Cowboys FA Priorities: How Much They Miss Dak
After eight games, the Dallas Cowboys are 2-6. The season seems over at this point, and no one can blame the Cowboys for looking ahead to 2021.
Four weeks ago we dropped our first Dallas Cowboys 2021 Free Agent Power Rankings. That was before the Cowboys became further buried under an avalanche of injuries.
So. have our rankings changed? You can see below. Note that these rankings are for current Cowboys players that will be free agents in 2021. The Top 5 are the players that are likely the Cowboys’ highest priorities to keep, followed by notes on the remaining free agents. Players who are no longer on the roster that were included in our first rankings are no longer listed.
1. QB Dak Prescott (unrestricted free agent)
Prescott’s value to this team has skyrocketed after his season-ending injury. The news after his surgery was good — it sounds like he will make a full recovery and be able to play in 2021.
But after the tepid play of Andy Dalton and Ben DiNucci, there is no question the Cowboys have to keep Prescott in 2021 and beyond.
A simple number jumps out: The Cowboys scored more in Dak Prescott's final fourth quarter (24) than they've scored in three total games without him (22).
READ MORE: Cowboys Won't Do 'Fantasy Football Nonsense' In O-Line (But Will At QB)
When Prescott's agent sits across from the Joneses at season's end, he may simply present that stat ... and lean back in his chair and wait.
The good news is that the Cowboys can keep him on a franchise tag in 2021, which defuses any contract talk and keeps the door open to working out a longer-term deal once the negotiation window opens next year.
This week is about Cooper Rush vs. Garrett Gilbert vs. the Steelers.
But the big-picture takeaway here - while acknowledging the temptation to think about drafting a QB if Dallas' slot is that high - is that Prescott really wasn’t going anywhere before his injury, and he surely isn’t going anywhere now.
2. DE Aldon Smith (unrestricted free agent)
When I wrote our first free agent power rankings, Smith had four sacks in four games. In eight games he has five sacks. So, the bloom is off the rose a little bit.
But, that could benefit the Cowboys in trying to keep this dynamic talent for another season at an attractive cost.
READ MORE: Why Dallas Wouldn't Trade Aldon
He’s logged about three-quarters of the Cowboys’ defensive snaps this season, so he’s showing that after his long layoff from the NFL that he’s retained some durability. The Cowboys didn’t deal him at the trade deadline, despite getting calls. They sound committed to leaving the door open to keep him in 2021.
3. OL Joe Looney (unrestricted free agent)
Looney slides up a spot because his value is clear as a swing guard/center who can start and back up. You need players like Looney when you’re trying to put together your Top 8 blockers for Sundays. Looney returned to the roster on Sunday against Philadelphia, but only logged four special-teams snaps. Still, he can be a "glue guy'' going forward ... and he won’t break the bank.
4. CB Chidobe Awuzie (unrestricted free agent)
Awuzie isn’t quite back from injury yet, but odds are good he could be back on Sunday against Pittsburgh. That would give him the rest of this season to prove to the Cowboys that he’s worth keeping on a free-agent contract that will probably be friendlier to the Cowboys, monetarily, than it would be to Awuzie.
5. LB Joe Thomas (unrestricted free agent)
With the return of Leighton Vander Esch, his snaps are going down. Depth remains the biggest reason to keep him at a position where the Cowboys could be looking forhelp in 2021.
Remaining free agents:
Unrestricted
DT Tyrone Crawford: I feel like he’s a goner at this point. He won’t be asked back.
LB Sean Lee: He finally returned from injury and played four snaps on Sunday vs. Philadelphia. His snap count should go up. But if it doesn’t, that could be a real signal that he’s no longer part of the Cowboys’ plans next season.
QB Andy Dalton: He missed Sunday’s game to a concussion. He’s now on the COVID-19 list. If the Cowboys wanted to keep him next season, they could probably try to offer him something cheap at this point. But that probably doesn't fit his long-term goal.
OL Cameron Erving: He’s a backup making $2 million. He might be an option if Looney departs. But if we’re talking priorities, I say it’s Looney.
TE Blake Bell: If he’s back, it’s for the veteran minimum. But Dalton Schultz’s production has rendered Bell all but irrelevant in the offense. In fact, Bell’s best value is as a blocker, right ahead of his value as an emergency quarterback.
LS LP Ladouceur: The Cowboys love him. He’s 40. If both parties want to do it, they’ll do it. LP should probably be higher on my list ... maybe we're taking for granted both his excellence and the ease with which he annually signs.
LB Justin March: Nice depth, but not worth chasing unless it’s at the league minimum. Thomas is clearly a better keep at the position.
CB C.J. Goodwin: I need a reason to keep him. Being a good special-teams performer is nice. It's too bad he can't really play corner.
CB Jourdan Lewis: He’s playing a lot of snaps, but he’s not making plays.
S Xavier Woods: A good, but not great, safety whom the Cowboys would be open to keeping on a team-friendly deal. A great second half could move him into the top 5. But it might be time to turn the page here.
WR Noah Brown: There are way too many options in this passing game to keep Brown on anything above minimum.
Restricted Free Agents
WR Cedrick Wilson: I’ve seen enough to lead me to believe that keeping him as an RFA won’t cost the Cowboys anything more than a non-draft pick tender, giving this intriguing, low-cost player more time to develop.
DT Antwaun Woods: He has a sack, so there’s that. The Cowboys hold the leverage here. Woods needs to give them a reason to trigger that RFA tender next March. Woods could be a Top-5 name ... but the contractual leverage lowers the pressure.
WR Malik Turner: He’s barely playing and the Cowboys have a glut of receivers.
OL Greg Senat and Jordan Mills: Senat hasn’t played an offensive snap yet. He did play four special-teams snaps against Philly. Mills also largely sits and waits, despite some NFL skins on the wall. .. while this coaching staff continues to let rookie UDFA Terence Steele get his trial by fire.
