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By Jon Machota Jan 8, 2020
Jerry Jones was talking about change less than an hour after the Cowboys concluded their 2019 season with a Week 17 win over the Washington Redskins. A week later, the franchise had a new head coach.
While there will be many changes around The Star, the Cowboys’ approach to free agency isn’t expected to be one of them.
They have a lot of money already tied up in DeMarcus Lawrence, Zack Martin, Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Ezekiel Elliott, Tyrone Crawford, La’el Collins and Jaylon Smith. Those eight players are currently projected to count $100 million against the team’s roughly $200 million salary cap in 2020.
The Cowboys are currently projected to have around $80 million in cap space, which is among the five highest numbers in the NFL. But that’s before having to pay Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, which Dallas is expected to do. Those two alone should take up around half of the available space. The Cowboys can find ways to create more room by restructuring deals, asking other players to take pay cuts or just outright releasing players.
But with all of that said, don’t look for the Cowboys to be very active in the early days when free agency begins on March 18. Expect for it to be something similar to the last few years where the biggest additions are one- or two-year deals for veterans like Randall Cobb, Kerry Hyder, Allen Hurns and Cameron Fleming. To the Cowboys’ credit, they also found a way to pull off a March trade last year for Robert Quinn, who put together a fantastic 2019 season. Perhaps something like that could happen again this year around free agency.
To give you an idea of where the Cowboys will be looking to upgrade and make changes, here’s a breakdown of their five biggest areas of need and how they could be addressed.
1.) Cornerback. Byron Jones is the top cornerback available in this year’s free agency class. Top players at his position are averaging around $15 million per year. Jones is expected to get a deal in that neighborhood. The franchise tag on a corner last season was $16 million, and that number is expected to increase this year. Considering that Prescott and Cooper are higher priorities for the Cowboys, Jones could be the odd man out. He hasn’t intercepted a pass since Week 8 in 2017, but he has emerged as one of the NFL’s top cover corners over the last two seasons.
Options: Look for the Cowboys to attempt to keep Jones on a somewhat team-friendly deal. If that doesn’t work, they’ll have to address the position early in the draft. Keeping free-agent cornerback Anthony Brown is also an option. He has started 33 games since being drafted in the sixth round in 2016. But that move wouldn’t prevent the Cowboys from targeting a corner as early as the 17th overall pick in April.
2.) Defensive tackle. A key factor in addressing this position is the type of defense new head coach Mike McCarthy wants to run. Mike Nolan is expected to be named the team’s new defensive coordinator. He had a history of running 3-4 schemes up until his stop in Atlanta as DC (2012-2014), where the Falcons ran a 4-3. He was then a 3-4 linebackers coach with the Chargers for a year before becoming a 4-3 LB coach with the Saints over the previous three seasons. Jim Tomsula is expected to become the team’s next defensive line coach. He spent the last three seasons with the Redskins, who were in a 3-4 defense. His first nine years of NFL experience came with the 49ers, who were also in a 3-4.
The Cowboys have been running a 4-3 defense over the last seven years. Do they have the correct personnel to make the switch? It doesn’t seem like that would be the case. With that being said, most experts will tell you there is no longer a significant difference between the two, considering how often teams are in nickel and dime packages.
Options: The most obvious choice is re-signing some of their own. Starting three-technique tackle Maliek Collins should be their top priority if he fits what the new staff is looking for. Starting one-technique tackle Antwaun Woods is a restricted free agent. In terms of other free agents, Michael Brockers would be an interesting name. He might be too expensive, but the former first-round pick just turned 29. He had three sacks in 16 starts last year. Brockers is the player the Rams drafted 14th overall with the pick they got from the Cowboys in 2012 when they moved up to get Morris Claiborne.
This could also be a position addressed early in the draft. Dallas drafted defensive tackle Trysten Hill in the second round last year, but he played in only seven games, finishing with five tackles.
3.) Safety. No team has valued the safety position less than the Cowboys over the last decade. Could McCarthy put a bigger emphasis on it? His Packers teams were known for taking the ball away on the back end, something that has been missing in Dallas. Green Bay averaged 19 interceptions per season during McCarthy’s 13 years as head coach. The Cowboys over the last nine seasons have averaged just under 11, and that average is only 8.6 in the past five years.
Options: Xavier Woods and Donovan Wilson are two young pieces to potentially build around, but what about Jeff Heath? Will he be re-signed? While the Cowboys haven’t been willing to spend on the position in the past, perhaps the addition of McCarthy could lead to a closer look at two of his former Green Bay defensive backs who happen to be free agents: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Damarious Randall. The Packers drafted Clinton-Dix 21st overall in 2014. He’s interceped 16 passes in seven seasons. He had a career-high five on McCarthy’s 2016 Packers team. The Packers drafted Randall 30th overall in 2015. Randall was a cornerback in Green Bay before being converted to a safety after he was traded to Cleveland.
The draft is also an option. During McCarthy’s last five years in Green Bay, the Packers drafted seven defensive backs in the first two rounds.
4.) Defensive end. All the Cowboys have to do is sign three-time Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney, and they should be all set at the position. I’m kidding; that’s not happening. But maybe they can find a way to keep Robert Quinn or even work out a similar type of trade to acquire a pass-rusher nearing the end of his contract. Either way, they need to add to the position.
Options: There are free agents like Vic Beasley and Markus Golden. However, the draft again seems like a good place to target the position early. A name to keep an eye on: Boise State edge rusher Curtis Weaver. The 6’3, 265- pound defender is being projected as an outside linebacker, but if the Cowboys believe he can play defensive end, he could be a fit. We already know how highly they think of Boise State products. Weaver had 34 sacks and 47.5 tackles for loss over the last three seasons with the Broncos.
5.) Tight end. Jason Witten’s future is a key piece to this puzzle. If he returns for another season, the position is still a priority, but not as significant. Blake Jarwin is a restricted free agent. He’s not going anywhere.
Options: Austin Hooper, Hunter Henry and Eric Ebron are among the top tight ends in this free agency class. They will also probably be too expensive for the Cowboys. Cheaper free agency options include Richard Rodgers and Lance Kendricks, both of whom played for McCarthy in Green Bay.
Jerry Jones was talking about change less than an hour after the Cowboys concluded their 2019 season with a Week 17 win over the Washington Redskins. A week later, the franchise had a new head coach.
While there will be many changes around The Star, the Cowboys’ approach to free agency isn’t expected to be one of them.
They have a lot of money already tied up in DeMarcus Lawrence, Zack Martin, Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Ezekiel Elliott, Tyrone Crawford, La’el Collins and Jaylon Smith. Those eight players are currently projected to count $100 million against the team’s roughly $200 million salary cap in 2020.
The Cowboys are currently projected to have around $80 million in cap space, which is among the five highest numbers in the NFL. But that’s before having to pay Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, which Dallas is expected to do. Those two alone should take up around half of the available space. The Cowboys can find ways to create more room by restructuring deals, asking other players to take pay cuts or just outright releasing players.
But with all of that said, don’t look for the Cowboys to be very active in the early days when free agency begins on March 18. Expect for it to be something similar to the last few years where the biggest additions are one- or two-year deals for veterans like Randall Cobb, Kerry Hyder, Allen Hurns and Cameron Fleming. To the Cowboys’ credit, they also found a way to pull off a March trade last year for Robert Quinn, who put together a fantastic 2019 season. Perhaps something like that could happen again this year around free agency.
To give you an idea of where the Cowboys will be looking to upgrade and make changes, here’s a breakdown of their five biggest areas of need and how they could be addressed.
1.) Cornerback. Byron Jones is the top cornerback available in this year’s free agency class. Top players at his position are averaging around $15 million per year. Jones is expected to get a deal in that neighborhood. The franchise tag on a corner last season was $16 million, and that number is expected to increase this year. Considering that Prescott and Cooper are higher priorities for the Cowboys, Jones could be the odd man out. He hasn’t intercepted a pass since Week 8 in 2017, but he has emerged as one of the NFL’s top cover corners over the last two seasons.
Options: Look for the Cowboys to attempt to keep Jones on a somewhat team-friendly deal. If that doesn’t work, they’ll have to address the position early in the draft. Keeping free-agent cornerback Anthony Brown is also an option. He has started 33 games since being drafted in the sixth round in 2016. But that move wouldn’t prevent the Cowboys from targeting a corner as early as the 17th overall pick in April.
2.) Defensive tackle. A key factor in addressing this position is the type of defense new head coach Mike McCarthy wants to run. Mike Nolan is expected to be named the team’s new defensive coordinator. He had a history of running 3-4 schemes up until his stop in Atlanta as DC (2012-2014), where the Falcons ran a 4-3. He was then a 3-4 linebackers coach with the Chargers for a year before becoming a 4-3 LB coach with the Saints over the previous three seasons. Jim Tomsula is expected to become the team’s next defensive line coach. He spent the last three seasons with the Redskins, who were in a 3-4 defense. His first nine years of NFL experience came with the 49ers, who were also in a 3-4.
The Cowboys have been running a 4-3 defense over the last seven years. Do they have the correct personnel to make the switch? It doesn’t seem like that would be the case. With that being said, most experts will tell you there is no longer a significant difference between the two, considering how often teams are in nickel and dime packages.
Options: The most obvious choice is re-signing some of their own. Starting three-technique tackle Maliek Collins should be their top priority if he fits what the new staff is looking for. Starting one-technique tackle Antwaun Woods is a restricted free agent. In terms of other free agents, Michael Brockers would be an interesting name. He might be too expensive, but the former first-round pick just turned 29. He had three sacks in 16 starts last year. Brockers is the player the Rams drafted 14th overall with the pick they got from the Cowboys in 2012 when they moved up to get Morris Claiborne.
This could also be a position addressed early in the draft. Dallas drafted defensive tackle Trysten Hill in the second round last year, but he played in only seven games, finishing with five tackles.
3.) Safety. No team has valued the safety position less than the Cowboys over the last decade. Could McCarthy put a bigger emphasis on it? His Packers teams were known for taking the ball away on the back end, something that has been missing in Dallas. Green Bay averaged 19 interceptions per season during McCarthy’s 13 years as head coach. The Cowboys over the last nine seasons have averaged just under 11, and that average is only 8.6 in the past five years.
Options: Xavier Woods and Donovan Wilson are two young pieces to potentially build around, but what about Jeff Heath? Will he be re-signed? While the Cowboys haven’t been willing to spend on the position in the past, perhaps the addition of McCarthy could lead to a closer look at two of his former Green Bay defensive backs who happen to be free agents: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Damarious Randall. The Packers drafted Clinton-Dix 21st overall in 2014. He’s interceped 16 passes in seven seasons. He had a career-high five on McCarthy’s 2016 Packers team. The Packers drafted Randall 30th overall in 2015. Randall was a cornerback in Green Bay before being converted to a safety after he was traded to Cleveland.
The draft is also an option. During McCarthy’s last five years in Green Bay, the Packers drafted seven defensive backs in the first two rounds.
4.) Defensive end. All the Cowboys have to do is sign three-time Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney, and they should be all set at the position. I’m kidding; that’s not happening. But maybe they can find a way to keep Robert Quinn or even work out a similar type of trade to acquire a pass-rusher nearing the end of his contract. Either way, they need to add to the position.
Options: There are free agents like Vic Beasley and Markus Golden. However, the draft again seems like a good place to target the position early. A name to keep an eye on: Boise State edge rusher Curtis Weaver. The 6’3, 265- pound defender is being projected as an outside linebacker, but if the Cowboys believe he can play defensive end, he could be a fit. We already know how highly they think of Boise State products. Weaver had 34 sacks and 47.5 tackles for loss over the last three seasons with the Broncos.
5.) Tight end. Jason Witten’s future is a key piece to this puzzle. If he returns for another season, the position is still a priority, but not as significant. Blake Jarwin is a restricted free agent. He’s not going anywhere.
Options: Austin Hooper, Hunter Henry and Eric Ebron are among the top tight ends in this free agency class. They will also probably be too expensive for the Cowboys. Cheaper free agency options include Richard Rodgers and Lance Kendricks, both of whom played for McCarthy in Green Bay.
