The Dallas Cowboys had a rough start to last season, dropping three games and winning two, but things took a turn for the worst when Dak Prescott sustained a season-ending injury. The team finished with six wins and 10 losses, missing the playoffs despite playing in the worst division that year, the NFC East. It was an injury-riddled season, in general for the Cowboys, so they should be a lot better next time around.
The biggest question for Dallas this offseason was who was playing under center. They gave a 4-year, $160 million answer by agreeing to a deal with Prescott. When all cylinders are firing, the team has one of the better offenses in the league.
They have a solid offensive line, although it is not what it used to be with the retirement of Travis Frederick and Tyron Smith's myriad of injuries. Hopefully, running back Ezekiel Elliot has a bounce-back year. Lastly, Prescott has a lot of weapons with a pair of 1,100-yard receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup and the addition of rookie CeeDee Lamb.
Dallas' defense or lack thereof is another story. The pass defense was lackluster, but their performance against the run was abysmal. They conceded an average of 158.8 rushing yards per game. They are especially vulnerable when opposing teams run the ball up the middle. Given all that, Dallas needs to be prudent with how they'll be spending their money this offseason.
Here are two free agents the Cowboys should leave on the market.
Shelby Harris, DI
The best way to stop teams from gashing the Cowboys inside is to add a big-bodied defensive tackle to stuff the run. This is what Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe were supposed to do, but both moves did not pan out.
This free agency class does not have too many elite interior defensive linemen and the best of them, Leonard Williams was franchise-tagged by the New York Giants., but it does have a good number of solid ones.
Harris is an under-the-radar signing that would make most defensive lines better. Ironically, he was on the Cowboys practice squad in 2016, but that's hindsight for you. Harris is well-versed in both stopping the run and rushing the passer. Because he has not had that many snaps in his NFL career, he has less mileage and wear-and-tear than most.
The downside being his production might not be that consistent. Harris is only 29-years old and has plenty of quality football left. The issue is that while he is underrated, there are cheaper options available and Dallas could use all the cap space they can get.
For signing Harris, the Cowboys could probably get one-year deals for veterans Jurrell Casey and Lawrence Guy. Casey is one of the most consistent and disruptive linemen around, before going down early last season with an injury.
He was a Pro Bowler from 2015 to 2019, so he is not too far removed from his peak. Guy was a member of the New England Patriots for four years and was a key cog in their Super Bowl win 2018. There's not much to expect from this Guy in passing downs, but he is an elite run stuffer and this is what Dallas is in dire need of.
Malik Hooker, S
The Cowboys secondary has some interesting pieces like Donovan Wilson and Trevon Diggs, but as a whole, the defensive backs were getting lit up on a weekly basis. Also, the defense has had this trend of having few interceptions.
Safeties are in high demand and a possible indicator of this is the fact that the top safeties in this free agency class – Marcus Maye, Justin Simmons, and Marcus Williams were all franchise tagged by their respective teams. The New Orleans Saints front office did some salary cap magic again to make the Williams tag possible.
Dallas could use a playmaking safety capable of lifting their takeaway totals up. Hooker had a lot of hype around him coming out of Ohio State, but major injuries have kept him from living up to those expectations. In three seasons, he has played a combined 33 games.
If he could stay healthy, the potential is still there as he had three interceptions in his seven rookie games. Scheme is important as Hooker plays his best in a single-high safety formation.
As injuries decimated the Cowboys last season, they should consider rolling a different kind of dice in Earl Thomas. At his peak, Thomas defined the free safety position and was a problem for opposing offenses, as he had ridiculous range, but he has regressed from his Legion of Boom days.
Thomas had numerous off-field incidents in his stint with the Baltimore Ravens, but Dallas is a franchise that has taken gambles with those kinds of players. Also, Thomas has expressed his desire in the past to suit up for America's Team, and playing in his home state might do him some good.
