4 big free agent decisions the Dallas Cowboys must make this offseason

4 big free agent decisions the Dallas Cowboys must make this offseason

The Dallas Cowboys have four significant free agent decisions to make this summer.

The president of the company, Jerry Jones, was furious and disappointed that his team had been knocked out of the playoffs once more.

A tough choice about head coach Mike McCarthy awaited.

McCarthy will take the helm of the program for the forthcoming season after that decision was made.

But Jones still has to make tough decisions because he has to make decisions about other players.

McCarthy’s decisions will directly affect his career and Dallas prospects after the upcoming season.

Let’s examine five difficult roster choices that Jerry Jones and the Cowboys must make.

that have nothing to do with Dak Prescott this summer.

Tony Pollard

This all began when Jones decided it was time to move on from Ezekiel Elliott.

The decision was made with Tony Pollard set to take the starting job.

Unfortunately, Pollard failed as an every-down back, and backup Rico Dowdle experienced ups and downs as well.

Furthermore, the team’s run blocking was lacking for much of the season. At the most, it is average.

Dallas finished the season with an average of 27 run attempts per game, ranking 14th overall,

but 18th in yards per carry at 4.1 yards. The major challenge that confronted the squad was explosive runs,

where Pollard rated 21st in plays of ten yards or more.

As a result, Dallas had to rely on Dak Prescott and the passing game to make the offense productive.

Pollard is set to become a free agent after betting on himself last season while playing under the team’s franchise tag.

The gamble may not have paid off for him,

as it became evident that he is most suited to play a relief role rather than the every-down back.

He was limited as a runner on inside runs and when playing with gap power,

which reduced his effectiveness on outside runs.

The Cowboys must make a wise judgment about whether to re-sign Pollard.

Jones can look to the free agent market or the draft to identify their next player.

The problem with this year’s running back draft class is that it isn’t filled with elite talent.

There are other players the Cowboys can look for early in the draft,

including Michigan’s Blake Corum and Florida State’s Trey Benson, who fit more of the mold.

The free agent market contains some well-known names,

including Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Austin Ekeler,

Gus Edwards, and even Ezekiel Elliott himself.

However, free agent additions come at a cost, as all of the finest running back players have a heavy tread,

with some carrying a lengthy injury history.

Jones benefits from the fact that the running game back market is now significantly undervalued.

Dorance Armstrong

Cowboys fans and coaches have waited a long time for the Kansas Jayhawks product to pay off.

He spent much of his first three years in Dallas as nothing more than a name

that would appear prominently in Oxnard,

only to be a non-factor during the regular season.

Armstrong made headlines in 2021 after making five starts for Dallas and recording five sacks that season.

However, it wasn’t until 2022 that everyone realized what he was capable of when given a fair chance.

Not only was he an excellent special team player,

but he finished the season second on the team in sacks (8.5), trailing only Micah Parsons.

He was second on the squad in tackles for loss (10), and second on the team in total pressures.

It was a defining season for Armstrong.

Armstrong played less snaps this season than the prior season, indicating a smaller role for him.

He still managed to register 7.5 sacks, while his total tackle count increased from the previous year.

The issue for Armstrong is the role he plays as a designated pass rusher and

the number of pass rushers available on the squad.

Sam Williams appears to be taking on a larger role,

Viliami Fehoko Jr. is awaiting his opportunity, and Dante Fowler Jr. is also about to join the free agent market.

If the Cowboys decide to look at prospects on Day 2 or early Day 3, they will have plenty of alternatives.

Guys like  Marshawn Kneeland from Western Michigan,

or Brandon Dorlus from Oregon could prove to be cheaper options that fill the void.

Johnathan Hankins

Johnathan Hankins has been an important component for the Cowboys defense in stopping the run.

The team is desperate for run-stopping guys like Hankins,

and people’s reactions to Mazi Smith’s performance just heighten the urgency to keep him.

His cap hit last season was just more than $1 million,

and given that he is nearly 32 and hoping to sign one final contract,

he may expect to be around the same figure.

He finished the year with three sacks, the second highest in his career,

but the injuries are concerning given his age.

Jerry’s main source of opinion on this move comes from the coaches,

and how they believe Mazi Smith’s development has been thus far,

or how they feel about other contingencies if they go ahead and stay with Smith as their starting nose tackle.

Tyron Smith

This is the biggest one. Last year, Smith signed a one-year, almost prove-it deal.

The contract was structured on playing time,

which meant Smith was paid according on how many games he played,

which benefited Dallas more than Smith.

The unavoidable happened, and the once-crown gem of the Cowboys’ offensive line missed time again last season.

This meant more line shuffling, which exacerbated issues of inconsistency and communication.

Smith has shown to be a Pro Bowl-caliber player when healthy and one of the top left tackles in the business.

However, he is now 33 years old, and his injuries have accumulated in recent years.

He hasn’t played a full season since 2015, and the last  four seasons, he’s only started 30 games.

But that isn’t the only aspect Jerry must consider while making a choice on Smith.

There is speculation that Smith will simply retire now that his contract is up.

He could elect to play and open himself up to other organizations looking to maximize his final contract,

but that hasn’t been Smith’s style in the past.

Smith would need to accept a team-friendly contract,

or Jerry would have to look at the draft for a successor and continue to rebuild the offensive line.

The only other alternative would be to put Tyler Smith at left tackle,

which this team declined to do last season,

opting for other guys on the roster to fill the void.

Non-free agent bonus decision

Brandin cooks.

This may appear to be a weird option to have here,

but it is due to two primary factors: age and cap cost.

Currently, Cooks is expected to cost the Cowboys $10 million against the cap next year,

and the Cowboys are predicted to be $11 million over the cap in 2024.

Releasing an aging Cooks with a post-June 1 designation would save almost $8 million in cap space,

helping to minimize the deficit.

It is true. Cooks scored eight touchdowns last season and played a key role in several games.

However, as a support weapon alongside CeeDee Lamb, he was at times unimpressive.

The clearest example of this occurred during the Wild Card game,

when he failed to step up during Lamb’s first-half struggles, finishing the game with only 47 receiving yards.

There’s no disputing Cooks is an excellent support weapon for Dak,

but this is more of a preference for other players on the roster,

such as Jalen Tolbert or even Jalen Brooks.

However, there are possibilities at wide receiver in a draft class with lots of variation at the position.

This might be a critical move that has far-reaching consequences for the offense or the cap room,

both of which require additional space.

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