The Cowboys have made a decision when it comes to the near-future of former first-round pick Leighton Vander Esch.
On Monday, Dallas chose to not pick up the fifth-year option on the linebacker’s rookie contract, meaning Vander Esch is now set to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2021 season.
Cowboys formally notified agent @deuce21 they are declining LB Leighton Vander Esch’s fifth-year team option, citing salary-cap uncertainty. Team has expressed interest in new deal before LVE hits free agency in March. Option would’ve fully guaranteed him $9.145M in 2022.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) May 3, 2021
Over the weekend, the Cowboys took linebackers Micah Parsons and Jabril Cox in the first and fourth rounds of the NFL draft, respectively. A bona fide crowd now exists at linebacker. Keanu Neal, a converted safety, signed in March as a free agent. And defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said on Saturday evening that the plan remains for Neal to play linebacker despite the recent draft picks.
There is also Jaylon Smith, who has averaged 1,017 defensive snaps the past three years. His $7.2 million salary in 2021 is fully guaranteed.
The Cowboys waited until after the draft to make a final decision on Vander Esch, whose 2022 salary would have been $9.145 million guaranteed if the option were picked up.
That salary hit would have been fairly steep in a 2022 season when the NFL’s salary cap will be recovering still from the COVID-19 pandemic fallout on 2020 league revenue.
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