OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — Von Miller can help the Dallas Cowboys on the field and their inexperienced group of edge rushers in the locker room.
“He’s been in the game for a while. All-Pro, Pro Bowl guy, Super Bowl MVP, Super Bowl champion. He brings a lot of knowledge and experience,” outside linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku said Monday, one day after Miller agreed to terms with his hometown team.
The NFL’s active sack leader with 138 1/2 in 203 games over 14 seasons, Miller should bring the attributes on and off the field to further elevate what seems to be a much improved defense under new coordinator Christian Parker.
Miller had nine sacks in 420 snaps for the Washington Commanders last season, which would have led a Cowboys unit that was one of the worst in football by nearly any measure. Coach Brian Schottenheimer indicated the 37-year-old Miller would be used in a similar fashion, primarily allowing him to rush the quarterback.
“Still got first-step quickness. He still understand angles. He’s still got a great assortment of counter moves,” Schottenheimer said. “And, again, our plan to use him we think will help him be very, very functional. He’s not going to play 60 plays a game. That’s not what we’re looking for.”
Miller’s experience might be just as valuable, having played on two championship teams with the Denver Broncos in the 2015 season and Los Angeles Rams in the 2021 season.
Ezeiruaku first met Miller last year when the Cowboys drafted him out of Boston College in the second round, and they immediately developed a rapport. Now, Ezeiruaku will get the chance to work with him every day.
Miller benefited from the tutelage of Hall of Fame pass rusher DeMarcus Ware early in his professional career, and he indicated to Ezeiruaku he intends to offer the same kind of mentorship.
“He said he wanted to be the D-Ware for him to me, if that makes sense,” Ezeiruaku said. “And coming from a guy that’s a Hall of Fame guy — you know he’ll be a first ballot, in my opinion — that means a lot. That means he sees the potential.”
Ezeiruaku, who had two sacks and nine tackles for loss as a rookie, shouldn’t be the only beneficiary. The Cowboys drafted Malachi Lawrence out of UCF at No. 23 overall, and they have other youngsters still learning how to create pressure.
Before bringing in Miller, the Cowboys had two outside linebackers with more than 10 career sacks. Rashan Gary had 46 1/2 sacks from his 106 games with the Green Bay Packers before he was traded to Dallas in March, and James Houston has 14 1/2 in four seasons with the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns and Cowboys.
“Adding him is only going to make anything better,” Gary said of Miller. “So, like I said, having a guy that won Super Bowls, that won Defensive Player of the Year, that played at a high level for a very long time is going to be great for me and the whole entire room.”
The links between Miller and the Cowboys were apparent long before the deal was finalized. Miller grew up in the suburbs of Dallas and had been working out at the team’s complex throughout the offseason, frequently posting photos and videos from those sessions on social media. Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones had expressed interest multiple times throughout training camp in adding more impact players by trade or free agency to bolster the defense.
Ezeiruaku wasn’t surprised when he found out about his new teammate on Sunday.
“Did I think it was gonna happen? Yeah, I thought it was gonna happen. Like I said, I’ve been talking to him, and it was in the air, and we were talking about the possibilities,” Ezeiruaku said.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
