FREE AGENT: Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson The PERFECT Free Agent Target For Dallas Cowboys?

Summary

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Locked On Cowboys Podcast Summary

Episode: FREE AGENT: Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson The PERFECT Free Agent Target For Dallas Cowboys?
Hosts: Marcus Mosher & Landon McCool
Date: March 4, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool analyze whether Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, who is set to become a free agent, would be the ideal signing for the Dallas Cowboys. The discussion centers on Hendrickson’s fit, cost, potential impact, and the broader strategic considerations for the Cowboys’ defense entering the 2026 NFL season.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trey Hendrickson's Free Agency Status & Recent Performance

• Hendrickson will not be tagged and is "officially a free agent on Monday" after bidding farewell to the Bengals (01:12).
• Production:
  • "He finished second in the defensive player of the year race" in 2024, arguably having the best season of his career before an injury in 2025 (02:36).
  • Consistently a top-three pass rusher over the past few years.

2. Fit and Pro Arguments for the Cowboys

• Technique and Effort: Hendrickson is highlighted as a "very technique-based, effort-based guy… which will age well" (02:56).

• Plug-and-Play Impact:

  • "You could almost guarantee that you're going to get 10 sacks from this guy" due to his proven track record (03:44).
  • Adding Hendrickson could immediately bolster the defensive line, giving Azuraku (assumed current Cowboys pass rusher) "a little room to breathe as the main pass rush threat" (05:10).

• Draft Synergy: If the Cowboys invest high picks in the secondary, signing Hendrickson provides flexibility and upgrades quickly:

  • "Sign Trey Hendrickson… all of a sudden you feel awesome about your defense" (04:35).

Notable Quote:

• Landon:
  • "There’s an obvious fit in this, like I said, in the just basic necessity of needing pass rush… The Cowboys should just give all the money they can to this guy." (02:56)

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3. The Money: Financial Realities and Strategic Costs

• Price Tag:
  • Expected to command around "$25 million or something like that" annually, possibly higher (03:44, 08:48).
• One Shot in Free Agency:
  • Hendrickson’s cost could be the Cowboys' "only swing" at a big free agent, limiting moves elsewhere (08:48).

Notable Quote:

• Landon:
  • "That probably represents the only swing that you're going to be able to take in free agency. I mean, that's all, that's a ton of money to invest." (08:48)

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4. The Cons: Age, Injury, and Fit Concerns

• Injury and Age:
  • "Another player coming off of a hip injury… especially now for someone who's 31 years old." (08:48)
• Scheme/Role Fit:
  • "He is nowhere near the run player [as Max Crosby]… probably a negative run player at this point in his career.” (09:49)
  • Expected to play more on his feet, which may not mesh with his strengths (09:50).
• Depth vs. Splash:
  • Large contract for Hendrickson means less flexibility to address multiple defensive needs (safety, linebacker, cornerback).
  • “That's $100 million on four defensive linemen when you've got big needs at safety, linebacker, corner. I just wonder if… they would be better off spreading that money out." (10:15)

Notable Quote:

• Landon:
  • “Almost every other aspect about it is a negative, though. Right? He’s old and injured and, and you’re just waiting for the cliff to come off. And he’s very expensive, too.” (12:01)

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5. Alternative Strategies & Broader Roster Philosophy

• Depth Over Stars:
  • More value in spreading money across multiple additions rather than one high-priced, aging pass rusher (12:10, 12:42).
• Comparisons:
  • Weighing alternatives like Joey Bosa at a lower price or a combination of mid-tier veterans.
  • Citing previous free agency mistakes (Kyler Elam, Kenneth Murray) when aiming for depth.
• Roster Construction:
  • Need for 5-7 new defensive starters; signing Hendrickson may prevent addressing all needs (10:15).
• Risk Distribution:
  • “Spreading the risk… so you’re getting talent at a couple different spots, raising the floor a little bit.” (12:42)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Marcus Mosher, on ideal pass rush unit:
  • “You’ve got Quinn and Williams and also Digizua and Trey Hendrickson and Donovan as Rocku. Those are your top four. That sounds awesome. Like, give me that. But it’s not that simple.” (05:40)
• Landon McCool, on downside:
  • “It’s not just that he’s older or that he isn’t quite the system fit and he can’t quite play the run… It’s all the things together that kind of make this a suspect, you know, situation for the Cowboys.” (11:23)
• Marcus Mosher, on budget strategy:
  • “If it’s going to be Joey Bosa at $11 million versus Trey Hendrickson at $25 is the difference… Nakobe Dean better than Trey Hendrickson? I don’t know. We could have the debate about it, but… the depth of this team has to improve before you can go out and chase those stars.” (12:10)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |:---------:|:--------| | 01:12 | Trey Hendrickson becomes a free agent; initial Cowboys fit discussion | | 02:21 | Pros: Hendrickson's production, style, projected salary | | 04:35 | Draft/free agency synergy: building a better defense with Hendrickson | | 05:40 | Dream scenarios for Cowboys’ defensive line | | 08:31 | Return from break: Why the fit isn’t that simple | | 08:48 | Caution flags: cost, injury, age, positional fit | | 10:15 | Roster-building realities; concern over cap allocation and depth | | 11:23 | Other options: value, fit, age, and experience in the defensive system | | 12:42 | Philosophies on spreading risk and resources on defense |

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Tone & Style

The discussion is candid, knowledgeable, and measured—balancing optimism about Hendrickson’s talents with a realistic assessment of team needs, cap space, and the risks associated with signing an older, injured pass rusher on a premium deal. Both hosts speak in a direct, analytical manner, mixing fan enthusiasm with critical analysis.

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Conclusion

While Trey Hendrickson’s pass rushing ability and track record make him an enticing target for the Dallas Cowboys, Mosher and McCool ultimately urge caution. The hosts emphasize the need to balance impact signings with overall roster depth, given the price tag, injury history, run-game limitations, and fit issues. They suggest that spreading resources among several contributors may be wiser for a defense with multiple holes—leaving the door open but skeptical regarding an “all-in” pursuit of Hendrickson.

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Transcript

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[Marcus Mosher]

Trey Hendrickson will officially be a free agent on Monday. We'll tell you if the Cowboys should be interested in his services next. You are Locked On Cowboys, your daily Dallas Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked on podcast network. Your team every day. Welcome back to the Locked on Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network. Your team every day. We'd like to thank you for making us the number one sports podcast network. I am your host, Marcus Mosher. He is Landon McCool. And we just found out that the Cincinnati Bengals will not be tagging Trey Hendrickson, which means he's going to be a free agent on Monday. He already said his goodbyes to Cincinnati. It doesn't seem like the Bengals are all that interested here. And we've been talking about Max Crosby for a while as somebody maybe the Cowboys are interested in will go after. But with Trey Hendrickson being a free agent in his all of his pass rush production, is this a really good fit for Dallas? Why shouldn't they just go out and get him?

[Landon McCool]

I mean, there certainly is an argument, you know, that the Cowboys have a specific need at pass rusher. And this guy has been, and you know, I mean, in the conversation for top three most productive pass rusher in the last, what, three or four years?

[Marcus Mosher]

In 2024, he finished second in the defensive player of the year race. Pretty good. Like, it's, it's not like this is not like a guy that's been really trending down over the last couple years. He was, he probably had the best season of his career in 2024. He got hurt in 2025 and now he's a free agent.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And look, we'll talk about, you know, the cons here, but to point out the obvious pros. I mean, this is a guy that, like you said, he has the accolades, he has the production. He plays a position in which, you know, specifically as a pass rusher, and the way that he plays it, that you feel like if he can stay healthy that, that, that it's, it will age well. Right. Because he's a very technique based, effort based guy. Right. And so I think that there's, you know, there's an obvious fit in this, like I said, in the, in the, the just basic necessity of, of needing pass rush that, that you feel like, well, I mean, the Cowboys should just give all the money they can to this guy. And I think, you know, there's some, obviously some, some fit issues that, that, that we can work around. But I think, you know, no matter what, you could easily pay this guy. You know what, you're going to probably get him about $10 million more than he was looking to be paid last year. Right. So, you know, something in the area of $25 million or something like that. And you know, obviously we could talk about years and all that stuff, but I mean, ultimately that's probably what you're paying him annually. And, and, and he could come in here and give you, you know, unlike almost any other player that you could possibly obtain through trade or free agency, to be honest, he could, you know, almost kind of guarantee that you're going to get 10 sacks from this guy because he's just been, he's regularly done it for like the last half decade. So, yeah, I think the con. The pros here are very straightforward. It's the reason that we're going to get a lot of emails asking us what we think about Trey Hendrickson and, and whether he'd be a good fit because he's good at pass rushing and the Cowboys need a good pass. Yes.

[Marcus Mosher]

And I think he would be comfortable playing in space. And it's, it's really hard not to tie this into the mock draft that we did. Go listen to that show on YouTube or wherever you get your podcast. And like, if you have a draft that's very heavy in the secondary, you're going to need to be aggressive in free agency. Again, you've got to do this first, but you're going to need to be aggressive in free agency getting edge rushers. And it's really hard not to look at the idea of, okay, sign Trey Hendrickson, you draft man Mansour Delane, you draft Dylan Thieman and all of a sudden you feel awesome about your defense. You know, going into the 2026 season.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, it's like it is kind of a one move solve all to one of your problems to pass rush. Right. Because you feel like you pair a top end guy like this with what you've got in, in as a raku, it gives Azaraku a little room to breathe as, as the main pass rush threat, you know, kind of pressure being taken away from him a little bit. So yeah, I, I think in that situation it's, it's an, it's easy fit. It's easy to see how, how it would work. But maybe it's not quite as easy as we're making it seem.

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah, I mean it would, I'm just dreaming of situations. You go, you get into pass rush stuff and you've got Quinn and Williams and also Digizua and Trey Hendrickson and Donovan as Rocku. Those are your top four. That sounds awesome. Like, give me that. But it's not that simple. We'll tell you why next. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. March is a time to celebrate women, especially around International Women's Day and to recognize just how much they carry at work, in relationships, in families and in all the unseen roles that they step into every single day. It's easy to celebrate that, celebrate that strength, but it's just as important to make space for their emotional well being. And honestly, that goes for all of us. I think about the women in my life, whether it's my wife, my mom, my mother in law who is unbelievable and how much they help and how much they carry our burdens every single day to help make us as happy as we can be. So thank you to all of them and they've all, you know, they've had their struggles. They've all used therapy to help get them to a better place. And that's where better help can come in. Because, because your emotional well being matters. Find support and feel lighter in therapy. Sign up and get 10% [e-mail] Loton that is BetterHelp H E L P.com Locked on BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform and it works. All you have to do is fill out a short questionnaire and you can get matched with a licensed therapist at any time. And if it's not the right fit, switch at any time for any reason. Again, go to betterhelp.com LockedOn hey it's

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[Marcus Mosher]

Welcome back to the Lockdown Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day, Lane. And we're talking about Trey Hendrickson and why this should be a really good fit for Dallas. He's going to be a free agent. But why should the Cowboys exercise some caution here?

[Landon McCool]

It is a lot of money, you know, and, and I think it's, you know, you and I talked about it at $25 million, you know, annually. That's just kind of an estimate. It could easily be more than that money. There's going to be a lot of teams that are going to be on the market looking for pass rushers. It, it probably represents the only swing that you're going to be able to take in free agency. I mean, that's all, that's a ton of money to invest. So you're. And it. And he is a guy that is another player coming off of a hip injury, you know, and, and that's concerning, especially now for someone who's 31 years old. So it's. It all that plus the fact that, you know, we talked about a lot of these kind of deals, like with Max Crosby. The difference between him and Max Crosby is, I mean, he's a better pass rusher. I mean, what we're talking about with, with, with Henderson Hendrickson. I'm sorry, Hendrickson is a better pass rusher, but he is nowhere near the run player. And, and, and, and is probably a negative run player at this point in his career.

[Marcus Mosher]

Absolutely.

[Landon McCool]

And, and, and certainly doesn't play nearly the snaps that a guy like Max Crosby would play. So I, I just think, you know, plus all that, and, you know, you're asking him to play a little bit more on his feet than I think before. So I just. It's a lot there that you have to consider, and it's, it has to be right because again, it's so much money that it's your one swing, your one opportunity in free agency to really spend some money.

[Marcus Mosher]

We want the Cowboys to spend more money on defense, and I think they will, but I, I think their depth is the bigger issue, and we've talked about it before this podcast. We feel like they need five to seven new starters on defense, and if you sign Hendrickson, that's going to be your one big move. I also worry about that's, let's say it's 25 million. I think it might be more than that, but that's 25 million for Trey Hendrickson. That's 22 million for Kenny Clark. It's what, 28 right now for Quinn and Williams, and then it's what, 22 or something for, for Osa Digizua when you're talking about, well, basically, what, $100 million on four defensive linemen when you've got big needs at safety, linebacker, corner. I just wonder if this is. If they would be better off spreading that money out. And I know that that's hard to hear because when the Cowboys have spread the money out before, that's how you end up with guys like Kyler Elam and Kenneth Murray and all that kind of stuff. But the depth is so bad here that I don't know if you can justify spending that much money on a single player in their 30s coming off an injury that he needed to have surgery on during the year.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, and I think there are other options that are, you know, clearly just better, more well rounded fits and, and that maybe have more experience in this system, you know, and I, I just. And are younger. Right. That maybe can grow with the defense a little bit. I, I just think it as it is right now, it's all the things together that kind of make this a suspect, you know, situation for the Cowboys. Right. It's, it's not just that he's older or that he isn't quite the system fit and he can't quite play the run. You know, it's, it's, it's, it's. In the last segment I said he's a great pass rusher. And the Cowboys Need a great pass rush.

[Marcus Mosher]

Yes.

[Landon McCool]

Almost every other aspect about it is a negative though. Right. Like, I mean, that's he's old and injured and, and you're just waiting for the cliff to come off. And he's very expensive, too.

[Marcus Mosher]

We're not opposed to the Cowboys signing an older pass rusher like a Khalil Mack, like a Joey Bosa. Pick your guy. Right. But if it's going to be Joey Bosa at 11 million versus Trey Hendrickson at 25 is the difference. That is Joey Bosa and Nicoby Dean. I'm just going to use the name Joey Bosa, Nakobe Dean better than Trey Hendrickson. I don't know. We could have the debate about it, but I think that's the issue is I think the depth of this team has to improve before you can go out and chase those stars.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, absolutely. And also, you just don't necessarily want to put all your, your risk into one player. Right. Like, I mean, spreading the risk of, you know, there's injuries that can happen. The odds of that are. Who knows, right. So you just having it spread that money out a little bit so you're getting talent a couple different spots, raising the floor a little bit by, you know, spreading it out. It's, it's part of the extension of the kind of strategy that they at least laid out for, for why they were trading a guy like Micah Parson to get more talent kind of spread out on the defense.

[Marcus Mosher]

All right, that is it for today's show. We'd like to thank you for making Locon Cowboys your first listen every single day. If you never miss an episode, the Everydayer club is built for you. Get locked on Cowboys ad free members only, discord access and so much more. Head over to lockboys.supercast.com to join the club. And for those of you on video, we can send you the first ever 24. 7 national NBA YouTube channel. And on audio, make your second listen the locked on NFL Draft podcast. Follow Landon on Twitter acoolbcb. I'm at Marcus Moser and we'll see you right back here tomorrow.

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