If you thought the biggest free agent signing of this NFL offseason was Peyton Manning in Denver or Mario Williams in Buffalo, Rob Ryan thinks you’re wrong.
Ryan, the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, says that the biggest free agent signing was actually cornerback Brandon Carr landing in Dallas.
“He was the best player in free agency, by far,” Ryan told the Dallas Morning News. “Not even close.”
Ryan was asked if he meant Carr was the best defensive back in free agency, and he said no: Carr was the best NFL free agent at any position.
“He’s the best player in free agency, I thought,” Ryan said.
Carr, who signed a five-year, $50.1 million contract with the Cowboys in March, has performed well enough this offseason to make Ryan think he’s worth every cent of Jerry Jones’s money.
“This guy has been everything we expected,” Ryan said. “He’s a leader, he helps the other guys around him and the other thing is he’s a tough kid. He’s given us everything we wanted as a team. We need smart and tough, and that’s exactly what he is, and he’s competitive. You see him knocking receivers off the line of scrimmage. This guy’s not nervous about playing under the big lights. He’s here in Dallas. It is a different world here. Everything you do is scrutinized, but this guy won’t flinch. I can promise you that.”
Ryan had suggested this offseason that he was going to back off brash promises about his team. But apparently Carr has him feeling confident enough to make an exception.