Report: Cowboys are “exploring” the idea of pursuing free agent defensive tackle Jarran Reed

Just about every fan of the Dallas Cowboys would love to see the team bring in a real difference-maker at defensive tackle. The position has been a problem area, similar to safety, for a while now. There is hope that Trysten Hill and Neville Gallimore will grow into quality players at the position, and the Cowboys did bring in Brent Urban in free agency who demonstrates the ability to play the run pretty well.

But there still seems to be a lack of a real playmaker at the position. Last year the team tried to fill that role by bringing in Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe, but neither worked out as planned. Is another veteran in free agency a possibility?

Defensive tackle Jarran Reed was just released by the Seattle Seahawks after a contract battle. Reed wanted an extension on the final year of a contract, the Seahawks wanted to restructure his contract to lower the cap hit. Things got so bad between the parties that Seattle released him.

Now there is a “report” that the Cowboys are “exploring” what it would take to sign Reed. Let’s be upfront about this, there is not much more to this than that source, and it’s likely that many teams around the league are “exploring” the idea of signing Reed. For the Cowboys, it seems unlikely given the amount of money they are willing to spend in free agency, and at the position.

Reed is an upper-tier defensive tackle, with 10.5 sacks in 2018 and 6.5 sacks in 2020. That would certainly be an upgrade for the Cowboys just on the splash plays alone. Reed is also on the right side of 30, and in playing shape, so he wouldn’t be like the McCoy or Poe signings of last year. There is a lot to like about the idea of adding him.

Of course, the money is the issue. Reed will likely to want a lot more than the low-ball numbers the Cowboys like to pay free agents, especially at certain positions. The Seahawks tried to trade him at an almost $9 million cap hit for anybody willing to take him on but they were unsuccessful. Now the question is will Reed still want something in that $10 million range (his two year deal with Seattle averaged $11.5 million a year), or his he willing to take a lower, one-year prove-it deal to hit free agency again in 2022 when the salary cap is expected to grow?