FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys are poised to do anything they want in NFL free agency. It just might not be what Cowboys fans want them to do.
The Cowboys saved $15.5 million on what quarterback Dak Prescott would have counted on the franchise tag compared to what he will count against the salary cap on his $160 million deal. They created some $17 million in cap space by restructuring the contracts of offensive linemen Tyron Smith, Zack Martin and La’el Collins. They can create many millions more by re-working the deals of wide receiver Amari Cooper, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and even running back Ezekiel Elliott.
As the free-agency period opens and big-name signings flash in your head, the wiser move for Cowboys fans would be to enjoy the early signs of spring instead.
But that won’t happen and the calls will be deafening as the league year starts Wednesday. Why aren’t the Cowboys signing any free agents? Why don’t they go after Safety X or Cornerback Y or Defensive Tackle Z? Why are they always looking for bargain prices?
The team’s reaction will be a simple shrug of the shoulders. The Cowboys will be patient, like they always have been.
“We do believe we can manage through this and really improve our defense, and obviously the heart and soul of any team is the draft,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “We got one of the best in the business in [Cowboys’ vice president of player personnel] Will McClay and his scouting group and they’re going to do a tremendous job, I think, of helping us find defensive players.
“Now you got to be open-minded or you don’t get CeeDee Lamb if he happens to be sitting there. At the same time, I think through the draft is obviously a great way for us to improve our team. When it comes to the cap, I think we got the resources to do under the cap what we need to do to put a defense out there with Dak and the offense to be a championship team.”
Free agency has not been kind to the Cowboys recently. It was especially unkind in 2020.
Last year, the Cowboys signed five unrestricted free agents: defensive lineman Gerald McCoy, safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, tight end Blake Bell, cornerback Maurice Canady and place-kicker Greg Zuerlein. Defensive tackle Dontari Poe, pass-rusher Aldon Smith, defensive end Everson Griffen and cornerback Daryl Worley do not count toward the compensatory pick formula and were not classified as unrestricted free agents.
At the time of the signings, the Cowboys were praised for taking reasonable risks on proven veteran talent, while not breaking the bank for any of them.
Things changed.
McCoy, who signed a three-year, $18 million deal, suffered a torn quadriceps in the first padded practice of camp. Clinton-Dix did not make the team out of training camp despite his long history with coach Mike McCarthy. Canady opted out of the season because of the coronavirus pandemic. Bell was a productive backup tight end to Dalton Schultz. Zuerlein rebounded with a fine season, connecting on 34 field goal attempts.
Poe was ineffective and cut after seven games. Griffen, who signed during training camp, was traded to the Detroit Lions after seven games. Worley was cut after seven games.
The good news is those players did not adversely affect the Cowboys’ salary cap for 2021.
While the Cowboys seem to always be linked to the big-name or high-priced free agents, the last one they actually paid monster money to was cornerback Brandon Carr (five years, $50 million) in 2012.
Since 2012, Dallas has signed the likes of defensive tackle Cedric Thornton to a four-year, $17 million deal in 2016 and he lasted one season. Defensive back Nolan Carroll signed a three-year, $10 million deal in 2017 with $3 million guaranteed before he was cut two games into the 2017 season. McCoy’s initial guarantee was $7 million, but the team had a clause in the deal that should he suffer the exact injury he suffered, they would be off the hook for all but the $3 million signing bonus.
The Cowboys will say they will be ready for anything in free agency. Dallas owner and general manager Jerry Jones will laud the team’s structure with him as the final decision-maker in their ability to move more quickly than teams that have a more traditional owner and general manager partnership.
The hooting and hollering will get loud, especially as other teams in the NFC East add playmakers.
But the Cowboys view free agency as a place to fill holes, not permanently fix them. The 2021 NFL draft is when Dallas will permanently fix those holes at a higher success rate and cheaper cost.