Dallas Cowboys want to keep Rolando McClain long term

The Dallas Cowboys are ready to declare the Rolando McClain experiment a tremendous success.

Through four games played this season, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain has 19 tackles, one sack and one interception.
In fact, executive vice president Stephen Jones readily acknowledged that the Cowboys' front office considers the middle linebacker as a significant part of the franchise's foundation for the future, envisioning McClain starting alongside Sean Lee next season.

"We want to keep good football players that do the right thing on and off the field," Jones said during a Monday appearance on 105.3 The Fan. "Everything we see so far from Rolando is he's one of those guys. I certainly see a situation where we're going to be trying to sign him to a long-term contract and keep him here with the Dallas Cowboys. He's certainly made a difference. He goes about his business the way we want to see them go about their business.

"I think he'd be a great complement in there with Sean Lee in terms of the way Sean plays the game. It may be a situation where if he were the Mike and Sean moved over and played some Will for us, it may help Sean in terms of the wear and tear on his body. There's a lot of thoughts there. We're more focused on what's going on here right now, but he falls in that same category as DeMarco [Murray]. I know he's somebody that we'd like to keep around here."

McClain signed a nonguaranteed one-year, $700,000 contract when the Cowboys acquired his rights from the Baltimore Ravens, a deal which will cost Dallas a sixth-round pick in exchange for the Ravens' seventh-rounder. The Cowboys traded for the twice-retired McClain because they were desperate to replace Lee, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on the opening day of organized team activities.

The deal has worked out as well as the Cowboys possibly could have hoped, as McClain has played a key role on a drastically improved Dallas defense. He is fulfilling the potential that made him an eighth overall pick before personal issues detoured his NFL career.

"He's a top-10 pick in the draft and I think we're seeing around here why he was," Jones said. "He certainly had some things that held him back in his career, but he seems to have put a lot of those things behind him and he looks like a top-10 player. He's making plays like that. He's big, he's physical. As anyone can see who watches the game, when he hits you, you go down. He has range."

If McClain keeps this up, he'll have an offer with a big raise to return to the Cowboys in the offseason.

Dallas Cowboys want to keep Rolando McClain long term Dallas Cowboys want to keep Rolando McClain long term Reviewed by Mr. DCStands4 on 1:36:00 PM Rating: 5

#Cowboys TV