What are the pending tasks for the Dallas Cowboys after the first wave of free agency?

Although Dallas has managed to retain a significant number of its own free agents, there are still plenty of holes to fill on the roster five weeks into the 2022 NFL Draft.

FRISCO — At some point, it would be nice to hear from Dallas Cowboys when they say they won’t spend too much during free agency.

At some point, it would be nice to see the cowboys as a recruiting and development team, choosing to keep their own players in exchange for big-ticket contracts.

“Whenever you’re fighting to get your free agents back in your locker room, that’s where you want to be,” the head coach said. mike mccarthy during the NFL scouting combinelast February.

The goal of cowboys it’s using free agency to plug holes and allow them to create a draft evaluation table based less on filling glaring holes and more on selecting the best possible player.

That’s happened — to some degree — with their free-agent moves, so far, they’ve re-signed 10 of their own, and kept most of the prioritized ones, except for defensive end randy gregory. They added two players — defensive end Dante Fowler Jr.. and wide receiver james washington— although neither will prevent the team from drafting a prospect at either of those two positions.

With the draft five weeks away, cowboys They have plenty of time to prepare their evaluation table, and many needs to attend to.

interior offensive line

The cowboys they weren’t going to hold connor-williamswho signed a two-year deal with the Miami Dolphins for 14 million dollars. Not after he committed 15 penalties (12 allowed) in 2021 and suffered too much inconsistency over the years. They knew — and he knew — that a clean start elsewhere was best.

However, it does leave a gap. Connor McGovern failed to clinch the job after the coaches benched Williams Last season. Will they be able to cowboys reach the 2022 campaign with him as the undisputed starter? For now, Tyler Biadasz He is the undisputed starter as a center. Will it be once camp starts over the summer? Probably. The cowboys they need to add a veteran presence to fill a backup spot or pressure one of the starters inside (think joe looneybut maybe a little better).

But based on the current roster composition, if the Cowboys had to use their 24th pick in the first round, guard and center would be the most pressing needs. That lines up to where the center of Iowa, Tyler Linderbaumthe guard of Texas A&M, Kenny Greenor the guard Boston College, Zion JohnsonThey could be elected in April.

defensive line

The Cowboys retained Dorance Armstrong and signed to Fowler after losing to gregory. Also, they kept DeMarcus Lawrence through a restructured contract. They’re clearly looking for a rotation of defensive linemen up front, so adding another player from the outside in the early rounds makes sense.

The same goes for a defensive tackle. They have a number of technical tackles-3, such as Trysten Hill, Neville Gallimore and Osa Odighizuwa. They do not have too much mass, leaving Quinton Bohanna (6 feet 4 inches and 360 pounds as the exception). They rehired Charles Watkins and they could do the same as Brent Urbanwhich would help.

Considering their strategy in recent years, they don’t see nose tackle as a big priority (like for a first-round draft pick, or big money in free agency), so it could be a mid- or late-round addition here.

offensive tackle

At right tackle, cowboys they have Terence Steele replacing La’el Collinswho was cut off and subsequently joined the Cincinnati Bengals. They’re optimistic about Steele, who has started 27 games over his first two seasons. Tyron Smith he’s entering his 11th NFL season, and hasn’t played a full season since 2015. Finding a potential replacement in the draft would be nice, but that would have to happen early.

The predecessor of Smith on the left side was Doug Freea former fourth-round pick, so anything is possible in the middle rounds.

It’s not just the starting job, though. Who is the swing tackle? Last year’s fourth-round pick, Josh Ball, did not play and trained with work due to an ankle injury. The cowboys veterans have been hired to fill this role in recent years, such as cameron fleming and Ty Nsekhe. Maybe bring back Nsekhe for a year and put him to compete with Ball and/or some other low cost recruit/free agent is the way for the cowboys.

wide receiver

After sending via exchange of Amari Cooper to the cleveland browns and see Cedrick Wilson emigrate in free agency, bound for the dolphinsthe cowboys they tied up Michael Gallup with a five-year contract and 57 million dollars, and added Washington with a one year agreement. Also, they held Noah Brown with one season agreement.

It’s enough? hope with Gallup is that he can return from his knee injury in September, meaning he could miss a game or two. Washington he had 24 receptions last year, just eight more than Brown. Considering how much you like them cowboys open three formations, it might not be enough and they might be looking for another guy in the draft, above the fifth round, where they found Simi Fehok a year ago.

tight wing

Dalton Schultz is back thanks to the franchise tag and with a cost of 10.9 million dollars. The cowboys they have until July to sign him to a long-term deal, but at the moment, that doesn’t seem to be the plan. Blake Jarwin he was released with a hip injury. They are also Jeremy Sprinkle, Sean McKeon and Ian Bunting in template.

Given the Schultz he’s tied to the roster — for now — for just one more year, adding a tight end would seem like a must. The good news? It appears to be a deep litter of closed wings. The cowboys they got to Schultz in the fourth round. Perhaps, there is another option out there in the middle rounds, like Cade Otto from Washington, charlie kolar from Iowa State or Jake Ferguson from Wisconsin.

Kicker

They were able to hold off the punter from Pro Bowl, Bryan Angeron a three-year deal, but the only placekicker on the roster is Chris Nagar. Something will have to be done, right?

The feeling coming into free agency is that Anger would cost too much. With 3 million dollars a year, the cowboys they’re top of the market for the position, meaning they’ll have to aim much lower for the placekicker market. The cowboys could renew with Greg Zuerleinwho was released after missing six field goal attempts and six extra point attempts last year, for the veteran minimum.

The Bengals they selected Evan McPherson in the fifth round last year, and he took them to the superbowl. Betting on a rookie always has mixed results, but the same goes for a veteran like Zuerleinlast season.

In which round was he chosen? McPherson last year? The fifth. The cowboys they have four fourth-round picks currently.