Dallas Cowboys free agency 2017: Top 5 targets

The Dallas Cowboys are a few small pieces away from being Super Bowl favorites. What do they have to do?

The thing to remember with the Cowboys this offseason is that they do not have much cap space to spend. They are expected to release Tony Romo, and with that are going to eat about $19 million in dead cap. They are going to have to be stingy and smart when it comes to re-signing their own and going out to make the current roster better. So who are some potential free agents the Cowboys should be intent on signing?

5. Mo Claiborne

The first move is to bring back your own. The Cowboys have big cornerback questions entering this offseason. Both Brandon Carr and Claiborne are set to be free agents, and without those two the secondary is in trouble. However, due to their cap space situation, and with the emergence of former rookie Anthony Brown, the Cowboys may have to resort to only choosing one.

If that becomes the case, their first look would be Claiborne. Claiborne, of course, has the pedigree of being a player that the Cowboys traded up to acquire in the 2012 NFL draft. It took Claiborne a while, but his 2016 was surely one of his best, despite playing in just seven games.

His season was shortened by injury, and over the last four seasons, he has only been healthy for 43 games. However, that will come into consideration at the bargaining table, and it will likely get the Cowboys a decent price. While Claiborne is still 26, Carr is 30. Carr has been one of the more consistent cornerbacks in the NFL, and despite the age difference, Carr is going to see more money on the open market.

The Cowboys should play a somewhat risky bet, but the overall smart bet by choosing the younger, and cheaper option.