Valuing Vander Esch? 'No Progress' in Cowboys Contract Talks

Leighton Vander Esch has been with the Dallas Cowboys since 2018. Is the run done?

FRISCO - If there is such a thing as "deserves,'' Leighton Vander Esch "deserves'' a rich new contract with the Dallas Cowboys.

But that's not the way this works. Or, at least, it's not the way it has worked for the last two offseasons between the Cowboys front office and their first-round linebacker from the 2018 NFL Draft.

A CowboysSI.com source confirms the report that the Cowboys have made no progress on a new deal (via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).

This doesn’t mark the death knell of Vander Esch is Dallas. But it does conflict a bit with the club’s position that is views the linebacker as somewhat of a priority.

Of course, in tandem with that thought are the words of COO Stephen Jones, who is offering a more lukewarm consideration.

“I thought Leighton had a great year,” Jones said. “It’ll all just boil down to the economics in terms of where he ends up. He had a hell of a year.”

Coming off of a wildly affordable one-year, $2 million contract, Vander Esch has every reason to be looking for more of a payday in free agency this time around.

There is perceived “injury issue” with Vander Esch that his camp is prepared to argue is a thing of the past. Are the Cowboys sitting on this deal with the idea that the lingering concerns will lead to another cheap return to The Star?

Over his five-year Cowboys career, the linebacker has been a playmaker and a leader, and last year totaled  90 tackles, good for the second most on the team.

Vander Esch was a Pro Bowler and earned an All-Pro nod his rookie season. Last year. He moved toward those heights again.

The Cowboys can make the argument that youngsters Damone Clark and Jabril Cox are ready to step up, making Vander Esch expendable. And at this moment? That appears to be the argument they might end up making.

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