Dallas Cowboys: 10 Free Agents the Cowboys Must Target This Offseason
It goes without saying that the 2010 Dallas Cowboys failed to live up to expectations. One cannot even argue with a straight face that last season's Cowboys were even good.
As the 2011 offseason rapidly approaches, questions remain regarding the likelihood of football even being played next season. These questions will magnify as the current collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFLPA expires in less than two months. With no new deal seeming to be close, an owner-imposed lockout of the players seems inevitable.
Assuming that somehow a new deal is reached in time for the free-agent signing period, allowing the NFL Draft and all other off-season activities to take place, here is a look at how new head coach Jason Garrett should approach the free-agent signing period.
Some feel that the Cowboys are still close to contending for a Super Bowl, while others feel that a total overhaul or dreaded rebuilding effort is needed. The answer is somewhere in between, likely favoring Dallas remaining not too far from a deep run into playoffs.
Obviously these 10 players will not all be signed by owner and general manager Jerry Jones, even under the current CBA. The salary cap simply will not allow that and this is not likely to change under a new deal that might be reached in time to save the offseason. Nonetheless, any of these players would represent significant upgrades to the Cowboys' 2011 roster.
Here are 10 names to watch closely as the free-agent signing period moves closer.
No. 10: Kamerion Wimbley, OLB
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Kamerion Wimbley was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of 2006 NFL Draft. He posted 11 sacks as a rookie and has not been heard from too much since, at least not until last season.
This potential acquisition is not a dire need, at least not according to the Dallas depth chart at this time. Anthony Spencer is a good run defense away from probably becoming a Pro Bowl player. Spencer is young, has a couple of years of starting experience, and already plays the run well. But he is not the pass rusher that Wimbley is.
Some will be quick to point out that Wimbley has done nothing since that rookie year and they would be right. But to only offer that stat as a reason to avoid him would be silly. Football is a team sport and he has literally had nothing surrounding him as far as additional pass rushing ability that make his opponents pay for the excessive double teaming.
The Oakland Raiders traded a third-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft about a month before it took place to get Wimbley from Cleveland. Playing on the best defense he has played on as of yet, Wimbley posted nine sacks playing strong-side linebacker in the Raiders' 4-3 scheme last season.
The Raiders likely have no intention of letting Wimbley get away from the Bay Area. Then again, Al Davis is still the owner and if there is a deal to be made, the Cowboys should investigate.
Again, Dallas is in very good shape with outside linebackers with DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer. But Wimbley would be an upgrade over Spencer as a pass rusher and it's not like the Cowboys are brimming with depth behind the starters.
I would bet money that new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan would be quite intrigued.
No. 9: Gabe Watson, DT/NT
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Since 2006, I have wondered year after year why the Cowboys continue to go so small in the middle of their defensive line. To this day, I still wonder.
Nothing at all against Jay Ratliff, a Pro Bowler at nose guard. Ratliff is a beast, period. But he still is not a nose guard. He never has been and he never will be, not at 6'5" and 300 pounds. No other 3-4 in the NFL does this and it needs to stop in Dallas.
I liked Gabe Watson as he was coming out of Michigan in 2006. His college and pro teammate Alan Branch came out in 2007. I liked him, too. Dallas ignored both.
I honestly told my brother after Branch was selected that the Cardinals might reach a Super Bowl with all of these big bodies they are collecting on their defensive line. Within three years of selecting Watson, they actually did, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII.
No, I had no crystal ball. I just know that a good 3-4 defensive line is not staffed by a bunch of guys who weigh between 290 and 300 pounds, that's all.
Spare me with Watson's two career sacks or even the fact that neither he or Branch even start in Arizona. The fact is they are there and available and big.
Watson stands 6'4" and weighs in at 338 pounds. Now that A-gap is finally plugged and guys like Ratliff, Ware and Spencer can exploit many more passing situations than they have had available in the last couple of years.
Watson would be a huge bargain given his lack of numbers and playing time. Most importantly, he would fill the most vital gap, years unaddressed, in what could be a dominant defense in 2011.
No. 8: Carl Nicks, OG
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It used to be said that Texas Stadium, former home of the Cowboys, had a hole in the roof so God could watch his favorite team play on Sunday. Well, God willing, the days of Kyle Kosier at left guard are finally over. Again, God willing, because some things just will not go away.
They also say that big things come from from the state of Texas. But they also come from little, tiny places in California. Take Larry Allen from Sonoma State, chosen by Dallas in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. This choice worked out pretty well, you could say.
With Allen having set the standard for power, athleticism and downright nasty demeanor, Kosier falls mightily when compared to what the Cowboys had seemingly all over their offensive line for 12 Hall Of Fame-caliber seasons with Allen.
Enter Carl Nicks, a big, strong guard from little, tiny Salinas, California. How big you ask? How about 6'5" and 343 pounds?
Having played three seasons with New Orleans, Nicks might be best known for saying, "I'm going to MF'ing Disneyland," during a radio interview immediately following the Saints' victory over Indianapolis in Super Bowl XLIV a year ago. Good for him!
Nicks is young and proven at a position in which Dallas needs both youth and proven performers.
If Jason Garrett cannot figure out that passing the football 30-plus times per game does not win championships, the Cowboys will remain just a popular name. But if that Ivy League education means anything, along with his lifetime involvement in football at the quarterback position, Nicks would be a good guy to target.
Five words, Jason: Run the MF'ing ball!
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No. 7: Nnamdi Asomugha, CB
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This idea is almost certainly wishful thinking and also not entirely necessary. The cornerback position is not a weakness for the Cowboys, contrary to what a good number of highlight-watching fans seem to think.
Terence Newman is starting to get up there in age. Mike Jenkins did not have a stellar 2010. Orlando Scandrick shows flashes of brilliance, but also immaturity. Bryan McCann had some huge plays but still lacks experience.
There is not much else.
So now comes the demand for Dallas to go out and sign another top-tier corner back to fix everything that ails what is presently a bad defense.
Champ Bailey? No. Too old, right? Wait until you see his next contract. Then tell me Newman is too old.
The name most commonly mentioned is Nnamdi Asomugha of Oakland. Fine.
Newman has played eight seasons. Asomugha has played eight seasons.
Both were drafted in 2003, way, way back before Facebook and Twitter.
And check this out: Newman has 16 interceptions the last four seasons. Asomugha has three.
Now, I am not arguing that Newman is necessarily better than Asomugha, who is three years younger. And don't get me wrong, Asomugha is a stud in man coverage and I also get that opposing quarterbacks just don't throw his way, especially deep. Just keep it all in perspective.
The point is this. You can never have too many good cornerbacks in this ridiculously pass-happy NFL. Since Asomugha cannot be franchised by Oakland, I look for him to be on the move in 2011.
Pair up Newman and Asomugha at corner with Jenkins and Scandrick as depth and look out!
No. 6: Justin Blalock, OG
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Having already made a case for Carl Nicks at left guard, I rank Justin Blalock as a significant upgrade over even Nicks.
Where Nicks has had some immaturity issues in the past, most of which appear to be long gone, Blalock has never, ever had such issues.
Blalock is a Dallas product through and through, having played his high school ball at nearby Plano East High School.
Blalock played his college ball at Texas and was an important piece of an offensive line that launched Vince Young and the Longhorns to a huge upset win over USC in the BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl in 2006.
At 6'3" and 329 pounds, Blalock is not quite as big as Nicks but he is absolutely as powerful. Had the Atlanta Falcons possessed a defense to go with a very balanced offense in 2010, Blalock is likely preparing for the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game.
Unlike some, I am not of the belief that Leonard Davis is done being a key piece to a championship offense. Linemen his size are not supposed to be dropping back into pass protection 35-50 times per game. Having said that, Davis is getting up there in age and it would be wise for Dallas to address one guard spot in the draft and one in free agency. Men the size of Davis do not grow on trees and they make the running game happen.
The Cowboys' failures in 2010 started off because the Jason Garrett spread offense could not score points despite generating respectable yardage totals. But yards do not win games. Points win games.
Blalock would be a massive upgrade over the pedestrian Kyle Kosier or immediately replace Davis should he retire or get released due to salary concerns.
No. 5: David Akers, K
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As a fan of the Cowboys, how many times have you seen David Akers pointing both fingers to the sky following a field goal. It seems like just about every time he has ever attempted one.
It is probably safe to say that Dallas will strongly consider ending the David Buehler experiment. Sure, Buehler has a rocket leg and as a kickoff specialist he is about as good as it gets. But most teams need their place kicker to handle both field goals and kickoffs, and the Cowboys need to join those ranks again.
Let me put this another way:
1989 - Roger Ruzek
1990 - Ken Willis
1992 - Lin Elliott
1993 - Eddie Murray
1994 - Chris Boniol
1997 - Richie Cunningham
2000 - Tim Seder
2002 - Billy Cundiff
2005 - Jose Cortez / Shaun Suisham
2006 - Mike Vanderjagt / Shaun Suisham
2007 - Nick Folk
2009 - Nick Folf / Shaun Suisham
2010 - David Buehler
I still feel like I have left somebody out, but does that really change anything?
I have kept cell phones longer than Jerry Jones' average kickers.
Enough.
No. 4: Marcus Spears, DE
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Obviously the word "continuity" meant next to nothing for the Dallas Cowboys in 2010. Still, I am a big believer in the philosophy and Marcus Spears is not one of the issues hurting the Dallas defense.
This would certainly not be a sexy signing by any stretch and one could even argue that Spears just isn't needed. I beg to differ.
Like that nose guard position I am always crying over, stats are not the goal for defensive linemen in a 3-4 scheme, unless of course you are Jay Ratliff.
Do a quick study on how the Dallas defense performed in 2010 without a healthy Marcus Spears for any of it and get back to me.
Is Spears better than Ratliff? No. Better than Igor Olshansky? Yes.
You do the math here.
No. 3: Tyson Clabo, RT
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Barring an unexpected turn for the better, right tackle Marc Colombo has probably played his final game in a Dallas uniform. He may have very well played his last game of professional football.
Too many injuries have plagued Colombo and this is a shame. Injuries are the only reason the Cowboys ever got their hands on the Boston College product, as the Chicago Bears simply ran out of patience waiting on a former first-round pick to contribute something.
Like teammate Justin Blalock, right tackle Tyson Clabo has been a part of a more-than-solid running game and balanced offense. Unless the Cowboys decide to go with a rookie in 2011 or somehow decide that Alex Barron is worth another look, Clabo would be a fantastic signing.
Clabo isn't exactly a spring chicken, but he still should have four to five good seasons left and the Cowboys are trying to contend within exactly that time frame.
No. 2: Doug Free, LT
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Again, back to that word—continuity.
Doug Free just completed his first season starting at left tackle in place of Flozell Adams, released following last season's embarrassing postseason showing against the Vikings in Minnesota. I would say so far so good, but not great.
What we do know about Free, aside from the fact he would be a rock star if not a football player, is that he is a good right tackle. Over on the left, I do believe he is worth another look.
In other words, Free was certainly not the reason that the Cowboys finished 6-10 and got off to a hilarious 1-7 start in their 50th anniversary season.
Dallas allowed a franchise left tackle in Adams to walk at about the right time. The 2011 NFL Draft does not appear to offer anybody one would expect to start on a contending offense in the coming season. This is especially true if you consider how quarterback Tony Romo's season ended up: early.
At right or left tackle, Free is the guy.
No. 1: Haloti Ngata, DE/NT
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Question: Where do you go if you are 6'4" and weigh 345 pounds?
Answer: Whereever you choose.
The only remaining question is how many other men will be needed to make that trip slower.
I loved Ngata coming out of Oregon in 2006. I also knew that Dallas would be in no position to get him as they would not be on the clock until the 18th selection. That is where they stayed, selecting historic bust Bobby Carpenter, an almost useless linebacker from Ohio State.
Ngata was chosen 12th by his current team, Baltimore. Done deal.
If a team decides to run a 3-4 defense, obviously there are only three down linemen. With today's offensive linemen generally well over 300 pounds, especially in the interior, it makes no sense to arm up with a few 300-pound linemen of your own up front to go up against the opposition's five.
This is precisely why the Dallas defense has had significant issues stopping the run in recent years. The only exceptions have come when playing a bad offense that was not good at anything or when the offense did get points on the board early.
When a nose guard weighing over 330 or better is in the middle, it will require a double team to keep him out of the backfield. This is how the A-gap is filled by the better 3-4 defenses in the NFL and in college. You have the nose guard eating up the space he takes up coupled with the extra attention gathered by a couple of offensive linemen. This means there's a clog in the middle that measures several feet wide, thus forcing most running plays to the outside. This is ideal.
Nobody will ever understand why former head coach Wade Phillips tolerated such nonsense in all but one game, his first, that he coached in Dallas. It becomes even more troublesome when you consider that what got him that job was his performance running one of the best 3-4 defenses in the NFL in San Diego from 2004 to 2006.
His nose guard with the Chargers? Massive Jamal Williams. Even since Williams' departure to Denver prior to last season, San Diego has moved in Antonio Garay, a 6'4", 320-pound beast at the nose.
At this point, Dallas fans are questioning just about everyone on Dallas' depth chart on the defensive side of the ball. I have read or heard arguments for Anthony Spencer, Terence Newman, Mike Jenkins and others to be benched. Those just named are all first-round picks who are very good football players.
The problem is not any of those players. The problem is the system itself.
When cornerbacks and safeties have to start tackling the likes of New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs some 40 times per season, the results are not going to be pretty. There goes the sack opportunities as well for DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff and Spencer.
Either run the 3-4 with ideal personnel or quit wasting time and money on it.
Haloti Ngata is a massive step towards creating the best 3-4 defensive front Dallas has ever had.
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