Should 4-Time Pro Bowl Pass-Rusher Sign With Dallas?

Prior to Week 16, the Carolina Panthers cut veteran pass rusher Justin Houston. Would the Dallas Cowboys be wise to make the fading great a signed free agent? Would he be able to lighten Micah Parsons’ load?

The week before Christmas is here! It’s the perfect time of year to ask for leniency from our managers: fewer tasks, a holiday bonus, or even – as in Justin Houston’s case – permission to quit.

The veteran edge rusher’s brief tenure in the NFC South came to an amicable conclusion on Tuesday when he was cut by the Carolina Panthers. With little risk to the franchise, Houston, who turns 35 in January, can now chase a greater opportunity, possibly even a final shot at a Super Bowl.

As has been reported, Houston is open to playing again this season, but only for a contender.

Should the Dallas Cowboys extend an offer? Our analysis …

As much as their ego was bruised in Sunday’s 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Cowboys are still contenders. At 10-4 and firmly in the conversation for the second-best team in the NFC, Dallas is presumably one of the dozen teams Houston would consider.

One argument against: Fans shouldn’t expect a late-season reinforcement on the edge because there simply isn’t any room for him.

The Cowboys are productive as a pass rush group. Pro Football Focus has the pass rush ranked third in all of football, behind just the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. They rank fifth in sack percentage, one of the dozen teams with at least 40 sacks, and sit in the top half of the league in pressure percentage.

It may not be the world-beating unit it looked like it would be after the first month of the season, but Dallas is perfectly fine in this regard.

Furthermore, the unit is also deep enough to sustain an injury. Obviously, losing superstar Micah Parsons or stalwart DeMarcus Lawrence would be detrimental, but rotational pass rushers Dante Fowler Jr., Dorance Armstrong, and Sam Williams all have a higher pass-rush win rate than Houston (9.5).

Houston did start seven games this year and he is officially a “four-time Pro Bowler.” But his heyday was almost literally a decade ago.

The veteran has just a half sack to his name in seven games this season, struggling to stay on the field for what is a putrid Panthers defense.

On the other hand, adding Houston might allow Parsons to play more off-ball linebacker. Dallas, you may recall, was interested in Shaq Leonard prior to his decision to choose Philadelphia.

Again, though, how could Dallas defend starting Houston on the field ahead of Sam Williams, Dorance Armstrong, and Dante Fowler Jr.?

It’s okay if Houston joins the journey at this point and offers guidance and context for a stretch run. For both parties, however, it makes more sense for any other club to be vying for a championship.

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