Taking a break from the Anthony Spencer and Mario Williams news, ESPNDallas reporter Todd Archer brought up an interesting point today. He suggests that the Cowboys should show interest in former San Diego Charger defensive end Luis Castillo. At one point during his career, Castillo was considered to be one of the premier five technique defensive ends in the NFL. He isn't that caliber of player anymore, but it wouldn't be a bad idea for the Cowboys to check him out.
Archer points out that the Cowboys would need to investigate Castillo's health to make sure he would be worth the investment.
If you play the "he's better than" game, then absolutely. But it also means having to study Castillo's health pretty intently. He missed all but one game last year for the Chargers with a broken left leg and has played 16 games in a year just twice. He entered the league with an elbow injury and a failed steroid test, but the Cowboys were high on him back in 2005.
If he can regain his health, he could provide an upgrade over some of the current defensive ends on the roster. Outside of Sean Lissemore and Jason Hatcher, the Cowboys are heavy on run stuffing defensive ends. Our 3-4 defense is lacking the disruption from the five technique on a regular basis. This is an area that we have talked about upgrading during the offseason, so it might be wise to start the process by adding a veteran.
Castillo ultimately may not be the final solution, but he is former first-round pick with a lot of NFL experience. The free agent defensive end market is primarily filled with 4-3 talent and there are very few 3-4 defensive ends that will be available. In 2009, Jerry Jones signed a former Chargers defensive end. Igor Olshansky worked out early on in his Cowboys career, but was released after just two seasons with the team. Castillo is more of a pass rusher and that is what we are looking for. So before we start thinking about another dancing bear in the form of Castillo, remember that the two have very different styles.
The Cowboys could choose to upgrade the position in the draft, but would the fan base be open to bringing in a veteran like Luis Castillo? Air your opinions in the comment section and let us get a better feel for what the BTB community thinks about him.