3 offseason moves from NFC East rivals that scared Commanders

2. Cowboys re-sign Jayron Kearse

In an offseason that’s been full of laugh-out-loud moments for the Cowboys, it was admittedly difficult finding a move that’s so-called “scary.” Between trading Amari Cooper for pennies on the dollar, failing to find a trade partner for La’el Collins and subsequently releasing him and failing to get re-signing Randy Gregory across the finish line, fans in Dallas are rightfully up in arms against the front office.

After working tirelessly to get back under the cap, though, the Cowboys have made some functional transactions. From tagging Dalton Schultz, making upside signings in Dante Fowler and James Washington and re-signing Malik Hooker at a discount, Dallas has rebounded from an awful start to the offseason.

Their best move, however, was retaining Jayron Kearse, who enjoyed a career year under Dan Quinn in 2021. His 15 starts and 94 percent snap share blew away his previous career-highs and all he did was finish first on the team in tackles (101) and coverage grade (75.9) and second in tackles for loss (nine).

To further encapsulate his importance, Kearse added two interceptions, 10 passes defended, six QB hits and 11 pressures. He also missed just three tackles, which is obscene for someone who was always around the ball.

And speaking of that versatility, Kearse played 415 snaps as a box safety, 202 in the slot, 177 as a free safety, 168 as a pass rusher positioned outside of the offensive tackle and 50 lined up as a perimeter cornerback.

It might be a reach to call Kearse a “scary” move by the Cowboys, but he was arguably the defense’s third-most important player last season behind Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. The fact they got him back after it previously looked like he was headed elsewhere is a big win for Dallas.