Projecting Dallas Cowboys' NFL Free-Agent Targets

Do not let the recent developments at Valley Ranch fool you. Last week's restructuring of numerous contracts does not mean that we can expect to see big splashes coming next week with respect to free-agent acquisitions.

In other words, if next Tuesday, March 12, was the Friday following Thanksgiving, owner and general manager Jerry Jones simply wouldn't have the cash to go on a silly holiday shopping spree.

And this is for the best. Jones did this last year and came away with surprisingly little after signing numerous players from several teams. Of seven early signings a year ago, only cornerback Brandon Carr and fullback Lawrence Vickers seem assured of starting jobs with the Cowboys in 2013.

Others, like offensive guards Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau figure to make the team, but in what capacity we really don't know right now. Backup quarterback Kyle Orton should remain, but in a perfect world, he won't see the field, so it's hard to call that a great signing.

Yes, this year will be different with fewer names and probably less awareness of the players that Dallas can bring in.

Based on the Cowboys´anticipated budget, especially shy of the expected contract extension for starting quarterback Tony Romo, here's a look at 10 possible free-agent acquisitions that might be a good fit for Dallas.

I am not including players who spent 2012 with the Cowboys, so players like cornerback Mike Jenkins or linebacker Victor Butler will not appear, although they could end up with Dallas again. Further, these players are ranked from least likely to most likely to find a home in North Texas.

Also, these are not players who the Cowboys have to have, just as most are not among the top names that we all hear as players who will set the market at their respective positions. This is not ''Franchise Mode'' on Madden NFL 13.

Jones is aware that the better he is in free agency, the better flexibility his franchise will have on draft day in April. With a paltry six selections at this point in time, it will be essential that every dollar spent on each player this offseason is much wiser than the big expenditures of a year ago that led to the same 8-8 record of 2011.

Dashon Goldson, FS, San Francisco

A sniper can make anything that he wants his anticipated target.

On the other hand, it's certainly no guarantee that he will hit this target—or that he is even able to.

This week's not-so-surprising release of free safety Gerald Sensabaugh has opened up a greater need in the Dallas secondary than might have been expected.

Free safety Dashon Goldson is probably the sexiest target for the Cowboys right now. He is a multiple Pro Bowl talent who has become known as one of the hardest hitters at his position.

Goldson has played in two NFC Championship Games and in Super Bowl XLVII just over a month ago in New Orleans.

Goldson, a seasoned veteran with big-game experience, would instantly upgrade a Dallas secondary that is still undergoing some changes, especially in defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin's new 4-3 alignment.

Kiffin is known for prizing a strong pass rush and a stud at safety. At 72 years old, I don't believe Kiffin is going to rely on a rookie or a bigger, strong safety like Barry Church to command center field in his ''Tampa 2'' coverage.

Goldson would be a dream in this role—he hits, forces fumbles and picks off passes.

The problem here is that Goldson will be among the top free-agent prospects in the entire league, arguably more coveted than linebacker Anthony Spencer, who was hit with the franchise tag this week for the second straight season.

Does Goldson fit?

Sure.

Does Dallas have the money?

Don't bet on that—but anything is possible with Jones.

Andre Smith, RT, Cincinnati

With all the talk over the last few seasons of a ''Romo-friendly'' offensive philosophy, serious upgrades to the offensive line need to be considered. Further, just about any offensive lineman who played college football at Alabama within the last five or six seasons is worth a long look.

It's not easy to miss a player like right tackle Andre Smith. At 6'4'' and over 330 pounds, Smith would instantly become the biggest Dallas lineman and, obviously, an immediate upgrade over last season's biggest disappointment in Doug Free.

Smith recently made headlines for carrying a loaded gun into an airport, a legal issue that he is still dealing with. But this appears to be a major ''goof'' on his his part as opposed to some diabolical plot to take over the world. Further, former Dallas head coach Barry Switzer made the same ''goof'' some 15 years ago.

This is not to completely excuse this mistake, but rather to accurately point out that in a land where people have the right to bear arms, this happens sometimes, and it's nothing like many of the other issues that the NFL faces where off-the-field behavior is concerned.

Perhaps this incident drops Smith's value enough to where Dallas might have an interest. I can't imagine Jones shying away from a player because of this when the on-the-field benefits could be tremendous.

Remember Adam ''Pac Man'' Jones?

Smith's specialty is run-blocking, but he's not incapable in pass protection, either. His dimensions are more than attractive and so is his age of 26 years.

While not a likely addition to the Cowboys in 2013 due to financial considerations, he is certainly a player to watch as the money begins to fly in less than a week's time.

Ted Ginn Jr., WR/KR, San Francisco

The top two wide receivers in Dallas are pretty well-established with Dez Bryant and Miles Austin.

The rest of the crop is a mystery.

How good can you feel about Dwayne Harris, Cole Beasley and Danny Coale?

Of those three, only Harris has shown big-play ability on punt returns (once) and microscopic Beasley has all of 15 career receptions.

Yes, more ability needs to show up here, and that's taking into consideration that Coale is healthy enough to see the field this year.

Ted Ginn Jr. is a specialty receiver who brings one thing that Dallas could use in its receiving corps:

Speed.

Speed kills, and you can never have enough of it.

Ginn is not the kind of receiver who will take over a football game. But he is the kind of player who can score any time he touches the football. Since entering the NFL out of Ohio State in 2007, Ginn has taken three kickoffs and three punts back for touchdowns, and he also has a couple of rushing touchdowns to his credit.

Again, a player like this only needs to touch the ball a few times per game, and I can't imagine what Ginn might do in an offense that already has a quarterback who loves to go downfield and can definitely buy time when needed.

Assuming Harris remains on punt returns in 2013, Ginn would be the perfect fit as a kickoff return man that Dallas hasn't had in ages.

Ginn is not the kind of free agent who is going to break the bank. I liken his acquisition to the 1999 signing of Raghib ''Rocket'' Ismail, who was a bit older than Ginn but definitely provided a spark to a Dallas offense that had long been searching for a compliment to Hall of Fame ''Playmaker'' Michael Irvin.

If the price is right, Ginn has a role and a future with the Cowboys.

William Hayes, DE, St. Louis

Something tells me that the Dallas defensive line is going to look quite a bit different next season—and this includes the personnel.

With Anthony Spencer having been franchised for a second straight year, it's assumed that he will man the left defensive end spot for the first time in his career. I am already on record as saying that I doubt that this is the real game plan given the reduced size that would man both end positions.

So, the acquisition of a bigger, stronger end, such as William Hayes, would immediately spell out Spencer's role as either a volatile linebacker in Kiffin's scheme or even as trade bait.

Hayes was drafted in 2008 by the Tennessee Titans. Hayes, who eventually took a starting role from Jevon Kearse during his rookie season, proved to be a stronger run supporter than pass-rusher.

When then-head coach Jeff Fisher left for St. Louis following the 2011 regular season, he brought along Hayes to the Rams, as he installed his own distinct version of the 4-3 alignment. But Hayes ran into depth chart problems, as Chris Long and Robert Quinn formed one of the better pass-rushing combinations in the NFL last season, combining for 22 sacks.

Hayes is 6'3'' and weighs just over 270 pounds—noticeably heavier than Spencer—and is almost certainly heading out of St. Louis, probably due to financial considerations.

But Hayes, in somewhat limited action on bad teams from Tennessee and St. Louis, needs a new home, and I think he needs to play. I'm not even sure that Kiffin couldn't move him around the line from time to time, as he has the quickness and just enough bulk to play the interior.

The main thing here is price, as Hayes will not command a large salary. Further, this five-year veteran with plenty of juice in the tank has only played in 4-3 schemes during his professional career.

In a few ways, this could be a smart, although not highly visible, target for Dallas.

Antoine Cason, CB, San Diego

Considering last season's free agents and draft choices acquired, cornerback is not a position that jumps out as a dire need in Dallas. The top three at the position include Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne and Orlando Scandrick, at least if you believe that former first-round pick Mike Jenkins, an unrestricted free agent, is done in Dallas.

But in a league and a division that has plenty of passing, you can never have enough cornerbacks.

I am probably dreaming a little here, but if the cost isn't too high, another former first-round selection like Antoine Cason would be an awesome fit.

Most San Diego Chargers fans will tell you how Cason gets burned too often and that he isn't worth that enormous California state income tax.

But what I see is a durable corner who stands at 6'1'' and basically arrived just in time for the Bolts to suffer through watching the lights go out on linebacker Shawne Merriman, as well as the rapid decline of former tailback LaDainian Tomlinson.

In other words, the Chargers entered more of a rebuilding phase than they admitted (sound familiar?), and you can't charge Cason for not having a pass rush or nearly as good of an offense as San Diego had in years prior.

In fact, Jenkins and Cason were selected 25th and 27th overall in 2008, respectively, yet it can be argued that Cason has been more productive—and certainly healthier. Jenkins has played in 16 regular-season games just twice in his career. 

Cason has never missed a game, period.

Cason's 12 career interceptions aren't the stuff of Deion Sanders, but I love his physique, and if there is any way that he could be enticed to come to Dallas for the right price, then he would be a great fit behind what looks to be a more volatile defensive front than the Cowboys have had in many years.

Cason would also be valuable ''Scandrick insurance'' because after the top two corners, there isn't much to get excited about on the Dallas roster.

Ramses Barden, WR, New York Giants

For a few years in the late 1990s, I had the pleasure of living in San Luis Obispo, Calif., a little-known paradise on the central coast of California. This place is known much more for its great weather and wine grapes than its pulse for football. In fact, having been raised in Dallas-Ft. Worth, I know that Texas high school football stadiums often dwarf Alex G. Spanos Stadium, home of the Cal Poly Mustangs.

But everything is not small in SLO, as the locals call it.

Wide receiver Ramses Barden caught my attention four years ago as one of the tallest receiver prospects at the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine. Selected in the third round of the 2009 NFL draft by the New York Giants, Barden ran into the same problem that the previously mentioned Hayes did.

Barden had to contend, as a rookie mind you, with the likes of fellow wide receivers Steve Smith, Mario Manningham and fellow rookie Hakeem Nicks.

A year later, the vastly overrated Victor Cruz showed up.

See the problem?

Lost in the shuffle was Barden, and it's not like you can blame New York for its approach in seasons thereafter. The Giants just became the most average world champions ever just over a year ago in Super Bowl XLVI.

This is not to say that Barden should have played over those other receivers because they were far too productive when given their chance. But Barden stands 6'6'' and weighs over 220 pounds—and he is not expected to a be a top target for Romo.

It would be nice to have a true possession receiver who can work the slot and also play outside for the occasional jump ball.

Best of all, Barden should cost very little given his stats, and I won't mention these because his numbers are not the point. I will say that they are competitive with any other receiver on the Cowboys roster not named Bryant or Austin.

And I will leave it at that.

Desmond Bryant, DT, Oakland

An undrafted player from a Ivy League university will probably always get the attention of Garrett. That's exactly how Dallas' developing head coach came into the league himself.

As the switch to the 4-3 is implemented under Kiffin, it's a safe bet that more than a couple of new defensive linemen will be occupying locker space at Valley Ranch, whether they make the Dallas roster for the long term or not.

Desmond Bryant is the 29th player from Harvard University ever to play in the NFL. He's also a big fellow, standing 6'6'' and weighing 310 pounds—imagine Leon Lett with another 35 to 40 pounds!

Speaking of Lett, the former Cowboys defensive lineman remains on staff, as the Cowboys move back to the very system that he played in while in Dallas. Lett recently told the Star-Telegram that the defensive linemen will be the top priority in the Cowboys' defensive plans, and rightly so.

Bryant scored 1230 on his SAT coming out of high school and chose the Harvard Crimson over several other universities much more well-known for football, which is impressive seeing as how you don't attend Harvard on an athletic scholarship, only an academic one.

So there you go—Ivy League player that's big, strong and smart with no character issues, right?

Wrong!

Bryant was actually confused with the Cowboys' Bryant following his recent arrest in Miami for essentially drinking too much and causing a disturbance—a misdemeanor either way.

Can you imagine having these two Bryants on the same team?

Is that irony I smell?

Yes, this is a bit of a cynical offering to this list, but Bryant is still an interesting cat, and he might very well be out of Dallas' price range considering his recent success as a 3-4 defensive end. In other words, teams still using this antiquated scheme will have Bryant high on their list.

But if things don't go the way that they should for Bryant, he's a potential difference-maker in a rotation of defensive linemen that will likely be used in the Dallas defense in 2013.

Sammie Lee Hill, DT, Detroit

You learn something new everyday.

Defensive tackle Sammie Lee Hill played his college football in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Assuming, of course, that Hill was a former member of the Crimson Tide, I had to look further.

And that's when I learned that Hill attended Stillman College, which is also in Tuscaloosa along with the University of Alabama.

I'm not going to lie: I had no idea that Stillman existed.

But I didn't feel quite as insecure once I learned that Hill was the first player ever drafted from Stillman, a campus that just started playing football in 1999 after disbanding the program during the Truman Administration.

Enough about Stillman.

Hill is a classic 4-3 run-stuffer, something that does not exist on the Dallas roster—please don't ask me what scheme Stillman plays.

Kiffin seems to favor size over quickness in his defensive linemen, and Hill fits this mold at 6'4'' and 330 pounds.

It's also worth noting that right after he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL draft, first-round selections Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, both defensive tackles, were chosen by Detroit in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

So here's another player who deserves playing time but was also beaten out by players with a better pedigree and probably a better overall skill set.

Hill is likely on the move, as the Lions have too much money invested in this position to merit another big contract for a backup defensive tackle.

Hill would be an instant fit, even if he is merely part of the rotation of tackles that Dallas is likely to run. On rushing downs, he would be a tough body to move and would certainly help set the stage for the increased 3rd-and-long scenarios for opposing offenses that simply have to happen if the Cowboys are going to call defense a strength once again.

Roy Miller, DT, Tampa Bay

Perhaps the most likely free-agent defensive lineman on this list to land in Dallas within the next few days or weeks is Tampa Bay defensive tackle Roy Miller.

This former Texas Longhorn exemplifies just about everything that the 4-3 defensive front is all about.

A winning defense is not built with cornerbacks, as Jones discovered in 2012. On the contrary, it is built with the ability to stop the run first and then rush the passer second. This was precisely the missing ingredient back in 1991, when the Cowboys finished the regular season on a hot streak despite the absence of then-third-year starting quarterback Troy Aikman.

Dallas was good at stopping the run, but it couldn't rush the passer to save their life.

The next year, Charles Haley was acquired via trade from San Francisco, and the rest is history.

Today, things are backwards concerning the Dallas defense—and they have been for some time.

Yes, DeMarcus Ware is an elite pass-rusher, but the rest of the now-scrapped 3-4 nightmare could never stop the run the way that a championship-caliber defense needed to.

Miller changes this dynamic in a big way. While not quite as large as the previously discussed Hill, Miller has more than enough size for a defensive tackle and freakish strength. At the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine, the eventual third-round selection of the Buccaneers boasted a 500-pound bench press that turned heads.

There's a reason why Tampa Bay finished with the league's top defense against the run in 2012. The Bucs allowed a meager 82.5 yards per game, and Miller is a big reason why that was true. If Tampa had anything at all for a secondary, they would have easily been a playoff contender.

Miller is a Texas product who knows what a big-time football climate is all about. You don't play for the Longhorns and somehow miss that—unless you're Roy E. Williams, of course.

I'm not exactly sure where Miller is going to fall in the defensive tackle rankings as the free-agent signing period begins next week. But if he is not swept away within the first few hours or even days, the Cowboys might have a shot at bringing in a more-than-proven commodity to their defensive line that really needs it—and I believe that Kiffin would approve.

David Nelson, WR, Buffalo

You hate to see a player lose his commitment from the team that gave him his first shot in the NFL because of an injury. But according to three-year veteran David Nelson, this is exactly what may have happened.

Nelson had a breakout year in 2011, his second in the league. His 658 yards receiving on 61 catches with five touchdowns must have really elevated expectations for him heading into last season.

But Nelson blew out his knee in the season opener against the New York Jets, and that was apparently his last game with the Bills.

As I mentioned before, nothing on the Dallas roster is proven at wide receiver beyond Bryant and Austin. Since the latter has had his contract restructured, he and his hamstrings will remain a liability against the Cowboys.

Having said that, you saw what happened when the Cowboys top two receivers were essentially unavailable in another season-ending offensive meltdown brought to you by Garrett in Washington.

Nelson brings dimensions which include experience, speed, height and youth to a receiving corps that may have an answer or two down the road but mostly has questions right now after the top two on the depth chart.

Offers are not likely to roll in for Nelson quickly, so it may take time for his story to unfold. But don't expect the Cowboys to be signing anybody right away, either. This is going to be a bargain hunt for Jones, and possibly a couple of them.

Nelson had just become the go-to target for Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, and only that knee injury slowed—or killed—that connection.

Imagine what Nelson could accomplish with Romo and a fleet of receivers and tight ends that already create one of the most potent passing attacks in the NFL.