As soon as former NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt announced on Twitter that he and the Houston Texans had mutually agreed to part ways, the Dallas Cowboys were immediately brought up as a potential landing spot for the five-time Pro Bowl veteran.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is known to love big-name stars and Watt has arguably shined brighter on and off the field than any Cowboys player in his 10 years in the league, despite playing for the rival Texans down the road in Houston.
Cowboys defensive defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence joined in the act by sending a message to Watt on Twitter with a phone emoji.
However, according to sources, the Cowboys have no plans to pursue Watt in free agency. One source said the team has “no interest.”
There is no question the Cowboys need help on a defense that yielded a franchise record for points allowed in 2020 and gave up the second-most rushing yards in team history.
Watt could play end in the 3-4 as he did in Houston. Or could play tackle in the 4-3, which is the preferred scheme of new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
The Cowboys could certainly use the interior pass rush help.
Watt, 32, who has 101 career sacks, is not not the player he used to be and he has missed time with injuries the past few years.
On the other hand, he did have five sacks, two forced fumbles and he returned an interception for a touchdown in 2020. And those five sacks would have ranked second on the Cowboys last season.
The real issue for the Cowboys is navigating Watt’s salary demands with quarterback Dak Prescott’s status as a free agent.
The primary focus of the offseason is to get a deal done with Prescott.
Watt was set to earn $17.5 million with the Texans in 2021.
He will not get that in free agency, but he won’t be cheap either.
And the Cowboys don’t have the cap space as of now to do a deal with Prescott, let alone compete for Watt in free agency.
The Cowboys are not going to do anything to hamstring their ability to sign Prescott.
Don’t worry about Watt. He will have no shortage of suitors. He is interested in playoff contenders, so consider the Pittsburgh Steelers, who finished 12-4 but lost to the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the playoffs, to have a strong hand.
But it’s not just a matter of playoffs success. Pittsburgh is also where Watt’s younger brothers, linebacker T.J. and fullback Derek, play, making the Steelers a sentimental choice.
