Eagles’ former 29-year-old starter was urged to sign with the Cowboys.
A former starting player for the Philadelphia Eagles might be beneficial to the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys ought to take into consideration signing former Eagles linebacker Zach Cunningham, as proposed by Matt Holder of Bleacher Report. Holder makes the straightforward case that Dallas should sign Cunningham since Leighton Vander Esch is no longer with the team and the Cowboys struggled to stop the run last season.
“The Cowboys defense’s inability to stop the run after Leighton Vander Esch was injured last season was well-documented,” writes Holder. “That, along with Vander Esch’s prior neck injuries, caused him to retire during the off-season.” Why the Cowboys Ought to Take Zach Cunningham Into Account
In terms of run defense during the previous season, the Cowboys were placed sixteenth. Even though the Cowboys have already added veteran Eric Kendricks to replace Vander Esch, they might still use another seasoned player on the field. Damone Clark, a second-year player, is the other starter at linebacker, with rookie Marist Liufau projected as the other starter. That is to say, two of the Cowboys’ three linebacker starting are new.
In his 13 games with Philadelphia last season, Cunningham started 10 of them and recorded 85 tackles, which was third most on the club. Holder contends that Cunningham would make Kendricks’ backup a “good option.”
Holder notes that Cunningham “has a history of being a quality run-stopper and is still available in the interim.” He accumulated 85 total tackles in 13 games in 2023, earning a 70.7 run-defense grade from Pro Football Focus. On the defensive line, the 29-year-old would be a solid alternative to free agency signing Eric Kendricks.
In actuality, Cunningham, 29, didn’t sign with the Eagles until the previous season’s training camp. He was signed, along with veteran linebacker Myles Jack, to strengthen Philadelphia’s deficient linebacker depth following the free agency losses of Kyzir White and T.J. Edwards.
If the Cowboys believe going into the season that they are not strong enough at linebacker, a similar situation might occur this year. Buddy Johnson, Markquese Bell, and DeMarion Overshown, the Cowboys’ starting backup linebackers, have a combined eight starts between them.
In 2020, Cunningham did in fact hold the NFL record for most tackles (164). Cunningham played with the Eagles, Houston Texans, and Tennessee Titans for seven years, during which he recorded 705 tackles, 23 pass deflections, four fumble recoveries, and 6.5 sacks in 95 games with 86 starts. Trey Lance, ready for his second season with the Cowboys, is more assured than ever.
Trey Lance is more self-assured than ever as he gets ready to start his second season in Dallas. The former No. 3 overall draft pick, who was acquired by the Cowboys in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers near the end of the previous season, will begin his first complete training camp. In the race for the No. 2 slot behind starter Dak Prescott, Lance will face off against veteran backup Cooper Rush.
Through Nick Harris of the official Cowboys website: Lance remarked, “[My confidence] is definitely much higher than it was when I first entered the NFL.” “I was a little unsure about what to anticipate. That probably describes the majority of rookies, if not all of them, at some point during that first year, in my opinion. I’m happy with where I am right now. keeping improving, learning new things, and becoming a great quarterback.
Last season, as the third-string quarterback for the Cowboys, Lance did not play a single snap. That being said, the team bought him because they think he can help the squad succeed. Lance would be Prescott’s backup if he can defeat Rush, who has been his main backup for the past three years. Prescott could get hurt.