When was the last time Dallas signed an impactful Def player?

[DanA]

Donatari Poe.

His impact was so huge it practically defined the defense for the first 6 weeks.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Too bad he had too many personal demons.
Heck, I would have signed him this time too.

LLLOOLLL, me too because if he was ready to play he would be our Best LB without doubt.

 

[fivetwos]

Carr and Glover are the last ones.

2002 and 2012.

They were both later round picks originally.

Other than Deion, who was an admitted hired gun....this team has never ONCE signed a high pick from another team to a second contract.

Yeah, I get how it doesnt work out many times, but to completely disregard it as a means of acquiring players?

Hasnt really worked out paying their own great draft picks recently has it?

 

[Swanny]

Trying to think of the last time Dallas signed in an impactful defensive player that actually worked for Dallas. Not just re-signing a player or signing a big name player at the end of his career. Signed a big name free-agent defensive player then that player was actually good for his contract or the majority of his contract. Brandon Carr maybe in 2012? The last true defensive free agent signing that had a great impact at Dallas to me is La’roi Glover all the way back in 2002.

David Irving

 

[kskboys]

I mean I think a better question is when’s the las time a big time defensive free agent been available? People were saying Clowney was the best free agent out there and he was heavily flawed and overrated.

DJ Reader
Gilmore
Mathieu
Jurrell Casey
Bouye
Bradley Roby
Sheldon Richardson
Derek Wolfe
Malik Jackson
CJ Mosely
Star Loteleilei
Micah Hyde
Suh
Michael Pierce
Danny Shelton
Darius Slay

 

[DanTanna]

Michael Bennett

 

[bodi]

drafted Randy Hughes
Harvey Martin
Ed Too Tall Jones
Rod Woodson

 

[HotDog37]

first round (18th overall) of the 1975 NFL Draft

 

[ghst187]

Carr was okay but not worth nearly what we paid
Ken Hamlin was very good for a year until we gave him another contract
Laroi Glover was the best one I can remember since Deion and Charles Haley...

 

[buybuydandavis]

McCoy was signed for 3 I think. We've signed very few vested veterans from other teams for multiyear contracts going back a ways.

Guys young enough to sign long term are generally the bad deals in free agency.

Look at all the guys we waves goodbye to last year. Look at the crazy money some of them got.

Our strategy is to take vets off a year so they don't count against our comp pick budget, then churn them for a comp pick when they leave. Nice strategy. Should work out with Aldon.

 

[gjkoeppen]

Trying to think of the last time Dallas signed in an impactful defensive player that actually worked for Dallas. Not just re-signing a player or signing a big name player at the end of his career. Signed a big name free-agent defensive player then that player was actually good for his contract or the majority of his contract. Brandon Carr maybe in 2012? The last true defensive free agent signing that had a great impact at Dallas to me is La’roi Glover all the way back in 2002.

What many don't either remember or realize is until about 4 years ago the Cowboys had been in cap hell since the cap started and didn't have the cap space to go out and sign the really good big name defensive players that have been out there. Because of the cap they had to sign defensive players that fit in their small cap space.
.
.

 

[JW82]

Glover was the first to come to mind for me too. To be fair, on a better team, Aldon Smith would be more impactful.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Trying to think of the last time Dallas signed in an impactful defensive player that actually worked for Dallas. Not just re-signing a player or signing a big name player at the end of his career. Signed a big name free-agent defensive player then that player was actually good for his contract or the majority of his contract. Brandon Carr maybe in 2012? The last true defensive free agent signing that had a great impact at Dallas to me is La’roi Glover all the way back in 2002.

when was the last time we drafted an impactful defensive player? we just are not good at assessing defensive players and that starts at the top. Jerry is always about business, marketing, selling jersey's...and defensive players, doing grunt work don't sell jersey's...the shiny CD lambs sell #88 jerseys......Zeke Sells Jerseys, Ramsey jerseys don't sell as much. its always about the offense. its the organizational culture and mindset. otherwise how do we find a gallup, schultz, pollard, in mid and lower rounds, but have not been able to find one star defensive player in the draft in any round.

 

[America's Cowboy]

Last impactful Defensive player that Dallas signed?......

Mr. Purple Drank...MLB Rolando McClain (2014 - 2015)

 

[Blitzen]

Denver worked out pretty well when Demcarcus Ware was there, but they paid him 26 Million over three years for 21 sacks. Hard to argue that was a good contract other than him being part of a SB team.

My argument is that of each of the guys I mentioned played a pivotal role in either winning a super bowl, or getting close. That is the only true measurement of greatness. Everything else is for people that get hot and bothered by regular season stats. From Vonn Miller and others interviewed about D. Ware, he had a major impact on Miller's play that year psychologically along with his actual play.

Try not to sound like someone that says, well yeah if you are talking about that one measley super bowl, they helped them win-but what about some of these lackluster performances...Ware also has more extensive injury issues during his time there, but played extremely well on that playoff run (worth every penny). Gilmore helped the Pats win a super bowl dominated by defense, has won NFL defensive POY, etc etc.

Like I said, and still undefeated-I'm correct in pointing out that sometimes these contracts work out well (at least for one magical year). Deion Sanders worked out for one magical season.

 

[Aven8]

Rolando McClain 2014 season he was a top 5 linebacker

A guy that totally transformed the defense instantly.

 

[Blitzen]

You keep digging. You are recreating what the OP said. HE said have the Cowboys ever gotten a big time free agent. If you think what they got was big time free agent then you must think Brandon Carr was too.

See my reply to Kaiser. My response was to you that said "when was the last actual big time free agen?". As though, they do not happen. I would agree, like I said before that big free agent misses heavily outnumber big free agent hits. But they happen. Stephon Gillmore was way better than Brandon Carr as far as a player and was rewarded top dollar from one of the stingiest franchises in the cap era. All the players I listed had pivotal roles in either winning a Super Bowl or getting close. All got big time money for their free agent contract.

 

[MikeB80]

Going back to the modern era which I count as starting in 03.

Al Singleton Linebacker 2003
Jason Ferguson 2005
Anthony Henry 2005
Aaron Glenn 2005
Akin Ayodele 2006
Ken Hamlin 2007
Keith Brooking 2009
Igor Olshanshky 2009
Gerald Sensebaugh 2009
Brandon Carr 2012
Rolando McClain 2014

All these guys played signicant roles in improving the team and in most cases helping them get to the playoffs.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Last impactful Defensive player that Dallas signed?......

Mr. Purple Drank...MLB Rolando McClain (2014 - 2015)

LLLOOLLL

 

[America's Cowboy]

LLLOOLLL