When I ranked Greg Hardy 11th in my list of top 50 free agents of 2015, I noted that no player’s value was more difficult to pin down than Hardy’s, given his off-field troubles and his uncertain status for the start of the coming season. The market so far has reflected the difficult nature of assigning a value to Hardy — of our top 25 free agents, only the former Panthers defensive end remains unsigned.
Here’s the latest on the free agent pass rusher:
- Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan in Dallas (Twitter link) hears from sources that the Cowboys are in talks with Hardy about a possible deal. Hardy would be an intriguing fit for a team that only had a pair of players record more than three sacks in 2014 — Henry Melton (five) has left Dallas via free agency, and Jeremy Mincey (six) will turn 32 later this year.
- The Dallas coaching staff has been in touch with Hardy’s old coaches to learn more about his character, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 Washington (Twitter link), who adds that the Cowboys like what they’ve heard so far.
- After poking around the Hardy market over the weekend, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com came away with the sense that the Cowboys and Seahawks could emerge as legit suitors for the defensive end. However, despite the fact that several teams are monitoring the situation, nothing is imminent and it would be a surprise if any team reached an agreement before the NFL announces its ruling on possible discipline, says La Canfora (Twitter links).
- The Jaguars are unlikely to pursue Hardy, a league source tells Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. GM David Caldwell didn’t rule out the possibility when he spoke to reporters last week, but it doesn’t look as if the team will seriously consider the 26-year-old.
- Earlier today, Peter King of TheMMQB.com reported that many teams believe Hardy will be suspended by the league for the first six games of the 2015 season