Cowboys Call Bobby Wagner & Leighton Vander Esch in Free Agency

Would the Cowboys prefer to sign Bobby Wagner over Leighton Vander Esch in NFL free agency?

FRISCO - Forgive our skepticism but we’re wondering if these are “recruiting calls” …

Or “courtesy calls.”

After being released from the Los Angeles Rams, Bobby Wagner got a call from the Dallas Cowboys. ... which is about all the team has done with its own free agent linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.

That is to say, Dallas has "touched base'' with both players. ... and nothing more.

What happened to "sign our own''? What happened to Vander Esch "is a priority''? 

Would the Cowboys prefer Bobby Wagner over Leighton Vander Esch?

The Cowboys have reached out Wagner, though how serious they might be on bidding on the former Seattle star (who played there under Dallas coordinator Dan Quinn) isn't known; one source close to the situation tells CowboysSI.com that there is a belief among some NFL teams that Wagner "doesn't run well anymore.''

Wagner turns 33 in June; Vander Esch just turned 27 and there are no concerns with him "running well.''

A year ago, Dallas called Wagner before he signed with the Rams and made what we might call a "not-serious'' offer to lure him to The Star.

Instead, he got what was billed as a five-year, $50 million deal with the Rams that actually lasted one season.

Meanwhile, a year ago, Dallas sat back and watched the market for Vander Esch unfold. Sources told CowboysSI.com at the time that he nearly received an $8 million APY deal to move to the Steelers ... but when that didn't come to fruition, he returned to Dallas for a one-year, $2 million deal that proved to be one of the NFL's best bargains.

Has Dallas made an offer to Vander Esch? On Sunday, the eve of the opening of the "legal tampering'' free agency window, we're told the answer is "no.''

Wagner has also been in talks with the Seahawks about a potential return, and that probably sits as the best fit after a season in L.A. during which he was named an All Pro for the sixth time in his career.

The Cowboys, similarly, might view the "easiest path'' to be the one that takes them back to the versatile signal-caller Vander Esch. But at this moment?

The Cowboys are walking up these paths at a very slow pace.

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