IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys' decision to add Greg Hardy is not a reclamation project.
Firstly, the signing of Hardy, who was the best pass-rushing defensive end in free agency, is about making the Cowboys a better team. If by signing with the Cowboys, Hardy is able to rehabilitate his image, then that would be a side benefit.
"Ultimately, what we're trying to do is help our football team," coach Jason Garrett told reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix on Monday. "Part of building the team is you make personnel decisions about people who you think can help your football team. You get your arms around who they are as people, who they are as players and you bring them on board. We're in the process right now of building our football team, and this is a decision that we made that we think can help our team."
The Cowboys have faced criticism for signing Hardy to a one-year deal that could be worth as much as $13.1 million because of the players' domestic violence arrest last spring. A North Carolina judge found Hardy guilty of assaulting an ex-girlfriend and communicating threats, but he appealed the decision in order for a jury trial. The case was dismissed after the woman refused to cooperate with authorities.
With the Carolina Panthers, Hardy played just one game last season and remains on the commissioner's exempt list. He is facing a possible suspension as the NFL conducts its own investigation.
The Cowboys structured Hardy's contract in a way so the largest amount of money he will receive comes in the form of roster bonuses for being on the 53-man roster. If he is suspended, he would not receive those bonuses.
Garrett said the Cowboys looked into Hardy's background thoroughly. Defensive staff assistant Turner West was a teammate of Hardy's in high school. They spoke with Hardy's coaches at Ole Miss and with the Panthers. When Hardy visited the Cowboys last week, Garrett said he made it clear they were not recruiting him; that they were finding out about him.
"First off, we understand the seriousness of domestic violence," Garrett said. "We obviously aren't for domestic violence, so let's get that out at the start. If we didn't believe that Greg Hardy could become the right kind of guy, we would not have signed him. We have a lot of confidence in the environment that we create for our players to bring the best out in them.
"Now, it's on us to do our jobs to create the environment to bring the best out in him as a player on the field and as a person off the field. We believe based on all the research we've done, all the due diligence we've done, that he can become the right kind of guy for our team. It is also Greg Hardy's responsibility."