The Dallas Cowboys entered the off-season with over $74 million to spend, more than enough to finally be active on the bigger names on the open market. We are now just a week into free agency and Dallas’ available cap has shrunk considerably.
As discussed for weeks, the Cowboys had four big free agents to consider this off-season: QB Dak Prescott, WR Amari Cooper, CB Byron Jones and DE Robert Quinn. Conventional wisdom suggested the team couldn’t afford all four players, which led to Prescott and Cooper becoming the priorities, Jones would be gone and Quinn would test the market, with the Cowboys cautiously optimistic in retaining their sack leader from 2019.
The experts were right on this one. Prescott was hit with the franchise tag at around $30 million, Cooper was re-signed, and Jones flew the coop for an enormous contract. Quinn also left after getting an offer from the Chicago Bears the Cowboys were not going to match.
In addition to losing Jones and Quinn, the Cowboys also lost DT Maliek Collins and S Jeff Heath. The Cowboys had to rebuild their defensive line and replace two starters in the secondary.
The Cowboys got to work after tagging Prescott and keeping Cooper. To date, Dallas has resigned 10 of their own free agents and plucked five from other teams, including two defensive linemen and two secondary pieces.
Add it all up and according to Spotrac, the Cowboys have just over $20 million in cap space remaining. With all the best players, for the most part, off the market, did the team invest wisely?
The simple answer is no. By franchising Prescott, it ate into a sizable chunk of what the Cowboys had to spend. Re-signing Cooper and TE Blake Jarwin, along with bringing in Gerald McCoy put some extra dents into their cap space.
If the team had gotten a deal done with Prescott before free agency began, they could’ve possibly had more room to maneuver in free agency. Perhaps then Dallas could’ve tagged or re-signed Byron Jones. The extra savings could’ve also went into signing Emmanuel Sanders, who the team deemed too expensive to sign.
Even with Prescott tagged, the Cowboys have money to use on some big name players, but haven’t pulled the trigger. Sanders would’ve been a great addition at WR, while DE’s Everson Griffen, Jadeveon Clowney and Michael Bennett are still available to upgrade the defensive line.
There is also help in the secondary if the team wants to continue looking, but they missed the boat on the top talent. It was talent they could’ve afforded.
The Cowboys can improve before the season begins and they still have money to use in free agency. Just because the team hasn’t spent it, doesn’t mean they won’t use their cap space if necessary.
There is no way of knowing who the Cowboys might’ve spent their money on if they had more salary cap room by signing Prescott. Perhaps they would’ve operated the same way even with more money available. The space has been there for the Cowboys to use and upgrade the team, they just haven’t used it.
It’s puzzling how the Cowboys have operated; they could’ve had Prescott signed, along with Cooper, McCoy, Sanders and even Byron Jones if they wanted. They selected another path and have kept plenty of room under their salary cap.
The questions remains why?
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