One of the more controversial names from the previous season has found a new home. After a rocky 2014 that saw him unable to play due to off-the-field troubles, Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy will sign with the Dallas Cowboys. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, he has agreed to a one year deal with the team. With incentives it could be worth up to $13.1 million.
Greg Hardy to Sign With the Dallas Cowboys
Greg Hardy has agreed to terms with the Cowboys. — ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 18, 2015
It’s a one-year deal for Greg Hardy in Dallas, that can be worth up to $13.1 million but that has a minimum base salary. — ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 18, 2015
Here’s the one-year deal that Dallas gave to DE Greg Hardy… pic.twitter.com/7fwKhGUJOP
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 18, 2015
The Panthers decided to place the franchise tag on Hardy during the offseason last year. Rather than seek a multiyear extension, Hardy signed the tender and was given a fully guaranteed $13.116 million contract for 2014. The deal was likely to make Hardy one of the priciest free agents at the position at season’s end.
Hardy’s name was in the news for all the wrong reasons for much of the 2014 season. He was arrested in June after an alleged domestic violence incident involving his girlfriend. Given the rash of bad public relations the NFL received in the wake of the whole Ray Rice episode, commissioner Roger Goodell had no choice but to suspend Hardy.
He was eventually placed on the NFL Commissioner’s exempt list in mid-September, a similar punishment that befell Adrian Peterson after the child abuse allegations leveled against him were publicized. Hardy received a bit of good news in February when the charges against him were dropped after his accuser failed to show up in court.
Hardy will undoubtedly use this new deal as a means to move on from a tumultuous year in his personal life where his very playing career appeared derailed at times.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys are hoping that Hardy can regain the form that made him one of the best defensive ends in the NFL and earned him that franchise tag salary.
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