The Dallas Cowboys have just 24 hours remaining before pandemonium breaks loose around the NFL. The legal tampering period might as well be the official start of the league year, allowing teams to work out deals with free agents prior to having to be cap compliant. Regardless, Dallas isn’t likely to be major players for external free agents, but could have to engage in bidding wars with some of their own guys.
With so much talk about moving on from players such as WR Amari Cooper, (who is now gone), DE DeMarcus Lawrence and RT La’el Collins via trade or release, it’s hard to get a grip on what the Cowboys want to do in the draft. Add in the franchise tag placed on Dalton Schultz and trying to work out long-term deals with he and WR Michael Gallup, it’s as confusing a time as ever.
For this mock draft exercise, we will make a few assumptions of what the roster will look like heading into the end of April.
Editor’s Note: These assumptions were made one week ago, on March 7.
Assumption 1: Cooper is dealt (done), Michael Gallup is signed to a deal leaving him as WR2 behind CeeDee Lamb (done).
Assumption 2: Cedrick Wilson leaves the team in free agency, Malik Turner returns.
Assumption 3: DeMarcus Lawrence remains on the team and the team signs Randy Gregory to a new deal.
Assumption 4: Jayron Kearse returns at safety as does Malik Hooker, but Damontae Kazee goes elsewhere in free agency.
Assumption 5: Neither Leighton Vander Esch nor Keanu Neal return to the club, but Dallas signs one veteran linebacker not named Bobby Wagner.
Assumption 6: The team trades La’el Collins, Terence Steele is the starting RT and Josh Ball the swing.
Assumption 7: Blake Jarwin (done), Anthony Brown are bumped in the depth chart (and off the team) by Sean McKeon and Kelvin Joseph respectively.
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