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The Cowboys didn’t wait long to dip their toes in free agency, reaching agreement on a three-year contract late Tuesday night with veteran defensive tackle and former Oklahoma Sooner Gerald McCoy, who comes to Dallas after one season with the Carolina Panthers.

In 2019, McCoy finished with 37 tackles, five sacks, 42 total pressures and 25 stops. He may not be the dominant force he was in Tampa Bay, but he proved more than capable of being a quality starter in the NFL.

In many ways, McCoy is an older, less athletic but more well-rounded version of Maliek Collins. The Cowboys will likely see a slight reduction in pass rush effectiveness with McCoy replacing Collins, but he should be much more consistent against the run, an area where Collins struggled mightily throughout the season.

McCoy's quick hands enable him to attain superior hand placement and control the center on contact. Tosses the center to the side and quickly attacks with the proper pursuit angle for the tackle. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/yqlUz6H1jK — John Owning (@JohnOwning) March 18, 2020

Listed at 6-4, 300 pounds, McCoy’s athleticism has waned with age (he’s 32 years old), but he has compensated with better hands and a stronger anchor at the line of scrimmage.

Whereas his hands in the past were primarily used to penetrate and make plays in the backfield, McCoy has improved significantly in his ability to hold the point and stack blocks at the line of scrimmage, using his 33 3/4-inch arms to maintain separation so he can shed and make tackles in the run game. Here’s a great example:

New #Cowboys DT Gerald McCoy defeating a reach block to make a tackle along the LOS vs the zone run. pic.twitter.com/Yo5lojJfjQ — John Owning (@JohnOwning) March 18, 2020

On this play, McCoy is aligned as the shaded nose tackle (1-technique) between Seattle’s center and left guard. Once the ball is snapped, he quickly fires out of stance and reads the lateral movement of the offensive line, which tips him off to the zone run.

From there, McCoy beats the guard to first contact, employing a quick, two-hand strike to put No. 70 on his heels and attain superior hand placement. McCoy dominating the inside space of the block enables him to use his length to create and maintain separation.

Once the running back picks a path, McCoy expertly escapes the block by using his left hand to clear the guard’s point of contact. This allows McCoy to disengage and make the tackle before the running back can hit the second level.

I was most surprised to see that McCoy is pretty good vs doubles. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/v0iyaGwNUd — John Owning (@JohnOwning) March 18, 2020

McCoy’s anchor and hand technique have also enabled him to be quite effective against double-teams, where he does a good job of stacking the point and shedding as one of the blockers combos up to the second level (above clip). Here’s a great example:

McCoy gives some initial ground on the double, but he does an excellent job shedding once the RT comes off the double to pick up the LB. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/RIpDfjad4m — John Owning (@JohnOwning) March 18, 2020

On this play, McCoy is aligned as a loose 3-technique defensive tackle who is shaded in the B-gap between Indianapolis’ right guard and tackle.

Once the ball is snapped, McCoy quickly identifies the double after firing out of his stance. He widens his base and lowers his pad level, putting him in proper position to absorb the force from the initial double-team.

Pay attention to how McCoy attaches himself to the right guard’s outside shoulder (No. 64). This puts McCoy in prime position to clear his hips and escape the block once the right tackle (No. 72) climbs to the second level. After escaping the double, McCoy gets his eyes to the ball carrier, which informs him of the proper pursuit angle that puts him in position to help finish the tackle.

#Cowboys DT Gerald McCoy is very disruptive vs zone blocking, showing an efficient get-off, good hands and nice range for a DT. pic.twitter.com/MJ0LLBZ7tm — John Owning (@JohnOwning) March 18, 2020

McCoy is most disruptive against zone runs, where his efficient get-off, hands and impressive range allow him to have a lot of success (above clip).

McCoy continuously does a good job attacking leverage points (elbow) to clear contact and escape blocks. Shows up in the run and pass games. pic.twitter.com/T5fHyvJMW6 — John Owning (@JohnOwning) March 18, 2020

McCoy is able to defeat blocks along the line of scrimmage because of his ability to attack leverage points (wrist and elbow) to clear contact and escape blocks (above clip).

His deteriorating athleticism limits his upside as a pass rusher, but as his 42 total pressures indicate (14th among interior defenders in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus), he’s still able to make an impact thanks to his black belt-level hand technique.

McCoy’s best technique is probably his thunderous club move, which he uses to defeat hands and knock offensive linemen off balance as he works to clear the hips and attack the pocket. On top of that, he also employs an effective bull rush -- which is aided by leverage and leg churn -- to push the pocket, and he also has a noteworthy two-hand swipe and cross-chop to defeat hands and escape blocks as a pass rusher.

#Cowboys DT McCoy doesn't have the same juice as a pass rusher, but his ability to sequence hand technique enables him to still provide an impact in that area. pic.twitter.com/gTjTfcN3Ia — John Owning (@JohnOwning) March 18, 2020

Nevertheless, it’s McCoy’s ability to sequence his hands and counter off of failed moves that truly makes him a weapon as a pass rusher at this point in his career (above clip). Let’s take a closer look at that first play in particular to gain a true appreciation for his ability to sequence his hands on his way to the quarterback:

On this play, McCoy displays his hair-trigger get-off as the first Carolina defender off the ball. Initially, he looks to counter the left guard’s (No. 74) inside strike with a powerful club, but he’s just a tad late, which inhibits him from defeating the guard’s hands at first.

Instead of allowing his rush to peter out after the initial move failed, McCoy immediately transitions into a forklift technique, breaking the guard’s grip on his chest and discarding it as he clears the hips and attacks the pocket to sack former teammate Jameis Winston.

McCoy should spend most of his time in the B-gap as a 3-technique tackle, filling a huge hole in the Cowboys’ defense left by Collins’ departure to Las Vegas, but he has also shown the capability to provide effective snaps at nose tackle (1-technique). Moreover, his length, strength and hand technique would enable him to play as a big-bodied defensive end in a 3-4 scheme if Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Nolan incorporates some odd-man fronts this year.

Despite being older and a slightly less effective pass rusher, McCoy is a potential short-term upgrade over Collins because he’s much more consistent against the run and a more well-rounded player at this stage.

The only aspect of this deal that’s a little bewildering is the length -- three years. At 32, McCoy probably has just one or two seasons left before his athleticism deteriorates to a point where he’s no longer a viable option as a starter.

But, despite his age and experience, McCoy’s presence doesn’t preclude the Cowboys from selecting a 3-technique defensive tackle in the NFL draft if the value matches up (Texas A&M’s Justin Madubuike could be a great option).

And if that doesn’t happen, McCoy is the perfect player to mentor Trysten Hill. McCoy can help teach Hill how to optimize his explosiveness and athletic ability to become a more reliable and consistent player on the defensive line.

McCoy isn’t the same disruptive force he used to be and his athletic ability has certainly waned with age, but he still has enough left in the tank to be an impactful defensive tackle for Nolan’s defense. As long as the money isn’t too crazy, this is exactly the type of initial move that can help build a more well-rounded defensive line in 2020.

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