Not only did the Dallas Cowboys get a walk-off win over the New York Giants on Sunday, but owner Jerry Jones announced the signing of veteran pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney. The veteran sat out Week 1, remaining one of the more surprising free agent options remaining on the market. Clowney had over nine sacks as recently as the 2023 season and has a career 58.0 sacks in what has been a consistently productive career.

Clowney is in no way going to replace what Dallas lost, but it is a great step in the right direction, giving Dallas a much-needed situational option who could threaten to become a starter. With this in mind, it is only fair to look at the current roster and consider who might be demoted from the signing. The most obvious option is limited edge rusher James Houston. Already, the veteran is at the bottom of the rotation and hasn’t shown any reason to keep him in the rotation.

Cowboys Pass Rusher James Houston in Clear Trouble After Surprise Signing of Jadeveon Clowney

Clowney offers far more upside than Houston and leaves room to make big plays in the game’s biggest moments. This isn’t to say that Clowney is a star, but rather pointing out the reality that if you have a choice of putting the former Texan or Houston on the field, it isn’t difficult to point out that Houston is the far more limited option. It is time either to push the 6th-round Dallas selection off the roster entirely or to look at putting him into a deeper reserve role.

What will be interesting about the Dallas rotation at the position is whether they will consider demoting Dante Fowler Jr. into a rotational role with Clowney having the more impressive resume. Fowler does offer more consistent production over the last two seasons, but lacks the ceiling of the more accomplished Clowney.

Regardless, it is a great move for a team that is back in the division and wildcard race after a frustrating Week 1. Beating the Giants in a Week 2 shootout gave a glimpse of what the offense is capable of and why the franchise should continue to work to improve the defense to better support one of the league’s more lethal groups of receivers.

With this in mind, signing Clowney is a huge win no matter who it demotes out of the current rotation. At the absolute worst, you’ve got an experienced veteran in the locker room to help your young pass rushers and hope there are a few great moments left in the tank. The flip side of this is that Houston is likely on his way out of Dallas after two weeks of underwhelming production.