The Dallas Cowboys aren’t known to be big spenders in free agency, and there’s little reason to think the 2025 offseason will be much different. The Cowboys don’t trust outsiders, a vibe that has seeped into their head coaching search as they have an opportunity to interview some of the league’s creative young minds, but instead seem content to run things back with head coach Mike McCarthy.

Once the dust settles on whom the club will have leading the team, the next focus will be on free agency. While other clubs will be looking for big-ticket items to fill their holes first, the Cowboys are likely going to again bargain shop for players who could  make an impact for far lower costs.

Dallas will check for solutions internally first, among their pending free agents, but they will eventually look externally for budget fits. One such player could be an interior defensive presence who spent his collegiate years in state, at the University of Texas.

Pro Football Focus recently suggested DT Poona Ford should be the top free agent target for the Cowboys.

With the Cowboys finishing the regular season 29th in defensive EPA per play, 21st in success rate and 30th in team PFF run-defense grade, it’s clear that Dallas needs to invest more on that side of the ball. The team’s defensive line could get a makeover with DeMarcus Lawrence and Osa Odighizuwa set to hit the market, plus Mazi Smith potentially being on the trade block.

Ford isn’t one of the most touted free agents, but he had a terrific resurgence with the Chargers. His 85.1 PFF overall grade in 2024 ranked fifth among qualified defensive linemen, while his 78.8 PFF run-defense grade placed sixth. Even if Dallas can keep Odighizuwa, adding the 29-year-old Ford would make for a great tandem on the inside.

Ford was originally an undrafted free agent, signing with the Seattle Seahawks after not being selected in the 2018 exercise. He spent the first five years of his career in the Pacific Northwest, he’s been a full-time starter in all but two of his seven seasons in the league. This year he tied three different career highs in sacks (3), tackles for loss (8) and QB hits (9) while being a dominant run stuffer; something Dallas has lacked for a long time.

At just 29 years old, he presumably has some tread on his tires, and he has yet to command much of a salary historically. There’s only been one year in his seven seasons where he’s had a cap hit over $2.7 million; right up Stephen Jones’ alley.