I said earlier in the offseason that Greg Hardy would only be here one year if Lawrence and Gregory developed into what we think they can be.
I really don't believe that anymore. I think despite what you may think of Greg Hardy and what may have gone on off the field, the Kraken persona is going to quickly become the face of this defensive line and the face of this defense. I think he brings and attitude and energy to this defense that we didn't have with DeMarcus Ware.
I think when you combine him with Rolando McClain, they're going to establish a type of defense people don't necessarily expect from Dallas and would more readily expect it from the Ravens or the Steelers. I think combined with players like Sean Lee and Byron Jones, we're going to see an excellent defense. The combination of Hardy, Lawrence, and Gregory is going to be something very special and it's going to be special for a pretty long time.
I think you'll see Greg Hardy signed to a 3-5 year deal by the end of the season. I think that had McClain not gotten himself suspended, he would have been able to get a 5-6 year deal. It'll be interesting whether McClain's play and the overall performance of this defense moves the front office to even extend him at all at this point. I think he will be lucky to get a 1 year deal from the team depending on the development of Anthony Hitchens and his performance in the first four games of the year. It might not look like it, but they've built the future and the depth of the linebacker corps with Hitchens and Wilson, and maybe even Nzeocha (I expect him to be placed on IR) once he is healthy. I think this defense is well built, especially if Jones starts at free safety. I'd love to see us draft another corner high next year to replace Carr and or Claiborne.
