Dallas Cowboys Sign Rolando McClain To One-Year Deal

The Dallas Cowboys last year took a chance on linebacker Rolando McClain. The former first round draft pick was looking like a draft bust after his failed time with the Oakland Raiders. After three arrests he was cut by the Raiders and signed by the Baltimore Ravens.

But prior to the 2013 season he decided to retire: in an interview with ESPN The Magazine, Rolando talked about his reasons, “I was feeling like Aaron Hernandez or something, like I just wanted to kill somebody.” However, he would make his return in 2014, when the Cowboys traded two late draft picks for the rights to the middle linebacker.

And in a year where the Cowboys’ defense was supposed to be horrible, McClain shined and showed a semblance of what he was supposed to be coming out of the 2010 draft. In 12 games, he successfully filled in for injured middle linebacker Sean Lee, garnering two interceptions, one forced fumble, 81 total tackles and one sack.

After meeting with the New England Patriots this week, he decided to sign with the Dallas Cowboys for a one-year deal worth $3 million — with the possibility of another million in incentives — according to ESPN sources. At the same time, McClain could be missing at least four games due to a violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

Last year, the linebacker tied Jeremy Maclin for second place in the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award. They both lost to Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski.