NFL free agency has unofficially begun, with the legal tampering window opening on Monday of this week. While no deals can become official until 4pm ET on Wednesday, many of the top free agents have already agreed to terms with various teams around the league. Unsurprisingly, the Cowboys have been deafeningly silent despite Jerry Jones’ earlier claim of the team being “all-in” this year.
Don’t lose all hope, though! There are still quite a few free agents out there that the Cowboys could realistically target, especially with the first wave of free agency getting close to wrapping up. The Cowboys could still pursue deals with some of their own free agents, such as Stephon Gilmore or Johnathan Hankins, but these 10 defensive players would also fill a hole in Dallas while possibly fitting into their price range.
EDGE Carl Lawson
Carl Lawson has been a sneaky productive edge rusher over the last decade or so, with his biggest weakness being a susceptibility for injuries. A fourth-round pick out of Auburn back in 2017, Lawson recorded five or more sacks in three of his first four seasons in Cincinnati. That led to a big free agency deal with the Jets, but he played just 23 games in the last three seasons, which is why the Jets are content to let Lawson walk.
When healthy, Lawson offers top-shelf pass rushing ability – he totaled 49 pressures in 2022 as part of a fairly deep defensive line rotation – but the spotty health has kept him from living up to the deal he signed in New York. In Dallas, though, he could replace Dante Fowler as a pass rushing depth piece behind the dynamic duo of Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence.
EDGE Yannick Ngakoue
In a similar vein to Carl Lawson, Yannick Ngakoue is another accomplished edge rusher who could fill the role that’s now been vacated by Dante Fowler and Dorance Armstrong, both of whom have since followed Dan Quinn to Washington.
Ngakoue was a third-round pick back in 2016 who quickly blew up as a pass rushing star for the Jaguars. He posted eight or more sacks in each of his first four seasons, which resulted in Ngakoue signing a big contract with the Vikings and head coach Mike Zimmer. However, the Vikings traded Ngakoue that season after the team stumbled out to a 1-5 start to the season. Ngakoue, who had recorded five sacks in six games under Zimmer, went on to score three more sacks in Baltimore that year.
This past season, in Chicago, was the first time in Ngakoue’s career that he’s had fewer than eight sacks in a season, and it also happened to be the first time he’d ever failed to play in at least 15 games. Ngakoue offers legitimate pass rush juice and, coming off an injury, might be open to an incentive-laden “prove it” deal. Plus, he has history with Zimmer, which makes this feasible.
iDL Austin Johnson
The Cowboys have made no secret about their desire to get bigger bodies along the interior of their defensive line this offseason, and Austin Johnson would be one way to do that. Johnson began his career with the Titans and quickly made a name for himself as a solid run-stuffing nose tackle. He then spent two seasons with the Giants in a similar role with solid results.
Johnson played the last two years with the Chargers, where he was asked to do more work as an interior pass rusher. As a result, Johnson’s performance declined, and he might be looking for a team that will seek to utilize him more on run defense. That’s exactly what the Cowboys could use right now.
iDL Tim Settle
As if there aren’t already enough players leaving one NFC East team for another, Tim Settle could be the next. While Settle spent the last two years playing for the Bills, he started his career with in Washington and is surely someone the Cowboys know well.
Settle is a big body who has primarily worked as a nose tackle on early run downs at both stops in his career. In Dallas, he’d hold a similar role, but this potential connection goes deeper than that: Settle’s last two years in Washington came under Jeff Zgonina, who is now the defensive line coach in Dallas. Could that relationship lead to a reunion?
LB Jerome Baker
Jerome Baker was expected by some to garner a strong market in free agency, but the longtime Dolphins linebacker has yet to gain much traction. Baker was a solid starter for five seasons in Miami despite several changes in scheme, but the team decided to release him a week ago in an effort to get under the cap.
Baker may not fit the typical size profile that Mike Zimmer looks for in linebackers, but he’s proven an ability to fit into a wide variety of defenses and hold down a variety of roles within those schemes. He’s especially adept in coverage, something Zimmer covets in his linebackers.
LB Bobby Wagner
Bobby Wagner is no stranger to Cowboys free agency wish lists, though his odds of coming to Dallas are likely diminished with Dan Quinn no longer in the building. Wagner has been courted by the Cowboys a couple of times, but he’s never actually signed up despite his connection with Quinn.
The veteran linebacker is certainly a match for what Mike Zimmer wants in his linebackers, but the soon-to-be 34 year old may not have much gas left in the tank, and he may be even less interested in coming to Dallas for a scheme he’s never played in before.
LB Eric Kendricks Ed Note, Kendricks is signing with the 49ers according to reports from this morning.
Perhaps the most likely outside player the Cowboys could sign is Eric Kendricks, who was recently released from the Chargers. Like Wagner, Kendricks is an older player who would offer most of his value as a veteran presence in the locker room as opposed to an every down difference maker.
Kendricks also has the added appeal of intimate knowledge of the scheme, as he played eight seasons under Mike Zimmer in Minnesota, including a first team All Pro selection in 2019. Kendricks could play a pivotal role in installing Zimmer’s scheme and helping to mentor promising youngsters like DeMarvion Overshown and Damone Clark.
CB JC Jackson
If the Cowboys opt not to bring back Stephon Gilmore, a ball-hawk who thrived with the Patriots, they could look to another ball hawk who thrived in New England. JC Jackson tallied an incredible 25 interceptions in his first four seasons with the Patriots. He was unable to replicate that success with the Chargers, where he played in a scheme that utilized much more zone coverage, and was traded back to New England for the remainder of last season.
In Dallas, though, Jackson would be free to do what he does best: play physical man coverage and take away the ball. He’d also join two other ball-hawks in Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland, potentially giving the Cowboys their most dangerous secondary yet.
CB Adoree Jackson
Here’s another familiar name that could look to switch sides within the NFC East power struggle. Adoree’ Jackson has played for the Giants the past three years, with mostly positive results despite some poor results for the team as a whole.
Jackson isn’t much of a ball-hawk, but he’s often been tough to throw against: Jackson allowed a completion rate below 58% in two of his last three seasons. He’s another veteran presence who could fit in nicely alongside the Cowboys’ two star cornerbacks, and he’s already gone on the record as wanting to play for a contender this year.
CB Patrick Peterson
If the Cowboys don’t bring back Stephon Gilmore but still aim to add a veteran cornerback to the secondary, they should look no further than Patrick Peterson. It wasn’t too long ago that Peterson had a legitimate claim as the best cornerback in the league, but he’s since graduated to a solid CB2 option willing to mentor younger players.
Patrick Peterson to Bryant McFadden on the All Things Covered podcast on it being on table that he could possibly return to the Steelers: “I can be your second and third corner and your nickel for sure because we don’t have a nickel on the roster. I know the defense, I understand…
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) March 12, 2024
Peterson has suggested he may return to Pittsburgh this year even after being cut from the Steelers last week, but that might change if the Cowboys express interest. Prior to his stint in Pittsburgh, Peterson also spent two years in Minnesota, and he had cited Mike Zimmer as a key reason why he chose the Vikings.