Cowboys Predicted to Sign Super Bowl Champ to $13 Million Deal.
The Dallas Cowboys may chase a Super Bowl champion in free agency.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports predicts the Cowboys will sign Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. to a two-year, $13 million contract. Gay has been a starting linebacker since joining the league in 2020 as a second-round draft pick, and he has already won back-to-back championships as the Chiefs’ starting weakside linebacker.
Despite his never-gaudy stats, Gay has been a regular in the Chiefs’ linebacker corps for four years and has now been a member of two title-winning defenses in Kansas City, according to Benjamin. “Even though he’ll likely be among their most affordable homegrown free agents on this side of the ball, it’s probably more likely that they’ll re-sign Drue Tranquill or rely on Nick Bolton.”
Why the Cowboys Could Use Willie Gay Jr.
Despite being a vital component of Kansas City’s defense, Gay is undoubtedly an underappreciated member of the team. The four-year linebacker finished third on the team with 88 tackles in the 2022 campaign.
Gay has 58 tackles in 2023, not a very spectacular season, but he is still a reliable presence.Gay has grades of at least 66.5 in each of his first three seasons in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. In 2021, he was ranked 20th out of all players at his position; in 2022, he was placed 32nd.
Gay has 233 tackles, five sacks, four interceptions, and has started 47 of his 57 games during his four seasons.
Most importantly, Gay’s contract is unlikely to be expensive. Spotrac estimates his market value to be $7 million per year over
four seasons, for a total of slightly more than $28.2 million.
The Cowboys have a projected salary cap space of $14 million in the negatives, ranking 26th in the league.
With plans to sign Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb to contract extensions, the team hopes to sign Gay to a $7 million per year deal.
Cowboys Could Sign Willie Gay Jr. To Replace Leighton Vander Esch
With Leighton Vander Esch out with a potentially career-ending injury, the Cowboys will most certainly have an opening at
weakside linebacker. The former Pro Bowler has a history of neck ailments, including one that ended his season after only five games in 2023.
Vander Esch has had neck/collarbone injuries in three of his six NFL seasons and one as a sophomore at Boise State.
Team owner Jerry Jones reacted on Vander Esch’s latest neck injury in November.
“He’s a crucial component of that defensive unit,” Jones stated on 105.3 The Fan. We simply want him well, and given the
nature of his possible injury, I find myself thinking far further forward than what that would entail for the upcoming week or month. Everything about it revolves around what’s best for him.
Gay has now played on a defense that just ranked second in the NFL in points allowed per game (17.3 points) and now has 10
games of postseason experience under his belt. For perspective, the Cowboys’ starting linebackers at the end of the 2023 season
— Micah Parsons, Damone Clark and and Markquese Bell — have a combined 10 games of postseason experience among them.
While Gay’s signing may not be a headliner, it could be beneficial if and when the Cowboys advance to the postseason.
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