The Dallas Cowboys find themselves in need of a new quarterback after Tony Romo’s retirement. Jerry Jones is looking to make an impactful draft pick and has the cap space for it. These are four targets that he must consider as his franchise pivots into the future.
Jerry Jones is the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. He has 4 players that he must target in order to get his team back on track. Read more in detail here: dallas cowboys owner.
For the 26th consecutive season, Jerry Jones’ Dallas Cowboys failed to make the Super Bowl. This season had to be especially frustrating for the owner of America’s team, as the San Francisco 49ers upset Jones’ squad in the Wild Card Round at AT&T Stadium.
Jones will preside over a challenging salary cap position as the club approaches the 2022 NFL free agency season, forcing him to make difficult choices about how to strengthen the squad. This summer, keeping important members of last year’s team may take precedence over bringing in fresh players. However, the Cowboys should still pursue a number of significant free agents.
The four players the Dallas Cowboys must sign in free agency are listed in order of importance.
The salary cap situation with the Dallas Cowboys
Tyrann Mathieu, Jerry Jones, and Kwon Alexander | William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, and Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Only the New Orleans Saints ($49.9 million over the limit) and the Green Bay Packers ($28.2 million over the cap) have a worse salary cap predicament entering the 2022 offseason. According to Jerry Jones’ books, the Dallas Cowboys are almost $21 million above the salary ceiling. And that’s before a single free agent is signed or re-signed by the team.
The good news for Jones is that he can save up to $70 million in quite simple and practical methods. According to Spotrac, renegotiating some of the Cowboys’ largest contracts – Dal Prescott, Amari Cooper, Ezekiel Elliott, Tyrone Smith, Zack Martin, La’el Collins, and DeMarcus Lawrence — might help the club stay under the salary limit.
If this occurs, here are four free-agent players Dallas should consider signing in order to help the team go beyond the first round next season.
K Younghoe Koo, Younghoe Koo, Younghoe Koo, Youngho
With a year remaining on his contract, the Cowboys will save $2.4 million by cutting kicker Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein. That is a decision the team must make. Last season, Zuerlein ranked 24th in the league in both field goal and extra point percentage (82.9%). (87.5 percent ). An undrafted rookie can provide that sort of output for Dallas.
However, a competitive club cannot afford to leave the K position to chance, thus the Cowboys must sign Atlanta Falcons K Younghoe Koo this summer. Koo is just 27 years old, yet he finished third in the league in field goal percentage in 2021. (93.1 percent ). He was also one of just four NFL placekickers to never miss an extra point. The Cowboys should be able to snag him for less than Zuerlein will cost them in 2022.
S Tyrann Mathieu, No. 3
Keanu Neal, Damontae Kazee, Malik Hooker, and Jayrone Kearse, all of the Dallas Cowboys’ safeties, are all unrestricted free agents this offseason. Jones should bring back Kearse, who had a breakthrough season in 2021 with 101 tackles and two interceptions. Kazee and Hooker have a chance to make a comeback as well. What we do know about Jerry Jones is that he likes stars, and in 2022, there will be a star safety on the market.
After his “Honey Badger” collegiate career and Super Bowl-winning experience with the Chiefs, Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu is one of the most well-known safeties in the league. In 2021, the Dallas D was a takeaway unit. With the addition of Mathieu’s big-play abilities (26 INTS, six fumble recoveries, and ten sacks), they might become even more dangerous.
WR Juju Smith-Schuster is ranked No. 2 in the NFL.
Most people would have said that re-signing Michael Gallup was the Cowboys’ #1 priority when it came to wide receivers a few months ago. Gallup, unfortunately, had a serious knee injury in Week 16. Now that he doesn’t know what the pass-catcher can provide to a club early next season, Jerry Jones has to focus on something else.
Juju Smith-Schuster is the greatest match for the Cowboys among the top free-agent wide receivers available this summer. His adaptability would pair well with CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper, and his erratic demeanor would fit right in with Big D’s history. He’s also nearly a full year younger than Gallup, having just turned 25.
1. LB Kwon Alexander
The Dallas Cowboys had the chance to keep Leighton Vander Esch on a very low-cost fifth-year option, but they chose not to. That move suggests he won’t be back on a long-term basis, which means the team needs a (ideally seasoned) running back to complement Defensive Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons.
Kwon Alexander of the New Orleans Saints would be a wonderful match for the space next to Parsons. Alexander’s numbers show he can do it all, with 521 tackles, 43 tackles for loss, 12.0 sacks, five fumble recoveries, ten forced fumbles, and eight interceptions in his career. His leadership and discipline make him a perfect partner for the next several seasons with Parsons.
Pro Football Reference provided all numbers, while Spotrac provided contract statistics.
Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have no choice but to keep Ezekiel Elliott’s $18 million contract. RELATED: Ezekiel Elliott Contract: Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys Have No Choice But to Keep Their $18 Million Running Back
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