FRISCO, Texas — There are now two in-house free agents that are off of the board for the Dallas Cowboys, with Tony Pollard being the first in a new deal with the Tennessee Titans. The second is Dorance Armstrong, a talented and homegrown defensive lineman that has reportedly agreed to terms with the Washington Commanders, per multiple reports.
Armstrong reunites with former Cowboys' defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who accepted the role of head coach in the nation's capital this offseason.
Joining an NFC East rival guarantees Armstrong will square off against the Cowboys on at least two occasions each season going forward.
A former fourth-round pick in 2018 out of Kansas, Armstrong began his career with the Cowboys as much more of a rotational edge rusher than how he'd end it.
His snap count ballooned behind DeMarcus Lawrence and [ultimately] Micah Parsons as well; and he's become one of the most talented young pass rushers in the league.
Armstrong has been able to weather the storm of two changes at head coach, two changes at special teams coordinator and three, yes three, different defensive coordinators to become and remain one of the most impactful players on both defense and special teams.
He has produced 21 sacks over the past three seasons and many more QB pressures, along with 60 combined tackles and three fumble recoveries; and he's done this despite having only 11 starts in 47 games during that time frame.
Negotiating a third NFL contract, at only 26 years old, and with several options (e.g., Dan Quinn in Washington, Aden Durde in Seattle), Armstrong is not only one of the best rotational pass rushers in the league, but also a definitive "glue guy" on defense.
This is a major reason Quinn reached back toward Dallas to woo Armstrong.
