The Dallas Cowboys have taken a punt on Greg Hardy, who has agreed on a one-year deal which could be worth up to $13.1million.

At 26, the aggressive pass rusher is in his prime but missed all but one game last season after being placed on the Commissioner's Exempt List following a conviction for assaulting his then partner.

He remains on the exempt list until the NFL has finished it own investigation, with reports saying he could miss the first six games of the 2015 season.

Nicknamed The Kraken, Greg Hardy is a fearsome pass rusher but is tainted by off-field issues

Hardy leaves Mecklenburg County jail after being released on bond in Charlotte in May last year

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Seattle Seahawks were said to be interested in Hardy, but both dropped out of a move.

'At the end of the day, we didn't feel good about it,' Bucs general manager Jason Licht told the Tampa Bay Times.

The deal with Dallas is heavily incentive-driven and was first revealed by NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

The Carolina Panthers put the franchise tag on Hardy in February 2014, guaranteeing him $13.1.

He was arrested and charged on May 13 with assaulting and threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder.

Hardy was found guilty on July 15 by a Mecklenburg County judge, but on appeal to a jury trial (a quirk of North Carolina law), charges were dropped when Holder refused to co-operate with the prosecutor.

In purely football terms, the Cowboys have strengthened a position of need. Last season, the Cowboys defense mustered 28 sacks last season.