NBA teams in Texas might not have been able to land the more popular sports figure with this namesake. That didn’t stop the Dallas Cowboys from making a solid move on Monday by reportedly signing veteran linebacker Justin Durant.
#Cowboys signed LB Justin Durant to a 1-year deal to fill the void created by Rolando McClain's suspension, as @MikeGarafolo said they would
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 18, 2016
Durant, 30, started 12 games for the Atlanta Falcons a season ago, recording 81 tackles and three passes defended.
It’s a reunion of sorts for Durant, who played the previous two seasons with the Cowboys before joining Atlanta last year.
This move comes amid myriad of question marks on the Cowboys defense.
Starting inside linebacker Rolando McClain was suspended back in June for the first 10 games of the upcoming season after violating the league’s substance abuse policy (more on that here).
Joining McClain on the suspended list are defensive ends Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence, both of whom will sit out the first four games of the season.
Acquiring a linebacker with starting experience to replace McClain is big for the Cowboys. Though, it must be noted that Durant has been somewhat of a liability as a three-down backer since performing at a high level in that role with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions earlier in his career.
At this point, the Cowboys defense figures to struggle big time this upcoming season. Adding some experience to this unit can’t be seen as a bad thing.