Cowboys Should Stick it to Giants and Sign Pass Rusher Markus Golden

Markus Golden remains a free agent in April after a great 2019 season with the New York Giants. He signed a one-year deal with the team, and proved he deserved a multi-year contract after finishing with 10 sacks and 72 total tackles. He also started all 16 games for the first time in his five-year career.

The Giants still need help on defense, and bringing back their best pass rusher in Golden would seem like an obvious call.

Yet the latest reports are that he will be allowed to walk in free agency, and the Dallas Cowboys should absolutely scoop him up to stick it to their division rival.

Golden reportedly began the offseason asking for $10 million annually. That was out of the Giants' budget, but the Cowboys have about $16.5 million in cap space to work with before any Dak Prescott deal undoes the franchise tag.

Adding Golden would send a continued message to the Giants that the Cowboys will pay players if it helps them reign supreme. Letting the linebacker walk and have success in Dallas could doom Giants GM Dave Gettleman, if his defense struggles and the team finishes with a losing record for the fourth straight season.

Golden led the Giants in sacks and was fifth in tackles in 2019. He did that on a 4-12 Giants team that has been a disaster since 2017. New York desperately needs him, but if they get stubborn, the Cowboys can swoop in and add to a linebacking corps that already features Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch.

Adding a player who had 10 sacks in 2019 would be worth the cost, and Cowboys fans would love to see Giants fans squirm and continue to bash the front office in New York.