With about a month until the Dallas Cowboys report to minicamp, there are still solid acquisitions that could be made to bolster the team’s depth chart.
Dallas has just under $20 million in free cap space, the seventh-most in the NFL. Here are the three best players available for Jerry Jones to sign:
Anthony Barr
Barr’s name has been tied to Dallas a lot this offseason, and for good reason.
The linebacker has been a staple on the Minnesota Vikings defense since 2014. The four-time Pro-Bowler can do it all: stop the run, drop in pass coverage and rush the passer. He even had a team-high three interceptions for Minnesota in 2021.
But Barr’s eight years of NFL service time are catching up with him. The 30-year-old missed 14 games in 2020, and six games in 2021. So the Vikings let Barr walk in free agency this offseason, opting to allocate cap space to a few other big-name signings on defense.
If Dallas were to sign Barr, he could shoulder more responsibility in pass coverage while Micah Parsons rushes the quarterback.
The Cowboys are also thin at linebacker as is. Outside of Parsons, Dallas has Leighton Vander Esch and Jabril Cox.
While Vander Esch appeared in all 17 games last season, he missed a lot of time in 2019 and 2020. Relying on him to stay off the injury report for another season may be a tall task. Cox, on the other hand, is coming off a torn ACL in week seven of 2021. Before the injury he recorded only two tackles on the season, so it’s safe to say he still has some learning to do at the pro level.
Ndamukong Suh
The once dominant pass rusher was a force when he entered the NFL in 2010. Suh made Pro-Bowls and All-Pro teams in five of his first seven seasons.
But father time comes for us all and Suh is no exception. The 35-year-old has certainly slowed down in recent years, but he posted back-to-back six sack seasons in 2020 and 2021.
The 6’4, 313-pound defensive tackle is also durable. In his 12 years as a pro, he’s missed only two games that both came in 2011. He could be a great fit and veteran presence to help a position group that lacks depth in Dallas.
Suh recently announced he won’t be returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next season after spending the last three seasons playing in the Sunshine State. One less team the Cowboys will have to compete with to land the big man.
Emmanuel Sanders
The Cowboys wide receiver room is certainly crowded, but bringing in some competition would be beneficial.
The WR1 and WR2 spots are locked in with CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, respectively, occupying them. But Gallup is recovering from a torn ACL so it’s unclear if he’ll be ready to play week one.
Behind them is rookie Jalen Tolbert, who has been getting lots of buzz; and veteran James Washington, who caught just 24 passes for 285 yards last season for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
If Gallup misses time early in the season, they’ll be relying heavily on Lamb and two unproven wide receivers.
Enter Sandman: the veteran wideout is still a difference-maker entering his 13th season. In 2021 he caught 42 passes for 626 yards while playing on a one-year, $2.8 million deal with the Buffalo Bills.
Considering how far into the offseason we are, Dallas could likely get a team-friendly deal on an aging wide receiver. It may also help Dak Prescott sleep better at night knowing he’s got another proven wide receiver he can lean on.
