Cowboys Sign 37-Year-Old Von Miller Because Of Course They Did

The Dallas Cowboys have officially reached the "let's sign a famous veteran and hope it is 2016" phase of the offseason. According to Ian Rapoport, Dallas is bringing in 37-year-old pass-rusher Von Miller on a one-year, $5.5 million deal that can max out at $7.5 million.

Paying up to seven and a half million dollars for a guy closer to 40 than 30 sounds like a classic Jerry Jones fever dream. But if you look past the sheer absurdity of the Cowboys collecting aging superstars like vintage action figures, the math actually makes a little bit of sense for a defense desperate for situational juice.

"Ian Rapoport reported the terms of the 1-year, $5.5M deal with a max value of $7.5M."

Miller is not the same guy who used to wreck offensive game plans by himself, but he is not completely washed either. He managed to stay healthy for all 17 games last season with the Washington Commanders, logging nine sacks and proving his knees still have some structural integrity left.

Adding a guy with 138.5 career sacks to the rotation gives Dallas a situational closer on third downs. For anyone looking at the defensive futures markets, this is the exact kind of low-risk, high-reward depth move that keeps a pass rush fresh in December without blowing up the salary cap.

The Cowboys are coming off a sleepy 17-7 preseason win over the Seattle Seahawks where the defense looked fine, but fine does not win playoff games. Dallas needs guys who know how to close out high-leverage moments, and Miller has a closet full of rings that say he knows the drill.

We will see how much gas is actually left in the tank when the real games start. Until then, Cowboys fans can enjoy the brief, irrational hope that comes with seeing a future Hall of Famer put on the star, even if he is just here for a retirement tour.