Cowboys $16 Million of Cap Room; Next Free Agency Target with Brandin Cooks New Contract Restructure?

New Cowboys receiver Brandin Cooks has had his contract restructured, thus creating more cap room for Dallas. Does this mean the free agency shopping will continue?

The Dallas Cowboys' signing of Brandin Cooks was met with fanfare as the franchise got its "playmaker with juice" to help ease the burden on CeeDee Lamb.

While Dallas fans are in a positive mood over the team's current dealings, what has now happened will raise the collective eyebrows and give them a sense of excitement about what might happen next.

The Cowboys have restructured Cooks' contract, as first noted by ESPN. They turned $8 million of his $12 million salary into a signing bonus. He will have a salary of just $4 million.

Cooks will only count $6 million towards the 2023 cap, but is still making his $18 million this year guaranteed with the Houston Texans paying $6 million of the contract. 

The move also gives Dallas what believe is about $16 million in cap space.

Oh, and that isn't counting the post-June 1 savings (roughly $10 million) from cutting Ezekiel Elliott either.

That'll help then. What about now? Is it possible that after securing the futures of a host of starters and acquiring Stephon Gilmore and Cooks via trade, the restructure is designed to help Dallas still operate in the free agency market?

There is certainly cap room to get something done, and the one name that doesn't appear to be going away is free agent linebacker Bobby Wagner, who has been projected to cost around $7 million APY. Likely out of the running for both DeAndre Hopkins and Odell Beckham Jr. due to Cooks' signing, the Cowboys can make a move or two if they want with other offensive weaponry ... but CowboysSI.com is told that in addition to some backup help on offense, Dallas is prioritizing adding a run-stuffing defender.

While owner Jerry Jones isn't exactly "wildcatting," it does feel like another move could be in the pipeline even after a host of impressive shuffles have already been executed. Stay tuned ...

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