Cowboys are bringing back LB Leighton Vander Esch on 2-year, $11 million deal

June 27, 2024

The Cowboys continued to take care of their defense Tuesday, agreeing to a two-year, $11 million contract with linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, according to a league source.

How he fits: He was a huge part of Dallas’ defensive success in 2022. Vander Esch started 14 of 17 games, finishing second in total tackles with 90, to go along with four tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a sack. When he missed the last three games of the season, the Dallas run defense just wasn’t the same. If the Cowboys had lost Vander Esch in free agency, there would have been a significant hole on the team’s roster at linebacker. They now go into the 2023 season with Vander Esch likely pairing with Damone Clark, a fifth-round pick last year. Dallas also has Jabril Cox, a fourth-round pick in 2021 who didn’t contribute much in 2022 as he was coming back from a season-ending ACL injury. Vander Esch’s return gives the Cowboys stability in the middle of a defense that is very talented up front and on the back end. The pieces are there to again have one of the league’s best defenses.

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2023 impact: Vander Esch turned 27 last month. The former first-round pick has plenty of tread left on his tires. He just needs to stay healthy. He has missed time with neck, shoulder and collarbone issues. He made the Pro Bowl during his rookie season but then his production dropped off for two years, largely because he missed 13 games. But since Dan Quinn became the team’s defensive coordinator in 2021, Vander Esch has again been the team’s best linebacker. He played in all 17 games in 2021, starting 16. He then signed a one-year, $2 million deal last March. “I thought Leighton had a great year,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said two weeks ago at the combine. “He had a hell of a year.” The Cowboys obviously believe he can repeat that performance in 2023.

Owner’s take: “Vander Esch has never faltered in his unique skill set,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in January on 105.3 The Fan. “He’s got such range because of his length and those big, long arms and that ability to cover that ground out there are a real advantage. And they are problematic for an opposing quarterback. When he looks out there, he sees those arms and that span and it influences how he makes a throw.

“We’ve always known that was there. Did we use it well enough? Did we maximize the use of what Vander Esch does? Well, because of the neck injury that he had three years ago, then that might have been a little late coming. But, boy, it’s there now. And you saw us get the benefit of his range, his ability to basically cover his immediate zone. But then (he can) get wide and go out and make plays on the edge and use that length. He is a huge advantage to have on that field.”

Cap update: Tuesday was a busy day for the Cowboys, particularly on defense. They agreed to terms on a three-year deal with safety Donovan Wilson, traded for veteran CB Stephon Gilmore and then agreed to a new deal with Vander Esch. They came into the day with roughly $20 million in cap space. A good chunk has been used up, but there’s still room to fill holes with lower-level deals. Some remaining unrestricted free agent targets include DE Dante Fowler and DT Johnathan Hankins.

(Photo: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)

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