Cowboys Defensive State

Jerry Jones loves a good reclamation project and now he has two

No reward comes without a little risk. The improvement of the Dallas Cowboys’ defense in 2015 will rely on the reward they reap from signing Rolando McClain and Greg Hardy.

Hardy, of course, signed with the Cowboys two weeks ago. Earlier this week, McClain, who probably had the biggest impact on the Cowboys’ defense a year ago, signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys for $3 million, which can balloon to $4 million with incentives.

Hardy signed a similar deal, though his incentives could push the deal to nearly $12 million in 2015.

The reward is obvious. If the pair performs the way they’re expected to, they’ll be worth the money and improve a unit that, while spunky a year ago, still had an anemic pass rush and was ranked No. 19 in total defense.

McClain came to Dallas just before training camp a year ago and, after working himself into shape, became the team’s savior at middle linebacker in the wake of Sean Lee’s injury. Injuries wore him down late in the year, but for the first three months of 2014, no defender was more important to the Cowboys, as he wrapped up the season with 81 tackles and a sack, plus two interceptions.

McClain will stay in the middle in 2015, and the now-healthy Lee will move to the weak side. A Lee-McClain combo at linebacker should be intriguing and make the defense better.

Hardy should give the pass rush a jolt, one that produced only 28 sacks and saw Jeremy Mincey lead the team with six. If quarterback is the game’s most important position, then the right defensive end is the game’s second most important, as that player brings pressure to the quarterback from his blind side.

If you can’t pressure the quarterback, it’s awfully hard to win games, and the Cowboys’ formula for a 12-4 season last year worked as much as possible to mask that deficiency. Before last season, Hardy had 34 career sacks.

The risk is also obvious, given that both McClain and Hardy were signed for well below market value, and neither was courted in the crazy opening days of free agency. There are reasons they accepted small base salaries and incentive-laden deals. Choices they made limited their options.

McClain faces a four-game fine for violating the league’s substance abuse policy for a third time. No one is sure what McClain tested positive for, only that it could cost him one-quarter of his 2015 salary, pending appeal.

The money isn’t as big a deal as what could happen next if McClain tests positive a fourth time — a four-game suspension. One imagines the Cowboys have done their research, know what caused the test and have assurances that it won’t happen again. But that positive test has hung around McClain like a noose this offseason. The only other team willing to talk with him was New England.

Of course, that pales in comparison to Hardy, who could miss time this season due to an NFL suspension related to his court case in North Carolina last year. Hardy was convicted of assaulting his then-girlfriend, Nicole Holder, in a bench trial. That led to Hardy’s missing all but one game of last season when the Panthers put Hardy on the league’s exempt list. (The Panthers say that was Hardy’s decision.)

The conviction was overturned on appeal, as Hardy reached an out-of-court settlement with Holder, and she stopped cooperating with the prosecution. The NFL is now reviewing the case to determine the suspension, including a request to see the photos of Holder after the assault. If you’ve read Holder’s testimony, you know she left little to the imagination.

Due to that, Hardy was practically toxic during free agency. Hardy will likely miss game time, and it could be up to six games. That’s part of the reason the bulk of Hardy’s deal is incentive-based. The Cowboys will spend the season waiting for the other shoe to drop — not just for Hardy’s suspension but also to see if he’s changed. No guarantee there.

If you’ve followed the Cowboys long enough, you know owner Jerry Jones loves a good reclamation project. Well, he has two this season. He thinks the risk is worth the reward. In fact, he’s staking his season on it.

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World Cup record

Lionel Messi sets World Cup scoring record as Argentina wins in Dallas

Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images

Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J match between Argentina and Austria at Dallas Stadium on June 22, 2026 in Arlington.

Scoring goals and breaking records is what Lionel Messi does, and it’s what he did again Monday, June 22 at the FIFA World Cup at Dallas Stadium in Arlington.

The Argentina captain, who many consider the greatest player of all time, scored two more World Cup goals on Monday in his team's 2-0 victory over Austria. That gave him a record total of 18 at the world's biggest tournament.

The Argentina-Austria group stage match at Dallas Stadium drew 70,649 spectators - an official sell-out crowd and the highest attendance yet for a World Cup match at the venue, officials said.

“Beyond anything I’m so happy for the win," Messi said. "It was huge, tough and difficult. It would allow us to be relaxed to what’s ahead. All matches in this World Cup are very even, very intense. I’m enjoying this moment and craving to enjoy with my teammates.”

The first goal against Austria came in the 38th minute and two days before Messi’s 39th birthday, and amid the concern of an ailing father back at home. It was the sixth consecutive World Cup game in which Messi has scored — joining France striker Just Fontaine and Brazil great Jairzinho as only players to do so.

Messi had equaled Germany striker Miroslav Klose for the most goals in the World Cup at 16 with his first hat trick at the tournament in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria in the Group J opener last Tuesday night in Kansas City.

He first had a chance to set the record in the ninth minute against Austria on Monday, but he missed a penalty kick.

“There were moments when I was really angry about missing the penalty, but I was able to make up for it,” said Messi, who has won a record eight Ballon d'Or awards as the best player in Europe.

Argentina advanced to the knockout round by winning its first two group games, with Messi scoring all five of the team's goals so far in his sixth World Cup.

Messi added his 18th World Cup goal in stoppage time when he shot one through several defenders after the first attempt was turned away by goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.

Lionel Messi World Cup 2022 Lionel "Leo" Messi and Argentina came into the 2026 World Cup as defending champions. Leo Messi/Facebook

In the first half, the record became Messi's alone when he caught Schlager leaning the wrong way after Thiago Almada let Facuno Medina’s pass go by him and directly onto the Argentina captain’s left foot from about 20 yards.

As the ball went into the net, Messi ran toward a corner and thrust his right arm into the air to celebrate the mark with the decidedly pro-Argentina crowd among the 70,649 fans in Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium) in Arlington, the sold-out home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.

There had been a gasp from those same fans when Messi missed the penalty kick in the ninth minute.

His left-footed attempt went just wide of the right post. He is now 4 of 7 on penalty kicks in regulation play at the World Cup with misses in three consecutive tournaments.

Klose scored his 16 goals while playing in 24 World Cup matches for Germany, which wrapped up his fourth tournament by winning the 2014 final 1-0 in extra time over Messi and Argentina.

In an interview published on June 12, Klose said he expected Messi to break the scoring record.

“I expect my record to fall in this tournament,” Klose told German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung. “With the larger field of competing teams there are more games and so more chances to score goals. And I assume Argentina and France will go far. That’s perfectly OK, the record will be broken eventually anyhow and Messi is welcome to be the one who does it. I’m a big fan of Messi, always have been. Messi is a genius.”

Messi’s hat trick in the previous game, in his 200th international appearance, came 20 years to the date of his World Cup debut in Germany, when he also scored. Monday was his FIFA-record 28th match in the tournament.

The penalty kick came after Lautaro Martinez was running free in the box and was tackled from behind by Xaver Schlager and Stefan Posch, the defender playing with a broken jaw. Schalger got a foot on the ball, but Posch drew the penalty because he did not touch the ball as Martinez tumbled to the ground.

Play continued for more than a minute with Martinez still on the ground near the goal. When the game was stopped for him, officials reviewed the play.

Messi’s father has been undergoing medical treatment for an undisclosed illness, the family said in a statement last week while not providing any specifics. The 68-year-old Jorge Messi has played a key role in his third son’s soccer career, acting as his agent and managing his business affairs off the field.

Lionel Messi was overcome with emotion after scoring his first goal against Algeria, and said after that match his tears came following some tough days not related to soccer.

"Messi Mania" took over Dallas-Fort Worth for days surrounding the match, with passionate Argentina fans filling the Arlington Entertainment District, Fort Worth's Sundance Square, Dallas' Klyde Warren Park, and FIFA Fan Festival at Fair Park in Dallas.

The Argentina-Austria game was the third of nine FIFA World Cup matches (more than in any other host city) to be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. They started with Netherlands vs. Japan on June 14, followed by England vs. Croatia on June 17, Argentina vs. Austria on June 22, Japan vs. Sweden on June 25, and Jordan vs. Argentina on June 27.

The stadium will also host two Round of 32 matches (June 30 and July 3), one Round of 16 match (July 6), and one Semi-Final match (July 14).

fifa world cup 2026 lionel messi sports fifa world cup