Dallas Cowboys: The First 5 Things They Must Do When the Lockout Is Lifted

According to a report on Profootballtalk.com, the NFL lockout may be lifted as early as this weekend. As recently as 7pm Thursday night, the NFL owners voted to ratify a “proposal settling the players’ antitrust litigation” as further stated on Profootballtalk.com.  

Simply put, the owners and players are in the fourth quarter on the two-yard line with a field goal kicker keeping his foot warm on the sideline just waiting for his number to be called for the game-winning kick.

It's almost go time.

As soon as the lockout is lifted, teams will scramble to sign free agents and possibly attempt to restructure the contracts of big money players, depending on the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement.

The ‘Boys have five things on their to-do list as soon as the light turns green on the 2011 NFL season and one includes trying to sign a big-name free agent.

Re-sign Doug Free

If Jerry Jones wants a Super Bowl, then signing offensive tackle Doug Free to a new contract is vital. The Cowboys are $18 million over the cap, which makes signing Free an arduous task.

Free will be an unrestricted free agent under the new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement), and the Cowboys will have to pay him a large sum of money to keep him.

Signing Free should be at the top double J’s list.

Signing Michael Huff

I know that Warren Sapp says that Huff made him want to “throw up” in practice when they were both members of the Raiders, but nevertheless, Huff is better than any safety on the Cowboys roster.

Huff wants to play in Dallas as he’s from Irving, Texas, and he’s familiar with new Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s defense. Huff isn’t the strongest safety in the lot, but given the free agent options available to the Cowboys, he’s the best one available.

The former Texas Longhorn standout has grown extensively as a safety. During his rookie season, he failed to record an interception, and last year, he totaled three picks and 94 combined tackles.

If Huff is able to bring that type of production to Dallas, I think he’ll be just fine.

Restructure the Contract of DeMarcus Ware

A few days ago, Ware appeared on a local Dallas radio station and was asked if he’s willing to restructure his deal. Ware’s answer was "yes."

If Ware is willing to reconfigure his contract, then the Cowboys will be better positioned to sign Doug Free to a long-term deal.

A few other players should step up to the plate and offer their contracts as well. Listening, Roy E. Williams?

Make a Contract Offer to Cornerback Jonathan Joseph

Not only do the Cowboys need help at safety, but the team is lacking at cornerback as well. Newman is still well-liked in Dallas, but it may be time to move on to the next player.

Depending on how the final numbers of the CBA shake out, the ‘Boys may not have the room to afford Joseph. But if they do, it's worth their time and effort to try and pull the talented corner away from the Bengals.

That will be a tough task, as Cincy is $50 million under the cap and have the want to keep Joseph and fellow cornerback and Bengals player Leon Hall together. There are also other teams out who want to sign Joseph and will throw piles of money his way.

Have a Defensive Players Meeting with Coordinator Rob Ryan

They say that defense wins championships, so what better way to kick off training camp post lockout?

The Cowboys defense has been the talk of the offseason due to Rob Ryan being brought on as defensive coordinator. Ryan’s defense will be aggressive and have plenty of bite behind its bark.

With new schemes and techniques to learn about Ryan’s defense, it’s important that the defense come together to meet their new coordinator and to try to learn as much about his new defense as possible.

The Cowboys already have a tough division schedule, but Dallas also has tough opponents outside of the NFC East in the Patriots and Buccaneers, to name a couple. Being on the same page defensively will be key to their success.