Per today, the Cowboys have signed seven free agents, the most in franchise history. The good news is that the Cowboys managed to sign seven of eight free agents they targeted. The bad news is that they missed out on one of their targets, tight end Kellen Davis from the Bears.
The Cowboys had brought Davis in for a visit, but he ultimately decided to re-sign in Chicago for $6 million over two seasons, and not be the backup for Jason Witten. There were also reports that the Cowboys were interested in TE John Carlson from Seattle, but that interest didn't lead anywhere as Carlson quickly inked a five-year, $25 million deal with the Vikings.
The Cowboys still have a need for a third tight end to go with starter Jason Witten and John Phillips, but they may be letting the "market cool off" before they jump back into free agency for a tight end.
But are there any good tight ends left?
There a couple of big name free agents still available like Dallas Clark (32, Colts), Visanthe Shiancoe (31, Vikings) and Jeremy Shockey (31, Panthers), but none of these guys has the age profile the Cowboys are likely looking for.
Joel Dreessen of the Texans may be the best remaining option, although he too will turn 30 this summer. Dreesen is a solid veteran who's accomplished as both a blocker and a receiver. He was scheduled to visit with the Saints this week, and the Bengals also appear to be interested in his services. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Dreessen, originally a sixth-round pick for the Jets in 2005, has come into his own over the past three seasons in Houston, recording 90 catches, 1,191 yards and 11 touchdowns over that span.
Another interesting option could be the Colts' Jacob Tamme. Tamme turned heads in 2010, when the 2008 fourth-round pick stepped in for an injured Dallas Clark for the bulk of the season and came away with 67 receptions for 631 yards and four TDs. His 2011season was a lot less spectacular, as he had only 19 receptions for 177 yards and one TD.
The 6-foot-4, 234-pound Tamme just turned 27, and might be a cap-friendly option to fight for the number two spot behind Jason Witten. The Sporting News says "Tamme isn't necessarily a consistent starter, but he would work well in a two-tight offense."
If all else fails, the Cowboys could bring back Martin Rucker. Rucker spent 2010 on the Cowboys' practice squad and stayed with the Cowboys through camp in 2011 but was waived in September. He was picked up by the Jaguars but only played for 17 snaps over three weeks in Jacksonville before landing on injured reserve. The Jaguars didn't tender him as an exclusive rights free agent, so he is now an unrestricted free agent. However, it's hard to imagine that Rucker would be anything more than a camp body.
There may be other tight end options out there, and the Cowboys' Pro Scouting Department will have gone over every single one by now, but judging by the lack of activity by the Cowboys, none of the available remaining options are particularly appealing.
Barring a trade, that leaves the draft or the ranks of undrafted college free agents for the Cowboys to find a third tight end.
If you were the Cowboys' GM, how would you go about completing the Cowboys' tight end trio?