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By Jon Machota 8m ago
NFL free agency officially begins on March 17. By that point, the Cowboys should already have a good idea about which of their 17 unrestricted free agents will be back next season. Since that won’t be revealed for another month and a half, we’re taking a look at those 17 players in a two-part series.
The Cowboys obviously won’t be able to keep them all, so we’re breaking down who they should keep and who it makes sense to move on from. Dallas re-signed 11 of its own players last offseason. It’s unlikely that they will reach that number again this year.
This post will focus on offense and special teams. Later this week, we’ll break down the nine free agents on defense.
QB Dak Prescott
Decision: Keep.
Previous contract: one year, $31.4 million franchise tag.
There are no scenarios that make more sense than re-signing Prescott. He’s been the Cowboys’ starting quarterback the last five seasons, and he’s entering the prime of his career. Of course, re-signing him will involve a contract that would make him the highest-paid player in Cowboys franchise history and one of the highest-paid players in the NFL. That still seems like the best option. Prescott is one of the league’s 10 best quarterbacks. And if you’re one of the top 10 players at by far the most important position, you are worth the type of deal that will likely pay over $40 million per year.
If the Cowboys were to move on from Prescott, it’s unlikely his replacement would be anywhere near as valuable. Not only has Prescott improved as a player throughout his time with the Cowboys, but he’s the team’s unquestioned leader. Even if there were a way to find a slightly better player at the position, there’s no guarantee the team would mesh as well with that player as they have with Prescott. Dallas’ entire offseason is predicated on what it does at quarterback. A long-term deal is the best possible scenario. However, if the two sides fail to come to an agreement, Prescott is expected to play under the franchise tag for a second consecutive year, paying him around $38 million for the 2021 season.
The issue with a second tag is that it makes it much more difficult to get a long-term deal done next year. A third tag would cost over $54 million for the 2022 season, meaning Prescott would likely be heading to the open market, where the Cowboys would have to bid against other teams. Dallas doesn’t want that to happen, so a long-term deal needs to get done in the next few months.
TE Blake Bell
Decision: Move on.
Previous contract: one year, $1.7 million.
Bell played in all 16 games, starting two in 2020, his first season in Dallas. He caught 11 passes for 110 yards as the team’s No. 2 tight end after starter Blake Jarwin suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1. Between the emergence of Dalton Schultz and Jarwin expected to return fully healthy next season, there probably won’t be much work for Bell. The Cowboys could choose to move on and go with Sean McKeon as the No. 3 tight end. McKeon played in 14 games last season after signing as an undrafted rookie free agent, mostly on special teams.
WR Noah Brown
Decision: Move on.
Previous contract: four years, $2.5 million.
Wide receiver is the deepest position on the roster. With Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson all under contract, it doesn’t make sense to spend much on a fifth wide receiver. If the Cowboys keep five, it could be a player they draft on Day 3 or sign after the draft. Brown has been a solid contributor when called upon on offense and special teams. He played the fifth-most special-teams snaps of anyone on the team last season. Brown caught a career-high 14 passes for 154 yards in 2020, finishing eighth on the team in both categories.
QB Andy Dalton
Decision: Move on.
Previous contract: one year, $3 million.
Moving on from Dalton is the decision here only because he is expected to have better offers in free agency. Dalton, 33, wasn’t released by the Cincinnati Bengals last year until after they selected LSU star quarterback Joe Burrow with the first overall pick in April’s draft. Dalton will have the opportunity to be a free agent in March, when he’ll likely have more options. He still believes he’s an NFL starter. If for some reason, the market isn’t there, the Cowboys would be thrilled for him to be Prescott’s backup at the right price. Dalton ended up starting nine games last season after Prescott went down with a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5. Dalton threw for 2,170 yards, 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions while going 4-5 in those starts. In the games he finished, the Cowboys were 5-4.
OT Cameron Erving
Decision: Move on.
Previous contract: one year, $2.5 million.
The veteran swing tackle played 279 offensive snaps last season, third-most among the offensive tackles on the roster. It would’ve been more had injuries not caused him to miss 10 games. It seems unlikely that the Cowboys would be willing to pay much for a swing tackle after Terence Steele started 14 games and Brandon Knight started nine last season. One of them could take on that role with Tyron Smith and La’el Collins expected to return to their starting spots after both missed almost all of the 2020 season because of injuries.
CB C.J. Goodwin
Decision: Keep.
Previous contract: one year, $1 million.
He’s technically listed as a defensive back, but Goodwin’s value to the Cowboys comes on special teams. He was Dallas’ most valuable special teams player in 2020, playing 72 percent of the Cowboys’ special teams snaps, most of anyone on the roster.
“What he’s meant to our team, first of all just as a player on the field, has been undeniable,” Cowboys special teams coach John Fassel said in November. “He’s fast, he’s tough, he’s so versatile. … He means a lot to our team and a ton to our special teams. And I think there’s a lot more to come as far as production in the future.”
LS L.P. Ladouceur
Decision: Keep.
Previous contract: one year, $1.2 million.
Last season was Ladouceur’s 16th with the Cowboys. He turns 40 in March. If he wants to continue playing, the Cowboys will gladly have the 2014 Pro Bowler back for a 17th year.
C Joe Looney
Decision: Keep.
Previous contract: one year, $2.4 million.
Tyler Biadasz is the favorite to be the Cowboys’ starting center next season. The fourth-round pick played in 12 games, starting four last year. If Looney can’t find a starting job on another team, re-signing him to be a veteran backup at center and both guard spots makes a lot of sense. Looney, 30, has started 29 games for the Cowboys over the last three seasons. If he’s fine with a reserve role, the Cowboys should try to keep him on the roster.