The Dallas Cowboys will surely have their hands full during the upcoming free agency period. For a team that was only one game away from the playoffs last season, the Cowboys have a surprising amount of holes to fill. And those holes are mainly on the defensive side of the ball.
But first, Dallas will have to prevent the loss of some of their own key players to free agency. Their biggest priority is the resigning of wideout Laurent Robinson. The Cowboys third wide receiver option had a breakout year in 2011 with 54 reception and 11 touchdowns. Other Cowboy free agents of concern are linebacker Anthony Spencer, guard Montrae Holland, safety Abram Elam and punter Matt McBriar.
Outside of their own players, the Cowboys’ primary positions of concern going into free agency are on the offensive line and in the defensive secondary. Here are some of the players Dallas will most likely show interest in when free agency begins:
Carl Nicks (OL), New Orleans: Nicks is the crown jewel of all the free agent offensive lineman and Dallas could surely use his services. The Cowboys had one of the youngest offensive lines last year and had particular difficulty staying healthy on the interior of that line. Nicks would be an instant upgrade but may come at too high a price. But if New Orleans is force to let Nicks go, Jerry Jones will surely have his checkbook ready.
Cortland Finnegan (CB), Tennessee: Finnegan has the talent and the swagger to help a bumbling Dallas secondary reach respectable status once again. He doesn’t possess the size the Cowboys are looking for but he makes up for it in attitude. Finnegan may be the best corner available in free agency and he will demand a big pay day. But the Cowboys desperately need the upgrade with the expected release of Terence Newman leaving them with only the under-performing Orlando Scandrick and the injury-prone Mike Jenkins to fill in.
Brandon Carr (CB), Kansas City: The recent signing of corner Stanford Routt to the Chiefs makes Carr expendable. And Dallas could benefit from it. Carr has the size the Cowboys are looking for plus at age 25, his upside is huge. Expect Dallas to take a long, hard look at Carr.
D’Qwell Jackson (LB), Cleveland: When healthy, Jackson is a tackling machine. Dallas’ linebacker corp of Bradie James and Keith Brooking are both past their primes and most likely on their way out. And I’m not sure if second round draft pick Bruce Carter showed enough last year to win even a solid back-up role. So Dallas has a need in that area and Jackson’s biggest upside is that he has played for Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan before. If the Browns decide not to re-sign or franchise tag Jackson, expect Rex’s brother to be on the phone quick.
LaRon Landry (S), Washington: The hard-hitting injury prone safety has definitely made an impact on the Dallas Cowboys. Playing on the NFC rival Washing Redskins, Dallas has had plenty of time to scout Landry and they know that when healthy, he’s a game changer. And the Cowboys have a need a safety since Abram Elam is a free agent. Unfortunately, Landry has decided to forgo surgery hoping his latest foot injury heals on it’s own. This is a player with a huge “Risk” sign hanging from his neck. But his potential may be too enticing for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys to resist.
You can also expect Dallas to be looking for a defensive end and a veteran back-up quarterback as well.
Preview provided by Steve Mullenax. For more in-depth Dallas Cowboys coverage, visit The Landry Hat.