Cowboys' Last-Minute Guide to 2022 NFL Free Agency

The legal tampering period hasn't started, yet 2022 NFL free agency is already shaping up to be memorable for the Dallas Cowboys.

President Jerry Jones and Co. have already made some tough decisions, and they will continue to be in the spotlight as the Cowboys are faced with the task of balancing their budget and building a championship-caliber team.

They already made waves by signing tight end Dalton Schultz to the franchise tag and trading away Amari Cooper. With a massive free-agent class and limited financial flexibility, the Cowboys are going to be performing quite the high-wire act when it comes to improving their roster through free agency this season.

Still, there will likely be some talent brought in that is going to play an important role. After all, Dallas' initial free-agent class included 24 players.

With the legal tampering period set to start Monday, here's a quick look at where the Cowboys stand, their own free agents and their needs and prospective targets.

Cap Situation

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Cap Space: $18.4 million, per Spotrac.

Last year, Dak Prescott's contract extension created the only cap space the Cowboys had. The new contract paid him $17.2 million on the cap in 2021 when the franchise tag would have been $37.7 million.

This year, the quarterback's contract was once again restructured, per Rob Phillips of the team website, but it only created $5 million in cap space. It's a number that is going to continue to dwindle as the contract escalates.

The Cowboys have already made one drastic move to create cap space. On Saturday, they shipped off Cooper and a sixth-round pick for fifth- and sixth-round picks from the Cleveland Browns, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

That move may be unpopular, with Cooper being a proven producer, but it wiped out the vast majority of his $22 million cap hit and helped get the Cowboys in the black before the opening bell of free agency rings.

The biggest cap hits for the Cowboys include DeMarcus Lawrence ($27 million), Prescott ($19.7 million) and Ezekiel Elliott ($18.2 million).

Notable Free Agents

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• Edge Randy Gregory
• S Jayron Kearse
• S Damontae Kazee
• S/LB Keanu Neal
• LB Leighton Vander Esch
• WR Cedrick Wilson Jr.
• OG Connor Wilson

The Cowboys have a ton of free agents who played meaningful roles last season. Given their cap situation, it is going to be difficult for them to hang on to several of them.

The most important might be Randy Gregory. Pass-rushing is a vital aspect of building a championship-caliber defense, and it appears likely that Dallas will lose a productive rusher in Gregory.

After injuries and suspensions held him back for most of his career, he posted six sacks in 12 games this season. That should be enough to get him paid more than the Cowboys can afford. But the blow is softened by Micah Parsons' breakout rookie season and DeMarcus Lawrence's presence on the roster.

Cooper's departure likely means that re-signing Michael Gallup will be a priority. The team will need him to come back healthy and be a No. 2 receiver across from CeeDee Lamb.

Kearse, Kazee, Neal and Vander Esch all played at least 50 percent of the snaps on the defensive side of the ball. You can make the argument some of them played below replacement level, but it's still a lot of production to replace on a limited budget.

Biggest Needs and Top Targets

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Safety

Jayron Kearse and Damontae Kazee played more snaps at safety than anyone else last season. Both are set to hit the open market. Malik Hooker, who was also playing on a one-year deal, is also set to hit the market.

That leaves the Cowboys with few viable options with experience outside of Donovan Wilson. The best options might be finding the money to re-sign some combination of Kazee, Kearse and another low-cost option.

Top Targets: Jayron Kearse, Damontae Kazee, Duron Harmon

          

Edge

If the Cowboys don't re-sign Gregory, then defensive end becomes a serious need. Parsons is capable of elite production, but the Cowboys are likely to continue playing him as a linebacker in addition to his pass-rushing duties.

Lawrence is still an elite defensive end when he's healthy, but he's entering his age-30 season and only played seven games this season. That leaves a drastic need for another edge-rusher. Bringing back Gregory would be ideal, but an aging veteran who still has something left to give on a cheap, one-year deal could work too.

Top Targets: Randy Gregory, Melvin Ingram III, Jerry Hughes

            

Interior Offensive Line

The Cowboys had one of the best offensive lines in the league last season. They finished No. 1 in PFF's final season rankings, but there is still room for improvement. Specifically, they could upgrade from Tyler Biadasz at center. He finished with a 64.8 grade, and they will need to figure out what to do with Connor Williams.

The guard was one of the most flagged players in the league with 15 penalties on the season. That should put guard and center free-agent options on the table.

Top Targets: Mark Glowinski, Trai Turner, Ted Karras