The Cowboys have to find a way to bring in some talent.
It’s free agency week! Yay for fans whose teams participate in free agency. For many, this is a time to get excited as fans get some new toys to root for. For the Dallas Cowboys, it’s a bit of a different story. As we know, our beloved Cowboys are not big players in free agency. Because of that, we have conditioned ourselves to lower our expectations. This is our reality.
But… the Cowboys have recently completed some restructures and moved some money around creating a heap of resources available to spend however they want. Does that mean they would dare splash around in free agency? Not necessarily, but anything is possible, amiright?
With free agency kicking off, let’s run through each position group and figure out how they might address certain areas of their roster.
QUARTERBACK
The Cowboys are set with Dak Prescott as their starting quarterback. Prescott is locked in with the team as he is under contract for the next four seasons, but they could still use a backup. Both Cooper Rush and Trey Lance are unrestricted free agents. Rush seems like a candidate to retain as he’s been their “steady Eddie” backup over the last few years. The team could also look to select a development QB late in the draft since the Trey Lance experiment appears to be over.
Solution: Re-sign Rush and add a late-round rookie
RUNNING BACK
Deuce Vaughn and Malik Davis are the only running backs under contract this upcoming season, so it’s no secret this position group is a big concern heading into the new season. The Cowboys need serious help in this area so expect multiple pieces to be added. It may or may not include Rico Dowdle depending on his price, but the team could package a low-cost free agent with a new rookie. They absolutely must draft a running back next month as their lack of attention in prior drafts has boxed them into a corner. It can still be fixed without anything major, but they must take action over the next couple of months.
Solution: Re-sign Dowdle and select a running back within the first two days of the draft
WIDE RECEIVER
This is another area where help is needed as the team has CeeDee Lamb and nobody else. The Jalen Tolbert experiment hasn’t gone well and he only has one year left on his rookie deal. The Cowboys traded for Jonathan Mingo last year, but few are holding their breath with that one. They need to add a bona fide WR2 somewhere, whether it’s one of the enticing available veteran free agents or in the draft. Which way will they go?
Solution: Select a wide receiver within the first two days of the draft
TIGHT END
The Cowboys have some bodies at tight end with the trio of Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, and Brevyn Spann-Ford under contract. Ferguson is entering the last year of his rookie deal, so the team should start looking ahead, but don’t expect anything ground-shaking here. New offensive coordinator and former offensive lines coach Klayton Adams loves to use his tight ends, so expect the team to bring on a quality in-line blocker to help Fergy and Schoony hold things down. That could come in the form of a low-cost free agent or reaching deep in the draft pool.
Solution: Late-round draft pick or priority free agent
OFFENSIVE LINE
Oddly enough, the team is in relatively good shape along the offensive line. Yes, in less than a year, they’ve lost Tyron Smith and Zack Martin, but they seem unfazed by it. The interior line is set with All-Pro Tyler Smith, rising star Cooper Beebe, and the surprisingly reliable Brock Hoffman. The real questions belong out on the edge. Despite his inconsistent play, Terence Steele isn’t going anywhere and could shock some people this season in the Cowboys revamped rushing attack. The biggest enigma is second-year tackle Tyler Guyton. Can he take a step forward? If that works out, the line may be better than some expect as they still have solid young depth with T.J. Bass and Asim Richards waiting their turn.
Solution: Low-cost free agent of no consequence who has position flexibility
DEFENSIVE END
Micah Parsons and Marshawn Kneeland will be fixtures along the edge for at least the next three years. Sam Williams returns from injury, but he only has one year left on his rookie deal. The DeMarcus Lawrence situation is interesting as it would be wonderful if they could sneak him back on the team for a short-term, team-friendly deal. Whether it’s Tank or someone else, the Cowboys are crafty in finding these short-term veteran solutions to rush the quarterback. Players like Aldon Smith, Robert Quinn, Dante Fowler, and most recently, Carl Lawson have all been nice adds in recent years. While those are short-term answers, we can’t rule out using another premium draft resource if the right guy falls to them.
Solution: Re-sign Carl Lawson
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
The team already made a big splash by giving Osa Odighizuwa a four-year extension. They also have Mazi Smith who is only halfway through his rookie deal. While the starters may be intact, they don’t have much for depth. In the past, they loved to find low-cost veteran nose tackles like Carlos Watkins, Johnathan Hankins, or Linval Joseph, so why should we expect anything to change? Similar to edge, DT could be a position where they make a surprise draft pick if the right player is there.
Solution: Low-cost veteran free agent for depth
LINEBACKER
This is another area where the Cowboys need some bodies. With DeMarvion Overshown’s health in question, the only trusted linebacker they have is second-year player Marist Liufau. Like running back, we should expect the team to double-dip with a low-cost free agent and a rookie draft pick. Linebackers have thrived under new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, so it’s hard to imagine the Cowboys skimping at this position if they want their defense to have a fighting chance.
***SPLASH ALERT***
Solution: Mid-level cost free agent linebacker + mid-round rookie draft pick
CORNERBACK
This is where things get interesting. The Cowboys have two All-Pro corners under contract this upcoming season. Sadly, there is a lot of uncertainty about these two All-Pro corners muddying the waters a little. Starting with the health of Trevon Diggs. We have no idea what to expect from him in 2025. His teammate DaRon Bland is entering the final year of his rookie deal and he may leave for a big payday unless the Cowboys decide to throw big money at two cornerbacks. This puts the team in a tough spot, but here’s the good news. The Cowboys sit in a great position to draft one of the stronger corners in this draft. There is a cluster of talent in the second round ranging from the late 30’s to early 50’s where they could find an immediate starter. Combine that with re-upping on veteran slot corner Jourdan Lewis and suddenly, they’re back in business.
Solution: Re-sign Lewis and draft a top collegiate corner by round two
SAFETY
Malik Hooker is still under team control for the next two years and they also are keeping Juanyeh Thomas around for at least one more season. Donovan Wilson is a wild card as he could end up being released for cap-saving purposes as he is due $6.5 million this season. The Cowboys have options here. They could sift through the bargain bin for a cheap free agent filler like they did with a few years ago with Jayron Kearse and the aforementioned Hooker. Or they can take a late-round flyer on a guy like they did with Xavier Woods and the aforementioned Wilson. Or, they could do both. The Wilson decision will dictate how many darts they throw to shore up the safety position.
Solution: Release Wilson and draft his replacement on Day 3
Here is a layout of a potential offseason plan for the Cowboys. If this is the approach they take, what players do you think would fill in the missing pieces?
