Category: 2025 free agency

27 Cowboys free agents and whether or not they should be brought back

The Dallas Cowboys got the band back together for one last attempt at glory and it did not go well. Facing a ton of decisions over the 2024 offseason, Jerry Jones and the front office decided against making long-term investments early in the spring. …

The Dallas Cowboys got the band back together for one last attempt at glory and it did not go well. Facing a ton of decisions over the 2024 offseason, Jerry Jones and the front office decided against making long-term investments early in the spring. Instead they let their coaching staff, almost all on the final years of their deals, navigate the summer work with giant question marks over the head of their two most important offensive weapons, QB Dak Prescott and WR CeeDee Lamb.

The Joneses waited until the end of training camp to ink those two to long-term deals, but the damange was done. The inactivity of the offseason served as an infection, rotting the 2024 season from the inside out. Now, with just seven games remaining on the schedule Dallas will play out the string. It’s almost assured Mike McCarthy and his staff will be replaced, making decisions on the 27 free agents on the current roster more difficult to project. The next staff will have some say in the matters, though as everyone who follows the Cowboys knows, not the ultimate say.

Here’s a look at who will hit free agency come March 2025, and whether or not Dallas should look to lock them in to be part of next year’s roster.

The future first-ballot Hall of Famer will have $27M of dead money spread across 2025 ($10M) and 2026 ($17M) if he isn’t extended beyond this next campaign.

Bring Back? If he doesn’t retire, let that man find a team that wants to win.

The 32-year old, 10-year vet will have $7.5 million in dead cap hit in 2025 unless he returns to the team.

Bring Back? How is he not in Washington the first week of March? But if not, yes bring DLaw back.

Cooks’ will count against the 2025 cap as well, $4 million, due to his void year that was used to stash cap hit.

Bring Back? Naw.

Bring Back? If at all possible. Get the line right and his metrics say that he’s a capable starting back, or at minimum tandem guy with a mid-round draft pick.

Bring Back? Yes he absolutely should get a 2nd round qualifying offer. But get him a coordinator who isn’t afraid to use him.

He’s still yet to break out statistically, but a strong 2024 could lead to untold riches that Dallas may not be willing to offer in 2025.

Bring Back? This might be the toughest one. Agent OO97 is continuously near the top of the interior list, but with so much edge talent, to never convert that into sacks feels like his pressure numbers are the result of their work, but the cause of their benefit. I’d let him walk.

So much to walk and talk about with Lance and the fact he isn’t playing despite Prescott being on the shelf for the last two weeks.

Bring Back? For $3 million or less.

Bring Back? We’re just going to drop this off here.

Bring Back? No. Too expensive. They should go for it every fourth down anyway.

Lewis returned on a one-year deal to continue his career in Dallas. Will he return with a fourth Cowboys’ contract? Lewis is one of those players who has excelled under every staff. He should be one of those, “I can’t believe he got to be with Dallas for life” guys.

Bring Back? Yes.

If Kendricks has an interest in continuing to play, I like him as a backup and continued mentor for the linebacker corps, even without Mike Zimmer as the DC.

Bring Back? Yes.

Bring Back? No.

Bring Back? No.

Bring Back? Yes.

Bring Back? No.

Probably the lone “surprise” guy on the defense, Golston has emerged from bust to serviceable and should be available as a depth guy on the cheap.

Bring Back? Yes.

Bring Back? No.

Bring Back? Yes as back-end depth.

Bring Back? Yes as a right-of-refusal qualifying offer.

Bring Back? Yes as a right-of-refusal qualifying offer.

Bring Back? Yes as a right-of-refusal qualifying offer.

Bring Back? Yes.

Bring Back? No.

Bring Back? No.

Bring Back? Yes.

Bring Back? Yes, he’s flashed enough to return as a camp consideration.

Bring Back? No.

Cowboys backup predicted to get $10 million contract in free agency

Could Trey Lance parlay the next eight games into a starting job in 2025? A premiere backup?

The Dallas Cowboys might not be able to resuscitate their playoff chances in 2024, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to salvage from the season. Dallas sits at 3-6 and will watch the rest of the league play their Week 11 games before they get a chance to take the field. While there’s still plenty of action left in the season, the Cowboys are likely playing for draft positioning, not playoff positioning.

But playing out the string can benefit individual players. Dallas has a ton of free agents who could be auditioning for either a new coaching staff in Dallas or a new franchise outside of the DFW. That includes quarterback Trey Lance. Sooner or later, the coaching staff is going to give Lance a shot at starting, though it won’t be in Week 11. But when he does, one outlet has confidence he’s going to play pretty well.

Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon identified the fifth-year quarterback as someone on the verge of making a name for himself in the writer’s 5 Bold Predictions for the rest of the 2024 season. Gagnon thinks Lance will take the opportunity afforded with Dak Prescott’s pending surgery, and run with it all the way to a lucrative contract in the offseason.

Right place, right time. The Cowboys have lost Dak Prescott for the remainder of the year, and Cooper Rush has been so bad that Trey Lance is bound to get some serious work down the stretch.

Surrounded by plenty of talent, look for the skilled 24-year-old to put on some shows just as his contract expires.

I’m not saying he’ll salvage his career, but the 2021 No. 3 pick is in the ideal environment to fire up some teams that might be desperate enough to believe he could be a late-blooming answer.

At the very least, Lance will do enough to earn a Sam Darnold-like top-tier backup contract as an insurance policy somewhere.

Related: Jones, McCarthy likely at odds over which QB should obviously start rest of 2024

A Sam Darnold like deal would net Lance around $10 million on a one-year contract to prove himself; that’s what the former Jet was provided to be the backup in Minnesota to a rookie QB. JJ McCarthy was lost for the year to injury and Darnold stepped in and has led the Vikings into the playoff picture, surprising many.

If Lance has that in him, then he will probably lose the Cowboys some draft slot positioning and earn them a 2026 compensatory pick.

49ers All-Pro predicted to cut ties with San Francisco, join Saints

49ers All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga was predicted to cut ties with San Francisco and join the New Orleans Saints in 2025 free agency:

Never say never, but it could be tough for the New Orleans Saints to rationalize some big moves in 2025 free agency. Between needing a new head coach and the salary cap costs of past decisions, they might be better served sitting out another spending cycle to get their books in order.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t sign any new faces. And if they do go after a blue-chip player in free agency, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has a great fit in mind. Knox argues San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga could be just what the Saints defense has been missing:

The Saints—who tapped into the San Francisco pipeline with edge-rusher Chase Young and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak this offseason—could be very interested if Hufanga is available.

“The Saints could use some safety help and Tyrann Mathieu could be another cap casualty this offseason,” Holder wrote.

New Orleans, however, will have to free up a lot of cap space to pursue any marquee free agent. The Saints are projected to be $77 million over the 2025 cap.

The Colts should also be interested in adding a playmaker like Hufanga. Nick Cross has been a tackling machine in Indy this season but has too often been a liability in coverage. Hufanga’s ball skills and versatility would make him a great addition to the Colts’ secondary.

Injuries have limited Hufanga to a dozen games through 2023 and 2024, though he’s expected to return later this season. The 2022 All-Pro makes plays all over the field with 7 interceptions, 14 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and 2 sacks to go with 189 combined tackles (7 tackles for loss). But while he could be a viable replacement for Mathieu as a roving defender who can line up at any depth, he’s played his best football hanging back over the top of the defense. They could coexist.

Still, getting out from under tens of millions of dollars in negative salary cap space will be a challenge. The Saints will need to accomplish that before they can begin looking for help on the free agent market. But when you look at the players they have added recently like Chase Young, Khalen Saunders, and Willie Gay Jr., Hufanga fits the bill as an obviously talented playmaker with a bit of an injury history. Maybe he ends up in New Orleans after all.

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Bengals $7 million bargain defender predicted to cut ties with Cincy, join Cowboys

The Cowboys might be shopping for slot corners in the offseason and the Bengals’ Mike Hilton could be a great fit.

The Dallas Cowboys have enjoyed employing one of the league’s top slot corners for several seasons. After escaping the weird-dimension doghouse of former secondary coach and passing-game coordinator Kris Richard, the former Michigan Wolverine has steadily filled his resume with outstanding seasons.

However Lewis is on a one-year deal and the eight-year veteran is once again going to be a free agent this coming offseason. If the Cowboys don’t bring Lewis back, which is a huge if considering the status of the coaching staff, then the rebuild may look elsewhere for veteran leadership at the slot. That might make Mike Hilton a top consideration during 2025 free agency.

At least, that’s the thought process of Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, who predicted the Bengals slot corner would join Dallas next spring.

Hilton possesses a tremendous combination of ball skills, awareness, physicality and reactionary speed. He’s appeared in eight games this season, played 67 percent of the defensive snaps and allowed an opposing passer rating of only 69.3 in coverage.

An overlooked part of Hilton’s game is his ability to disrupt plays via the blitz. He has recorded 16 tackles for loss since the start of last season and logged a pair of sacks in 2023.

Despite his size, Hilton has flashed an impressive ability to work through blocks and disrupt the backfield throughout his NFL career.

Dallas has Trevon Diggs signed to a long-term deal and has another year of cheap control of DaRon Bland. Assuming the former continues to recover from his lost 2023 season due to an ACL tear and the latter can get over the foot injury that’s wiped out his 2024 campaign to this point, slot is the only real consideration for the cornerback group in 2025.

Cowboys $20 million star predicted to cut ties with Dallas in favor of Commanders or Lions

The Cowboys D-line has been anchored by DeMarcus Lawrence for more than a decade. Will he follow his teammates and former DC to DC?

This might be the end of an era in Dallas. With Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff on lame-duck status, a 3-6 record that is on the verge of turning into 3-8 means the Cowboys are likely going to miss the playoffs. And if that’s the case, when the final whistle sounds on their season in Week 18, it might signal the last games played by teammates who have spent their entire 11-year careers with a star on their helmet.

2014’s top two draft choices, OG Zack Martin and DE DeMarcus Lawrence are both set to hit free agency next spring, and it’s a real possibility that they will not be returning to America’s Team. If Lawrence walks, it’s expected for him to have heavy interest as he has still been extremely productive this season when not injured as he comes off of back-to-back Pro Bowls.

There hasn’t been any apparent slippage in his play, so he could command a hefty salary as a hired gun, and that could be for his former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn who is now the head coach in Washington.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report predicted that to be one of two high-potential landing spots for Lawrence, along with the Detroit Lions.

Lawrence was simply superb this season before the injury. He tallied 14 tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, 10 quarterback pressures and a forced fumble in four games. Lawrence should appeal to teams seeking pass-rush help or an improved run defense, though he’s best suited for those utilizing a four-man front.

Lawrence would find a terrific fit with the Lions, who should have star edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson back by the spring. Hutchinson will remain Detroit’s primary pass-rusher, but the Lions desperately need a high-end complement.

Washington would also serve as a sensible landing spot—and not entirely because former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is now the head coach. Quinn’s presence would undoubtedly be part of the equation, but the Commanders are also set to potentially lose both Dante Fowler Jr. and Clelin Ferrell in 2025 free agency.

Quinn’s Commanders have been a surprise this season thanks to rookie QB Jayden Daniels, but the defense has rounded into shape. Their pass rush is anchored by two of Lawrence’s understudies the last few years in Texas, Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler. Fowler’s having a career year, so

Cowboys 9x All-Pro predicted to cut ties with Dallas, join Bears

A look at a likely suitor for Zack Martin if he hits free agency in 2025.

The Dallas Cowboys’ season is spiraling to an inglorious finish. Losers of four consecutive games, Dallas has two top teams coming up on their pre-Thanksgiving schedule. The Houston Texans travel up the highway this Sunday and already are installed as over a touchdown favorites. Behind them is Dan Quinn’s new look Washington Commanders in a road contest.

3-8 could easily be staring the team in the face and that doesn’t bode well for Mike McCarthy and his lame-duck staff. What’s even worse is the lost season could end the 11-year career of nine-time All-Pro Zack Martin.

A surefire Hall of Famer, Martin has spent his entire career in Dallas, but he’s going to hit unrestricted free agency in March; and that’s if he doesn’t retire. Martin’s hinted at it, but that could be a level of frustration with having spent two years in Mike Solari’s failed blocking system. A fresh start could be intriguing and that’s where the latest bold prediction comes in.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently took a look at where the top free agents could land in 2025, and Knox identified two potential suitors for Martin; the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Bears should have a ton of interest in Martin, as their inconsistent offensive line has been a massive challenge this season. Assuming Chicago can re-sign Teven Jenkins, adding Martin would give Chicago a top-tier guard tandem to block for Caleb Williams.

The Chargers may also want to consider Martin as an upgrade over Trey Pipkins III at right guard. Los Angeles has a terrific pair of tackles in Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, but the interior line leaves something to be desired.

Knox ranked Martin as the 13th-highest rated free agent for 2025.

How trading Marshon Lattimore impacts the Saints salary cap

How does trading Marshon Lattimore impact the Saints salary cap? There’s little change this year, but they have to take their medicine in 2025:

The New Orleans Saints shifted gears and finally traded star cornerback Marshon Lattimore this week, just before the NFL trade deadline, sending thee playmaker to the Washington Commanders in exchange for multiple draft picks. But that isn’t the only cost of trading him. How did this move impact the Saints’ tense salary cap situation?

In brief, this will be felt for years. There isn’t much of a difference on 2024’s accounting since we’re in the middle of the season. Washington is paying the rest of Lattimore’s salary, saving the Saints about $605,000, but since he restructured his contract already they’re stuck with most of the dead money from those guarantees.

Let’s start with the bad news. The Saints are taking their medicine in 2025 with Lattimore counting against the cap by a whopping $31.6 million. Next year’s salary cap is projected to rise to about $273.3 million, but we won’t know the final number until the offseason. If it doesn’t move at all (it won’t), Lattimore’s dead money figure would take up 12.4% of this year’s cap, which was set at $255.4 million. If models are accurate, it’ll be almost 11.6% of the cap next year in 2025.

But the Saints shaved off more than $28 million from their 2026 salary cap spending. The cap is projected to reach as high as $292.4 million by then, which means their current cap commitments (about $237.9 million) are well beneath the spending limit. Inevitable restructures, free agent signings, and the next draft class will change that figure but so will any retirements and roster cuts this spring. We’re talking two years out so of course there’s going to be a lot of uncertainty.

This is a step in the right direction. The Saints didn’t get better by trading their best defender (if not their best player regardless of position), but their finances are going to improve. So is their ability to retain talent and sign upgrades in free agency. This is what a rebuild looks like. It isn’t pretty, and it won’t wrap up overnight. But the Saints tried the alternative — which blew up in their faces by hiring the wrong head coach and drafting the wrong players. So now they have to take the long, hard road back to success.

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Trade deadline passed, fixing this position is Cowboys biggest priority

Will 2025 finally be the offseason the Cowboys address the DT in free agency? | From @ReidDHanson

Almost weekly one of my kids will approach me with unapologetic sadness on their face because their tablet has inexplicably died. Forced to now interact with society like a boomer, they express shock over how such a sad, regular-occurring event could have happened to them. Again.

In the calmest, most matter-of-fact manor I can muster, I explain to them this is all because they didn’t take the necessary steps to prevent it the night before. If they addressed this extremely predictable issue earlier, it wouldn’t be a problem right now.

In many ways, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys represent my children in this illustration. Only instead of Jones forgetting to plug in his tablet night after night, Jones is neglecting to fix the same important position offseason after offseason.

Over the past two offseasons it’s been glaringly apparent the Cowboys have had an issue on their interior defensive line. Defensive tackle has headlined nearly every free agent wish list of theirs, yet the Cowboys have repeatedly turned up their nose like DT is somehow the mini tootsie roll of NFL positions.

Halfway through the 2025 campaign and it’s clear, DT is still a major issue in Dallas, and much like my kids and their battery-depleted tablets, the Cowboys have no one to blame but themselves.

It would take nearly an act of God to salvage the Cowboys DT this season. Mazi Smith has done nothing to alter his disappointing career trajectory, Osa Odighizuwa is approaching free agency and the numerous other band-aids and Bondo Dallas has plugged into the middle are extreme longshots to become long-term solutions at any point in their careers.

The same position that headlined the Cowboys wish list the last two offseasons, is the same position that’s likely to headline it again in 2025: DT

A good DT can be an anchor in the middle for other positions to play off of. Assessing the play of linebackers, safeties and edge players in 2024, has become almost an impossible task given the struggles at DT. The trickle-down effects of the poor DT play cannot be overstated.

Luckily for the Cowboys, DT is one of the easiest positions to fill in the offseason. Majority of the top-rated DTs in the league today have either hit free agency or switched teams through free agency at some point in their careers. While it’s a costly position to fill, it’s a position that’s readily available to DT-needy teams willing to spend and desperate for instant solutions.

DT is an unpredictable position to draft and often takes time to develop. Players rarely hit the ground running so if any position is worth paying for in free agency, it’s the one. But we’ve been down this road before. Recommendations, cause and effect explanations, and not-so-polite “I told you sos.”

At the end of the day, Jerry Jones just needs to charge his tablet.

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Cowboys predicted to replace 9-time Pro Bowler with this AFC veteran

The Cowboys front office needs to begin thinking about the future at several positions, including RG where Zack Martin could retire or leave the org. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys season is not going the way they planned, but the way many predicted. Sitting at 3-5 through what used to be the midpoint of the season, things are looking bleak considering the schedule they will face. Dallas is now without quarterback Dak Prescott for the foreseeable future, and the foreseeable future has them taking on the 6-2 Philadelphia Eagles, 6-3 Houston Texans and 7-2 Washington Commanders over the next three weeks.

So fans who were already disgruntled are becoming apathetic towards the 2024 season and have already started looking ahead. That vision probably needs to include an offensive line without staple Zack Martin, who is a 2025 unrestricted free agent and has already hinted at retirement this past offseason. Recently Bleacher Report tried to predict who could take Martin’s place, and they landed on current Miami Dolphins starter Robert Jones.

While it will be almost impossible to fill a future Hall of Famer’s shoes, the organization should at least be looking into this year’s free-agent class at guard. Jones is a decent option as he’s been solid so far this season, posting a 64.9 grade from Pro Football Focus and allowing just seven pressures heading into this past weekend.

Jones was an undrafted free agent from the 2021 draft class out of Middle Tennessee. He’s 6-foot-4 and weighs 321 pounds. Dallas has a handful of internal candidates as well, most notably T.J. Bass, a 2023 undrafted free agent out of Oregon.

The Cowboys have nine games remaining in their season to see if any additional options emerge.

Tyson Campbell’s Jaguars extension is a big deal for Paulson Adebo

Tyson Campbell’s Jaguars extension is a big deal for Paulson Adebo. The Saints cornerback can point to a very similar resume as a free agent next year:

Whew: Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell earned a big bag this week by signing a four-year, $76.5 million extension. That made him the highest-paid corner in the league who hasn’t yet been recognized with a Pro Bowl nod. And it’s a big deal for Paulson Adebo. The New Orleans Saints cornerback is next in line for a new contract with free agency on the horizon in 2025.

Campbell, 24, has a lot in common with Adebo, 25. They were both picked on the second day of the 2021 NFL draft, with Adebo going off the board 43 slots after the Jaguars made Campbell the first selection of the second round. The two cornerbacks have posted strikingly similar numbers since then:

  • Adebo: 7 interceptions and 33 passes defensed, with 202 tackles (166 solo, 6 tackles for loss), 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries on 2,611 snaps across 45 games. 24 missed tackles
  • Campbell: 6 interceptions and 30 passes defensed, with 203 tackles (145 solo, 6 tackles for loss), 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries on 2,591 snaps across 43 games. 22 missed tackles

That’s close. Very close. Let’s take it a step further and look into their coverage stats from Pro Football Reference:

  • Adebo: 160 completions on 265 targets (60.4%) for 2,053 yards, or 12.8 yards per catch, with 12 touchdowns allowed
  • Campbell: 142 completions on 226 targets (62.8%) for 1,632 yards, or 11.5 yards per catch, with 17 touchdowns allowed

That has Adebo giving up more catches for more yards, at slightly more yards per completion and while being targeted much more often, but with Campbell being more of a vulnerability in scoring position. How do the numbers at Pro Football Focus compare to those from PFR?

  • Adebo: 150 completions on 237 targets (63.3%) for 2,138 yards, or 14.3 yards per catch, with 10 touchdowns allowed
  • Campbell: 148 completions on 226 targets (65.5%) for 1,696 yards, or 11.5 yards per catch, with 18 touchdowns allowed

PFF’s charting charged more completions to Adebo’s teammates than that from PFR, but they also dinged him for allowing more big plays. While it’s tough to overlook the 400-plus-yard gap in yards allowed between them, Adebo giving up so many fewer touchdown passes might balance things out.

But where they separate — unfavorably for Adebo — is in penalties. Adebo has been fouled 20 times for 276 yards through three years (with three more penalties declined by the offense). He’s drawn a dozen infractions for defensive pass interference and been flagged nine times for defensive holding. Adebo had his best season in the NFL last year and he still forfeited 92 yards by penalty.

How does Campbell compare? He’s been one of the cleanest defenders in pro football. He wasn’t fouled once during his rookie year, and he’s only had four penalties accepted in his NFL career (for 68 yards). Sure, he’s also had three penalties declined, but Adebo has allowed more than 200 penalty yards in the same period of time.

How great a difference will that make when Adebo’s up for a new deal? It says a lot that the Saints haven’t extended him yet, whereas the Jaguars have seen enough from Campbell to believe an extension is a wise investment. But with salaries on the rise and other corners from the same draft class with very similar production earning top dollar, it sure looks like Adebo may cash in next offseason. Will the Saints be the ones to pay him?

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