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By Jon Machota 3h ago
With two weeks of free agency in the books, most of the Cowboys’ moves in that phase of the offseason have been executed. Much of their roster-building attention is being shifted towards the NFL Draft, which is scheduled to begin in 23 days.
There are some intriguing names still among the list of the league’s free agents. And there’s always the possibility of a trade. Last year on March 28, the Cowboys traded a sixth-round pick to the Dolphins in exchange for veteran defensive end Robert Quinn. During the 2018 draft, Dallas traded for veteran wide receiver Tavon Austin and veteran defensive end Jihad Ward.
To figure out where some holes still need to be filled on the Cowboys roster, let’s take a look at what they’ve done so far in free agency.
Players the Cowboys re-signed:
Dak Prescott, QB (franchise tag)
Amari Cooper, WR
Blake Jarwin, TE
Sean Lee, LB
Anthony Brown, CB
Kai Forbath, K
Joe Looney, C
Cooper Rush, QB
Joe Thomas, LB
C.J. Goodwin, CB
Justin March, LB
Darian Thompson, S
L.P. Ladouceur, LS
Players the Cowboys signed who played for other teams in 2019:
Gerald McCoy, DT (Panthers)
Dontari Poe, DT (Panthers)
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S (Bears)
Greg Zuerlein, K (Rams)
Blake Bell, TE (Chiefs)
Maurice Canady, CB (Jets)
Players the Cowboys lost:
Travis Frederick, C: Retired
Byron Jones, CB: Dolphins
Robert Quinn, DE: Bears
Randall Cobb, WR: Texans
Maliek Collins, DT: Raiders
Jason Witten, TE: Raiders
Jeff Heath, S: Raiders
Cameron Fleming, OT: Giants
Kerry Hyder, DE: 49ers
Xavier Su’a-Filo, OG: Bengals
Daniel Ross, DT: Raiders
Donovan Olumba, CB: Browns
The most significant losses have been three offensive starters (Frederick, Cobb, Witten) and four defensive starters (Jones, Quinn, Collins, Heath) from a year ago.
Factoring in what Dallas has gained and lost over the last two weeks, we came up with the top five positions that still need to be addressed before the start of the 2020 season.
1.) Defensive end. There were hopes inside The Star that the Cowboys could re-sign Quinn, who led the team in sacks last year with 11.5, his second-highest total in nine NFL seasons. But Dallas was never going to come close to the five-year, $70 million deal that Quinn, 29, signed with Chicago. His absence leaves a huge hole at right defensive end. Regardless of whether Mike McCarthy ultimately keeps the team in a 4-3 base front or switches to a 3-4, the Cowboys need help rushing the passer from the right side of the field opposite of DeMarcus Lawrence. Dorance Armstrong and Joe Jackson are still under contract. They have combined for 2.5 career sacks. Randy Gregory is in the process of trying to get reinstated after being suspended all of last season for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. His return would help, but the Cowboys still need more help rushing the passer.
Free agency options still available:
– Jadeveon Clowney, 27 (3 sacks, 13 QB hits in 2019)
– Everson Griffen, 32 (8 sacks, 24 QB hits in 2019)
– Markus Golden, 29 (10 sacks, 27 QB hits in 2019)
– Michael Bennett, 34 (6.5 sacks, 15 QB hits in 2019)
First-round draft options:
– K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU, 6-3, 254 (6.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss in 2019)
– A.J. Epenesa, Iowa, 6-5, 275 (11.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss in 2019)
2.) Cornerback. Byron Jones didn’t record an interception in his last 40 starts for the Cowboys, but he was still one of the best cover corners in the league. The Dolphins thought so highly of Jones that they made him the highest-paid player at his position. Dallas was never going to come close to matching that five-year, $82.5 million deal. Jourdan Lewis, Awuzie and Brown are currently the top three corners on the roster. The Cowboys signed Canady but aren’t expected to make any veteran free agency additions at the position. Lewis and Awuzie are entering the final year of their rookie contracts. It makes a lot of sense for the Cowboys to address cornerback in the draft, perhaps as early as the 17th overall pick.
“One thing that the Dallas Cowboys do a really good job at is drafting good young players, and they have a whole bunch of good corners on that team – no question about that – and those guys will be just fine without me,” Jones told Dolphins reporters last week. “But they believe strongly in the way they draft, and they’ve shown over the years they draft some freaking ballers no matter (if it is the) first round, seventh round, guys in between. They draft and develop really good players, so I don’t think Dak and Amari’s (contract situations) had any effect on me. I think it’s their confidence in the people that they have on the roster now and who they’re going to get in the draft hopefully.”
First-round draft options:
– C.J. Henderson, Florida, 6-1, 204 (0 interceptions, 11 passes defended in 2019)
– Trevon Diggs, Alabama, 6-1, 205 (3 interceptions, 8 passes defended in 2019)
– Kristian Fulton, LSU, 6-0, 197 (1 interception, 14 passes defended in 2019)
– A.J. Terrell, Clemson, 6-1, 195 (2 interceptions, 3 passes defended in 2019)
3.) Safety. Signing Clinton-Dix to a one-year deal doesn’t fix the Cowboys’ safety problem. He’s a solid veteran option to pair with Xavier Woods, who is entering the final year of his contract, but additions still need to be made here. Safety has been the least-valued position on the roster for a while. Although it’s unlikely that the Cowboys spend their first-round pick on a safety, the biggest upgrade will have to come via the draft. If last year’s draft is any indication of how things might fall this year, Dallas could be in position to take a high-upside safety that slips into the second round. Darnell Savage went to the Packers at 21, and Johnathan Abram was selected by the Raiders at 27. After that, another safety didn’t come off the board until Marquise Blair went to Seattle at Pick 47. Then there was the late second-round run that included Nasir Adderley, Taylor Rapp and Juan Thornhill from picks 60 to 63. It wouldn’t be a surprise if a safety didn’t get drafted within the first 20 picks again this year.
Top draft options:
– Xavier McKinney, Alabama, 6-0, 201 (3 interceptions, 5 passes defended)
– Grant Delpit, LSU, 6-2, 213 (2 interceptions, 7 passes defended)
– Kyle Dugger, Lenoir-Rhyne, 6-1, 217 (2 interceptions, 6 passes defended)
4.) Wide receiver. Entering free agency, it seemed like a decent bet that the Cowboys would be able to re-sign Cobb and keep their starting receiving corps together. However, he was offered a significant pay increase by the Texans (three years, $27 million) from the one-year, $5 million deal he signed with the Cowboys a year ago. Having Cooper and Michael Gallup under contract means the position isn’t a desperate need, but another option should be targeted at some point in a very deep wide receiver draft class.
“There were a few teams that made offers or showed interest,” Cobb told Texans reporters last week. “Dallas and Houston were two teams that offered, and it was a tough decision to make. Hearing what my agent was telling me about Coach (Bill) O’Brien and the opportunity that he wanted to give me to kind of do some of the things that I did when I was back in Green Bay was one of the main reasons that I jumped at the offer.”
Draft options in the middle and late rounds:
– James Proche, SMU, 5-11, 201 (111 receptions, 1,225 yards, 15 TDs in 2019)
– Devin Duvernay, Texas, 5-10, 200 (106 receptions, 1,386 yards, 9 TDs in 2019)
– K.J. Hill, Ohio State, 6-0, 196 (57 receptions, 636 yards, 10 TDs in 2019)
5.) Defensive tackle. This final spot came down to the interior of the defensive line and the interior of the offensive line. If Connor McGovern, Joe Looney and Connor Williams are unable to fill in the gaps at center and left guard, that could end up being a more important area to fill. But because McGovern and Williams are younger players (both drafted within the first three rounds), we’re focusing on the continued changes to the middle of the defense. Signing McCoy and Poe gives the Cowboys a couple of veterans to step into the starting lineup. But McCoy is 32 and Poe will be 30 in August. There are still question marks about what they have in second-year DT Trysten Hill. Tyrone Crawford can play inside if needed. Antwaun Woods is under contract for one more year. It would not be a surprise to see the Cowboys still address this position at some point in the draft. McCarthy wanted to get bigger at tackle, so here are a few options to improve their size in the middle.
Draft options:
– Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina, 6-5, 324 (6 sacks, 6 tackles for loss in 2019)
– Leki Fotu, Utah, 6-5, 330 (0.5 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss in 2019)
– Benito Jones, Ole Miss, 6-1, 316 (5.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss in 2019)
With two weeks of free agency in the books, most of the Cowboys’ moves in that phase of the offseason have been executed. Much of their roster-building attention is being shifted towards the NFL Draft, which is scheduled to begin in 23 days.
There are some intriguing names still among the list of the league’s free agents. And there’s always the possibility of a trade. Last year on March 28, the Cowboys traded a sixth-round pick to the Dolphins in exchange for veteran defensive end Robert Quinn. During the 2018 draft, Dallas traded for veteran wide receiver Tavon Austin and veteran defensive end Jihad Ward.
To figure out where some holes still need to be filled on the Cowboys roster, let’s take a look at what they’ve done so far in free agency.
Players the Cowboys re-signed:
Dak Prescott, QB (franchise tag)
Amari Cooper, WR
Blake Jarwin, TE
Sean Lee, LB
Anthony Brown, CB
Kai Forbath, K
Joe Looney, C
Cooper Rush, QB
Joe Thomas, LB
C.J. Goodwin, CB
Justin March, LB
Darian Thompson, S
L.P. Ladouceur, LS
Players the Cowboys signed who played for other teams in 2019:
Gerald McCoy, DT (Panthers)
Dontari Poe, DT (Panthers)
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S (Bears)
Greg Zuerlein, K (Rams)
Blake Bell, TE (Chiefs)
Maurice Canady, CB (Jets)
Players the Cowboys lost:
Travis Frederick, C: Retired
Byron Jones, CB: Dolphins
Robert Quinn, DE: Bears
Randall Cobb, WR: Texans
Maliek Collins, DT: Raiders
Jason Witten, TE: Raiders
Jeff Heath, S: Raiders
Cameron Fleming, OT: Giants
Kerry Hyder, DE: 49ers
Xavier Su’a-Filo, OG: Bengals
Daniel Ross, DT: Raiders
Donovan Olumba, CB: Browns
The most significant losses have been three offensive starters (Frederick, Cobb, Witten) and four defensive starters (Jones, Quinn, Collins, Heath) from a year ago.
Factoring in what Dallas has gained and lost over the last two weeks, we came up with the top five positions that still need to be addressed before the start of the 2020 season.
1.) Defensive end. There were hopes inside The Star that the Cowboys could re-sign Quinn, who led the team in sacks last year with 11.5, his second-highest total in nine NFL seasons. But Dallas was never going to come close to the five-year, $70 million deal that Quinn, 29, signed with Chicago. His absence leaves a huge hole at right defensive end. Regardless of whether Mike McCarthy ultimately keeps the team in a 4-3 base front or switches to a 3-4, the Cowboys need help rushing the passer from the right side of the field opposite of DeMarcus Lawrence. Dorance Armstrong and Joe Jackson are still under contract. They have combined for 2.5 career sacks. Randy Gregory is in the process of trying to get reinstated after being suspended all of last season for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. His return would help, but the Cowboys still need more help rushing the passer.
Free agency options still available:
– Jadeveon Clowney, 27 (3 sacks, 13 QB hits in 2019)
– Everson Griffen, 32 (8 sacks, 24 QB hits in 2019)
– Markus Golden, 29 (10 sacks, 27 QB hits in 2019)
– Michael Bennett, 34 (6.5 sacks, 15 QB hits in 2019)
First-round draft options:
– K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU, 6-3, 254 (6.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss in 2019)
– A.J. Epenesa, Iowa, 6-5, 275 (11.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss in 2019)
2.) Cornerback. Byron Jones didn’t record an interception in his last 40 starts for the Cowboys, but he was still one of the best cover corners in the league. The Dolphins thought so highly of Jones that they made him the highest-paid player at his position. Dallas was never going to come close to matching that five-year, $82.5 million deal. Jourdan Lewis, Awuzie and Brown are currently the top three corners on the roster. The Cowboys signed Canady but aren’t expected to make any veteran free agency additions at the position. Lewis and Awuzie are entering the final year of their rookie contracts. It makes a lot of sense for the Cowboys to address cornerback in the draft, perhaps as early as the 17th overall pick.
“One thing that the Dallas Cowboys do a really good job at is drafting good young players, and they have a whole bunch of good corners on that team – no question about that – and those guys will be just fine without me,” Jones told Dolphins reporters last week. “But they believe strongly in the way they draft, and they’ve shown over the years they draft some freaking ballers no matter (if it is the) first round, seventh round, guys in between. They draft and develop really good players, so I don’t think Dak and Amari’s (contract situations) had any effect on me. I think it’s their confidence in the people that they have on the roster now and who they’re going to get in the draft hopefully.”
First-round draft options:
– C.J. Henderson, Florida, 6-1, 204 (0 interceptions, 11 passes defended in 2019)
– Trevon Diggs, Alabama, 6-1, 205 (3 interceptions, 8 passes defended in 2019)
– Kristian Fulton, LSU, 6-0, 197 (1 interception, 14 passes defended in 2019)
– A.J. Terrell, Clemson, 6-1, 195 (2 interceptions, 3 passes defended in 2019)
3.) Safety. Signing Clinton-Dix to a one-year deal doesn’t fix the Cowboys’ safety problem. He’s a solid veteran option to pair with Xavier Woods, who is entering the final year of his contract, but additions still need to be made here. Safety has been the least-valued position on the roster for a while. Although it’s unlikely that the Cowboys spend their first-round pick on a safety, the biggest upgrade will have to come via the draft. If last year’s draft is any indication of how things might fall this year, Dallas could be in position to take a high-upside safety that slips into the second round. Darnell Savage went to the Packers at 21, and Johnathan Abram was selected by the Raiders at 27. After that, another safety didn’t come off the board until Marquise Blair went to Seattle at Pick 47. Then there was the late second-round run that included Nasir Adderley, Taylor Rapp and Juan Thornhill from picks 60 to 63. It wouldn’t be a surprise if a safety didn’t get drafted within the first 20 picks again this year.
Top draft options:
– Xavier McKinney, Alabama, 6-0, 201 (3 interceptions, 5 passes defended)
– Grant Delpit, LSU, 6-2, 213 (2 interceptions, 7 passes defended)
– Kyle Dugger, Lenoir-Rhyne, 6-1, 217 (2 interceptions, 6 passes defended)
4.) Wide receiver. Entering free agency, it seemed like a decent bet that the Cowboys would be able to re-sign Cobb and keep their starting receiving corps together. However, he was offered a significant pay increase by the Texans (three years, $27 million) from the one-year, $5 million deal he signed with the Cowboys a year ago. Having Cooper and Michael Gallup under contract means the position isn’t a desperate need, but another option should be targeted at some point in a very deep wide receiver draft class.
“There were a few teams that made offers or showed interest,” Cobb told Texans reporters last week. “Dallas and Houston were two teams that offered, and it was a tough decision to make. Hearing what my agent was telling me about Coach (Bill) O’Brien and the opportunity that he wanted to give me to kind of do some of the things that I did when I was back in Green Bay was one of the main reasons that I jumped at the offer.”
Draft options in the middle and late rounds:
– James Proche, SMU, 5-11, 201 (111 receptions, 1,225 yards, 15 TDs in 2019)
– Devin Duvernay, Texas, 5-10, 200 (106 receptions, 1,386 yards, 9 TDs in 2019)
– K.J. Hill, Ohio State, 6-0, 196 (57 receptions, 636 yards, 10 TDs in 2019)
5.) Defensive tackle. This final spot came down to the interior of the defensive line and the interior of the offensive line. If Connor McGovern, Joe Looney and Connor Williams are unable to fill in the gaps at center and left guard, that could end up being a more important area to fill. But because McGovern and Williams are younger players (both drafted within the first three rounds), we’re focusing on the continued changes to the middle of the defense. Signing McCoy and Poe gives the Cowboys a couple of veterans to step into the starting lineup. But McCoy is 32 and Poe will be 30 in August. There are still question marks about what they have in second-year DT Trysten Hill. Tyrone Crawford can play inside if needed. Antwaun Woods is under contract for one more year. It would not be a surprise to see the Cowboys still address this position at some point in the draft. McCarthy wanted to get bigger at tackle, so here are a few options to improve their size in the middle.
Draft options:
– Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina, 6-5, 324 (6 sacks, 6 tackles for loss in 2019)
– Leki Fotu, Utah, 6-5, 330 (0.5 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss in 2019)
– Benito Jones, Ole Miss, 6-1, 316 (5.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss in 2019)
