Dallas Cowboys' 2017 Free Agency Big Board

The Dallas Cowboys have built a juggernaut offense complete with the core pillars every team salivates over.

They've transitioned from one franchise quarterback to a confident rookie in Dak Prescott who can make any throw with precision. They invested a high first-round pick in running back Ezekiel Elliott, who, for a time, threatened Eric Dickerson's rookie rushing record before finishing with 1,994 yards from scrimmage during the regular season.

And in front of both Elliott and Prescott, the Cowboys have assembled a bulldozing offensive line that provides the muscle and foundation for the entire offense.

Now they need the defensive muscle in equal measure—both reloading and reinforcing in that area. The problem is the Cowboys likely won't have much money to take a cannonball into the free-agency pool.

They fielded the league's fifth-ranked defense in average points allowed (19.1) in 2016. That defense included safety Barry Church for much of the season. He was one of the NFL's best coverage safeties, and he allowed an opposing passer rating of only 67.8, according to Pro Football Focus.

Church is now a pending free agent, and he will rightfully seek a raise from his $4.25 million base salary in 2016. Cornerbacks Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr aren't on Church's level, but they still made valuable contributions. They're both set to leave as free agents, too.

That's three starting defensive backs who could hit the open market, along with wide receiver Terrance Williams and guard Ronald Leary. The Cowboys are a shining example of why maintaining a team's current level of play is so incredibly difficult, before you even begin to think about improvements.

And when it comes to those improvements, any additions through free agency could be of the dumpster-diving variety due to a certain contract albatross that needs to be dealt with.

So let's start there as we put the magnifying glass over the Cowboys offseason outlook.

Salary-Cap Specifics

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Projected Salary-Cap Space (via Spotrac): -$5.8 Million

The Cowboys free-agency outlook rests almost entirely with Tony Romo and what they choose to do with the soon-to-be 37-year-old quarterback who was dethroned by Prescott in 2016.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is telling anyone who wants to listen that no decision has been made yet regarding Romo's future.

"There are several cards to be played," he told The Fan 105.3 a few days after the Cowboys were eliminated in the divisional round (via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News). "Don't think for one minute if you see something written or something said about what and where Romo is going to be, relative to our team, that there's any credibility to it."

So I guess he wouldn't like me writing this: It's safe to assume Romo is gone.

The only way Romo stays on the Cowboys roster is if he chooses to fade into the football sunset with the only team he's ever known and agrees to take a massive pay cut. Yes, there's value in having a quality backup behind Prescott, because as terrific as the rookie was in 2016, inexperience remains a factor. But no sensible team will commit $24.7 million against the cap to a headset-wearer.

That's how much cap space Romo is set to account for in 2017, according to Spotrac. Even in a quarterback-starved league, trading him and that contract will be difficult. The Cowboys could release him instead and spread out the cap hit by designating their former franchise face as a post-June 1 cut. That would mitigate the salary-cap damage and free up about $14 million to work with in 2017 to address other needs.

But even in that scenario, it's unlikely the Cowboys will be major players on the market due to their trio of pending free-agent defensive backs along with Williams and Leary. After the Cowboys deal with Romo, retain some of their own key players and ink extensions with some of their 2014 draftees (including guard Zack Martin and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence), they'll be left to bargain hunt and reload through the draft.

Team Needs

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Here are the Dallas Cowboys' top position needs entering 2017 free agency. 

Priority Need 1: Safety

• If the Cowboys can't re-sign Church, they'll have a glaring need in a secondary that already allowed 260.4 passing yards per game in 2016 (26th). And even if they do retain Church, there will still be a need for depth, as fellow safety J.J. Wilcox is also a pending free agent.

Priority Need 2: Cornerback

• The Cowboys' needs and potential holes in the secondary go beyond the two safeties. As Blogging The Boys noted, Dallas is set to possibly lose safeties and corners who accounted for a combined total of 2,656 defensive snaps in 2016.

Priority Need 3: Wide receiver

• Williams will turn 28 years old just prior to the 2017 season. He's a young receiver with plenty of athleticism, recording 1,434 receiving yards and seven touchdowns over the past two years. That sounds like moderate production at best. But please remember, Williams did that as the third passing option behind fellow receivers Cole Beasley and Dez Bryant. Williams will be priced far out of the Cowboys' range, and Brice Butler could leave too.

Priority Need 4: Backup quarterback

• Prescott is the present, the future and the franchise. Those are the facts after he made the formidable job of a rookie quarterback look easy, throwing 23 touchdown passes with only four regular-season interceptions. He's still young, though, and he will make only his 18th career start (including playoffs) in September 2017. It's critical to have a sturdy veteran behind him as a guiding presence.

Priority Need 5: Running back depth

• Elliott was simply unfair during his rookie season because of a contact-craving running style perfectly suited for the vast open spaces created by the Cowboys offensive line. But the punishment from that bruising approach could add up, and Darren McFadden—the trusted and familiar face who was the Cowboys' No. 2 running back when healthy—is a pending free agent along with Lance Dunbar.

Priority Need 1: Safety

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

Option 1: Jahleel Addae (27 Years Old)

Jahleel Addae could be available at a discount after suffering a collarbone injury and missing half of the 2016 season. He was solid against the run and recorded 50 tackles in 2016 even while sitting out for those eight games. He also improved in coverage during his fourth season, allowing a passer rating of only 76.5 on 23 targets, per PFF.

There's potential here with a defender who's still young. The kind of potential that won't cost much, which is always the best kind.

Option 2: D.J. Swearinger (25 Years Old)

Not long ago, D.J. Swearinger seemed destined for the draft-bust scrap heap. In 2013, the Houston Texans deemed him worthy of the 57th overall pick. But after a lot of failing and flailing in coverage, he lasted just two seasons in Houston. Eventually, the Arizona Cardinals tossed Swearinger a lifeline in 2016 on a one-year deal, and he resuscitated his career while recording three interceptions.

Swearinger is a hard hitter who's quick to the point of attack against the run, too. The former South Carolina standout finished 2016 tied for 12th among safeties with 15 run stops, per PFF.

Option 3: Quintin Demps (31 Years Old)

Quintin Demps is a little older and getting set to turn 32 this offseason. He's also earned journeyman status with five NFL stops since 2008. That makes him ideal short-term depth for a team that could be in need of someone who fits the journeyman description.

However, the open market might push Demps' value a little beyond Dallas' low-cost range. Demps hasn't hit an age wall yet—instead, he's improved steadily over the past several seasons. He's recorded 15 interceptions since 2013, including six in 2016, the highest season total of his career.

Other Options to Consider: Mike Adams (35 Years Old); Bradley McDougald (26 Years Old); Matt Elam (25 Years Old); Duron Harmon (26 Years Old)

Priority Need 2: Cornerback

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Option 1: Dre Kirkpatrick (27 years old)

Dre Kirkpatrick's value depends on the player who teams see.

Do organizations see the cornerback who has been a first-round bust for much of his time with the Cincinnati Bengals? Or, instead, do they see a defender who finally flashed that first-round talent in his fifth NFL season while finishing with three interceptions and 10 passes defensed?

The answer likely lies somewhere in the middle, though Kirkpatrick's youth and the recent surge in his play could quickly push him out of the Cowboys' price range. But if his first four seasons drag him down and Kirkpatrick faces a sluggish market, Dallas should pounce on a player who still has a high talent ceiling.

Option 2: Ross Cockrell (25 Years Old)

Ross Cockrell has risen quickly since becoming the Buffalo Bills' 2014 fourth-round pick, getting cut and signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, in 23 regular-season starts since the beginning of 2015, he has recorded 25 passes defensed.

His talent ceiling is high and his cost is low. As a restricted free agent, Cockrell could be a great target for Dallas, though one that will require a bit of creativity. Cockrell will turn 26 years old in August, so the Cowboys would have to ask themselves this question if he isn't re-signed before the new league year: Is a rising corner just entering his prime worth a fourth-round pick?

Because that's where Cockrell was originally drafted, that would be the pick Dallas would have to sacrifice. The answer may well be "yes!" for a Cowboys team with little financial flexibility.

Option 3: Terence Newman (38 Years Old)

Terence Newman is a veteran who will fall much more into the Cowboys' spending range if he doesn't retire. He was effective even at the age of 38 in 2016, finishing with the league's fifth-best passer rating in coverage, per PFF.

This signing could satisfy the needs of all parties involved. Newman would return to the place his career began and get one last shot at a championship. And the Cowboys would get a filthy cheap cornerback who's still playing at a high level while approaching 40 years old.

Other Options to Consider: Leon Hall (32 Years Old); Brice McCain (30 Years Old); D.J. Hayden (27 Years Old)

Priority Need 3: Wide Receiver

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Option 1: Kenny Stills (24 Years Old)

It feels like Kenny Stills has been around for about a decade. But somehow he's set to turn only 25 in April, and the Miami Dolphins receiver earned just $1.7 million in 2016.

He's a straight burner and pure vertical threat. Those are needed and valued traits, giving Stills a home-run-swinger reputation. He averaged 17.3 yards per catch on 42 receptions in 2016.

But he is one-dimensional—covering a whole lot of ground and then waiting for a football to fall into his hands. And that's just fine for the Cowboys, because they have two other receivers (Bryant and Beasley) who are multi-faceted talents and can do the dirty work underneath.

It's also just fine for Dallas because Stills' cost may not climb too high.

Option 2: Kenny Britt (28 Years Old)

It's easy to do a quadruple take when looking at Kenny Britt's age, too. He dealt with off-field issues early in his career, and his knees surely feel older than 28, as he's suffered multiple injuries there.

But that's all in the past now, and Britt has put together a few remarkable seasons considering the Los Angeles Rams' quarterback tire fire. In 2015, he averaged 18.9 yards per reception while emerging as a reliable deep threat, and then in 2016, Britt recorded his first season with 1,000-plus yards. And he's done it all while staying healthy for three straight years.

There may be some lingering apprehension about Britt's attitude and injury history that keeps his price down. If that happens, the Cowboys could have an opportunity.

Option 3: Kamar Aiken (27 Years Old)

Kamar Aiken likely presents the best low-cost option at wide receiver with a high upside.

His 2016 production was suppressed simply because the Baltimore Ravens didn't give him so many opportunities, using wide receivers Mike Wallace and Steve Smith more prominently. There was nothing wrong with the decision for that team and that roster. And now, the Cowboys could stand to benefit.

Aiken caught a mediocre 29 balls for 328 yards in 2016, but he's only a year removed from 944 yards on 75 receptions. And he's also still a young 27 years old.

Other Options to Consider: Robert Woods (24 Years Old); Kendall Wright (27 Years Old); Anquan Boldin (36 Years Old)

Priority Need 4: Backup Quarterback

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Option 1: Brian Hoyer (31 Years Old)

It's important to have the right perspective when looking at the always-barren quarterback market.

When a team like Dallas seeks a veteran backup, it doesn't need someone who can step in and be a hero if Prescott were to go down with a serious injury. Let's just go ahead and acknowledge reality: In that scenario, the Cowboys would become even more of a run-oriented team. Also, even with Elliott going wild, they would probably still struggle without Prescott for a long stretch.

The ideal backup quarterback is someone with experience who can hold everything steady for a spot start or two. He's someone who has logged plenty of career starts and hopefully even flashed some potential along the way.

Brian Hoyer is that guy. If he's asked to become a long-term starter, Hoyer morphs into a turnover-prone mess. But over five starts and 200 pass attempts for the Chicago Bears in 2016, he didn't throw an interception. He put together four 300-plus yard passing games and threw six touchdown passes.

Hoyer has also made 31 career starts. He's the perfect experienced arm to slide in behind an impressive, though young, second-year quarterback.

Option 2: Shaun Hill (37 Years Old)

Shaun Hill lacks arm strength at his age. But if there's a union for clipboard-holding veterans who have seen a few things, Hill is its leader.

He's your guy if you need one or two games to be managed, which is exactly what Hill did for the Minnesota Vikings in 2016. He averaged 6.9 yards per attempt in his one start in Week 1 (also a win), throwing 33 attempts without an interception. He was perfectly adequate, which is all the Cowboys would need in a short-term capacity.

Providing Hill's well-seasoned ear and voice for Prescott would be an added bonus.

Option 3: Landry Jones (27 Years Old)

Landry Jones was briefly considered a top-end draft prospect. That lasted about a blink, but he still developed into a more than serviceable backup during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He started two games in 2016 and threw for 558 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions.

Other Options to Consider: Geno Smith (26 Years Old); Matt Barkley (26 Years Old); Matt McGloin (27 Years Old); 

Priority Need 5: Running Back Depth

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Option 1: Danny Woodhead (32 Years Old)

Turning 30 isn't a death sentence for a pass-catching back like Danny Woodhead. He's logged only 503 career carries, with a single-season high of just 106 back in 2013.

He's still a highly effective pass-catcher when healthy, and he's only one season removed from 755 receiving yards. The shifty back would be a great passing-down complement behind Elliott and an upgrade over Dunbar in that role.

The only concern about Woodhead is his health, as he suffered a torn ACL in 2016 and has missed 27 games over the past three years. But if anything, that will benefit the Cowboys by dropping Woodhead's price. They wouldn't rely on him heavily anyway, and Woodhead is already running and cutting at nearly full speed, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Option 2: Tim Hightower (30 Years Old)

Tim Hightower is the Benjamin Button of running backs. He just keeps going, when both age and injury would make most backs crumble.

And, much like Woodhead, his age will give the Cowboys the discount they desire with the potential for a high return. Hightower finished 2016 with 748 yards from scrimmage in just one start and limited opportunities with the New Orleans Saints. 

Option 3: Andre Ellington (27 Years Old)

This is the ultimate dumpster-diving option, which is just fine for a cap-strapped team that has little need to spend much at the running back position anyway.

Andre Ellington is too small (5'9" and 199 lbs) to be an every-down back. Of course, the Cowboys wouldn't be asking that of him. They'd be asking him to be a passing-down specialist, a role he excelled in at times with the Arizona Cardinals. In 2014, he caught 46 passes for 395 yards and two touchdowns.

Other Options to Consider: DeAngelo Williams (34 Years Old); Christine Michael (26 Years Old); Latavius Murray (27 Years Old)