The Dallas Cowboys have snagged themselves an edge rusher by signing Von Miller. The veteran pass-rusher has a decorated career, spending 10 years with the Denver Broncos, producing seven All-Pro seasons, and taking home Super Bowl 50 MVP. He’s bounced around in recent years, spending time with the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, and most recently the Washington Commanders. He was on the Rams during their Super Bowl-winning season in 2021 and is the all-time sack leader for active players with 138.5 career sacks. And now, he’s a Dallas Cowboy. The team continues to look for pass-rushing help as its trench rebuild hasn’t reached full form.
On Saturday, they got a look at some of their test subjects, which included this year’s first-round pick Malachi Lawrence and position-change candidate Marist Liufau. Lawrence showed flashes of potential, but Liufau struggled. As a whole, the entire defense didn’t do much to generate pressure, save for a little disruption from James Houston. It’s just one game, but it feels like more help is needed.
Hence, it’s Miller time. The question now shifts to – what does Miller have left in the tank?
At 37-years-old, can he really be expected to help? To be clear, the team did not get itself the Von Miller of old. He’s just not that player anymore.
Nor did they grab themselves an every-down defender. Again. Not him. But what they did get is a very efficient, role-playing pass rusher. That is what he was last year with Washington.
Despite playing in only 37% of the snaps, he managed to rack up nine sacks last year. That’s super efficient. He’s not a player that’s going to wear down from usage, and that’s because he’s going to be kept fresh. That’s important because when you get up to his age, preservation is crucial. A few years ago, he suffered an ACL tear, and it took him some time to get back up to speed, but when he finally did, he was flashing some of that Miller goodness.
He’s fully healthy now. Healthy or not, he’s lost that generational explosive first step, so his All-Pro days are over. But Miller is a very technically sound player who comes with an arsenal full of pass-rushing moves built over a long career. If tackles overstep to the outside, he’ll spin inside. If they plant early, he’ll use his ankle flexion to drop low and bend around the edge. And you can guarantee, whatever he does, he’s throwing his elite hand-fighting skills at them.
He’ll extend blockers away from him, swipe, whatever it takes to take away their blocking ability. The veteran pass rusher still wins, and he wins consistently. Miller is a savvy player.
It won’t be just about raw skills. He understands protection schemes and watches how the tackle shifts his weight.
The details. His mental edge allows him to be fully prepared before the ball is ever snapped. This is exactly what new defensive coordinator Christian Parker needs. A player who provides his own advantage.
And Parker’s defense isn’t predicated on creating a drag race to the quarterback. It doesn’t have to be immediate because the back end of the defense is designed to force the quarterback to think a little longer, but pressure needs to come eventually. Miller ensures that moment will arrive. The Cowboys have completely remodeled their defensive line. They now have four veterans – Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Rashan Gary, and Miller who have a combined 16 Pro Bowls between them. The new-look defense isn’t about a single player, but a collective unit that can put enough stress across the board where the offensive line cannot overload protection. Opposing offenses have to be mindful of everyone.
Adding a player like Miller affords the team the luxury to deploy their younger edge rushers as needed and not force them into situations they’re not ready for. Donovan Ezeiruaku will still be the early-down edge opposite Gary, but now they can use the rookie Lawrence more strategically.
If he’s not ready, he’s not ready. They can put him in more favorable situations and allow Miller to handle critical get-off-the-field third-down situations. This isn’t a monster move for the Cowboys. Instead, it’s a subtle but calculated front office decision to bolster an area that needs help. The team is showing that they’re not taking their foot off the gas and won’t just let the chips fall as they may. They’re committed to making this work, and adding another veteran talent is a good way to do just that.
