DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys have a history of cultivating talent among the undrafted free agents.
Whether it is Hall of Famers such as Cliff Harris and Drew Pearson or solid starters such as Tony Romo and La'el Collins, the Cowboys' scouting department routinely delivers talent that slipped through the draft but could still help the team.
Eric Galko, the director of football operations, player personnel, for the Shrine Bowl took time out to give his impressions to WFAA on three rookies who could help the Cowboys:
1. Wide receiver Ty Fryfogle, Indiana — "Ty Fryfogle was a great value. He had a great chance to be a late-round pick, and you go back and watch his 2020 film at Indiana when he really broke out and he looked like a starting X receiver in the NFL, but I think for a team like Dallas that is still retooling their offense and recovering after trading Amari Cooper and losing Cedrick Wilson, I think that for Fryfogle they can practice squad him for a year, develop him a little bit more, this could be a guy that could be a great Cowboys find."
2. Defensive end Big Kat Bryant, Central Florida — "Big Kat Bryant, kind of a tweener, but has a similar body type to Randy Gregory, and I think that's kind of the role that he's not as talented as Gregory, but the role that he can play as weak side edge rusher can be productive. I think he was a grad Auburn transfer, struggled to adapt a little bit at UCF, but has a lot of tools to get better. I think he's a guy that stashes away on a practice squad to kind of have a great chance for him to compete for a roster spot and be part of that rotation in the future."
3. Center Alec Lindstrom, Boston College — "Alec Lindstrom is a player that I was very surprised that he wasn't drafted, and I think he was one of the top centers in this NFL draft class. A lot of NFL teams felt the same, but centers are kind of like kickers and punters where these guys sometimes fall out of the draft because teams don't need a guy at that time or draft early and don't want to take one, too. But to get Lindstrom after the draft, I think [he] will compete with Matt Farniok right away to be the top backup at center. I think he'll win that spot, be the backup center behind Tyler [Biadasz]. I think long-term he's a player that is smart enough to compete and really compete for a starting center job. So, I'm not positive he'll be that guy in Dallas, maybe if they can find a way to stash him on the practice squad. I would guess Dallas probably won't stash [Lindstrom] on a practice squad because I think he'll be coveted by teams during training camp due to injuries. So, I think for the most part they'll want to keep him on the roster, but I think if he can really compete with Matt Farniok and be the team's backup center, a great chance to add value early to the Cowboys."
The last undrafted free agent that developed into a quality starter for Dallas was Texas Tech tackle Terence Steele, who was thrust into the fire amid injuries to All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith and Collins during the 2020 season. The former Cibolo Steele High School product took his lumps over 16 games, 14 of which he started, as a rookie to become a solid right tackle for the Cowboys in 2021.
Which undrafted free agent do you think has the best shot at sticking with the Cowboys? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.