The Dallas Cowboys have their work cut out for them the next few months as many of their key performers are on the verge of becoming free agents.
There’s a new face at the helm of Jerry Jones’ Dallas Cowboys in Mike McCarthy. However, the vast majority of the talk when it comes to this franchise for the last year or so has been whether Dak Prescott will be the starting quarterback for the Cowboys in 2020?
It makes sense considering the 2016 fourth-round draft choice was in the midst of his rookie contract. Now with March 18 less than a month away, will the organization get a deal done, franchise tag the talented signal-caller or let him test the open market?
Obviously, Prescott was the team’s leading passer in 2019 and put up career highs with 4,902 yards and 30 aerial scores. But it is also worth noting the team’s leading pass-catcher this past year was wide receiver Amari Cooper with 79 receptions. And the Cowboys’ leading sack artist was defensive end Robert Quinn with 11.5 quarterback traps. And they are both scheduled to become free agents as well.
Want more? Linebacker Sean Lee was the club’s second-leading tackler with 86 stops. Veteran tight end Jason Witten (63) and one-time Packers’ wide receiver Randall Cobb (55) were the Cowboys’ third- and fourth-leading performers in terms of catches. They too will see their contracts expire next month.
All told, the Cowboys have two dozen players who can become unrestricted free agents in less than two weeks.
Along with the aforementioned performers, there are also defensive starters such as interior presence Maliek Collins and standout cornerback Byron Jones. There are also key defensive line reserves in ends Michael Bennett and Kerry Hyder and tackle Christian Covington.
Obviously, getting the starting quarterback in the fold is important for any team and the Dallas Cowboys are certainly no exception. But there’s obviously also a plethora of key personnel that the team would likely want to retain. And it’s highly possible that McCarthy and his staff could be working with a roster that could look far more different than it did when the team closed out 2019.