What the Dallas Cowboys got right & wrong during NFL free agency

The Dallas Cowboys made the right call on a few pending free agents but there were a couple they should have retained.

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This was quite the offseason for the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones famously claimed the team was "all-in" before sitting on his hands throughout free agency.

He was criticized for avoiding outside free agents but also ignored most of their in-house players set to hit the open market.

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With 13 weeks behind us, we have a better gauge on how well this strategy worked out. For the most part, the front office made some good decisions but there were some mistakes. Let's see which three pending free agents the Cowboys were right to let walk and two they should have re-signed.

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Cowboys were right on Dorance Armstrong

Washington Commanders defensive end Dorance Armstrong and defensive end Clelin Ferrell / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Stephen Jones once compared Dorance Armstrong to Randy Gregory, which seemed far-fetched at the time. Fast-forward a couple of years, and Armstrong proved to be a far superior option.

As a rotational pass rusher, Armstrong had 16 sacks after signing a two-year extension in 2022. He parlayed that into a three-year deal worth $45 million with the Washington Commanders. That was a rich contract that Dallas was never going to match, and they've been proven right.

In 12 starts under Dan Quinn, Armstrong has 25 tackles and 3.0 sacks. He's been effective against the run and despite the low numbers, is a good starter. The problem is that he's not playing like a $15 million per year player whereas the Cowboys have gotten 4.0 sacks from Carl Lawson who is making a fraction of that.

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Cowboys were wrong on Dante Fowler, Jr.

Washington Commanders linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Another defender who followed Quinn to Washington, Dante Fowler, Jr. signed a one-year, $3.25 million and has delivered much more than expected. In 13 games, the veteran pass-rusher has 30 tackles and 8.5 sacks. For good measure, he's added a 67-yard interception return for a touchdown as well.

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Fowler had 10 sacks in two years for Dallas and would have been a massive help early in the year with Micah Parsons missing time with an ankle injury.

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Cowboys were right on Tyler Biadasz

Washington Commanders center Tyler Biadasz / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Commanders didn't just steal defensive players from Dallas, they also signed Tyler Biadasz to take over as their starting center. Biadasz was always an underrated player and earned a three-year deal worth $29.25 million. He's lived up to that contract, entering Week 14 as one of the top-10 centers according to PFF.

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While it's true that Washington made a good move, it's also fair to say this was the right call for Dallas. They were able to replace Biadasz with rookie Cooper Beebe, who has the makings of a long-term starter. This was a great example of finding a suitable replacement that helped them save cap space.

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Cowboys were wrong on Tony Pollard

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

As good as it was to save cap space, the Cowboys didn't use it to add help at running back. Sure, they brought Ezekiel Elliott back but that's worked out exactly the way everyone not named Jerry Jones said it would.

Elliott was released in 2023 in favor of Tony Pollard, who had his first-career 1,000-yard campaign in 2022. Pollard was coming off a broken leg suffered in the playoff loss to San Francisco and didn't seem to have his typical burst early in the season.

Despite this, he had 1,005 yards on the ground and 311 through the air. Dallas didn't believe that was enough to keep him around, so he signed a three-year deal worth $21.75 million to play for the Tennessee Titans.

Pollard is well on his way to a third consecutive 1,000-yard campaign with 835 yards on the ground. For good measure, he's also recorded 211 through the air.

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Cowboys were right on Tyron Smith

New York Jets offensive tackle Tyron Smith / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

This one was tough.

Tyron Smith was a stud at left tackle for 13 years in Dallas and was still playing at an elite level in 2023. The problem was that he couldn't stay healthy.

Smith hasn't played a full slate of games since 2015 and over the course of his final four years with the Cowboys, he missed 38 games. That's why they decided to let him walk and look for a long-term replacement.

Tyler Guyton has yet to prove he's the answer but they still made the right call on Smith, who signed with the New York Jets.

The veteran left tackle played in 10 games before being sent to the IR with a neck injury. His season is over and there's a belief that he could be done in the league as well.

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