After watching six starters, including four on defense, leave via free agency, the Dallas Cowboys struck back with a three-year, $20 million deal with veteran defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.
The deal will not be complete until McCoy passes a physical and that is on hold due to the Covid-19 precautions.
But the move will allow the Cowboys to boost a shorthanded defense with a 10-year veteran and proven playmaker.
The former Oklahoma star confirmed the deal with ESPN's Josina Anderson and expressed excitement about coming to the Cowboys, a team he followed a kid growing up in Oklahoma. It also gives him a chance to be close to his son who recently committed to playing football at Oklahoma.
"I truly believe we're going to have a great season," McCoy said to Anderson. "We have all the pieces to win."
Getting McCoy is a big piece to the puzzle.
McCoy is a six-time Pro Bowler who spent the first nine years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before playing the 2019 season with the Carolina Panthers.
McCoy has 59.5 sacks and 86 tackles for loss in his career, including five sacks, seven tackles for loss and 13 quarterback hits last season. McCoy has just missed eight games in the past eight seasons combined.
He should be a huge upgrade at defensive tackle against the run and getting to the quarterback for the Cowboys who lost Maliek Collins to the Las Vegas Raiders. Collins recorded 20 tackles and four sacks last season.
Again, McCoy provides an answer on defense for the Cowboys, who lost Collins, defensive end Robert Quinn (Chicago Bears), cornerback Byron Jones (Miami Dolphins) and safety Jeff Heath (Las Vegas Raiders) in free agency the past 48 hours to go along with tight end Jason Witten (Las Vegas Raiders) and receiver Randall Cobb (Houston Texans).
McCoy gives the Cowboys a big addition on defense to go along with the team retaining their biggest priorities of the offseason in quarterback Dak Prescott on the exclusive franchise tag and receiver Amari Cooper on a five-year, $100 million deal.
