Mailbag: How does Gary help the defense?

(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)

What is your opinion of the Cowboys' trade for Rashan Gary from the Packers? Does it seem that it's a good trade? How does he help the defense? Is a fourth-round pick reasonable to give up to add him to the roster? – Marty Monforte/Endicott, NY

Nick: If he can still rush the passer, he'll help this defense – plain and simple. The Cowboys obviously missed Micah Parsons on the field with his ability to get to the quarterback.

Pass rush is one of those areas where I've always said it could be included in the "horseshoes and hand grenades" comment because getting close also counts. You don't have to get the sack to make an impact, but obviously, it's much better if you can bring the QB to the ground. He did that 7.5 times last year, marking the third straight season with at least nine.

Those that say he disappeared last year after Micah got injured wouldn't be exactly wrong. But let's also factor in that he's been a highly productive pass rusher, with or without Parsons on the opposite side. The fact that he reunites with Derrick Ansley, who coached him at Green Bay, as did Christian Parker early in his career, means they still see glimpses of what Gary was showing back with the Packers.

Fourth-round pick? I'm fine with that, knowing that he probably was going to be released and the Cowboys were going to have to out-bid other teams for his services. If he pans out and leads the team in sacks again, I don't think anyone will have a problem when the 2027 draft rolls around and you're not picking anyone because you had him.

Kurt: Just last week in this space we answered a question about if the Cowboys had learned their lesson and were doing things differently. I think this move for Gary only adds fuel to the fire that the team is indeed trying to change its ways.

Drafted in 2019 by the Packers, he became a full-time starter in 2021. In the five years since, Gary is one of only 13 players in the NFL with at least 35 sacks and 95 quarterback hits, totaling 39.5 and 97, respectively. That puts him in pretty good company. And among that group, he also ranks ninth with 215 tackles overall.

Also consider that new defensive coordinator Christian Parker is switching to a 3-4 base scheme, which is what the Packers also used over Gary's first five seasons before Green Bay switched to a 4-3 in 2024. That includes in 2019-20 when Parker was with the Packers as a quality control coach, so he and Gary are already familiar with one another.

Now, that fourth-round pick has some people nervous, considering the last two times the Cowboys have traded away a fourth, the returns didn't pay huge dividends, or really any dividends for that matter (Trey Lance in 2023 and Jonathan Mingo in 2024). But it's a 2027 selection this time around, so Dallas is getting a player immediately who has a proven track record instead of a complete unknown a year from now. For a team in a hurry to turn things around, that seems like a no-brainer to me.

So yes, I think this is a good deal for the Cowboys. They've got a player who is only 28 years old, has a contract they can restructure, is familiar with Parker and his 3-4 alignment and already owns a solid résumé.

For a team that desperately needs to improve its defense, Gary undoubtedly checks a lot of the right boxes.