Throughout his career, Michael Bennett has found success against just about every team in the NFL.
But you could argue that the Cowboys have been victimized the most by the veteran pass rusher. In seven career games, Bennett racked up 7.5 sacks, the second-most against one team in his career, only behind the 49ers, whom he's played 12 times.
Now, the Cowboys are excited to be on the other side, after trading a 2021 conditional draft pick to the Patriots to land Bennett.
"We've been trying to block him for years," head coach Jason Garrett said of Bennett, who played from 2009-12 with the Bucs, then five years with the Seahawks before joining the Eagles last year. He spent the first few games with the Patriots this season before the trade.
"He's just been a really good player for a long time. We've played against him a lot. He's a good run defender, a good pass rusher and has a knack for making plays. He competes the right way and plays the right way. We think he can help our football team."
Garrett said he has position flex to play both defensive end and tackle, much like they had with Tyrone Crawford, who went on IR after having hip surgery.
And while he turns 34 in a couple of weeks, Bennett is not only expected to contribute, but as soon as possible.
"We expect him to come in and play at the level he did last year," owner Jerry Jones said on 105.3 "The Fan" about Bennett, who had nine sacks last year with the Eagles. "We think he's got a lot of gas left in his tank. We expect him to come in and, frankly, contribute immediately."
Bennett's arrival gives the Cowboys four players who have recorded eight sacks or more in a season, joining DeMarcus Lawrence, Robert Quinn and Kerry Hyder.
Another storyline regarding Bennett is his stance on the national anthem. In the past, Bennett has protested during the anthem, either sitting or this year with the Patriots he stayed in the locker room, as part of the NFL rule.
When asked about that situation, Jones said, "I'm satisfied that in Michael we got a player that knows how we do it here with the Cowboys."
Garrett added, "We don't anticipate that being an issue. We anticipate him doing what all of our players do."
