Earlier, we looked at several of the Dallas Cowboys pending free agents who should be donning the star once again in 2020. With five surefire names along with four other possibilities that depend on the preferences of new head coach Mike McCarthy, that leaves more than a handful of other names to make decisions on.
With 24 unrestricted free agents, scheme fit is going to be paramount in that thought process. However, regardless of how that goes, the Cowboys are almost certainly going to be better off if they let these five players walk away.
Some of the departures may happen organically as a pair of legends in TE Jason Witten and LB Sean Lee could opt for retirement. The sheer volume of players out of contract makes a number of defections a virtual certainty. Among those left should command varying degrees of interest, with several of the team’s blue chip free agents looking for a pay day that may not gel with the Cowboys’ course of action.
CB Byron Jones
Jones will be at the top of the free agency shopping list for most teams looking for help on the perimeter. His kind of athleticism and consistency in coverage could very easily demand peak market value for his position. Given the cost to retain two other top layer free agents in Prescott and Cooper, there may not be room to comfortably slide Jones into the group. The Cowboys should entertain re-signing him but will likely push themselves away from the table when the numbers get huge.
DE Robert Quinn
Quinn was a superb acquisition that provided excellent bang for the buck last season. His value to a team looking to add a quality situational rusher will be higher than Dallas would see for a soon-to-be 30 year old.
DT Maliek Collins
In the case of Collins, he will market himself as a player capable of being a disruptive force in the middle and should get a deal relatively early in the period. He has been a good soldier as a Cowboy. The issue is that in all honestly he fits the fool’s gold that is often mined as cash-flush teams break the bank on potential and minimize the lack of top shelf productivity.
SS Jeff Heath
The much-maligned yet productive safety could be hotly debated when the decision makers sit down to hash out their offseason plan. His value to the new coaching staff may not result in priority status and he is still a cut above a special teams maven. If the former members of the defensive staff surface elsewhere, he could easily follow.
OG Xavier Su’a-Filo
Although Su’a-Filo came through in the pinch when needed over the past two seasons, his time may be up. The combination of his fibula fracture, zone scheme fit and the availability of 2019 draft pick Connor McGovern should have him on another team’s roster as a modestly priced reserve.
Other possibilities: WR Tavon Austin, DT Christian Covington, FS Darian Thompson, SS Kavon Frazier
You can chat with or follow C.C. on Twitter @boozeman811.
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