Should Cowboys Re-Sign Rehabbing CB Anthony Brown?

Many of the Dallas Cowboys' free agents have already signed, either with the Cowboys or elsewhere, but a few of them are still without a new contract. Running back Ezekiel Elliott is the biggest name in that bunch, but another notable player is cornerback Anthony Brown.

A sixth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Brown has been around the Cowboys for a while now. He has appeared in 94 games with 69 starts in seven seasons, posting 324 tackles, 59 passes defended and nine interceptions. He had his best season in 2021, but unfortunately tore his Achilles late last year.

Coming off such a devastating injury, Brown is still a free agent months into the offseason. As more time goes on, a return to Dallas seems more and more unlikely. Our Mike Fisher has addressed that while celebrating Brown for his "ballsy'' willingness to play hurt. And now comes reinforcement of what seems apparent, a final decision on not bringing him back being discussed by Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com.

"I'm not sure this is a huge deal, but on the topic of Anthony Brown, who has been here as long as Dak, the Cowboys did decide to give his number away. No. 3 is now worn by Brandin Cooks," Eatman writes. "Does that mean he can't come back at all? No, but at some point in the last few months, the Cowboys seemed to make the decision that he wasn't coming back. Brown is coming off an Achilles injury and so the thought that he'd be back seems unlikely – especially for that role."

Brown previously signed a three-year deal worth $15 million with the Cowboys in 2020. At this point in free agency, he's unlikely to get another contract worth nearly as much. Not just due to his injury, but also because his underlying numbers have been subpar lately, with a Pro Football Focus grade of just 55 last season.

Eatman also acknowledges that the door may not be fully closed on Brown's return, as having a veteran in case of injury is "nice.'' However, he still views it as a very unlikely scenario, especially with the Cowboys having better cornerback depth with the addition of Stephon Gilmore.

"As nice as it sounds to keep a veteran for emergency purposes, it doesn't make a lot of sense to have a player making about $1 million just to be a fourth or fifth cornerback," Eatman writes. "You have to hope you can develop these other young corners."

Brown was a solid corner throughout his time in Dallas and there is likely still a place for him in the league. At this point, though, it seems unlikely that place is with the Cowboys.

You can find Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News

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