There’s no doubt the Dallas Cowboys defense is in desperate need of a reset. It’s why owner Jerry Jones got rid of three players this week.
But was defensive tackle Dontari Poe waived Wednesday because of poor play? Or, was it other off-the-field issues? Poe, after all, has been the only Cowboys players to kneel during the national anthem this season. Before this season, Jones had let it be known that he did not want his players kneeling.
Jones avoided the national anthem question from an ESPN reporter. As Jones pointed out, Poe’s playing weight was about 30 pounds too heavy. Poe is listed at 346 pounds. In seven starts this season, Poe was averaging a tackle per contest. Meanwhile, the Cowboys defense has allowed 34.7 points a game. That’s last in the league.
“When you’re 30 pounds overweight and you’re not doing anything about what’s keeping you from performing well on the field, there is no reason to get into the other stuff,” Jones told ESPN.
“I understand your question, and I’m deliberately not going to answer it,” Jones replied. “We have a platform here, but the platform on the football field has a high standard, and (Poe) was not up to the standard. He needed to correct that, and he did not. I’m going to leave it at that.”
Poe’s Past Before the Cowboys
Poe always has been known for his massive frame. After starring for Memphis, Poe was the 11th player selected in the 2012 NFL draft. He zoomed up the draft boards because scouts were in awe of his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine, when he ran a 40-yard dash in 4.98 seconds and showed off his strength with 44 reps in the bench press. He was a rare combination of size and strength. The Kansas City Chiefs selected him. Poe also played for Atlanta and Carolina.
Back in 2015, Poe became the heaviest NFL player ever to score an offensive touchdown. He was playing for the Kansas City Chiefs back then. When he scored the TD, he moved former Chicago Bear William “Refrigerator” Perry out of the record books. Perry was listed at 335 pounds when he scored three career offensive touchdowns for the Bears.
Poe signed a two-year $8.5 million contract with the Cowboys in the off season.
