Hardy Set To Fill Big Cowboys' Cleats At Right Defensive End

The guy who was on the wrong side of the law with the Carolina Panthers will be on the right side of the defensive line for the Dallas Cowboys.

When the team lines up on defense during organized team activities at Valley Ranch in May, Greg Hardy will take his spot as the premier pass-rusher at right defensive end. Like Harvey Martin, Charles Haley and DeMarcus Ware before him, Hardy is expected to create constant pressure off the edge and produce havoc from the blindside of right-handed quarterbacks. From that position, Martin had 23 sacks in '77, Haley helped the Cowboys to three Super Bowls and himself to the Hall of Fame, and Ware secured himself a spot in the Ring of Honor.

The move will slide Jeremy Mincey and DeMarcus Lawrence to compete for playing time at left defensive end. Mincey led the Cowboys’ anemic pass rush in 2014 with six sacks. Hardy, who sat out the final 15 games last season after being charged with domestic abuse, has 27 sacks in his last 26 NFL games.

“If you watch him play in Carolina, he plays 3-technique, he plays the nose tackle, he plays left end,” head coach Jason Garrett said to a group of reporters at the NFL owners meetings. “He rushes outside on third down. He rushes inside down. He has great versatility as a player. A lot of different skills. You can use him in a lot of different spots. He is a guy who plays a lot for them. We believe in rotating our defensive line, kind of coming at the offense in waves. He is a guy that played so many snaps for them in a lot of different spots.”
 

A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.

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