Report: Cowboys expected to be ‘modest’ spenders in free agency

Expectations should be low with the Dallas Cowboys and free agency.

Webster’s Dictionary defines “modest” as neither bold nor self-assertive. Outside of sounding like a cliché way to start a groomsman speech, the Dallas Cowboys approach to free agency could be described as such when the new league year kicks off in a few weeks.

Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News had five takeaways during his time at the NFL combine last week. He first noted that fans should set their expectations low despite having the words “all-in” floating around the 2024 team.

Brace for a modest free agency

Remember those previous years when many NFL teams brought out the big dollars in free agency while the Cowboys kept to the bargain-shopping lane?

Expect another.

Despite a leap in the NFL’s salary cap in 2024, the sense surrounding the club is the Cowboys won’t at all be big spenders when the negotiation window opens March 11 and free agency formally launches March 13.

The Cowboys still have work to do with massaging their salary cap to at least be active in free agency. That could come with contract restructuring, particularly with quarterback Dak Prescott and converting most of his 2024 salary into a signing bonus to free up around $18 million.

Prescott and the Cowboys could also find common ground on a new contract extension to lower his cap hit for 2024, but coming out of Indianapolis, a new extension is in question before next season.

Even though Dallas won’t be big spenders, that doesn’t mean outside additions won’t be made, as Gehlken also alludes to, but maybe not with the names fans could be hoping for.

External additions are sure to come.

But the scale of those contracts probably will disappoint anyone whose expectations are not checked at the door. Pick a position. Its biggest-name free agent for whom fans are clamoring is unlikely to sign here.

Running back is one example. Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley’s names did not come up in Indy. The team is more likely to re-sign Tony Pollard, presuming his price is attainable, and draft a cheap, fresh-leg back to complement him.

The Cowboys have hit before on low-priced additions after free agency’s first waves. Safety Jayron Kearse, safety Malik Hooker and wide receiver KaVontae Turpin are among the examples. Kicker Brandon Aubrey, an All-Pro and Pro Bowler, made the league minimum last year.

It’s time to hit again.

The running back and linebacker positions have a blinking red light for the team to address with a mixture of veterans in free agency and young players through the NFL draft. If the Cowboys are to sign any players at those positions in a few weeks, it could be on their usual one- to two-year contracts.

While Henry and Barkley are big-ticket names that could get fans back in the good faith of the franchise, they could be out of their price range. If the Cowboys are unwilling to spend the money needed to re-sign their own in Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz, the expectations should be low for big spending for anyone outside the building.

Some notable free agents could still land in Dallas simply because their market is much lower than expected. Former Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz hit free agency last offseason, and his market was nowhere near what he expected. He had to take a one-year prove-it deal with the Houston Texans with the hopes of paying off.

If Dallas is considering strengthening their running back and linebacker positions under their usual constraints of free agency, re-signing Tony Pollard and a veteran linebacker such as Jordyn Brooks could be likely.

If Brooks is deemed a bust as a former first-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks, he and Pollard share the desire to prove their worth and are willing to sign cheaper one-year deals. This move would help them elevate their market value for the 2025 season.

With contract extensions set to be handed out to Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons in the near future, the Cowboys front office could be in line to hand out more one-year contracts in free agency similar to the ones handed out for their coaching staff. This way, everyone is on the same track of being “all-in” on the 2024 season.

Like many best man speeches at weddings, starting with defining something from Webster’s Dictionary, I’m sorry to disappoint you and your expectations.