FanPost

NFL FREE AGENCY TIME!!!

I spend a lot of time looking at NFL free agents and the NFL draft, a lot more then I should.

I would like to provide my targets for NFL free agency. This is not going to be something where I try to bring in the top- rated free agents at every position; that is just unrealistic and not the way the Cowboys handle things these days. There should be a few mid-priced guys, but most of the other guys are going to be savvy vets, young guys they think have potential, former high draft picks that they hope they can work with.

I’ve had some decent luck over the past couple years with cheaper guys that played well. I’ve definitely had more than a few duds ( looking at you Josh Robinson (CB) ) as well.

I actually wanted to bring in two of the top FA from last year ( Zach Brown and Casey Hayward) I wanted Brown because of the McClain issues. I actually liked the guy a lot because he has great athleticism and actually put up good stats his first two years in Tennessee. I liked Hayward for the same reason; that he produced and was a good player and was still young.. he just had an off year.

I hope the Cowboys are able to fill their positions so that they are able to pick the ‘best available’ players in the draft at their pick, but they may have some trouble with that at Defensive end and even Cornerback.

One scenario that I am looking at for the draft is for a team to want to move up and draft a QB at the end of the first round. This actually happens fairly often recently and there is at least one QB that I think teams will covet at the end of the first round ( Patrick Mahomes) He may move up before the draft, but right now he is a good candidate for a team like the Browns to want to move up to our pick and try to get. The Cowboys should be happy to move down and take the Browns 3rd round pick for the move.

Ok, so on to my FA list.

For no particular reason, I will start with Cornerback:

Here is one of my favorite "under the radar" players. I guess he has had a few smaller injuries, but I am not concerned that he is " injury prone". I don’t think you will hear this name very much, so hopefully this shows you just how much I look into players and how far down the FA list I go:

Kayvon Webster (CB)- Denver Broncos: This guy was a 3rd round pick of the Broncos a few years ago. If you are familiar with the Broncos then you know they most likely have the best secondary in the NFL and are great at 1, 2, and 3. Kayvon, he was number 4. He is probably their best special teams player. He has shown he can play and is a willing and tough tackler. I encourage any of you other ‘armchair scout’ types to take a look at this. If you go back to his rookie season, check out a nice play he made on our Dez Bryant to bring in the INT. This is a nice and cheap option that may have his best years ahead of him. He is also a ‘RKG’.

Other options:

We are going to need to also bring back either Carr or Claiborne, or possibly another guy that would cost the same as either of those two for one year.. so maybe Prince Amukamara. If I was to bring back one I would want Carr. I like Claiborne’s ceiling, but the guy has not played a full year of football since high school… and I am not even joking! Sorry, but no thank you!

Next up: Quarterback

If/when Tony Romo goes, we need a veteran backup to Dak. I’m sorry, but with the way Sanchez played in the Philly game, I can’t bring him back to be the veteran. This has to be a cheap and realistic option, so I am going with:

Case Keenum QB- Rams: Keenum is a pretty decent QB. IMO He is not going to rewrite the record books, but he is a guy that I think has potential to be a decent starting QB in this league. He should not cost too much, and I think he will have some success in the NFL.

Other Options: Kellen Moore I could see them want to bring Moore back, since he is buddy-buddy with our o-coordinator. I would be, eh, ok with bringing him back, only if he was our backup and we are keeping 3 QBs on the roster, with the 3rd being a draft pick this year. He is a good teacher. We need to start being more like the Patriots and develop a guy. I would look at somebody like Kelly in the back half of the draft and hope he matures. If anything, Kelly is a guy we could make look really good in the preseason and then trade him for picks in a few years. Again, THINK like the PATRIOTS! There is nothing proprietary with what they are doing up there in New England.

Next up: Wide Receiver:

Ugh, wide receiver was the most difficult one to work on. There are really a lot of options and potential, so it really takes a lot of time to go through all of them and try to find the best fit for the Cowboys, and I’m still not sure I have done that. There is also a ton of bust potential at the WR positions, so it often comes down to the best fit in your style of offense:

Do I want Terrance Williams back? Yea, I would bring him back on a one year ‘prove it’ deal. He is not a great WR, but we know what we are going to get with Williams, and that is a pretty decent WR with elite side line catching skills and very,very high blocking skills. So, yea, I try to bring back Terrance Williams on a one year deal.

We have to get another guy, so that guy for me:

(most expensive) Alshon Jeffrey -Bears: Here is a guy that can be a top 3 WR in this league and he is coming off of an injury season. Sign this guy to a one year "prove it" deal and watch him take over by the end of the year! We need to start going after guys that have had down years and sign them to 1-year prove it deals.

Another cheaper option: Cordarrelle Patterson -Vikings: Yea, he has been a bust at WR, but if he is to replace Whitehead, do we need him to be an outstanding WR? And he has to be at least better at running routes than Whitehead, right? He can definitely run the Whitehead jet-sweep, and I’m sure he can do it better. Maybe if he gets back in touch with his old coach who is our WR coach, hopefully he can develop him further.. but we don’t need him to be a big time WR, it would just be icing on the cake

Bye Bye Whitehead, you always made me nervous back there catching the balls, but I did love your dedication, especially as an undersized blocker.

Other options:

( Best deal) Robert Woods: He should not cost an arm and a leg, and he has had to deal with poor QB play up in Buffalo. He has some pretty decent skills, but he does seem to get lost in games , even though that may not always be his fault.. I like his all-around skill set and I believe he can become a pretty good WR in this league. He would add a dimension to our receiving core that we do not have, since he would be a nice underneath type catcher that can make people miss with the ball in his hands, which should suit the throws Dak likes to make at this point in his career.

Next up: Fullback

Yup, I want to bring back the real fullback. No, I’m not talking about a Smith or Clutts, I’m talking about going back to the Moooose! Days!

Do we NEED a fullback? No, Elliot can run on his own. Would it make for a great addition to our run game and short game? 100% , YES! And I actually think Elliot could be a better runner following a fullback, because he is quick enough and smart enough to know when to follow him and when not to.

And there is only 1 man I want for the job!

Kyle Juszczyk : Ravens: I already have a good idea that Garret would LOVE this guy, and the city of Dallas would love him, too. His name is a little more difficult then yelling out MOOOOSE, but we could just cut it down and say JUUUUUSZC. This guy is a great short game option in the run game, and in the pass game. He might cost a little bit, but, since he is a fullback, he definitely is not going to break the bank. I think he would be a great addition to this team and somebody Dak would also like to have.

Next: Defensive End

Ah yes, defensive end, probably the one position that hurt our team the most last year.
It is hard to find a decent defensive- end that does not cost too much. If we want to help to solidify this
position outside of the draft then we are going to have to spend some money. We are not going to spend the money to get the best pass rushers this year, but we can get a guy that can come in and help to make a difference.

I know Jerry has said this as well, but I do believe in the ability of Jaylon Smith as a pass rusher, and I believe he can actually be very good at it. He should have been used as a rusher at Notre Dame in games more, but you could see his skills in practice there .He made a very good rookie from last year in Ronnie Staley( very good against the pass rush) look silly, and he also got the best of Zach Martin on multiple occasions. He also used every move in the book to do it, including a bull rush. The man is just a sick specimen that comes out about once or twice every 10 years.

We also need to see what Tapper can bring to the table

Still….

My pick: Demarcus Ware

This makes too much sense. He is going to cost a decent amount, but he is not going to break the bank at this stage in his career. If we can get the guy in here on a one -year deal at a pretty low price, it is worth it to get somebody that can rush the passer and show the young guys how to do it. We would have to do the same as what a few other teams did with their old pass rushers and keep him off the field as much as possible, until near the end of the year. But a well-rested Demarcus Ware, even at his age.. he can still be a force on rushing downs. Again, this one just makes too much sense. He may still be a little upset that Dallas let him go, but Ware is a smart guy and I am sure he understands the business side of things. I hope he comes back and closes it with the team he was drafted by. Come home, D-WARE!

Other possibilities: I really just do not see any here. Obviously there are a few more expensive guys, but they all have question marks, too. Maybe, maybe.. a guy that will be available and will be cheap but has done nothing, is Mario Williams. But, we would have to know he is motivated to play on a potential championship team. Mario has shown he can do things when motivated, but his issues may be beyond even motivation at this stage in his career

Running Back:

Daren McFadden: I’m pretty content with bringing McFadden back on the cheap. If another team offers him too much then we have to say goodbye, but it is unlikely any team will give him much after he played so little last year.

Other Possibilities:

Rex Burkhead. I admit it, this guy really intrigues me. He has a very slow 40, but he is exceptionally quick, and isn’t that the type of speed you want most at the RB position? He also is a very good receiver. I think he has a chance to be a very good RB behind our o-line. The guy is going to be the 3rd down specialist behind McFadden, so it is not like we need the next coming of Adrian Peterson back there. If he is cheap, I personally like the idea.

Tight End:

I’m not looking at anybody here. I like what we have at the position for next year, so I am looking at somebody like Butt in the 3rd or maybe even 4th round of this draft. I’m also liking Adam Shaheen a lot as well.

I have to add my o-line guys and DT still

I know these picks are a little boring, but it is also likely the Cowboys approach.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, if you like these picks or hate them!

Another user-created commentary provided by a BTB reader.