Another decision that will need attention this offseason will be that of: What to do with Doug Free? I believe this organization is being very cautious and smart. It is true that Doug Free has been underwhelming to say the least. I think it has much to do with the fact that he doesn’t play with much power. It’s not a negative to be a finesse player by any means, but traditionally “The Right Tackle” is supposed to have some power to coincide with athleticism and drive the running game. As a result of Free’s inability to effectively play with power, the run game has suffered tremendously as of late. The powers at be are being cautious because of the lack of depth and uncertainty of their position in this year’s draft. It doesn’t hurt to stand pat at this point with a possibility of designating Doug Free a post June 1^STcut.

Dec 16, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) signals at the line of scrimmage with center Ryan Cook (63) against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

A lot has been made of The Dallas Cowboys decision to stay quiet thus far in Free Agency. Some have shown positive remarks with the idea, and then others such as Adam Shein of NFL Network believe this team is destined to be the worst NFC representative. Personally, I don’t believe he has much of a grasp on the current state of this franchise. It was reported this week that Stephen Jones and Jason Garrett were approached by Monte Kiffin and Rod Marinelli asking if there was any room to keep Anthony Spencer. I have believed all along that although somewhat undersized, Anthony Spencer will benefit from this move to a 4-3. After reading a lot of material about the scheme, I understand why this team has decided to make this switch. One of the major focuses of this scheme is to have players with the ability to attack the offense simplistically, and create turnovers. This bodes well for some of the veterans on this squad. Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher, DeMarcus Ware and even Anthony Spencer have shown the ability to attack opposing quarterbacks when in a 4-3 stance. This team has also invested money in press-man corners. The Tampa-2 is not necessarily built around having very talented corners but it doesn’t mean it won’t help. By simplifying the scheme and basically unleashing your skilled pass rushers, whilst still having the players that can cover the backside, there is hope that this team can finally start winning in the turnover ratio.

With that said there are a few positions on this defense and offense that cause more uncertainty, and could use some crafty veteran or a dazzling draft pick spent in that direction. Let’s take a look at some possible Free Agent targets that if still lingering in April could be affordable enough to grab the attention of “Capologist” Stephen Jones, and could make an impact on this team without stopping progress; sorry Brian Urlacher.

First, let it be known that signing Ernie Sims was in my opinion a very good deal. He will fit well into this 4-3 scheme and could quite possibly be a starting Strong Side Linebacker. When looking at Free Agents, I find it best to ask every question you can before making a decision. Questions like: “Why is this team so willing to get rid of this player? Is he a good fit in this scheme? Would he stop progress on players currently performing on this team?” and also as in the case with Ernie Sims, “At one point this guy was drafted highly, could he possibly perform better on this team?” It’s going to be written as a under-the –radar signing in my mind, as I believe it will pay dividends for this franchise.

I would like to address the fact that the market has been very kind to teams this year, which is why I have optimism in some of the players I’m going to discuss. Since Free Agency began there has been one name I have been tracking and hoping for: Eric Winston.

Eric Winston- OT- He was cut by the Kansas City Chiefs because of their cap situation. They had already committed money to another tackle and he became the odd man out. He’s 6’7 and 302lbs, I’ve watched some tape on Winston, and though not perfect, he does play with some power and he has some great size. The reason for my optimism regarding his possibility of becoming a Cowboy is because of some of the names at Tackle still floating around the league, names such as Sebastian Vollmer and Andre Smith. Winston would likely have to wait for these guys to sign before he would get serious looks. In my heart of hearts although, I believe he may be too rich for this team, but still worth noting.

Brandon Moore- G- If the scouts’ are starting to feel that the best Guard might not be available come April 25^th, then this would be a low-cost solution to get a Guard to replace Bernadeau and move him to compete at Center. I’ve always liked Brandon Moore; he seems to have good durability, which has been an issue for this line. He also seems to have gotten better every year and was recently a Pro-Bowler. He is not a long term solution at 32 years old but he could certainly help for the time being.

Amobi Okoye- DT- This is another under-the-radar type of player. Rod Marinelli has familiarity with Okoye but also has talked highly of him. Okoye could add some depth and compete for a starting role on this defense. He has been described as a good character guy but also a guy with a high motor. The defense could use some more energetic and hard-working high motors. Okoye would fit well and also not break the bank.

Ronde Barber- CB/S- Not quite sure why Barber is so intriguing but just his knowledge for the scheme would be helpful. He has definitely lost a step, but the move to Safety has been a benefit for him. He seems to always be in the right spot. His leadership skills could fair well with the young Safeties on this squad. His future plans are unclear, he may retire, or may not be interested in Dallas, but he deserves a mention. For a low risk deal, Barber could make an impact for a team switching to a 4-3 Tampa-2. In the end I believe The Cowboys will most likely try and fix this position in The Draft.

LaRod Stephens-Howling HB- To be honest, this guy makes the list because he hasn’t been injured all that much. He is still young and in my opinion he could shoulder the load and help spell DeMarco Murray. I still feel that this team will be looking to the Draft for this position but out of the Free Agents on the market, Stephens-Howling seems to be the better fit for The Cowboys.

These 5 Free Agents are the ones that I have been keeping tabs on. It is unrealistic to think that The Cowboys are going to make any type of flashy signing, but in April these 5 players could still be looking for a team. If this organization is able to have any funds for improvement then these guys fit the mold and could find roles on this squad. It is still my assumption that The Dallas Cowboys are going to be more focused on The Draft, (which they should be), and that some of the above mentioned positions could be filled with Draft Picks instead. With that said, unlike Adam Shein, the sky is still in place last time I checked, and just because The Dallas Cowboys are not entering the Free Agency Frenzy like last year, this team still has the same record as every other team in The NFL and that is (0-0). Nobody wins Superbowls in the offseason; there is still plenty of time on the clock.

Just like with everything Cowboys related, some are not too keen on the idea of not being major players in the overspend sweepstakes of the year. Many have voiced their frustrations with the franchising of Anthony Spencer and the slow negotiations with Tony Romo. The recent re-worked deal of Tom Brady has fans filled with demands of a similar case for the quarterback with the blue star on his helmet.

Dec 23, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) in the huddle against the New Orleans Saints at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The fact of the matter is that Tony Romo doesn’t owe this team anything. Tom Brady has a wife that grosses $100 million dollars a year, Tony doesn’t  Tom Brady will be 36 by opening day and already has cashed in quite well, Tony won’t and hasn’t  Tom Brady is given extra attention to his Offensive Line and not relied on to make magic with his feet. You get the point here? Tony Romo deserves to cash in at this point for the sake of his family and future. If these executives are wise, things will end up accordingly.

Now onto the real topic of this week’s article; I believe The Dallas Cowboys are being very smart right now. There is a common theme that tends to happen when you overpay to riddle your team with Free Agents that this organization is well aware of after succumbing to it themselves every so often; it usually hurts in the end. Teams will break the bank to find every last penny for a Nnamdi Asomugha or a Mario Williams. The percentage of the player living up to the contract they receive is slim to none.  My case in point is Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie being snagged by Philadelphia with the notions of a “Dream Team”; 2 years later they were unloaded on the 1^st day of Free Agency.

The Dallas Cowboys are not going to pull the trigger until these players start getting desperate for a team to play on. This team will get a deal done with Romo, and hopefully get a deal with Anthony Spencer; but for those looking for excitement, start looking forward to The Draft. The only way this team is going to be set-up for success this year is by drafting well. I’m not implying that this team won’t find some decent role players or a veteran that will suit this team well, but they are trying to get younger and more affordable.

The powers at be understand that with the restructures they have executed just to get under the cap, they will have to pay later. That is precisely the reason they don’t want to continue that habit in the future. In a couple years, this team will most likely be resigning Lee, Bryant, Murray, Smith, and others. No team wants to lose that caliber of players.

The past few years since the dreadful 2009 draft, this team has done a good job at not only drafting better but also finding gems in other team’s garbage cans. The draft is a mere 42 days away and it’s going to be an exciting time for the fans of The Dallas Cowboys. Something tells me that these guys may be looking to collect more picks in a draft that offers depth at every position in need. I have restored faith in these scouts to not let another disaster like 2009 happen again. Another thing that should give fans solace is the emergence at the end of the year of players like Bryant, Carr, Harris, Moore, and others. For the first time in a while it seems they may have found their 3^rd Receiver.

The competition this summer is going to be fierce, I’m not predicting this team will be injury-free and soar to the playoffs but before we start shuffling our feet and dragging our lips, let’s “hold-out” a minute and see what the next few months have in store. It’s not all over, there are still plenty of 2^nd tier Free Agents out there that will need a new home, and there is the Draft to look forward too as well. If this year brings a few good men on the Offensive Line, I know most fans will be stoked.

It’s actually like bizarro free agency in Dallas.  Instead of bringing players in who can help, Dallas continues to cut players and let free agents leave.  Gerald Sensabaugh, Dan Connor, Marcus Spears, John Phillips and Kevin Ogletree are the latest Cowboys shown the door.  Multiple others have been asked to take pay cuts in an effort to stay under the cap.  All of this effort has provided Dallas with the luxury of a whopping $200k of room under the cap.  This is all without mentioning there is $10.6 million going to one player (Anthony Spencer) for one year.

Dec 23, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Darren Sproles (43) runs the ball against the Dallas Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh (43) and linebacker Anthony Spencer (93) at Cowboys Stadium. The Saints beat the Cowboys 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

To put that in perspective, defensive ends Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett signed with the Seahawks for 2 years & $15 million and 1 year, $5 million respectively.  Both ends are 27, both played in a 4-3 scheme (a position of need for Dallas) and while Avril has had 29 sacks over the last three years, Bennett had nine last year.  Spencer is two years older, has had 24 sacks over the same time period and may or may not be able to handle the switch in positions from a 3-4 to 4-3 outside linebacker.

So for roughly the same money Jerry gave one guy, he could have had two guys who picked up almost 20 sacks combined and filled a huge need.So while the Cowboys sit out days one through four of free agency and watch everybody else in the division attempt to get better, the hope of getting better gets further and further away.  The Eagles and Giants have made slight upgrades to their defense.  The Redskins added some offensive line help and the Cowboys??? Squadoosh.  You will hear about how “smart” teams usually sit out the initial wave of free agency and don’t blow money making big splashes.  That might be true, but those teams also improve their team every year by drafting well every year.  Dallas cannot count on this option, however.  From 2006 to 2009, the Cowboys had 34 picks and only four are still on the team.  This counts Doug Free, who will likely be cut in early June and Spencer who the just franchised for the second straight year.

Is all hope lost?  Of course not.  There are plenty of free agents still available that could help this team.  Charles Woodson, Ed Reed, Quintin Mikell, Bernard Pollard, Kerry Rhodes, Adrian Wilson and Louis Delmas are safeties that could save the Cowboys from spending a first or second round pick on that position.  With the franchise tag being under $7 million, it is completely realistic to expect to sign one of these players to a fiscally responsible deal.  There is still a small amount of that little kid from back in the day in me.  I can only hope that there is a present under the tree that will bring a smile to my face.