Cowboys' Top Players to Consider for Franchise Tag, RFA Contract Tenders
The Dallas Cowboys have a lot of decisions to make this offseason. Another early playoff exi has dialed up the pressure in The Star and the front office along with the coaching staff need to find the answer to push the team over the top.
One of the first major steps of the offseason will be deciding if they want to utilize the franchise tag or any of their restricted free agent tenders available to them.
Franchises have differing views on using the franchise tag. Some teams use it sparingly or just haven't had the right situation; others will use it just about every season.
The Cowboys have fallen in that latter camp recently. They have used the tag on a player in each of the last six offseason. The one-year tag has allowed them to retain DeMarcus Lawrence (2018, 2019), Dak Prescott (2020, 2021), Dalton Schultz (2022) and Tony Pollard (2023).
They also have restricted free-agent tenders to consider. Qualified players can be offered a one-year contract that gives the Cowboys the right to match any offer or receive draft pick compensation if the player leaves.
Here's a look at two candidates to receive the franchise tag if the Cowboys use it again as well as one restricted free agent who qualifies for a tender.
Franchise Tag: CB Stephon Gilmore
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The Cowboys made the move to trade Stephon Gilmore in hopes of building a championship-level cornerback group led by Gilmore and Diggs.
Unfortunately, an injury to Diggs keep that from happening, but Gilmore held up his end of the bargain. The 33-year-old didn't really show signs of his age, playing all 17 games and registering 13 passes defended while giving up a passer rating of just 82.7.
The question now becomes whether the Cowboys are prepared to let him walk after just one season. He will turn 34 shortly after the 2024 season starts and age has to catch up sometime, but he was still a quality starter.
With the return of a healthy Diggs, the Cowboys could once again have a supremely talented group of defensive backs. Spotrac has Gilmore's market value at one year, $11.1 million while his franchise tag would be worth $18.8 million.
The franchise tag would be a bit of an overpay, but it is a premium position. DaRon Bland's presence on the roster might be enough to dissuade the Cowboys from using the tag on Gilmore, though.
Bland had a breakout season, giving up a passer rating of 60.8 and logging nine interceptions.
Bland also has the ability to play in the slot, but after his 2023 campaign it's hard to see the Cowboys using big money to keep Gilmore around. However, he's talented enough that he would be one of the few considerations.
Franchise Tag: RB Tony Pollard
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We'll file this one under "unlikely" as well, but it's still one of the few possibilities worth looking at. The Cowboys used the franchise tag on Tony Pollard this season to make sure their young back was going to be on the roster in 2023.
It did not work out well.
Instead of posting a career year and earning a long-term extension, Pollard looked like a back who had lost some explosion. His yards per carry sunk from 5.2 in 2022 to 4.0 in 2023. After posing 1,378 total yards and 12 touchdowns on 232 touches, he had 1,316 yards and just six touchdowns on 307 touches.
Pollard lost all of his efficiency after taking over as the official leadback in Ezekiel Elliott's absence.
It's certainly hard to commit to Pollard for a multi-year contract after his disappointing season, but keeping him around on the franchise tag wouldn't cost much more than it did last season. He made $10.1 million last season so the second tag would have to 120 percent of that figure.
That comes in at around $12.1 million and it would still be a placeholder if the Cowboys could potentially give him a two-year deal with added cap flexibility.
It's not necessarily the most financially prudent thing to do, but it provides an avenue to keep the 26-year-old one more year and see if he has a bounce-back season.
Restricted Free Agent Tender: RB Rico Dowdle
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While Tony Pollard wasn't able to fully take advantage of the opportunity he had this season, Rico Dowdle broke through as a part-timer in the Cowboys offense.
The 25-year-old back has certainly waited his turn to emerge. He has been on the roster since 2020 but had just seven carries for 24 yards with no receptions going into the season. He carved out a role and played in 16 games this season getting 89 carries for 361 yards and two touchdowns with 17 receptions on 22 targets and another two touchdowns.
He was ninth in the league in yards created per touch and 17th among running backs in EPA.
Even if the Cowboys aren't interested in bringing back Pollard, it would make sense to get Dowdle back under contract. He has developed into a useful back as part of a committee and could conceivably take on a larger role next season.
There are three levels of restricted free agent tender. The first-round tender ($6.5 million) and second-round tender ($4.6 million) are too expensive for Dowdle but have the corresponding draft compensation if someone signs him.
The Right of First Refusal tender is the only real option for Dowdle. At $2.8 million it's a reasonable price given his Spotrac market value of $2 million annual average value on a three-year contract.
The Cowboys would be giving him a slight overpay, but also wouldn't be committing beyond 2024.
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