Michael Gallup, Leighton Vander Esch, Cowboys Free Agents' Projected Contracts

We haven't hit the official start of free agency, but the Dallas Cowboys are already one of the most fascinating teams this offseason.

Spotrac projects Dallas to be just shy of $9 million over the salary cap to start the offseason. And with a big class of impending free agents, some difficult decisions are going to be made.

Reportedly, Jerry Jones and Co. are going to be working to get under the cap by making some interesting decisions. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Cowboys are "likely" to release Amari Cooper at the start of the league year.

Then Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reported the team approached defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence about taking a pay cut, but he refused. That could put his future with the team in jeopardy.

It all creates an interesting dynamic, with the Cowboys seeming to be prioritizing some of their impending free agents over in-house options who are under contract. They already used the franchise tag to ensure that Dalton Schultz will be back as the tight end in 2022.

With that in mind, here's what some of their top remaining free agents' contracts could look like.

WR Michael Gallup

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

While things appear to be looking grim for Amari Cooper in Dallas, Michael Gallup is shaping up to be in a Cowboys uniform next season.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported Monday that the Cowboys are confident Gallup will recover from the torn ACL he suffered in 2021 and are close to a long-term deal that would pay the receiver an average of $10 million per year.

It's important to understand that a $10 million annual average value does not mean that he will take up $10 million in cap space this season. A $10 million average would also come in under the $11.8 million that Spotrac projects for the wideout.

The $10 million-$11 million-per-year range would have him on a comparable contract to those of Sterling Shepard, Tyler Boyd and Nelson Agholor. The trio are respectively the 26th-, 25th- and 24th-highest-paid receivers on an annual average basis.

That's a considerably lower number than the $20 million that Amari Cooper was set to average. Right or wrong, that's likely the reason the Cowboys seem bent on picking Gallup over Cooper.

Projected Contract: Four years, $43.5 million. $20 million guaranteed.

LB Leighton Vander Esch

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

On the defensive side of the ball Leighton Vander Esch is an interesting free agent. After missing major portions of the 2019 and 2020 seasons with injury, he was able to stay healthy and played in 17 games last year.

He wasn't bad in those games, either. He came 35th among the 87 linebackers ranked by Pro Football Focus. He was decent in coverage with an 87.9 passer rating allowed and cut down on his missed tackles by 33.33 percent.

The Cowboys elected not to pick up his fifth-year option, however, making 2021 a prove-it year.

Figuring out the market for LVE is difficult. His injury history and lack of production at times will be factors. However, he was ranked as the 57th overall free agent by Pro Football Focus with a contract projection of three years, $25 million and $16.5 million guaranteed.

He doesn't even show up in Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic's list of the top 75 free agents. He's going to be a beauty is in the eye of the beholder-type free agent, but at 25, it seems like he will get a multiyear contract, even if it isn't with the Cowboys.

Something similar to what Nick Kwiatkoski signed in 2020 makes sense.

Projected Contract: Three years, $21 million. $13.7 million guaranteed.

Edge Randy Gregory

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Much like Vander Esch, Randy Gregory is a tough free agent to figure out.

The 29-year-old has only played in 50 games since getting drafted in 2015. Because of suspensions and injuries, his career has never got going. The ability to post double-digit sacks is still there, though.

Playing just 55 percent of the snaps last season, he posted six sacks and was second on the team in total pressures with 29. With the possibility of Lawrence becoming a cap casualty, Gregory's free agency becomes even more important for Dallas to keep an eye on.

Spotrac projects a three-year, $39.8 million contract for Gregory, while PFF sees a shorter, more lucrative two-year, $32.5 million pact.

The shorter deal makes a little more sense—Gregory hasn't played more than 12 games in a season in his entire career. Those availability concerns should be enough to hurt his market, both in terms of money and contract length.

Projected Contract: Two years, $28 million. $14 million guaranteed.