After this week the Cowboys will be 1/4 through the season, and there are rumblings that Henry Melton is not looking like the player we had hoped he would be. Melton is coming off an ACL injury he had in Sept. 23, 2013 and his surgery from Oct. 10, 2013.
It’s been said a player usually takes a full year to be recovered and another to be in their previous form, so almost a 2-year process; however, recent medical advancement’s have helped athletes speed up their recovery.
With Melton, he appears to have recovered from his knee injury, but the playmaking plays have not come yet, and statistically speaking Melton has been a near non-factor. In two games Melton has 2 tackles and 0.5 sack, that’s not going to get it done, especially for the money we are paying him.
Now Melton is recovering from another injury, this time it’s his hamstring and he’s questionable to play against the Saints. This is an game where we need some sort of pass rush or pressure against Brees, and not having Melton will hurt.
You have to ask yourself two things: Are we getting our money’s worth? Will Melton be back in 2015?
If Melton does in fact miss this Sunday night’s game he’ll be off to a bad start in Dallas. So, no, as of right now, this free agent pick is looking like another Marcellus Wiley pickup, remember that miss? It’s not all bad news however, Melton will have 12 more weeks to get into high gear, we need him to be a nuisance.
The Cowboys protected themselves with Melton’s contract and as each week passes by, it’s looking more and more like a great deal. The Cowboys have a club option on Melton, so if the Cowboys decide Melton did not work out, then they’ll let him hit free agency and skip the 3-year extension valued at $24million w/$9million guaranteed. Let’s hope Melton get’s into the game and returns to his 2012 Pro-Bowl version.
What about Doug Free?
Free has had some inconsistencies we all saw in 2012, in which the Cowboys asked Free to take a pay cut. Free took the pay decrease, and in doing so the Cowboys made the contract good for both parties once the 2015 league year arrives. As it stands now the Cowboys may let Free walk.
Free will be 31 in January, so if the Cowboys are trying to stay young and stay away from big contracts for players over 30, then the Cowboys could forgo his club option. The one thing that is in Free’s favor is the lack of any depth behind the starters. The Cowboys would likely need to add another young rookie at RT or a decent free agent younger and cheaper than Free.
The decision to keep Free could get interesting as the season moves along. If Free picks up his game, then he could very well stick. There will be a lot of moving parts in this decision, partly draft strategy. The Cowboys defensive line is still a work in progress, and will need to be built around Demarcus Lawrence. We’ll need another edge rusher, and someone up the middle.
Other’s in a contract year here.
Do you think Melton or Free will be back in 2015? Sound off.
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