The Dallas Cowboys 2012 NFL Free Agency Wish List

Today is the big day so many have been waiting for. The new National Football League year begins and that means the first true glimpses into the future known as the 2012 regular season.

Free agency means player movement and, despite coming less than two months following Super Bowl XLVI, the first true anticipation of a new season soon to come.

Today could see as many as a half dozen big names switching teams for the almighty dollar and the Dallas Cowboys could very well be among the teams spending early and often.

I don't see the Cowboys making much of a big splash, at least not in the same spirit as Deion Sanders in 1995 or Terrell Owens in 2006. Last week's tagging of Anthony Spencer with the franchise designation probably means that a huge name like Mario Williams is not heading for Valley Ranch anytime soon.

Unless they plan on moving Williams back to defensive end there's not much reason to head into the season with Spencer, Williams and DeMarcus Ware all vying for playing time at the same position.

I do think the Cowboys will add some very specifically targeted players that could fill in, at least on paper, very nicely with this squad of underachievers the past two seasons.

Yes, talent wins games in the NFL and the Cowboys might only be a couple of new starters away from serious contention. It's not about rebuilding for the Cowboys but rather strengthening a foundation that is definitely not level, shows some fractures and just needs to better for the skill position players already on this team to flourish.  

Here is a look at the Dallas Cowboys' 2012 free agent wish list. Unlike a mock draft, there is no particular order placed on these veteran players with respect to urgency or comparison. These are simply players that would fit the Cowboys from both a financial and competitive standpoint.

Tracy Porter, CB (New Orleans)

You know him best for his stunning pick six of Payton Manning in Super Bowl XLIV just over two years ago.

But you may not remember that he also intercepted Brett Favre in the NFC Championship game two weeks before which preserved the Saints' first ever trip to the Super Bowl.

The Dallas secondary probably ranks no higher than third on the Cowboys list of troubled areas. But I do agree that free agency is a better place to strengthen your pass defense than in the draft.

Tracy Porter would be a great pickup for the Cowboys in that he'll come at a lower price than other top corners like Cortland Finnegan or Brandon Carr.

Further, Porter has the experience of playing defense opposite the likes of Drew Brees. Porter knows a bit about gambling because he's been well exposed to downhill situations in which the defense can really pin its ears back and go for the quarterback.

Secondary players love this scenario and it's one that the Cowboys don't enjoy often enough.

Porter ran a 4.37 40 yard dash at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine, tying for 10th fastest at the annual expose.

Not turning 26 years old until August is another plus for Porter in that he's in his prime and could be counted on for a four or five year contract. And he absolutely understands zone coverage.

When you don't draft well you end up paying for it in free agency. Once that time comes it's all about value and Dallas will be looking for that. Remember that the Cowboys just lost $10 million from this year's salary cap.

Brandon Carr, CB (Kansas City)

Sometimes it's hard for good players to get much notoriety when they play on bad teams. But hard does not mean impossible and corner back Brandon Carr is proof of that.

Brandon Carr played college football at Division II Grand Valley State University. Way more impressive is the fact he helped the Lakers win back-to-back national championships during his time there.

As a fifth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008, Carr has used his awesome physique to become one of the top corners in football.

Standing 6' and weighing well over 200 pounds, Carr brings a little more size and strength to his one on one battles with today's bigger and faster receivers.

Like Porter, Carr is 25 with a birthday coming up in May and would be a good fit for the Cowboys. Corner back is a young man's game more so than any other position on the field and if Dallas is serious about upping the capability of the secondary then now is a great time to do it.

This year's list of first round corner back prospects is not particularly special and I look for Dallas to sign defensive backs right away.

Carr could very well be the Cowboys' first offseason acquisition, so watch closely for this.

Cortland Finnegan, CB (Tennessee)

I am not exactly on the bandwagon when it comes to signing corner back Cortland Finnegan to a long term free agent contract. In this case it has little to do with Finnegan's skill set but rather with his attitude.

Or maybe I just can't get the image of Finnegan being overpowered by Houston wide receiver Andre Johnson. Had there been no officials present, that altercation would not have ended well for Finnegan in the slightest. Watch enough UFC and you know what I'm saying.

Fortunately for today's starting corner backs, winning a fist fight against a guy who's possibly five inches taller is not required.

I get that Finnegan is a big time talker with plenty of talent and Dallas won't be at all disappointed to have him. But if you roll the dice enough times you will absolutely lose - and lose big. 

If I knew that Finnegan would never draw a personal foul for the type of play he's known for, it would be great. But there are better options at this position.

Do you really feel better with Finnegan than Carr?

Finally, remember that Finnegan is said to have an interest in following former Titans head coach Jeff Fisher to St. Louis.

Carl Nicks, G (New Orleans)

Dallas quarterback Tony Romo has suffered significant injuries in each of the last two regular seasons. In both seasons the Cowboys finished no better than .500, replaced a head coach and missed the playoffs.

The offensive line only started a significant rebuilding process last year with the first round selection Tyron Smith. Moving from right to left tackle entering this season, it's a mathematical certainty that the Cowboys address the offensive line heavily this offseason.

It would be hard to ignore the talents of offensive guard Carl Nicks. This big, strong guard out of Nebraska has been a part of one of the top offenses in the NFL over the past several seasons and would go a long ways towards balancing the Dallas offense and also keeping Romo off the sidelines.

I don't expect the Cowboys to go hard and heavy after Nicks because he'll be the top lineman available with other options to explore. Losing the cap money hurts right here for sure.

Then again, the NFL is a quarterback league, as it has always been. It would not surprise me to see the Cowboys go after the best overall veteran lineman available.

Ben Grubbs, G (Baltimore)

I think this could be the direction the Cowboys go to begin free agency. Signing a corner back is extremely likely but an offensive lineman will be added with just as much intention and early on.

Ben Grubbs isn't quite as massive as Nicks but he is highly effective in run blocking, something badly needed by the Dallas offensive line.

I have been one to criticize head coach Jason Garrett for throwing the ball way too much and I'm certainly not alone. But in his defense, it isn't like the Cowboys run the ball with too much consistency.

Sure, running backs DeMarco Murray or Felix Jones could pop a really big run at any time but this occurs too infrequently to be relied upon.

In other words, Garrett sometimes has to throw the ball too much and this is where late season catastrophes have occurred in recent years, usually ending the season for Dallas.

Provided Grubbs can stay healthy in 2012, he would help Dallas in a physical capacity like Kyle Kosier never did.

Shaun Hill, QB (Detroit)

Forget silly talk of the Cowboys having even remote interest in Peyton Manning. And with Drew Brees locked up with the franchise tag in New Orleans that pretty much does it for the top two quarterbacks no longer available in free agency.

Under owner Jerry Jones, the Cowboys have almost always relied on a veteran quarterback to support a Pro Bowl quarterback.

The intention is not to groom a replacement for the starter as was the case with Danny White following Roger Staubach, for example.

Dallas will want a veteran who is capable of winning as many as three or four games if necessary. They generally have little interest in young or unproven quarterbacks like Stephen McGee—or even Tony Romo early on.

Any one of three or four veteran quarterbacks could end up in Dallas. Money and availability will be the primary determining factor in this pursuit and I'm going with Shaun Hill.

Hill has previous starting experience and will likely not be seeking a starter's position at this point in his career. He would fit from this critical standpoint just to get started. Still in his early 30s, Hill possesses the physical skills needed to make an NFL offense function.

Hill is like a younger version of one of the Cowboys more successful backups of all time in Jon Kitna.

Paul Soliai, NT (Miami)

The Dallas defensive line has been nothing more than average since the formal committal to the 3-4 defense in 2005. In seven regular seasons we have seen only small nose guards lining up over center.

Jay Ratliff and Jason Ferguson are the only two that have manned the post on a regular basis since the traditional 4-3 defense was scrapped by former head coach Bill Parcells.

An NFL nose guard needs to weigh somewhere between 320 and 345 pounds. Guys who are better pass rushers and weigh under 300, like Ratliff, simply don't hold up for the entire season. The run defense over the last several years is proof.

You just can't go small and quick on a 3-4 defensive line because those guys are outnumbered. Only size and mass makes up for this and Dallas is way, way late in learning this and doing something about it.

This year it finally stops.