After finishing a disappointing 8-8 last year, the Dallas Cowboys will be looking to make all the right moves to help improve our chances for the 2012 season. Free agency will begin on March 13. What will Jerry Jones and company do to help make Dallas a winner again? Here are some potential players the Cowboys could go after in the free agent market.
Before I start playing GM, let's quickly examine a couple factors that play a big part in all this. The first thing we must consider is identifying the Cowboys biggest needs. Look for Dallas to upgrade the following positions:
Cornerback
Guard
Safety
Linebacker
The next factor that will play a role in what Dallas does is salary cap space. When the Cowboys released players like Roy Williams, Marion Barber, Marc Colombo, Leonard Davis, and Andre Gurode last season, it looked like we were taking a major step backwards. Although this move would free up cap space, we'd still have some dead money tied up with their contracts and their services would no longer be available. Now, a season later, it looks like it was a brilliant move to cut our losses as these players showed very little value in 2011. The end result is that Dallas still has $12.6 million to work with in 2012 and that makes us a player in the free agent market.
G, Carl Nicks, New Orleans Saints
Pro Bowl left guard, Carl Nicks, should be the most coveted free agent linemen this offseason. The Saints have several players that they'll need to try to re-sign, including Drew Brees. This will make it challenging for the Saints to retain Nicks. There are several teams with more cap space than Dallas, but Jerry may decide to put all his eggs in one basket and make a real push to land Nicks. This would be the safest use of our cap money. Nicks would immediately strengthen our offensive line and give Tony Romo enough time to be dangerous.
If we sign Nicks, then our free agent involvement pretty much comes to an end as we'll only have a little money here and there to pick up some cheap players. If not, then it's time to go shopping.
G, Ben Grubbs, Baltimore Ravens
Grubbs should be considered the plan B if we lose out in the Carl Nicks sweepstakes. Similar to the Saints, the Ravens also have several key free agents they need to re-sign. This includes their star running back, Ray Rice. This means Grubbs stands a great chance to find a new home elsewhere.
CB, Stanford Routt, Oakland Raiders
There are a handful of high priced cornerbacks in the league like Carlos Rogers (SF), Cortland Finnegan (TEN), and Brent Grimes (ATL). Even though the CB position should be a top priority this offseason, I don't expect the Cowboys to get too involved in targeting these players. Dallas should get one of the best young college corners with their first pick in the draft. Players like Stanford Routt is the more affordable approach to addressing this problem. The Cowboys lost out on Routt as he just signed with Kansas City, but if they can find a player of this caliber for a great price - that might be a reasonable option.
WR, Laurent Robinson, Dallas Cowboys
As much as I loved the outstanding contribution of Robinson, I have accepted the fact that he won't be a Cowboy in 2012. We just can't afford him. With Miles Austin and Dez Bryant firmly in tact as our core receivers, the Cowboys will look for a discount third receiver. Possible bargain buys include Jerricho Cotchery, Eddie Royal, Braylon Edwards, or even Patrick Crayton. We don't need to hit a homerun with this FA signing. We just need someone who is capable of being a deep threat. Crayton is already familiar with Romo so his return isn't out of the question.
QB, Joe Schmoe Veteran, Any Town USA
With the retirement of Jon Kitna, the Cowboys are left with Stephen McGee to rely on if something should happen to Romo. It wouldn't surprise me if Jason Garrett looked into acquiring the services of a veteran QB. Shaun Hill, David Garrard, and Jake Delhomme should all be discount free agents that may be more capable than McGee.
Author Dan Rogers has been a Dallas Cowboys' fan since he was a child. He became interested in the Cowboys because their quarterback, Roger Staubach, had a cool sounding name. He loved the color blue and thought stars were pretty. It was really inevitable. Follow him on Twitter @DannyPhantom24 or on Facebook.
SOURCES:
Football-Reference.com
Nfltraderumors.co
Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.
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