5 targets for Cowboys in 2023 free agency

4. Germaine Pratt

The Bengals have a number of quality defenders hitting the free agent market this offseason and they can’t afford to keep them all. Pratt is a serious flight risk for Cincinnati and the Cowboys would be an ideal landing spot for the talented linebacker.

Pratt’s best skill is his ability to cover tight ends, running backs, and even some wide receivers in coverage. That’s a skill that Dallas’ linebacker group lacked in 2022. The reality that Leighton Vander Esch and Anthony Barr are also headed for free agency means it’s imperative that the Cowboys land a coverage linebacker in the offseason.

The former NC State standout will only be 27 years old next year which puts me squarely in his athletic prime. The Cowboys can easily justify giving him a three or four-year deal to fend off the competition.

It’s possible that Cincinnati will make a play to retain Pratt, but all signs point to the Bengals trying to keep one of their starting safeties instead. Dallas would be wise to swoop in and install Pratt as the perfect balance to Micah Parsons in their linebacker rotation.