The Dallas Cowboys are in desperate need of help on the interior of their defensive line, and one of the best to ever do it is about to become a free agent. Houston Texans star J.J. Watt has announced via a personal video that he and the club have agreed to part ways and he will soon be released. After 10 years with the club and five seasons of being an All-Pro along with three separate AP Defensive Player of the Year honors, Watt will be seeking new employment.
A staple of the Houston community who’s lore grew far beyond sports in his community organizing efforts after Hurricane Harvey ravaged the area, Watt thanked his fans, and mentioned how he ‘can’t imagine my life without Texas in it.” Well, there’s an option up I-45 in need of his talents.
Houston, I wanted you to hear this directly from me… pic.twitter.com/YqT3P6Lb6l
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) February 12, 2021
Dallas likely won’t be the front runners in the pursuit, though, as his younger brother T.J. Watt has become a star in Pittsburgh with the Steelers and is already actively publicly recruiting a union.
The Steelers are currently $30 million over the projected 2021 cap of $181 million though, and while Dallas has a huge question about how much space it will take to retain quarterback Dak Prescott, they are in a much better situation with $18 million of room according to Over The Cap.
Unless Ben Roethlisberger retires, the Steelers are going to have to do major work just to get under the cap in order to sign their 2021 draft class. It’s hardly impossible, but a lot would need to be done for them to be players on the free agent scene this offseason. They rank 29th in available space currently.
Watt’s sack totals have been down the last two years, with 4 and 5 respectively the last two seasons. He’s led the league in sacks twice in his career, and returned from back-to-back injury shortened seasons to post 16 sacks in 2018.
His disdain for the path of the organization has been readily apparent over the last year, saying in November that he has no interest in a rebuild and that he’s looking to play for a championship.
Whether or not he’d consider the Cowboys as a team that could be that opportunity for him is unknown.
Watt was scheduled to earn $17.5 million in the final year of his salary with the Texans. A Wisconsin native, it would not seem out of the question for him to return to a cold-weather city, despite his affection for the state of Texas.
The Cowboys attempted to fix their issues on the defensive interior last offseason with stopgap measures that blew up in their face. Free agent signings Dontari Poe and Gerald McCoy were flops with neither finishing the season with the club and McCoy being injured in training camp and never playing a snap.
Will McClay and Stephen Jones need to be on the phone with Watt’s agent immediately to gauge whether or not a fit could be found between the two sides.
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