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Two things are not in alignment. When the Dallas Cowboys hired Matt Eberflus to be their new defensive coordinator, the impetus of having a strong, deep rotation at defensive tackle became paramount. Eberflus doesn’t like to blitz a ton, so having tackles who can penetrate and disrupt, as well as be strong against the run became a top priority for a team that hasn’t really focused on those needs in recent years.
Unfortunately, not only have the Cowboys DTs underwhelmed, they also don’t have many in the stable as their in-house free agent list is littered with folks who play that position. Of the five DTs who made the 2024 opening roster, only Mazi Smith is currently on the team’s payroll, and the 2023 first-round pick has disappointed in his two seasons. Dallas is going to need to find help from the outside.
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A new name has been added to the list of potential free-agent targets for Dallas, as Cincinnati has released 30-year old DT Sheldon Rankins. Rankins, a former first-round pick of the New Orleans Saints, spent just one season in the Queen City, playing just seven games thanks to injury and illness.
Rankins has spent about half of his career as a starter, with a lull from 2019 through 2021 where he was a backup for the Saints and NY Jets. He returned to a starting role for New York in 2022, Houston in 2023 and started all seven contests he appeared in for the Bengals in 2024.
Over the course of his nine-year career, Rankins has made over $54 million in the league. Releasing Rankins saves the Bengals his $9.6 million salary and leaves $2 million of dead money on their 2025 cap.
Rankins averages 4.5 sacks a season and has 30.5 over the course of his career. His Pro Football Focus grades have fluctuated, but in his last full season posted a career-best 74.7 pass-rush grade in 2023 with the Houston Texans.
If he’s willing to come down in price, Rankins might make a good fit as a rotational DT in Dallas.