Ranking the 2015 Impact of the Dallas Cowboys' Free-Agent Signings so Far
It was a slow start, but the Dallas Cowboys have been extremely active during the 2015 free-agency period. The goal of every team during free agency is to get their team at least a little bit better and a little bit closer to winning the Super Bowl.
The Cowboys have done a stellar job of not overpaying for past accomplishments, and at the same time, they are getting a lot of bang for their buck with their acquisitions.
The Cowboys have done well at getting great values in free agency the last few seasons, and they appeared to have done it again.
Without further ado, let's rank all the Cowboys signings since free agency began on March 10. The criteria for the rankings are how much of an impact each player will have on the upcoming season.
7. Ray Agnew
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Out of all of the free-agent signings, Ray Agnew appears to be the least likely player to make the Cowboys roster heading into the season.
Agnew hasn't been very good as of late, as Pro Football Focus graded him at minus-7.2, which was the third-worst among qualifying fullbacks last season.
Furthermore, that grade is even more worrisome because Agnew comes from a team, the Cleveland Browns, that has a similar running attack to that of the Cowboys. Therefore, how can anyone suspect he is going to do any better in Dallas?
You have to wonder if the Cowboys have a specific plan in mind for him or if they are just bringing him in as competition at the fullback spot.
Even if Agnew makes the team, he plays at one of the positions that makes the least amount of impact on a play-by-play basis, which is another reason why he is ranked last.
6. Jed Collins
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Jed Collins is in a situation that is similar to that of Ray Agnew, as they are both fullbacks, and one of them will likely be the Cowboys' starting fullback in 2015.
However, like Agnew, Collins won't make a huge impact if he does indeed win the job just by the nature that the Cowboys use their fullbacks.
Against some teams, Collins could make an impact on some weeks, but on others, he would be barely noticeable.
The reason Collins is ranked ahead of Agnew is because he would appear to be the favorite to win the fullback job in training camp.
Either way, Collins won't be making a drastic impact on the Cowboys in 2015.
5. Andrew Gachkar
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Andrew Gachkar was an underrated acquisition because he brings a lot of special teams value and adds valuable depth to the Cowboys' linebacker unit.
Gachkar isn't likely to win a starting job, but with the Cowboys' luck regarding injuries at the linebacker position, he could be called on to play a lot of snaps on defense.
Like Anthony Hitchens last year, Gachkar figures to be the versatile reserve who can fill in at numerous positions. Now, it would better for the Cowboys if Gachkar didn't see any snaps on defense, because that would mean the other linebackers remained healthy.
Even if he doesn't get on the field on defense, Gachkar should make a considerable impact on special teams, as he has been one of the better special teams players in recent years across the NFL.
The reason Gachkar isn't ranked higher is because he would need other precipitant factors to get him significant snaps on defense, while others on this list figure to play a big part on either offense or defense.
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4. Corey White
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One player who should make a considerable impact for the Cowboys is cornerback Corey White. With the injury problems of Morris Claiborne and the uncertain future of Brandon Carr, it is realistic that White could be the No. 2 or 3 cornerback on the Cowboys roster when the season rolls around.
White is extremely versatile, as he can play outside or in the slot for defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. White was miscast in New Orleans, as the Saints played him out on an island, which isn't one of his strengths.
However, White looks to be a great fit in Marinelli's scheme because he understands how to play zone coverage.
White's ability to play the slot could allow Dallas to play Orlando Scandrick on the outside more often, which would allow the Cowboys to better match up with opposing offenses' No. 1 wide receiver.
White's versatility and ability to contribute right away is mainly why he is ranked this high; however, he doesn't look like he will make as big of an impact as the three players ranked ahead of him.
3. Darren McFadden
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With the loss of DeMarco Murray, the Cowboys didn't have a running back who had the ability to be trusted on all three downs. While Darren McFadden is not nearly as good as Murray, he has the ability to play all three downs, as he is a competent running back, receiver out of the backfield and pass protector.
At the moment, McFadden should be the favorite to win the starting running back job for the Cowboys; however, that may all change depending on whom the Cowboys draft to compete with McFadden.
McFadden is an extremely explosive running back who gets downhill in a hurry. He isn't very elusive, but he does have some slipperiness to his game when he avoids tacklers.
He has had some issues in zone-blocking schemes before, but it is hard to tell how much of that was because of McFadden and how much was because of the poor talent around him.
One thing that is certain is that McFadden will get much better opportunities in the run game, as the Cowboys offensive line is probably the best run-blocking unit in the NFL.
The only reason that McFadden is ranked a spot higher is that there is uncertainty as to how much of an impact he will make because of the likelihood that Dallas drafts a running back in the NFL draft.
That running back would likely take away many of McFadden's opportunities, which limits the type of impact he can have on the Cowboys.
2. Jasper Brinkley
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Some fans may be surprised that Jasper Brinkley is this high on the list. However, with reports surfacing that Dallas may not bring back Rolando McClain, per CowboysHQ.com's Mike Fisher and K.D. Drummond, Brinkley appears to be slated to play a vital role on Dallas' defense this season.
Brinkley would likely slide into the vacant "Mike" linebacker position, which would allow Sean Lee to play the "Will" linebacker position. While Brinkley isn't on the same planet as McClain talent-wise, he's still a solid inside linebacker.
Brinkley thrives as a downhill thumper, as he has the ability to set the physical tone for the defense. He is a little limited athletically, so he won't make much of an impact outside of the tackle box. However, Brinkley will be a vital cog in the Cowboys' run defense and will hopefully limit the ability for opposing offenses to run up the middle.
Unlike the others on this list, Brinkley has the clearest path to a starting spot, as he doesn't have much direct competition unless McClain gets brought back, which appears unlikely at the moment.
Nevertheless, the reason Brinkley was not No. 1 is because he isn't near the caliber of the player who tops this list.
1. Greg Hardy
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It shouldn't come as a surprise that Greg Hardy checks in at No. 1 in this ranking. Hardy was arguably the most talented player available when free agency began, and the Cowboys were able to snag him and fill their biggest position of need.
Hardy is as good of a pass-rusher as there is in the NFL, as he combines athleticism with technical savvy that allowed him to abuse opposing offensive linemen when he has been able to play. He has a wide array of moves, and he knows how to set up and chain them together to get opposing tackles off balance.
Furthermore, Hardy is also an excellent run defender, as he understands how to use his hands and leverage to stack and shed blockers.
Another way Hardy makes a huge impact is that he will divert attention from the other players on the defensive line. Instead of teams being able to focus on Tyrone Crawford, Jeremy Mincey and Demarcus Lawrence, their No. 1 focus will be to stop Hardy. This will allow the others to get into favorable matchups, which are conducive to production.
To put it simply, signing Hardy totally changes the defense and should allow the Cowboys to take the next step in their progression under Marinelli.
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