The Dallas Cowboys are highly invested in collective defensive end talent. This past spring, the team lost DeMarcus Lawrence to free agency, as the 11-year veteran departed to the Pacific Northwest. With Micah Parsons set to enter his fifth-year option season and a contract dispute that was heading for testy waters, the team went about free agency and the draft to bring in more talent.
On top of in-house, second-round, rookie contract players Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland, the club signed former first-round picks Dante Fowler, Solomon Thomas and Payton Turner. They then spent another second-round pick on Donovan Ezeiruaku and followed that up with a pre-training camp reclamation signing of James Houston. All seven of those players remain under team control as the season starts, and now the club is stockpiling defensive ends on the practice squad too.
A few hours after adding PS-roster-exempt Deyo Odeleye, word leaked the Cowboys want to pounce on bringing in a former camp star and fan favorite, Isaiah Land.
Land, a 2023 UDFA from Florida A&M, made an impression on Cowboys Nation and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Quinn identified the 20-sack HBCU star while scouting 2022 UDFA Markquese Bell.
“Well, a lot of things, and I’ve had my eye on Zay for some time,” Quinn said during 2023 rookie minicamp. “I first saw him [as I was] looking at [Markquese] Bell from a year ago, and he had a fantastic junior year — Zay did. He had over 20 sacks and really lit it up. Who is this guy?
“So, I kept up with him … I remember telling Markquese at the combine, ‘Hey, Zay ran well. He did really good.’ He said, ‘He’s a dog.’ So, from that time, I’ve always had my vision on him: the size, the length, could this defensive end play linebacker, could he go down? I know he can rush. Just trying to add — is it one of the examples of what else can they do?” – via Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
The Cowoys were hoping to sneak Land onto their practice squad, but the Colts snuck in and claimed his rights, adding him to their 53-man roster. He appeared in 17 games over the last two seasons, but only saw 109 defensive snaps, logging one sack. The Colts waived him at roster cut down this year, and the Dallas front office appears ready to add him to the fold to give Matt Eberflus ad Aaron Whitecotton a shot at refining his skillset.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Reclaimed Land: Cowboys look to re-sign former camp star Colts poached in 2023
Reporting by K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
