It remains to be seen how aggressive the Dallas Cowboys are going to be able to be in free agency. Still, one of the league’s premier run-stoppers could be a top target and eventual cornerstone of new coordinator Mike Zimmer’s defense.
Prior to the new league year beginning on March 13, the 33rd Team lists Tennessee Titans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair as the free agent the Cowboys “must target” once free agency gets underway.
“The Dallas Cowboys have been searching for linebacker help for years,” Marcus Mosher writes for The 33rd Team. “And Azeez Al-Shaair could help fill that void in free agency.
“He won’t break the bank, and that’s great for Dallas considering its cap situation. Still, Al-Shaair can be a run-stopper for a defense that desperately needs help in that area.”
During the 2023 campaign, Al-Shaair’s first in a Titans uniform, the 26-year-old had the finest season of his career. The former undrafted free agent signing of the San Francisco 49ers, Al-Shaair produced a career-high 163 total tackles with two sacks, also matching a personal best.
What Al-Shaair Would Bring the Cowboys’ Defense
This past season, opponents ran roughshod over the Cowboys.
For a team that is built to play from ahead, while allowing elite pass-rushers like Micah Parsons to wreak havoc with teams forced to throw from behind, Dallas’ rushing defense was an Achilles heel.
Dallas finished the 2023 season ranked 16th in the NFL against the run while allowing 112.4 rushing yards per game.
Losing linebacker Leighton Vander Esch to a neck injury compounded both the Cowboys’ struggles against the run as well as a glaring need at linebacker.
In addition to being a tackling machine, Al-Shaair garnered a 73.7 run-defense grade from Pro Football Focus last season, while making 56 stops in 434 run-defense snaps. Meanwhile, PFF lists Al-Shaair as the No. 49 ranked linebacker in the league.
Through the first five seasons of his career, Al-Shaair has logged 362 total tackles with four sacks and a pair of interceptions.
Will the Cowboys Be Able to Sign Azeez Al-Shaair?
Few teams will benefit more from the NFL announcing that the salary cap is rising to a whopping $255.4 million in 2024, than the Cowboys.
While owner Jerry Jones and the Cowboys still have significant work to do to become cap-compliant before free agency gets underway, Dallas is now just $3.22 million over the adjusted salary cap.
However, Sports Illustrated projects Shaair’s market value to approach $11-13 million, annually, which could prove a difficult task for the Cowboys to fit under the cap.
The fact that Al-Shaair may prefer to re-sign with the Titans, and teams such as the San Francisco 49ers potentially in the mix, could create a bidding war that prices the Cowboys out of the veteran linebacker’s market.
Targeting impact players such as Al-Shaair makes lowering quarterback Dak Prescott‘s cap number even more significant a priority this offseason.
Prescott is set to count $59.45 million against the cap in 2024, which isn’t sustainable, and could lead to an extension to create the kind of spending flexibility the Cowboys need to shop at the top of the free-agent market.
