Early Free-Agent Contracts Cowboys Must Consider

The Dallas Cowboys enter NFL free agency with a handful of holes to potentially fill on the defensive side of the ball.

Leighton Vander Esch, Jayron Kearse, Randy Gregory and Malik Hooker are all scheduled to hit the free-agent market. 

Dallas could either opt to re-sign some of those players, or find their replacements in the early stages of free agency. 

A strong case could be made that there are better options both at linebacker and safety on the free-agent market than the Cowboys had headed into the process. 

Dallas may be more willing to go after new players in order to revamp some parts of its defense to feel better about the unit around Micah Parsons for the next few years. 

The Cowboys could lose Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson in free agency, but wide receiver is not as much of a concern right away since they have Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb on the roster. 

Quandre Diggs

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Dallas' secondary already has one ball hawk in Trevon Diggs, and it could add another in Quandre Diggs. 

Quandre Diggs is set to hit the free-agent market after he produced five interceptions in back-to-back seasons for the Seattle Seahawks.

The two-time Pro Bowler did not miss a game in his two seasons with the Seahawks, and he would be a nice addition to a secondary unit that may have holes at safety if Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker move on. 

Kearse should be one of Dallas' priorities to re-sign in the early stages of free agency. He had 10 passes defended and 101 tackles last season. 

If the Cowboys can't get a deal done with Kearse, Diggs should be their No. 1 target. 

Dallas can't afford to have a major drop-off in quality in the defensive backfield, and it needs support for Trevon Diggs at safety so the second-year corner can continue to be aggressive on the outside. 

The Cowboys may have to make some salary-cap space for Diggs and other signings, but that can be done by restructuring deals, or making cuts if need be. 

De'Vondre Campbell

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De'Vondre Campbell's stock rose as much as any player in the NFL during the 2021 campaign.

Campbell recorded 146 tackles for the Green Bay Packers to put himself in a great spot to get paid this offseason.

An argument can be made that Campbell is the best free-agent linebacker on the market, and with Dallas' holes at the position, it could go after him.

Campbell bounced around in the last three seasons between the Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay, so he could be looking for long-term stability with his free-agent contract. 

Dallas should let Leighton Vander Esch walk in free agency, which would open up a spot in the middle of the field for Campbell or others to fill.

Dallas needs to make a run at Campbell because he could give the franchise a strong foundation at linebacker for multiple years alongside Micah Parsons. 

At minimum, the Cowboys need to find a productive middle linebacker with better durability than Vander Esch to properly support Parsons. 

Foyesade Oluokun

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Dallas' approach on the linebacker market should also feature Foyesade Oluokun.

Oluokun recorded 192 tackles for the Atlanta Falcons in 2021 to put himself in position to earn a substantial deal in free agency. 

Oluokun produced back-to-back 100-tackle seasons for the Falcons, and he chipped in five interceptions during that stretch. 

A high-volume tackler, like Oluokun, would be a perfect fit for Parsons' pass-rushing ability, and it could make the Dallas defense one of the best units in the NFC. 

The potential addition of Oluokun would allow Dallas to plug the gaps in the middle of the field and have a relentless threat off the outside, which is what it hoped to get from Parsons and Vander Esch. 

Dallas will face stiff competition for any of the top free-agent linebackers, but that should not deter it from attempting to sign Oluokun or Campbell. 

If the Cowboys strike out, they can either look to the draft, or find a value fit at linebacker, but that should not be the strategy until both players are signed elsewhere.