The Cowboys had their eye on taking Kony Ealy in the second round of the 2014 draft. Then, DeMarcus Lawrence started falling.
Dallas traded its second- and third-round selections to Washington to move to No. 34 overall, where it selected Lawrence. The Panthers selected Ealy 26 choices later.
The Cowboys put in a waiver claim for Ealy last year when the Patriots let him go, and the Jets claimed him.
Ealy finally joined Lawrence and the Cowboys this offseason, signing a one-year deal with a base salary of $800,000.
“It’s kind of a good thing that I didn’t [get drafted by the Cowboys], obviously now we’re both on the same team,” Ealy said, via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “With him and the other guys, it’s going to be a fun year for us.”
Ealy, 26, missed the on-field work during the offseason as he rehabbed from shoulder surgery. He expects to be ready for training camp.
He returns to the 4-3, which he played in Carolina, after one season with the Jets in the 3-4. Ealy made 14 sacks in three seasons with the Panthers and had one last year in New York.
“The whole scheme, the atmosphere, the players, everything reminds me of Carolina,” Ealy said. “. . . I’m just really blessed to have the opportunity to come here and be in the same system and getting back to what I know best.”