Veteran Free-Agent Contracts Cowboys Must Consider Before Training Camp

The Dallas Cowboys are widely expected to be playoff contenders again in 2023. As quarterback Dak Prescott recently noted, the Cowboys have won 12 games in each of the last two seasons and could be pushing toward title contention.

"It's the first time in my career I can say I feel like consecutive seasons are building," Prescott told 96.7 The Ticket (h/t The Athletic's Jon Machota).

However, it must also be noted that Dallas hasn't advanced past the divisional round since the 1995 season. If the Cowboys hope to buck the trend and earn a real shot at the Lombardi Trophy, they might want to add a few final pieces between now and training camp.

Below, we'll identify three areas of the roster that could stand to be addressed and dive into three unsigned veterans the Cowboys must consider signing with the $24.1 million in cap space they have remaining.

DT Shelby Harris

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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 12: Shelby Harris #93 of the Seattle Seahawks looks on during the third quarter against the Denver Broncos at Lumen Field on September 12, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

If Dallas hopes to contend for a championship, it must solidify a run defense that ranked 23rd in yards per carry allowed last season. The drafting of Mazi Smith in Round 1 could help, but Smith figures to be a work-in-progress as a rookie.

"A team hoping for a defensive tackle to make an immediate impact might be looking elsewhere," Matt Holder of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department wrote of Smith before the draft.

Signing defensive tackle Shelby Harris could help shore up Dallas' defense at the initial level. The 31-year-old has been a consistent playmaker since becoming a full-time starter in 2019 with the Denver Broncos.

Over the last four years with Denver and the Seattle Seahawks, Harris averaged 44 tackles, four sacks and six tackles for loss. During that span, he was credited with only eight missed tackles, according to Pro Football Reference.

While Dallas could wait to get a look at Smith and its other defensive players in training camp before adding a veteran, Harris may not be available by mid-August.

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reported in March that the Seahawks were "thought" to be interested in bringing Harris back.

LB Deion Jones

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CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 31: Deion Jones #54 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates a fourth down stop during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 31, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

Shortly after taking Smith, the Cowboys added linebacker DeMarvion Overshown in the third round. While the Texas product may be able to have an early impact, it'll likely be in coverage rather than as an every-down run-stopper.

"Overshown struggles to take on blocks from guards and centers and occasionally will get pushed around by running backs and tight ends," Holder wrote. "Ultimately, his slender 220-pound frame won't cut it against the run in the NFL."

With a focus on improving the run defense, Dallas would be wise to take a long look at linebacker Deion Jones.

Jones—who previously played under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn with the Atlanta Falcons—is still a very sound all-around defender. He appeared in 11 games for the Cleveland Browns in 2022, finishing with 44 tackles, 2.5 sacks and an interception. He was credited with only four missed tackles last season, per Pro Football Reference.

In 2021, Jones racked up 137 tackles and two sacks.

System familiarity could be a factor here. Jones knows what Quinn likes to do defensively, and he'd have an easier time than most joining the team just before training camp and finding a fit. Of course, it also helps that the 28-year-old is still a productive player.

RB Ezekiel Elliott

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SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 22: Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on during an NFL divisional round playoff football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys at Levi's Stadium on January 22, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

This is the obvious one. The Cowboys released Ezekiel Elliott in a cap-saving move but never fully closed the door on having him in the 2023 lineup.

"Dallas still believes that he's got football left," NFL Media's Mike Garafolo said on NFL Network in May.

Bringing back Elliott would make a ton of sense, and not just because he knows the roster and the personnel. Presumed starter Tony Pollard is recovering from leg surgery, and the Cowboys didn't add many significant pieces to its backfield in the offseason.\

The Cowboys signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers castoff Ronald Jones II and used a sixth-round pick on Deuce Vaughn. That tandem could have a difficult time replicating the production Elliott had last season (968 scrimmage yards, 12 rushing touchdowns).

Of course, Elliott's familiarity with the offense and his close relationship with quarterback Dak Prescott can't be discounted—Elliott and Prescott have been working out together this offseason.

"That's my best friend," Prescott said of Elliott, per Chantz Martin of Fox News. "We'll continue to work, continue to push each other."

Elliott's ties to the Cowboys make him a more sensible late-offseason fit than, say, recently-released Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook. And with Cook recently lauding his potential fit with the Miami Dolphins, Elliott may be much easier to obtain on a relatively team-friendly contract.

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*Cap information via Spotrac.