FRISCO, Texas – After a steady stream of exits at the Cowboys' facility, the Cowboys are on the verge of making a big addition.
Reports surfaced late Tuesday night that the Cowboys had agreed to terms on a three-year contract for decorated defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.
The terms of the deal haven't been disclosed, and the deal is not finalized. McCoy would still need to pass a physical before signing. But it sounds like one of the best available defensive tackles in the NFL will be joining Mike Nolan's defense under first-year head coach Mike McCarthy.
The addition would give the Cowboys at least one veteran presence alongside DeMarcus Lawrence on the defensive line. Most of the team's incumbent defensive tackles are free agents, emphasized by the fact that Maliek Collins agreed to a free agent deal with the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday afternoon.
At 32 years old, McCoy would bring plenty of experience to the defensive line room – not to mention a proven ability to get to the quarterback, with 59.5 career sacks to his name.
It would still leave the front office with work to do. In addition to Collins' departure, Robert Quinn agreed to a $70 million deal with Chicago on Tuesday. It's not an exaggeration to say Lawrence is currently the only proven pass rusher on this roster.
McCoy has enjoyed an illustrious career to this point, mostly with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Originally drafted No. 3 overall in 2010, he was a six-time Pro Bowler and a one-time All-Pro with the Bucs, collecting 54.5 sacks from the coveted three-technique position. His durability was a particularly impressive feature of his game, as he appeared in 123 of 144 possible games over the course of nine seasons.
The size of McCoy's last contract made him a cap casualty in 2019, and he was released last spring. There was speculation the Cowboys might take a chance on him then, but he ultimately signed with the Carolina Panthers last June.
He enjoyed solid success during his one season in Charlotte, appearing in all 16 games and tallying 37 tackles with seven tackles for loss and 13 quarterback hits.
