DALLAS — One of the more interesting parts of the offseason for the Dallas Cowboys is right around the corner. When free agency opens on March 13, the Cowboys can be aggressive in their attempts to improve from the 2023 season, or they can wait out the first few waves of the open market and pick up players to fill the gaps on the roster.
The latter option is how the team has been operating for over a decade, re-signing their own players while finding cheap pieces to plug the large holes before trying to address their needs in the draft. However, with Jerry Jones intimating that this could be the year that the Cowboys go “all-in,” things might be different this offseason.
There’s skepticism in Jones’ carefully coded words and being “all-in” could mean that the team will again attempt to re-sign their own priority free agents and dole out extensions to eligible options. Does “all-in” simply mean run it back? With the caliber of young players due an extension, it could prove to be a costly endeavor, which is what Jones might be alluding to with his comments.
Quarterback Dak Prescott or wide receiver CeeDee Lamb are both eligible for extensions that should catapult them to be among the highest paid players at each respective positions, and that’s before answering what Dallas will do with their actual free agents.
The Cowboys have 16 free agents in total and there are some that the team needs to consider keeping.
Offense:
Tyron Smith (LT)
Tyler Biadasz (C)
Chuma Edoga (OL)
Tony Pollard (RB)
Rico Dowdle (RB) (Restricted)
Sean McKeon (TE)
Trent Sieg (LS)
Defense:
Stephon Gilmore (CB)
Jourdan Lewis (CB)
C.J. Goodwin
Noah Igbinoghene (CB)
Jayron Kearse (S)
Johnathan Hankins (DT)
Neville Gallimore (DT)
Dorance Armstrong (DE)
Dante Fowler (DE)
From that list, here are the top five priority free agents that the team needs to re-sign for 2024 and beyond:
CB Stephon Gilmore
The veteran cornerback has already expressed his interest in returning to Dallas, but his shoulder surgery and subsequent recovery time of approximately five months makes it a tight window to get back and get up to speed with new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s scheme. Those should be small worries with Gilmore, who’s got the smarts and veteran presence to adapt quickly.
Gilmore had a good season with the Cowboys, demonstrating that he hasn’t lost a step, even at 33-years old. The defense will be getting back perennial All-Pro CB Trevon Diggs to pair with 2023 All-Pro DaRon Bland, so keeping Gilmore in the fold would give the Cowboys the best set of CBs in the league.
LT Tyron Smith
2023 was a resurgent year for the future Hall of Fame tackle, who played in 13 games and was a second-team All-Pro in 2023. Smith hadn’t played in double-digit games in four years, but his in-season schedule that included no practice time during the week helped him stay relatively healthy for most of the year.
At 33-years old, Smith is expected to keep playing and with how well he played last season, it’s hard to argue against him being an integral piece of the offensive line for the upcoming campaign. The Cowboys did draft Tyler Smith in 2022 to be Tyron’s eventual successor, but the work at left guard from Tyler has made him the permanent answer at LG instead of LT.
The Cowboys could – and likely will – draft an offensive lineman in April, but that plan shouldn’t stop them from keeping Smith. Re-signing the veteran LT would give the team more options on the offensive line and keep the left side dominant in Dallas. Another incentive-laden deal would work, and Smith cashed in on $5 million in bonuses by hitting playing time markers last year.
With the Cowboys accounting for any possible time missed, and by adequately preparing to be without Smith by making selections for the line depth in the draft, bringing him back would be the smart move. Smith isn’t a sure thing to play all 17 games, but when he does play, he’s still among the best LTs in the league.
DT Johnathan Hankins
In each of Zimmer’s stops, he’s had a big bodied defensive tackle to help stop the run, which would be something that the Cowboys lack if Hankins doesn’t return. He’s no longer a premiere run-stuffer, but Hankins is the best that the team had at DT in that area in 2023 and should be re-signed to help with one of the defense’s biggest weaknesses.
Hankins also had three sacks in 2023, more than he’s had since his 2016 season with the New York Giants, so he offers some pass rushing help as well. With Zimmer coming in to implement a new scheme, he requires some veteran players to help facilitate the system, and Hankins is a quality fit to bring back.
CB Jourdan Lewis
Yes, even with the hopes that Gilmore re-signs, Lewis should still be a priority to bring back. Lewis’ 2023 started slow, but he came on to be one of the more consistent defensive players late in the season. In late November, Lewis made big plays against the Seattle Seahawks to help the Cowboys earn a win, and he had a big interception against the Detroit Lions to turn the momentum of that contest.
Keeping Lewis would also give the CB position incredible depth and allow the Cowboys to retain one of the best slot CBs in the league. Diggs, Bland, Gilmore, and Lewis would give Zimmer’s defense a veteran group that could very well be the best CB room in the league.
Lewis has been an unheralded part of the defense since he entered the league and keeping him would give the Cowboys an elite unit in the secondary. In a passing league, and in a complicated defensive system that Zimmer runs, re-signing Lewis feels pivotal.
DE Dorance Armstrong
The Cowboys need valuable role players and Armstrong provides depth at a few places. As a part-time pass rusher, Armstrong is coming off his best two seasons as a pro, with 8.5 and 7.5 sacks respectively. In his last three years, the veteran DE has 21 of his 23 career sacks, getting better as the seasons progress.
Armstrong will be just 27-years old in 2024 and is still improving. You can never have enough pass rushers and Armstrong continues to ascend. In addition, Armstrong also offers value as a special teams contributor, where he has blocked three kicks in his career.
Good role players don’t grow on trees and Armstrong won’t cost a lot to keep, which fits right into the Cowboys’ wheelhouse. Armstrong’s a valuable player who should be kept for his versatility.
Which impending free agent do you think should be top priority for the Cowboys? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
