2020 Dallas Cowboys Free Agency: Can’t Keep Them All
A nice spin-off quote from the movie Spider-Man about the Dallas Cowboys’ 2020 free agency would be “With great talent comes great cost.”
That certainly became true the past two weeks as a few highly sought-after free agents left Dallas while their highest priorities were kept on a team that is bogged down by long-term deals.
Out of 32 free agents, the Cowboys were able to sign 15 while nine went elsewhere and eight still remain unsigned.
Starting with the top of their to-do list, the Cowboys went to their Plan B on with Dak Prescott, franchise-tagging the quarterback to a one-year, $30 million deal. His representatives and the Cowboys finally met a few weeks ago for the first time since September. The first time he reportedly turned down a contract that averaged $30 million a year wanting $40 million. This time he turned down a $33 million average, wanting four years instead of the five they were offering him.
The Cowboys have until July 15 to get him a long-term deal or else he’ll have to play on the tag. He might hold out like Ezekiel Elliott during organized team activities, which start April 6, unless the coronavirus pandemic keeps them from doing so. Either way, Dallas needs him, and his time learning a new offense is precious.
Priority №2 was a success as star receiver. Amari Cooper signed a five-year, $100 million contract, making him the second-highest paid wide-out in the league. If he can play like he did before the last half of the 2019 season, then this is good. If not, then that’s a problem.
Then there were the guys they just couldn’t afford. Cornerback Byron Jones signed a five-year, $82 million deal with the Miami Dolphins, making him the second-highest paid at his position and most-ever in guaranteed money at $46 million. Last season’s sack leader and biggest bargain for the Cowboys, defensive end Robert Quinn, was signed by the Chicago Bears for two years and $30 million after playing on a one-year deal.
Veteran receiver Randall Cobb, who was another bargain one-year deal, is going to the Houston Texans on a three-year, $27 million deal and will miss out on reuniting with head coach Mike McCarthy from their time in Green Bay.
One of McCarthy’s wishes was to get help along the defensive interior line. That they did. The most notable being defensive lineman Gerald McCoy, a 32-year-old, six-time Pro Bowler. The former third-overall pick of the 2010 draft signed a three-year, $18 million deal. Joining him in the middle of that line will be another former first-rounder in Dontari Poe, who is coming with McCoy from Carolina. Poe is a two-time Pro Bowler and a whopping-346 pounds who can also score touchdowns.
As for other guys on the line, Maliek Collins is going to the Las Vegas Raiders and Kerry Hyder is going to the San Francisco 49ers. Michael Bennett, Christian Covington and Antwaun Woods not being locked down for 2020 shows more proof of how McCarthy’s staff is re-tooling the defensive line. Also, defensive end Randy Gregory is applying for reinstatement after missing lots of playing time over the years due to his marijuana struggles, which now doesn’t require suspension under the new CBA.
At tight end, Jason Witten will sadly be playing for another team besides the Cowboys, joining Collins to the Raiders. Seeing Witten go to another team will be weird. Cowboys greats like Emmitt Smith, Tony Dorsett, and Larry Allen also went to other teams at the end of their careers. It was time for the emergence of Blake Jarwin, who signed a four-year, $24 million deal. Witten needed a smaller role, which Jason Garrett wouldn’t demote him to last year and now it’s too late. Dallas added Blake Bell, the only player with a Super Bowl ring as he just got one with Kansas City. Bell will provide the blocking Jarwin lacks as he’s a pass-catcher.
In the secondary, cornerback Anthony Brown got a new three-year, $18 million deal after one of his better seasons in the slot. Safety Jeff Heath will also join Witten and Collins in Las Vegas, after seven seasons in Dallas. His replacement for now might be the funniest guy in the league — Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, a 2016 Pro Bowler who signed a one-year, $4 million deal, reuniting with McCarthy from their days in Green Bay. The other signee is cornerback Maurice Canady, who will mainly be used for depth, as well as the returning C.J. Goodwin and safety Darian Thompson.
On the offensive line, backup center Joe Looney signed a one-year deal while other backups, guard Xavier Su’a-Filo and tackle Cameron Fleming, left to the Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Giants, respectively.
Perhaps the most shocking move was former All-Pro center Travis Frederick retiring. He had just came back last year after Guillain-Barre syndrome kept him out the year before. When he returned, he wanted to play at a high level and not just well. Both of these reasons factored into his decision. Frederick, who just turned 29, made the Pro Bowl in each of the six seasons he played.
Luckily, last year’s third-round pick Connor McGovern should be ready to play after his partially torn pectoral muscle kept him out during the season. There’s also Adam Redmond and former 2018 second-round pick, guard Connor Williams, who tore his ACL in November but could play the position.
At linebacker, Sean Lee decided to return on a one-year deal worth $4.5 million. Last season, the 33-year-old veteran played his first season without missing a game and will continue to lead and mentor Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch, who is dealing with a neck injury that could be career-threatening. Justin March will also return for depth.
Smaller deals of players who re-signed include kicker Kai Forbath, who was a perfect 10-for-10 in the Cowboys’ final three games he entered, and long-snapper L.P. Ladouceur, the longest-tenured Cowboy of 15 years. Backup quarterback Cooper Rush will stay put as well as running back Jordan Chunn.
Some other signings in the NFL were pretty interesting. Quarterback Tom Brady, aka the GOAT, has left New England after 20 years with the Patriots to go the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 42-year-old signed a two-year, $50 million contract. Not feeling loved and appreciated by head coach Bill Belichick is a big part of why he left, according to many reports. (For those that remember history, quarterback Terry Bradshaw won four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers but had the same, except worse feeling from his head coach Chuck Noll.)
Honestly, it had always been the “Patriot Way,” if you will, that even Brady wouldn’t be kept if he could be replaced at a cheaper price, which is feasible when he is 23rd in QBR like last year. Warmer weather might help his older joints down in the Sunshine State if he wants to play until he’s 45.
Another quarterback moving teams after many seasons with the same team is Philip Rivers. After spending 16 years in Southern California with the, now-Los Angeles Chargers, the 38-year-old signed a one-year, $25 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts. The future Hall-of-Famer is going to a place with a history of a few legendary QBs in Johnny Unitas and Peyton Manning. And they recently had a pretty good one in Andrew Luck. It would be pretty sweet if Rivers won a Super Bowl on a team that’s more loaded with talent.
Drew Brees, however, is staying with the New Orleans Saints on a two-year, $50 million deal. The 41-year-old future Hall-of-Famer will be going into his 15th season on a team he’s spent 12 of his 13 Pro Bowls with. As for other notable quarterbacks on the verge of retirement, Eli Manning did so. Ben Roethlisberger will return. And Joe Flacco is undecided after being cut by Denver.
There were also some crazy trades happening, including one that didn’t make sense. The Houston Texans traded their All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins and a fourth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for an aging running back in David Johnson to go along with second and fourth-round picks in 2021. The Minnesota Vikings traded their disgruntled receiver Stefon Diggs and a 2020 seventh-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for first, fifth and sixth-round 2020 picks as well as a 2021 fourth-round pick.
The Chicago Bears traded a fourth-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for former Super Bowl quarterback Nick Foles, who will bring competition to the young-and-struggling Mitchell Trubisky. The Philadelphia Eagles gave up third and fifth-round picks to the Detroit Lions in exchange for cornerback Darius Slay, who signed a three-year, $50 million contract, making him the highest-paid at his position.
Both Los Angeles teams let go of a few running backs. The Rams cut running back Todd Gurley, the second-highest paid at his position, who was then picked up by the Atlanta Falcons. Former Chargers running back Melvin Gordon signed with rival-Denver Broncos.
There’s still several other free agents who haven’t been signed like quarterbacks, Cam Newton and Jameis Winston, and defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney. A funny stat about Winston is he became the first quarterback in NFL history to lead the league in passing and interceptions with 30, which may be why Tampa dumped him for Brady.
If the Cowboys can find a cornerback who can get picks, unlike Jones, and a safety in the draft, then this team shouldn’t be too bad.
I may have enjoyed this free agency more than in past years because it’s the only thing in sports right now! Hopefully, this pandemic ends soon so people can get back to their normal lives and enjoy the beauty of sports, something that would be really uplifting for right now.
