DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch has been the subject of significant trade speculation over the last few weeks, following the selection of rookie Micah Parsons in the 2021 NFL Draft.
However, according to NFL.com insider Jane Slater, despite the Cowboys receiving significant interest from teams around the league for Vander Esch's services, Dallas is uninterested in parting ways with the 25-year-old and still sees him as part of their future.
Vander Esch, who has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons, has been productive and effective when healthy, accumulating 132 tackles and two tackles for loss in 19 games over that time.
As a result of those injuries, which are still a major concern moving forward, the Cowboys elected to decline Vander Esch's fifth year option, while also bringing in a pair of rookie linebackers in Parsons and Jabril Cox, and free agent Keanu Neal, to reinforce the position.
While those decisions do not rules out the possibility of an extension for Vander Esch after this season, the fourth-year linebacker will have to prove his ability to stay on the field going forward, or risk hitting the free agent market in 2022.
In his only fully healthy season in 2018 as a rookie, Vander Esch had 140 tackles, and was a Pro Bowl selection.
