Which sleepers on the defensive side of the ball should the Dallas Cowboys sign in 2021 NFL free agency?
Now that the Dallas Cowboys finally signed Dak Prescott, they can get to work filling the remaining holes on their roster. Of course, there will be those who say the team is in terrible shape now that they paid him so much, but they really aren’t.
Dallas will actually pay Prescott less this season than they did in 2020 and while the salary will increase, so too will the cap over the next few seasons. However, we are only looking at 2021 NFL free agency and as of now, the Cowboys aren’t in any kind of cap trouble thanks in large part to the roughly $25 million in carryover from 2020.
With that being the case, don’t be surprised if they once again look to add a few players to the defensive side of the ball to try and improve that unit. As is often the case, they also might not go with big-name players but instead could be targeting some sleepers, such as these three free agents.
3. Damien Wilson, Linebacker
A familiar name in Dallas, Damien Wilson was drafted by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons in Dallas and had 22 starts in 64 games before signing with the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the 2019 season.
Wilson has since started 29 games over the past two seasons with the Chiefs and has 154 tackles in that span. He also racked up 33 tackles in six playoff games while appearing in the Super Bowl twice — with one ring.
Now set to hit the open market, Wilson could provide the Cowboys something they desperately need — a linebacker who doesn’t miss many games. Wilson did sit out three contests in 2020 but those are the only misses in his six-year career.
He’s not a Pro Bowl type of player, but he’s a sure tackler who understands his role and isn’t usually caught out of position. Again, that’s something this team needs at linebacker.