Cowboys 2017 Free Agents: The Case For And Against Re-Signing CB Brandon Carr

As we move towards free agency, which begins on March 9, we’ll take a look at all the Cowboys current unrestricted free agents in effort to discern whether they will return or not. Today, we’ll take on a starter and one of the Cowboys most prominent free agents, Brandon Carr.

History

Carr came to the Cowboys as a free agent in the 2012 season. He signed a huge, 5-year $50 million contract after playing with the Kansas City Chiefs for four years. In 2016, he agreed to re-work his contract and take a pay-cut.

Case For Re-signing

Perhaps Carr’s number one trait is his availability. The guy never gets hurt, ever. That counts for a lot in the NFL. He stabilizes a cornerback position that has been hit with injuries in Dallas.

Carr gets unfairly judged on his huge contract, and since he hasn’t really lived up to it, sometimes he is thought of as a bust. But in reality he has been a steady performer. His work will never be spectacular, but he’s also not an open door to the end zone for opposing WRs. His move to the right side this year seems to have helped him.

There are games when he has done exemplary work on #1 receivers. Despite Odell Beckham’s one-handed TD grab over Carr that blew up the Internet, Beckham has actually not had many great games against the Cowboys, much of it thanks to Carr’s work.

Lastly, Carr is a great person off the field and a great example for younger players on the team. He is an example of the consummate professional for others to follow.

Case For Letting Him Go

When the season starts, Carr will be 31 years old. Signing free agents over 30 comes with risk, you never know when they might start falling off the cliff. Is it time for the Cowboys to turn their secondary over to younger players like Anthony Brown?

Carr hasn’t been a playmaker for the Cowboys over the past few years. He has only one interception in the last three seasons. He also doesn’t produce a lot of passes defensed, instead allowing underneath catches and then trying to make tackles.

Carr actually said after the season he is contemplating retirement. Even if he doesn’t retire, has his passion for the game deserted him?

Summary

Moving Carr to the right side seems to have helped his game. The Cowboys could use his experience and availability in a secondary that has multiple free agents. But, what kind of money does Carr want? That will likely be the key as the Cowboys would surely want him back, but at nowhere near the money he was being paid.

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