When defensive tackle Henry Melton signed with the Dallas Cowboys last offseason, he was betting on himself.
Melton signed a one-year deal that comes with a three-year team option, the hope being he’d play well enough in 2014 to convince the Cowboys to bring him back. Whether he did enough to convince Dallas to keep him around, it’s hard to say.
As Todd Archer of ESPN Dallas points out, Melton would be viewed by the team as a backup, behind Tyrone Crawford on the depth chart--and he’d be an expensive backup at that, scheduled to make $9 million in 2015 if the Cowboys pick up the option. The team has until Sunday to inform Melton of their decision. If they don’t pick up the option, Melton becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Coming off a torn ACL in 2013, Melton appeared in all 16 regular season games and started three in his first season with the Cowboys, but he missed both playoff games after suffering a bone bruise in his knee. He finished with 15 tackles, four passes deflected and five sacks, good enough for second on the team.
Stay on top of the latest Dallas Cowboys news with NBCDFW.com. Follow NBC DFW on Facebook or have breaking Cowboys news sent directly to your phone with Blue Star SMS alerts. Text "bluestar" to 622339 (NBCDFW) to subscribe, text HELP for more info, and text STOP to end the subscription. Message and data rates may apply.Read more about it here.
