Fansided

Dallas Cowboys free agency 2021: Top 5 targets

By Mike Phillips

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - NOVEMBER 22: Head coach Mike McCarthy (L) of the Dallas Cowboys speaks with team owner Jerry Jones prior to their game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 22, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - NOVEMBER 22: Head coach Mike McCarthy (L) of the Dallas Cowboys speaks with team owner Jerry Jones prior to their game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 22, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 11: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates his touchdown reception against the New York Giants during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium on October 11, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 11: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates his touchdown reception against the New York Giants during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium on October 11, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

These five free agents should be the top targets for the Dallas Cowboys.

2020 was a bitterly disappointing season for the Dallas Cowboys, who opened the year as a presumptive Super Bowl contender but finished it at 6-10. An injury to Dak Prescott was bad but the Cowboys’ defense was the main culprit in the team’s failures, leading the team to fire Mike Nolan and hire Dan Quinn as their new defensive coordinator.

A winnable NFC East and the amount of talent already on the roster puts pressure on Dallas to go for the division again in 2021 but Jerry Jones will have to do a lot of salary cap manipulations with just over $13 million in projected cap space entering the offseason. Assuming Jones creates plenty of room, let’s take a look at the five free agents the Cowboys should target, beginning with a long-term deal for their franchise quarterback.

5. Cowboys free-agent targets – QB Dak Prescott

This is a bit of a cop-out since Prescott has to be brought back in order for the Cowboys to go anywhere in 2021. Dallas couldn’t work out a long-term deal with Prescott last season, allowing him to play under the franchise tag before his season-ending injury.

A second consecutive franchise tag for Prescott would mean he counts for roughly $38 million against the salary cap, a figure that could prohibit the team from doing much to improve the rest of the roster. Prescott is guaranteed to be here in 2021 so the smart move would be to work out a long-term deal to lower his 2021 cap figure and create space to make more additions to help the overall team.

Home/Dallas Cowboys