Dallas Cowboys Free Agency: Projecting Contract Offers for Dallas

The days of the Dallas Cowboys being big players in free agency are over. The days of signing top-tier players to huge contracts are a thing of the past as the Cowboys have become much more fiscally responsible.

In the last two free agencies, the Cowboys have gone bargain-hunting as they have signed players such as Jeremy Mincey, Terrell McClain, Justin Durant and George Selvie. 

The highest-profile signing the Cowboys have made was Henry Melton in last year's free agency, but it was essentially a one-year deal with a three-year club option that could be worth up to $29 million.

The Cowboys currently have around $12 million in cap space, per Overthecap.com, but that will likely change, as they will likely re-sign Dez Bryant, which will take up some space, and could restructure contracts to free up some space.  

With that in mind, let's take a look at some players the Cowboys may be targeting as they go bargain-hunting this offseason. 

Brandon Graham

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Projected Contract Offer: 3 years, $12 Million

The Cowboys are in desperate need of pass-rushers, and there may be no better bargain than Brandon Graham. There may not be a player in the NFL who has been more misused by his team than Graham has been with the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Of players with at least 100 pass-rush snaps, Graham had the highest pass-rush productivity score (a formula that combines sacks, hits and pressures relative to pass-rush snaps) out of all the 3-4 outside linebackers, per Pro Football Focus. 

Despite his productivity, Graham could not crack the starting lineup for the Eagles, as he only had one start all year. In free agency, defensive ends get paid for sacks, and Graham had only 5.5 last year. Therefore, the Cowboys should be able to get a bargain, even though he was one of the most productive players on a snap-to-snap basis. 

A player in last year's free agency who had similar sack numbers and productivity, albeit less than Graham's, was Willie Young, who signed with the Bears for three years and $9 million, per Spotrac.com.

To account for the inflation of contracts with the increased cap number and the fact that Graham was a little bit more productive should allow him to get a slight bump in his contract compared to Young. 

At this number, the Cowboys wouldn't sacrifice much cap space, but they would get a player with high upside who could become a top-tier pass-rusher in the NFL. 

Mark Ingram

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Projected Contract Offer: 2 years, $7.5 Million

With the Cowboys and DeMarco Murray likely parting ways, the Cowboys will be in the market for a running back. 

One running back they could have interest in is Mark Ingram of the New Orleans Saints, as head coach Jason Garrett is a fan of his game, according to former NFL scout Bryan Broaddus. 

Ingram is an interesting case, because he flashes great traits and ability on the field but has yet to really put it together and stay healthy for a full season. 

When he is on the field, Ingram showcases all the attributes you want in a running back for the Cowboys offense. He has good vision, makes decisive cuts, is good in pass protection and is a good receiver out of the backfield. 

Ingram is young (25) and has little wear and tear on is body, as he has carried the ball 582 times in his career. For comparison, DeMarco Murray had 436 just this year, so Ingram has plenty of tread on his tires. 

There aren't many players in the past to compare Ingram's situation to, as young running backs with good ability don't tend to hit the market often. However, because of his injury history and inability to sustain production, the Cowboys should be able to get him at a discount. 

With Ingram in the fold, the Cowboys could have a dynamic backfield with Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar or potentially Ryan Williams. 

Brian Hoyer

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Projected Contract Offer: 1 year, $2 Million

As the Cowboys found out this year, Brandon Weeden is not competent enough of a quarterback to be able to adequately fill in for Tony Romo if he misses a little bit of time. 

With Dustin Vaughan still developing, the Cowboys should look to bring in a quarterback who can compete with Weeden for the backup quarterback position. 

Brian Hoyer would be a great pickup as a potential backup quarterback. He proved last year that with a good defense and a solid running game, he can win games, which is all you are really asking for in a backup quarterback. 

He is a guy who can stretch the field at times, while managing the game, something that Weeden really struggled to do in his limited action. 

Hoyer is a good option because he would come relatively cheap. Last year, he got paid $1.25 million, per SpotRac.com, and even though he wouldn't have the chance to win the starting job, he would get a nice little pay increase to back up Romo. 

While Hoyer is an exciting addition, he is someone who could help the Cowboys in a pinch if Romo went down. 

Joe Reitz

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Potential Contract Offer: 2 years, $5 Million

In 2014, the Cowboys basically had one player, Mackenzy Bernadeau, back up three different positions by himself. It didn't come back to haunt them this year, as they were relatively healthy in the interior offensive line throughout the year, but it is an area where they could use more depth. 

When you sign reserve offensive linemen, you are looking for guys who bring a lot of versatility to the table, which is exactly what Joe Reitz does. 

Reitz has experience at both guard and tackle spots from his time with the Indianapolis Colts, and he did an adequate job at them all. Reitz is at his best when he is playing guard, as he is better at dealing with slower-footed defensive tackles, but as he showcased against the Denver Broncos, he can do a solid job at tackle as well.  

Reitz is not a sexy acquisition by any means, but these types of moves go a long way toward solidifying the back end of a roster. 

For the Cowboys to get Reitz away from the Colts, they will likely have to give him a little raise. He made $1.431 million last year with the Colts, per Spotrac.com. Therefore, a $1 million pay increase should be enough to lure him to Dallas.