Complete list of Dallas Cowboys free agents and the obvious breakups looming
The Dallas Cowboys' season came to a fitting end on Sunday, falling 23-19 to the Washington Commanders on a last-second touchdown grab from Terry McLaurin. The year began as playoffs-or-bust, one final shot for Mike McCarthy and this current core to get over the hump and into the Super Bowl. The result? A tissue-soft run defense, a season-ending hamstring injury for Dak Prescott and a 7-10 record that lays bare just how far this team truly is from contention.
The season has been a slog, but now it's finally over, and the team and its fans can turn their attention to a huge offseason. Big changes need to be made to this organization, but doing so won't be easy, especially with several big names set to hit free agency in the spring. How many players are the Cowboys at risk of losing? Here's a complete list of the team's unrestricted free agents, some of whom are more likely to move on than others.
Cowboys upcoming free agent class includes some franchise pillars
Dallas has 22 players set to hit free agency in all, highlighted by stars like guard Zack Martin and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. Here's the full list:
Position | Player |
|---|---|
QB | Cooper Rush |
QB | Trey Lance |
RB | Rico Dowdle |
RB | Ezekiel Elliott |
WR | Brandin Cooks |
G | Zack Martin |
T | Chuma Edoga |
DE | Chauncey Golston |
DT | Linval Joseph |
DE | DeMarcus Lawrence |
DE | Carl Lawson |
DT | Osa Odighizuwa |
DT | Carlos Watkins |
LB | Eric Kendricks |
LB | Nick Vigil |
LB | Darius Harris |
CB | C.J. Goodwin |
CB | Jourdan Lewis |
DB | Israel Mukuamu |
CB | Amani Oruwariye |
P | P Bryan Anger |
LS | Trent Sieg |
The most immediate question revolves around Martin: After undergoing season-ending ankle surgery, will the 34-year-old opt to retire or return for at least one more year? If he decides the latter, it's hard to imagine him doing it anywhere other than Dallas.
Lawrence hasn't played since September due to a foot injury, but he still has plenty to offer at 32 years old and could be in line for a significant multiyear deal with the Cowboys or someone else. If the team does indeed draft Boise State star Ashton Jeanty in the first round, it's hard to imagine either Rico Dowdle or Ezekiel Elliott coming back, especially after Jerry Jones was raked over the coals for how he handled the team's running back situation this season.
And how will the team handle its backup situation behind Prescott? Cooper Rush likely didn't do enough to convince other teams around the league that he's more than a backup, and a reunion with Dallas would make sense. But that would seemingly put the writing on the wall for Trey Lance, who played well enough getting the start in Week 18 and does still have that top-five draft pick pedigree. A desperate team could convince themselves that a flier on Lance is better than shopping at the top of the market or mortgaging the future to move way up in next spring's draft.
Will Jourdan Lewis land elsewhere? Will DeMarvion Overshown's injury convince the team to bring back Eric Kendricks as a stopgap at linebacker? The questions for the Cowboys are just beginning, and Jones better have some compelling answers.
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