The Dallas Cowboys have informed linebacker Leighton Vander Esch’s agent that they won’t exeecie his fifth-year option.
There’s been much speculation about the long term future of linebacker Leighton Vander Esch with the Dallas Cowboys. His fifth-year option for 2022 wasn’t expected to be picked up, but like anything else, it’s about waiting to see how things pan out.
With the 3:00 pm Central deadline approaching, the Cowboys put all the questions to rest as they have informed Vander Esch’s agent that his option of $9.145 million won’t be exercised.
#Cowboys informed @deuce21, Ron Slavin that they will not be exercising LB Leighton Vander Esch’s 5th-year option due to ongoing salary-cap uncertainty and instead hope to sign Leighton to a contract extension before his current deal expires in 2022.
Vander Esch’s time in Dallas has taken an unpleasant turn since his fantastic rookie season in which he led the team with 140 tackles and was named a second-team All-Pro. He’s missed 13 games the last two seasons (seven in 2019, six in 2020) due to neck, collarbone, and ankle injuries. Over that span, he has eight fewer tackles combined than his first year on the field.
The Cowboys did a great job covering their bases at linebacker since the end of last season. In free agency, they added Keanu Neal who will move to linebacker in Dan Quinn’s scheme instead of his normal position at safety.
In the first round of the 2021 NFL draft Dallas selected Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, considered by many to be the best defensive player coming out of the collegiate ranks. On Day 3, they added what could be one of the biggest steals of the draft by taking LSU’s Jabril Cox who many had a second-round grade on.
Heading into the 2021 season, Vander Esch will now be in a contract year. He will hope that his body holds up so he can return to form and cash in on a lucrative deal before the 2022 campaign comes about.
If Vander Esch turns back the clock to his old ways he’ll be in an enjoyable position entering the free market. However, the Cowboys are prepared to move forward if that’s not the case with the moves they’ve made at the linebacker spot.
After a strong camp it was believed Bernard would make the Cowboys 53-man roster, but he might not be done just yet.
The Dallas Cowboys have to make their final 53-man roster cuts have to be made by 4 pm EST on Saturday. Linebacker Francis Bernard, and undrafted free agent out of Utah, has been making waves throughout training camp due to picking up the playbook quickly and producing a few highlight moments in practice.
He was thought to have a real good chance to make the final roster, however, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, Bernard was waived by the Cowboys just ahead of the deadline.
Surprise: Cowboys waived rookie LB Francis Bernard, source said. Been belief he'd done enough to make 53-man roster; picked up playbook quickly, produced standout moments in camp. Likely came down to special teams. Dallas wants on practice squad but has to clear waivers first.
The move comes as a bit of a surprise considering the recent news out of the Cowboys linebacker room.
Even though this move was a shocker considering the play of Francis in training camp it doesn’t necessarily mean the end of his time in Dallas. The Cowboys would like to keep him on the practice squad but he’ll have to clear waivers first. Once a player clears waivers he becomes a free agent and can negotiate with any NFL team.
It’ll be interesting to see if anybody claims Bernard, and if not, will the Cowboys bring him back for another go stint in Big D?
Another interesting option could unfold.
Sean Lee will reportedly start the season on injured reserve after being diagnosed with a sports hernia during the conditioning phase of training camp. While the IR rules have changed and Dallas would be able to activate him after Week 3, he still has to make the initial 53-man roster before being placed on the reserve list.
That might open the door for Bernard to be in play for Week 1, not just back with the team, but on the big roster.
Bernard can still make the 53 for Wk 1 and I think he will.
They put Lee on 3-week-min IR on Sunday, that opens the spot to bring back Bernard.
IR assignments have to make the initial 53 in order to bring them back during the year.
The Wolf Hunter spent more time on the sideline last year than anyone would hope for. If he’s
One of the biggest question marks for the Dallas Cowboys in the 2018 NFL draft was how were they going to replace their all-time touchdown receptions leader, Dez Bryant, who was released from the team just two weeks prior. Many suspected they would go the wide receiver route in Round 1 with names like D.J. Moore, Calvin Ridley, and Courtland Sutton on the board, but the Cowboys had other plans.
Sean Lee was coming off of a 100-plus tackle season in 2017 but he missed five games due to injury along with parts of others. Jaylon Smith, after battling a gruesome leg injury that forced him to miss his rookie season, showed some flashes of his talent with 81 tackles. However, when Anthony Hitchens signed with the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker became a big priority as well. The Cowboys selected Leighton Vander Esch out of Boise State No. 19 overall making him one of four linebackers selected in the first round (Roquan Smith, Tremaine Edmunds, Rashaan Evans).
Draft Profile
Vander Esch was seen as a budding prospect with immense upside. Due to his small hometown, he played 8-man football in high school. He didn’t begin to ascend until his last year with the Broncos, when he exploded onto the scene.
Vander Esch isn’t just a good athlete, he was one of the most athletic to join the league in quite some time, a great combination of size, speed and strength.
From Dane Brugler’s 2018 Draft Guide:
STRENGTHS: Lateral range to mirror and pursuit speed to close…plant-and-drive quickness to unlock and go…high football intelligence…backfield vision and toughness to scrape down the line and find the correct gap…functional strength to find work in the trenches…gets skinny through gaps with budding skills as a blitzer… coordinated feet to control his movements in coverage…effective in his zone drops, using his eyes to feel routes and find passing lanes… strikes with pop in his pads, tackling low and bringing his legs with him…motor doesn’t quit and defends both sidelines…workable body type with length, adding 40+ pounds since he arrived in Boise… team captain with impressive character on and off the field…self-starter and quickly proved his worth as a walk-on, earning a scholarship during his redshirt season.
An athletic marvel, the arrow was pointing directly up.
Even though Vander Esch was one considered one of the best linebackers coming out of the collegiate ranks the pick received a mixed reaction from the Cowboys fan base.
Nonetheless, Vander Esch was slated to have a huge role right from the start as the Cowboys tried to make the playoffs for the second time in three years.
From my #Cowboys visit yesterday, why they are high on first-round LB Leighton Vander Esch… by the way, they also love the early returns on G Connor Williams, who will step in and solidify that OL. DAL believes they hit on their first 2 picks, at least. pic.twitter.com/pXxe2siPky
Regardless of how fans viewed the pick, expectations were high considering he was a first-round pick. Albeit in a backup role Vander Esch recorded 20 tackles in his first three games. Things begin to open up for him once Lee went to the sidelines with a hamstring issue, and the rookie never looked back.
By Week 4 the Cowboys were struggling at 1-2 and in desperate need of a spark, insert Vander Esch into the starting lineup. He flourished immediately as he compiled 30 tackles over his first three career starts, and more importantly, helped the Cowboys win two of those games.
Lee briefly returned to his starting role for two games before going to the injured list again, and just like he did weeks earlier, Vander Esch took full advantage. In a Sunday Night Football showdown with the rival Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10, Vander Esch was all over the field recording 13 tackles (all solo) and his first career interception as the Cowboys earned a tough 27-20 victory. A week later in Atlanta against the Falcons he continued his stellar play with three pass breakups and another interception as the Cowboys won with a last-second field goal, 22-19.
Two weeks later the Cowboys hosted the 10-1 New Orleans Saints who hadn’t lost since the season opener and were averaging 37 points per game on offense. Vander Esch led the team with 10 tackles as the Cowboys defense held the Saints to only 10 points and picked up their fourth consecutive victory.
Cowboys defense HITTIN HITTIN 😳 Jaylon Smith STICKS Alvin Kamara then Leighton Vander Esch STICKS Mark Ingram 💪🏾 pic.twitter.com/zMlysXs88N
By seasons end, Vander Esch had proven worthy. His 140 tackles set a franchise rookie record and ranked third in the NFL. He was selected to the Pro Bowl, named second-team All-Pro, and selected to the PFWA All-Rookie team. His 87.5 grade from Pro Football Focus was fourth among all qualified linebackers.
Vander Esch’s chemistry with Smith was also apparent in 2018. The former finished fourth while the latter was ranked sixth in linebacker grades for Pro Football Focus. Also, they were the only set of teammates to finish in the top 15 in tackles.
Neck issue
When the 2019 season began Vander Esch was looking to build upon the amazing rookie campaign that put him in the conversation with not only the best young linebackers in the NFL but the best overall at the position. During the first six weeks of the season the team struggled with a 3-3 record, however, Vander Esch racked up 51 tackles over that span, putting him just four tackles off his rookie pace.
Unfortunately for the young bull, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses in his second year in the NFL. In Week 7, he left the Cowboys showdown with the Eagles with a neck issue. When one puts on the tape, a Week 1 collision with teammate Jeff Heath showed great trauma to Vander Esch’s neck and one has to wonder if that was the beginning of the issues that plagued him all season.
The Cowboys had a bye in Week 8 which gave him time to recover. After missing a game against the New York Giants, Vander Esch returned in Week 10 and had 13 tackles in a tough 28-24 loss against the Minnesota Vikings, but his return would be short-lived. Vander Esch would play his final game of the 2019 season a week later against the Detroit Lions as his lingering neck problems got him placed on injured reserve.
Back in May, Vander Esch joined Bobby Belt and Jane Slater of The ‘Boys and Girl podcast to talk about how he feels heading into the new season, the defensive scheme change, and much more. “I am doing wonderful,” Vander Esch said. “I feel as good now as I ever have, before I even got hurt. I mean I’m ready to roll. I’ve been training full-go for a couple of months now, so it’s not holding me back whatsoever.
The 2020 NFL season is a mystery currently with the COVID-19 pandemic canceling out all normal procedures. However, if things go according to plan, Vander Esch could see a role in 2020. Back in April, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reported that Smith could possibly see a switch to outside linebacker in Mike Nolan’s hybrid scheme. This would move Vander Esch to middle linebacker with Sean Lee as the other outside linebacker.
Whether Vander Esch plays inside or outside linebacker in 2020 there’s no doubt he’ll be productive, but the key is his health. If he is fully recovered from his neck procedure he instantly puts the Cowboys defense on another level. Year 3 is a pivotal year for the ascension of young players in the league. Things should considerably slow down on the field, and for a player so adept at recognizing the offense, Vander Esch should be in line for a standout season.
