3 free agents the Cowboys should avoid in the 2021 offseason

The biggest need for the Cowboys’ defense is a run-stuffing defensive tackle. Dallas was horrendous against the run in 2020, checking in with the second-worst rushing defense in the NFL, and part of the issue was poor play from their defensive tackles.

One guy who has always been a tremendous run defender is Leonard Williams, who emerged as a pass-rushing threat in New York this season. The Giants saw Williams rack up a career-high 11.5 sacks, making him a more valuable player with his newfound ability to disrupt the pocket from the interior.

While this sounds like an ideal fit on paper for Dallas’ defensive line the issue is that this performance was an outlier for Williams. Prior to 2020 Williams was regarded as a bit of an underachiever, failing to generate much pressure and being known as a guy who excels at drawing double-teams while playing good run defense.

Williams’ gaudy sack total likely pushes his price tag very high, which is a risk for a Cowboys’ team operating with so many defensive needs and limited cap space. Pushing a ton of chips into the middle of the table for Williams is not a smart strategy since they should be able to find a run-stuffing defensive tackle for a much lower price tag than the one Williams will command in free agency.