The Dallas Cowboys have a ton of cap space entering the 2020 season but they also have a long list of free agents to consider re-signing. The top priority is quite obvious and has been for over a year now but beyond that there is potential for debate. These are the top Dallas Cowboys free agents in order of priority heading into the 2020 offseason.
1. Dak Prescott, QB
To no one’ s surprise, Dak Prescott tops this list. Securing the services of a franchise quarterback is always the top priority for any team. That is why it was puzzling last season when Ezekiel Elliott was given an extension before Dak Prescott despite having a 5th year option on his contract. Puzzling as that was it did make perfect sense for Elliott to do what he did. The lack of compensation for RB’s compared to other positions and wear and tear on the body demands that a running back strike a deal while the iron is hot and their demand is highest. The Dallas Cowboys however, were unwise to prioritize Ezekiel Elliott over Dak Prescott as Dak’s price tag only goes up but that same is not true for Zeke. The Dallas Cowboys front office can’t take all of the blame for not getting the deal done with Dak though. Dak Prescott and his representative’s seemed willing to wait it out and let Carson Wentz and Jared Goff get paid first, driving up the market price. That was a risky play with injuries a potential factor but it seems to have paid off. Either way, both parties need to get together and make something happen or we could be looking at the next franchise tagged quarterback and potentially another Kirk Cousins like fiasco.
2. Amari Cooper, WR
When the Dallas Cowboys traded for Amari Cooper in 2018, they made it clear that they wanted to keep him around for a long time. After he exploded onto the scene and helped the Cowboys reach the playoffs that season he briefly reached the status of divine savior for fans in Dallas. But, 2019 was a different story. He started off hot, as did the Cowboys, but fizzled down the stretch and struggled on the road. He also struggled against better competition which reminded fans why the Raiders were willing to move on from him in the first place. This has led many Dallas Cowboy fans to cast doubts on whether Cooper would be worth $18+ million a year. Sadly, the Dallas Cowboys do not have much choice but to roll the dice here. The Dallas Cowboys offense is substantially worse without Amari Cooper. He is by far the best route runner on the team and has an excellent rapport with Dak Prescott. He battled through injuries in 2019 but was still the teams leading receiver. The Dallas Cowboys simply need to sign Amari Cooper and that could mean that the other players on this list will not be on the team when the season starts.
3. Byron Jones, CB
Byron Jones has emerged as a top tier shut down corner. He excelled under the tutelage of Kris Richard and became a Pro-Bowler after moving over from the safety position last season. I would love for the Dallas Cowboys to keep Byron Jones but I do not think it is financially feasible. The Dallas Cowboys have a ton of cap space and can afford to keep Jones if they really want to, but salary cap space is still limited and there are a ton of Dallas Cowboys free agents that need to be considered at nearly every position. Byron Jones is a stud and he is also a very high character player but I do not believe he is as valuable as his market price will demand in free agency. I have always been of the mindset that if the team has a strong front 7, then that could compensate for an average secondary. I also believe that if a corner back is going to be paid top dollars in free agency, he had better be able to take the ball away regularly. The new Dallas Cowboys defensive coaching staff is hoping to reverse the trend of the defense consistently being among the bottom in the league in creating takeaways. It would then surprise me greatly if knowing that, the Dallas Cowboys front office still went out and spent top dollar on a cornerback who has recorded only 1 career interception.
4. Robert Quinn, DE
The addition of Robert Quinn in 2019 was a great move for the Dallas Cowboys front office. Despite the disappointing season the team had, Robert Quinn was a bright spot on defense. He led the team with 11.5 sacks despite missing 2 games at the beginning of the year while suspended. In addition to the sack numbers, he showed a rare explosiveness that has been missing from the Dallas Cowboys pass rush since DeMarcus Ware was released from the team. It would be hard to justify paying a large amount of money for a player who is in the twilight of his career but clearly 2019 Robert Quinn showed that he still has it. The ability to rush the passer in the NFl is unquantifiable and if I were in charge of the Dallas Cowboys, I would try to find a way to bring Robert Quinn back.
5. Randall Cobb, WR
Randall Cobb proved to be a legitimate weapon in the slot for the Dallas Cowboys. The veteran receiver was able to stay healthy and had his best season in years. He combined with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup to form arguably one the best receiving corps in the NFL. For all that he and the Dallas Cowboys offense accomplished last season, the team still failed to make the playoffs. I could be on board with bringing Randall Cobb back but the price must be right. Finding a young, capable, slot receiver in the draft would be lot easier than finding a stud pass rusher such as Robert Quinn. If I have to choose between the two, I would take Robert Quinn way ahead of Randall Cobb.
Those are the top 5 priority Dallas Cowboys free agents but there are several others who have expired contracts as well. Other key players include Maliek Collins, Joe Looney and Xavier Su’a-Filo, Anthony Brown, and Tavon Austin. When the free agency period rolls around, the Dallas Cowboys may find themselves having to address multiple holes in their roster but hopefully they are able to keep the big fish (Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper) out of the water when the flood gates open.
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All data and statistics obtained and verified through https://www.pro-football-reference.com/