Cowboys Urged to Sign 75-Game Colts Starter After Defense Was ‘Exposed’

An Indianapolis Colts star might assist the Dallas Cowboys in improving their run defense,

one of their primary areas of concern. The loss to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round

was a major wake-up call, even though they had one of the most explosive defenses in the NFL.

According to Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus,

Dallas’ interior defensive line has to be strengthened first. Grover Stewart,

defensive lineman with the Indianapolis Colts,

is someone who McGuinness thinks could be a part of the answer because Green Bay ran the ball with ease.

“The Cowboys’ playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers showed weaknesses in the team’s run defense.

Although there is optimism that Mazi Smith, a first-round choice in 2023, can advance in 2024,

they still want assistance on the defensive inside. On January 17, McGuinness wrote,

“Stewart has been a consistent force against the run, finishing 2023 with 24 tackles that resulted in a defensive stop.

In contrast to receivers or running backs, defensive tackles lack flare and attention to detail.

But they are important, as the Cowboys’ defeat demonstrated.

Aaron Jones, the Packers’ running back, was the game-changer with three touchdowns and

an average of almost five yards per carry.

Colts’ starting line-up to explore free agency

Stewart was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft and

has since established himself in a crucial position.

He started just one game in his first two seasons with the Colts, but in the last five years,

he has started 74 games.

PFR reveals that in 4 of the last 5 seasons, he has accumulated 5+ tackles for loss.

The former Albany State player is also a capable pass-rusher, having recorded nine sacks in that period.

That might be Stewart’s baseline given the Cowboys’ excellent pass-rush team.

However, his biggest contributions are made in opposition to the run.

Compared to his five tackles for loss in the 2023 season, Stewart only missed one tackle.

Granted, he was suspended for six games for using performance-enhancing drugs,

thus he only appeared in 11 games.

Although it is concerning, this is Stewart’s first league problem ever.

Dallas might also make a move because of the player’s lack of playing time and output.

What Sort of Agreement Cowboys Might Make

Stewart is reportedly not going to receive a raise this summer as he searches for his third NFL contract.

Stewart, who is currently 30 years old, was wrapping up a four-year, $30 million contract with the Colts, as Spotrac reveals.

The Cowboys recently paid DT Jonathan Hankins $1.165 million for the 2023 campaign,

for context. A player like Stewart usually won’t go that cheap,

but he is past his peak physically and must deal with the fallout from missing six games.

Stewart’s services are valued by OverTheCap at $3 million year,

which is a minor increase for a substantial improvement. For someone in Stewart’s position,

a one- or two-year contract makes the most sense because it allows for bonuses and performance increases.

In any case, Dallas does require assistance to halt the run in the middle.

They might ride with Mazi Smith, a first-round pick in 2023, in place of Hankins,

but that would be more of a risk than a strategy.

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