Sturm1310
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http://sportsday.***BANNED-URL***/d...wboys-land-run-stopper-cedric-thornton-eagles
Bob Sturm: Why Cowboys made a good bargain move stealing a run-stopper from the Eagles
By Bob Sturm, Special contributor
It is nice to know that free agency week is not just about teases and rumors. Sometimes, you actually add a nice piece to your team and yesterday the Cowboys did just that. Cedric Thornton has been signed for what appears to be roughly a four-year, $17 million deal. The deal includes $5M up front in a signing bonus and then base salaries of $1M, $3M, $4M, and $4M -- with the first two years ($9M fully guaranteed). The final two years will basically be team options with only the remainder of his signing bonus ($1.25M per year) as potential dead money.
Cedric is going to turn 28-years-old in June and is 6-foot-4 and around 310 pounds. He has been an Eagles force in the middle for the past four seasons out of Southern Arkansas. He is a run stopper who will play around 600 snaps as a run-down speed bump 1-technique. But, he is actually much more than that.
Nick Hayden has played this 1-technique spot for the past three seasons and has performed admirably for a player who wasn't even in the league when the Cowboys called. But, Thornton has a much bigger and impressive toolbox. He plays all first and second downs and has a knack for destroying outside zone blocking plays. Now you may be wondering how this helps the pass rush - well, it really doesn't. In nickel or passing downs, he is generally on the sideline. He will occasionally get to the QB, but odds are you have better natural pass rushers than him.
The price is what makes this right for me. The Giants just paid Damon Harrison $46 million with $24 million guaranteed to do a similar job in New York. The Giants, I guess, plan on playing Harrison and Johnathan Hankins both inside on their line which will not allow much on the ground but will certainly not get to the QB, either. Either way, Harrison for almost $10 million a year or Thornton for $4 million? There is no question if you are going to pay for a two-down-run-stopper, you want one but you also don't want to give them all the money. I can't imagine the Giants are going to like that deal in 24 months.
Cedric Thornton - No. 72 - 6'4, 309 - 27-years-old
[article content added by moderator]
Bob Sturm: Why Cowboys made a good bargain move stealing a run-stopper from the Eagles
By Bob Sturm, Special contributor
It is nice to know that free agency week is not just about teases and rumors. Sometimes, you actually add a nice piece to your team and yesterday the Cowboys did just that. Cedric Thornton has been signed for what appears to be roughly a four-year, $17 million deal. The deal includes $5M up front in a signing bonus and then base salaries of $1M, $3M, $4M, and $4M -- with the first two years ($9M fully guaranteed). The final two years will basically be team options with only the remainder of his signing bonus ($1.25M per year) as potential dead money.
Cedric is going to turn 28-years-old in June and is 6-foot-4 and around 310 pounds. He has been an Eagles force in the middle for the past four seasons out of Southern Arkansas. He is a run stopper who will play around 600 snaps as a run-down speed bump 1-technique. But, he is actually much more than that.
Nick Hayden has played this 1-technique spot for the past three seasons and has performed admirably for a player who wasn't even in the league when the Cowboys called. But, Thornton has a much bigger and impressive toolbox. He plays all first and second downs and has a knack for destroying outside zone blocking plays. Now you may be wondering how this helps the pass rush - well, it really doesn't. In nickel or passing downs, he is generally on the sideline. He will occasionally get to the QB, but odds are you have better natural pass rushers than him.
The price is what makes this right for me. The Giants just paid Damon Harrison $46 million with $24 million guaranteed to do a similar job in New York. The Giants, I guess, plan on playing Harrison and Johnathan Hankins both inside on their line which will not allow much on the ground but will certainly not get to the QB, either. Either way, Harrison for almost $10 million a year or Thornton for $4 million? There is no question if you are going to pay for a two-down-run-stopper, you want one but you also don't want to give them all the money. I can't imagine the Giants are going to like that deal in 24 months.
Cedric Thornton - No. 72 - 6'4, 309 - 27-years-old
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