The Dallas Cowboys have signed former Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy.
FOX Sports reported that deal, which the team announced on Wednesday, is for one year at $13.1 million but will only count for $2.6 million against the team’s salary cap.
There is no doubt that Hardy is a great defensive player, but his off-the-field issue with domestic violence makes him a risk since he can still be disciplined by the league.
It also seems a bit hypocritical of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to sign Hardy given that he told the Dallas Morning News that domestic violence is something he himself takes “very seriously.” So seriously that he just rewarded someone who was found guilty of that last year millions of dollars.
Hardy was charged with and convicted of assaulting and communicating threats to his ex-girlfriend last summer. After playing one game in 2014, he was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list. The charges though were later dismissed when his accuser failed to testify.
Signing Hardy addresses a big need for the team defensively and is the biggest free agent signing the Cowboys have made this off season.
It is not clear if the 26-year-old will serve another suspension this year, but when he gets on the field he will produce. For his career he has 34 sacks in 39 games.
Image shared via Twitter by the Dallas Cowboys
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