One of the biggest talking points regarding the Dallas Cowboys this offseason has been need for some more playmakers on the defensive unit. This past season, the Cowboys proved to be an aging defensive unit with a lack of impact players as guys like Bradie James and Terence Newman have clearly met their prime and watched it ride into the sunset.
The Cowboys also have some better-than-average players on their defense: DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, Sean Lee. So the big question is, who will the Cowboys add via free agency to what was a unit that just lacked talent in 2011.
One big addition that has been tossed around as a possibility is Houston Texans pass-rush extraordinare Mario Williams, who missed most of last season with a torn pectoral muscle that required season-ending surgery.
Williams, in case you forgot, was the No. 1 draft pick in 2006, ahead of Reggie Bush and Vince Young and got Houston Texans fans in a huge tizzy until he started dominating. He's averaged more than 10 sacks a year if you throw out 2011 and his rookie season.
His loss would be a blow to what appears to be an on-the-rise Texans team that boasted one of the league's best defenses in 2011 without him. But his addition would be a huge take for the Cowboys. With he and Ware on the outside the Cowboys would instantly vault to the top of the league in regards to pressure on the quarterback. The Texans would find a way to survive without him with guys like J.J. Watt handling the pass-rushing duties, making Williams somewhat expendable.
Want to know what putting pressure on the quarterback can do for you? Just ask the New York Giants.
