Cowboys Free Agency: 5 'Big-Name' Targets if Jerry Jones 'Goes for It'

After another "almost'' season, is it time for the Cowboys' Jerry Jones to oversee some "go-for-it'' moves?

​The Dallas Cowboys enter the offseason with many issues that must be addressed. From player contracts to free agency targets and even potentially saying goodbye to staples of the organization over the years, it all points to a defining period for Dallas.

After seeing the Philadelphia Eagles make it to the Super Bowl and look good doing it, does it cause owner Jerry Jones to shift back to his old "empty the bucket'' mentality of Cowboys roster-building?

A reminder for those who completely dismiss the idea (even as Jones himself talks about the pitfalls of "go for it''): Nobody over the course of the last 32 years has made more "go for it'' moves than "Wildcattin' Jerry'' and indeed, even last summer, in an under-publicized try, Dallas made a competitive ($14 million APY) offer to Von Miller before he moved to Buffalo.

So ... it's possible.

For the purposes of this exercise, we offer five "name'' players (our ideas, though "presented through a Cowboys filter'') of how Dallas could attack free agency as a way of catching the loaded Eagles ...

Devin Singletary, running back - Done with his rookie contract in Buffalo. Can he replicate Tony Pollard at half the price (a projected $5 million APY) of the Cowboys franchise-tag-eligible standout?

Patrick Peterson, cornerback - A 12-year vet from Minnesota, still a playmaker, has talked openly and often about someday wanting to play for Dallas and comes with a $6 mil APY projection.

Daron Payne, defensive tackle - A do-it-all star who might get tagged in Washington as the Commanders wrestle with the idea of being financially overloaded in their D-line. Bite the bullet? Payne might come with a $19 million APY price tag.

Trai Turner, guard - Another Commander? Yes, and this one seems more realistic. He's a five-time Pro Bowler no longer playing at that level. But the LSU product (the Cowboys know them well) is a nine-year vet and is just 29 years old and has lately signed a series of one-year contracts. Projected salary for one year in 2023? Just $2.6 million.

D.J. Chark, wide receiver - Projected to make $9 million in 2023 - again, half what the "stars'' will be commanding - Chark is a splash-play guy who, after being taken in the second round of the 2018 Draft, has dealt with injury issues. But he's got Pro Bowl credentials and 4.3 speed.

Coming are decisions regarding what Dallas does with the likes of Tyron Smith and Ezekiel Elliott, both of whom are listed by CowboysSI.com as players who could make way to free up nearly $50 million in cap space. And Dallas likes to "sign our own,'' likely prioritizing Pollard, Terence Steele (restricted), Leighton Vander Esch, Donovan Wilson, Connor McGovern and maybe Dalton Schultz) ... while also eyeing what to do now that CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs are extension-eligible.

Oh, and Dallas can enter the process with $50 million in new cap room, as detailed here.

Free agents will dot the landscape, and regarding receivers, Dallas is spoilt for choice. Same with trade options. Combine those two concepts and discussions about Brandin Cooks, DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, and Odell Beckham Jr. are all merited as "splash" ideas.

But this doesn't have to just be about receiver, even as its the most talked-about position. Free agency is a place to fill holes, and "going for it'' can pay off.

The Eagles know it now. The Cowboys used to know it ... and whether it's about "name players'' or lesser lights, maybe it's time for the Cowboys to show it.

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