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The Dallas Cowboys are entering a defining offseason coming off yet another playoff exit that shook them to their core. Tasked with picking up the pieces and not letting this good roster go to waste, owner Jerry Jones needs to load up and go again.
After stating that he is "all in" this offseason, exactly what that means is unknown, and given the contract situations of Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, his "all in" may not be to simply get those contracts done.
With a couple of roster holes needing addressing, if Jones gets those contracts done, it will free up salary cap room for free agency. So, which players should the Cowboys target? Let's take a look.
5 players Dallas Cowboys could target in free agency
#5, Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears
With DaRon Bland announcing himself to the league this year, he has nailed down one spot in the Dallas secondary, and with Trevon Diggs coming back from his ACL injury and Stephon Gilmore undergoing shoulder surgery that will rule him out for months, perhaps snagging Johnson is an option.
He won't be cheap, but in Mike Zimmer's defense, the physical cornerback who snagged four interceptions this year could form quite the trio with Bland and Diggs.
#4, Christian Wilkins, Miami Dolphins
One of Dallas' biggest issues defensively was its inability to stop the run. Enter Wilkins. His superb season for the Dolphins was highlighted by his ability to stop the run in its tracks.
He isn't a stat-padding defensive tackle, but the Cowboys need to get more physical on the defensive side, and adding Wilkins would be an instant upgrade for Zimmer.
#3, Brian Burns, Carolina Panthers
The Cowboys' linebacking core was severely undersized, and it was exploited against the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. Safeties can't play linebacker, and while it worked against the smaller teams in the regular season, when faced with physical offenses, Dallas was run over.
Adding Burns, who can be both a defensive end and linebacker, could be just what the doctor ordered and beef up a slender linebacking room.
#2, Patrick Queen, Baltimore Ravens
With Baltimore having a salary cap squeeze as Justin Madubuike and Patrick Queen are free agents, the sense is that the Ravens are leaning toward Madubuike.
That means Queen could be available, and given the Cowboys' issues at linebacker, adding one of the best in football to Zimmer's defense would be an outstanding move. He wouldn't be cheap, but he'd be worth every penny.
#1, Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
This has been a storyline for years, but it might happen now. Despite Dallas having a thought that it will draft a running back, if Jerry Jones really is "all in," then getting Henry, who won't command a huge fee given the state of the running back market, seems logical.
Tony Pollard will likely walk in free agency, and if the Cowboys have Henry behind that offensive line with Dak Prescott, that will make the NFL's highest-scoring offense even scarier.
