3 free agents the Dallas Cowboys could still pursue

TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 22: Jason Pierre-Paul #90 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on during the first half of the game against the New York Giants at Raymond James Stadium on November 22, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 22: Jason Pierre-Paul #90 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on during the first half of the game against the New York Giants at Raymond James Stadium on November 22, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
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Dallas Cowboys
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 07: Darrell Henderson #27 of the Los Angeles Rams rushes against Janoris Jenkins #20 of the Tennessee Titans during the first quarter at SoFi Stadium on November 07, 2021 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

2. Janoris Jenkins (Released by Tennessee Titans)

The Dallas defense made some strides from the previous season. Led by new coordinator Dan Quinn and featuring NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons, this was a big-play unit.

Mike McCarthy’s club led the league with 34 takeaways. But this was a club also is up also far too dependent on the opponent’s mistakes. All told, the Dallas Cowboys ranked 19th overall in the league when it came to the fewest total yards allowed.

The Cowboys were also 20th in the NFL in pass defense. Cornerback Trevon Diggs comes off an All-Pro year in which he led the NFL with 11 interceptions. In 16 regular-season outings, he finished with 52 stops, returned two of those 11 picks for touchdowns, and finished with 21 passes defensed.

Still, he wasn’t immune from giving up his share of big plays.

Dallas has a lot of young talent in the secondary so adding a veteran defender could certainly help. Anthony Brown (6 seasons) is the team’s most experienced cornerback in terms of tenure.

He made a career-high 16 starts in 2021. But recent Tennessee Titans’ castoff Janoris Jenkins knows his way around the ball. In 10 seasons with four different franchises, he’s amassed 27 interceptions (8 returned for scores) and an astounding 124 passes defensed.