the Dallas Cowboys made what seems like their annual splash in free agency this year by signing the mercurial defensive end Greg Hardy from the Carolina Panthers, they did so knowing that they were taking a major risk. They signed a player who missed 15 games last year due to the fact he was being investigated for charges of domestic violence and they knew that there was a good chance he would also be suspended for a significant amount of games this year too. And this isn’t even taking into account the possible negative effects this controversial signing could have on the locker room with his teammates’ perception of him and their having to deal with the constant questions from the media.
But Jerry Jones and the Cowboys took a calculated risk knowing that Hardy’s presence on the field could dramatically improve their team. In signing Hardy they added a big body to play on their defensive line and his 6-foot-4, 275-pound frame has been known to be a constant disruptive force in the backfield. The talented defensive end out of Ole Miss has really come into his own as a player lately; he had 61 tackles with 11 sacks in 2012 and he followed up that amazing season with 59 tackles and 15 sacks in 2013. And as I mentioned earlier he only played in one game last season but even in that game he had a sack. When given the opportunity to play, he is productive.
He is a versatile player who can play both defensive end and defensive tackle, and this is something that will definitely come in handy in obvious pass rushing situations as the Cowboys will try and get as many pass rushers as they can on the field. He is already penciled in to be their starting defensive end but defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli likes to rotate his lineman to keep them fresh throughout the game, so expect him to get spelled from time to time by Jeremy Mincey, Demarcus Lawrence, and rookie Randy Gregory.
The main issue facing Hardy as training camp approaches is the fact that he is currently suspended for the first 10 games of the 2015 season. He has appealed the decision and is currently awaiting word from league arbitrator Harold Henderson, which after hearing his decision could lead to yet another appeal. But none of this is keeping the Cowboys from getting him as many reps as they can now while they still have his services.
They know that it’s tough to get back up to speed after missing basically an entire year of football, so they will get him as much action as they can on the field and get him acclimated to their defense now before whatever suspension the league hands down goes into effect.
They employed this same strategy with cornerback Orlando Scandrick last year knowing that he was eventually going to get suspended and it worked out for them as his suspension wound up getting reduced. Due to the fact that he got so much work in during training camp and the preseason games, he came right back in once his suspension was over and didn’t miss a beat. The Cowboys are hoping the same will happen with Hardy.
Kelly Anderson is a blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bgipp01 or add him to your network on Google.
