NFL Free Agent Rumors: Should the Dallas Cowboys Go After Nnamdi Asomugha?

Post-NFL Draft excitement is winding down, and people are looking for things to talk about other than the lockout.

Most of that talk is centered around free agency and trade speculation.

Experts think the Dallas Cowboys have a massive need at cornerback. I'm not so sure about that, because I think a couple of quality safeties and a dominant pass-rush would do wonders for the secondary.

But the point is that this free agency class is headlined by Nnamdi Asomugha, the all-pro cornerback for the Oakland Raiders.

Not only is Asomugha widely considered to be the best player at his position, he is considered by some to be the best player in the league today. He has consistently shut down his side of the field over the years, partially because no one is crazy enough to even throw his way.

If the Cowboys signed him, their pass defense would instantly jump from the bottom of the league to one of the best. Dallas could part ways with a declining Terence Newman and replace him with one of the best players in the league.

The only question to ask is whether or not it would be conceivable to sign Asomugha.

Sorry to say, but my gut feeling here is no. It isn't totally out of the question, but I simply don't see it happening for several reasons.

For one thing, the Cowboys' salary was the second-highest in the league last year, only behind Oakland. They literally have no cap space to sign anyone, much less the crown jewel of the class.

For another, the money they would have to pay to sign Asomugha could be spread among several other quality free agents at positions like safety and defensive line. Make no mistake, this defense is not just one player away from being dominant; they need several players to get back into the top 10 again.

So no matter what Nnamdi brings to the table, just realize that the quarterback can always just throw to the other side of the field or dump it down to a tight end. If your starting linebackers are too slow to cover those athletic tight ends, it doesn't matter what your corners are doing.

I'm not saying that having Asomugha wouldn't be a great asset to the team; on the contrary, I think he would help out immensely. The only problem is that it doesn't make financial sense, and I think recent occurrences in the league have made it abundantly clear that the NFL is all about the bottom line.