Dallas Cowboys: 3 Free agents that could fix the offseason
By Randy Gurzi
2. Desmond Trufant, Cornerback
Sticking with the released player theme, we now have a cornerback who can start this season for Dallas in place of Byron Jones in Desmond Trufant. This isn’t to say Trufant would be an exact replacement as Jones was playing very well the past two seasons for Dallas, but it would at least give them an experienced starter who has gone up against some of the elites in the game as the No. 1 cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons.
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Back in 2013, Trufant was drafted by Atlanta in the first round (22nd overall) out of Washington. He started all 16 games as a rookie and continued to hold down that spot for the next seven seasons for the Dirty Birds. In all, he started 97 games in his career and recorded 329 tackles, 70 pass breakups, and 13 picks in his career.
Last season, he had his share of highs and lows. He missed time with a toe injury before coming back only to break his forearm. In all, he played just nine games and was released this offseason as the Falcons were approaching the limit on the salary cap.
Despite missing the time, Trufant had two picks in a Week 2 win over the Eagles and finished the season with four on the year — which was his career-high.
Trufant will turn 30-years old this season, meaning he might not be much more than a one or two-year rental, but that fits the team’s recent M.O. and he could be motivated to play his way into a bigger contract much like Randall Cobb and Robert Quinn were in 2019.