Cowboys Rumors: Latest Buzz on Everson Griffen, Jadeveon Clowney Pursuits

The Dallas Cowboys retained a few key offensive players this offseason, but they lost an important part of their defense.

Robert Quinn's departure has led to some reported interest in a few defensive ends, but no deals are expected to come from it. According to ESPN's Ed Werder, it "seems unlikely" Dallas goes after Everson Griffen. Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram noted the Cowboys were not going after Jadeveon Clowney, either.

Griffen is leaving the Minnesota Vikings after playing there for a decade, while Clowney could move on from the Seattle Seahawks or return to the NFC West squad.

The Cowboys are not in dire straits on the defensive line since they still have DeMarcus Lawrence on the roster and recently signed Gerald McCoy.

Even though they have some personnel in place to fill the void left by the departure of Quinn, who signed with the Chicago Bears, it could still be a tough task. Quinn led the Cowboys with 11.5 sacks in 14 appearances, while Lawrence was second on the team with five sacks over 16 games.

McCoy should help with the pass rush, as he comes to Dallas with eight consecutive seasons with at least five sacks. In 16 games with the Carolina Panthers in 2019, McCoy produced 13 quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss and a quintet of sacks.

The 32-year-old agreed to a three-year, $18.3 million deal to go along with the mammoth contract Lawrence is under. Lawrence is scheduled to be the second-highest paid player on the Cowboys roster behind quarterback Dak Prescott in 2020, with a salary-cap hit of $21.9 million.

Since such a large investment has been made on the defensive line, Lawrence and McCoy need to be two of the league's top defensive producers in 2020.

The large price tags could be one of the main reasons why the Cowboys do not want to invest in another high-profile player at the position. If that is the case, Dallas could either fill out depth during the remainder of free agency or through the 2020 NFL draft.

Dallas owns the No. 17 overall pick, and six selections follow in the later rounds.

With Amari Cooper locked into a long-term deal, the Cowboys may be more inclined to take a defensive player in the first round than one of the many wide receivers who could go in the first 32 picks.

While re-signing Cooper was one of Dallas' top offseason priorities, the Cowboys still pursued wide receivers once that deal was done. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Emmanuel Sanders "spoke with" the Cowboys and Green Bay Packers before coming to terms with the New Orleans Saints.

With Cooper and Michael Gallup back for the 2020 campaign, the Cowboys have a pair of 1,000-yard receivers from 2019 to work with Dak Prescott.

Dallas will have to find more contributors beneath the duo since Randall Cobb and Jason Witten left, but it is still in a solid spot in the passing attack.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference. Contract information obtained from Spotrac.