24-Year-Old Ex-Bears Cornerback Signs with Cowboys: What It Means
On Tuesday, 24-year-old former Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings player Reddy Steward signed an exclusive rights free agent tender with the Dallas Cowboys. The deal, valued at approximately one million dollars, secures his position with the team and locks his pay at the industry standard for his level of expertise. He did have some troubling stats that are worth noting. He was rated number 99 out of 112 on the Pro Football Focus cornerback grades list. This places Steward in the lower 11.61th percentile of players. In addition, his record against the run was ranked 98th out of 102 cornerbacks by the PFF as well, making him well into the lower 3.2 percentile of that position.
These statistics are especially important to the conversation, as defensive coordinator Christian Parker stated that the focus for the Cowboys was on stopping the run and players’ specialties rather than just on schemes. The information definitely seems to be a mismatch at first glance. This deal sounds like he will be placed in the practice and developmental squad. With his experience, he can quickly run through the team’s plays and is already acclimated to the team, its players, and its playbook. Being familiar with the Cowboys also means that he can take over for a play should the need arise, adding to his flexibility.
Despite some eyebrow-raising issues, the contract is also another cheap player, helping to keep the budget from bursting. Steward’s contract appears to be more about the budget than an immediately apparent specialty he will bring to the table. The limited time span and low risk, combined with his knowledge, give the vibe that they’re hoping to find a use for him and save on their salary cap instead of hiring a different person. In addition to the training aspect, Steward can also assist with their defense, specifically playing slot corner, something that was an issue for them in the past. This is a somewhat safe but still fairly risky decision for the Cowboys to make, as it technically fixes some problems but falls far short on others.
