Who is the Dallas Cowboys most important free agent to be?
By Tyrone Starr
Even though the answer appears to be quite obvious, I’m going to tell you why the Dallas Cowboys most important free agent is not who you think it is.
He is soon to be twenty-six years of age. He plays one of the most important positions is professional football. Last year, he amassed a career best 14.5 sacks, tying for second best overall in 2017.
And yet, he’s not the Dallas Cowboys most important free agent to be.
Yes, DeMarcus Lawrence means a lot to the Dallas Cowboys. The thing is, though, he’s not the most important free agent.
Now, I’m pretty sure this is the time in which you’re wondering, “How is that even possible? There is NO WAY the Dallas Cowboys do not think he’s their top priority!”
And you know what, you’re absolutely correct. DeMarcus Lawrence is the Dallas Cowboys biggest priority this offseason. He’s just not the most important free agent.
That’s because he’s not going anywhere. The Cowboys are currently on the clock to get a long-term deal done with their star pass rusher. They have until March 6 to sign him to a deal. Whether they do so or not is anyone’s guess.
It’s certainly in their best interest to do so. If they fail to do so, however, number 90 will be still be sacking quarterbacks for this team in 2018.
That’s because the Dallas Cowboys will use their franchise tag and retain his services for another year.
Since the franchise tag is all but guaranteed for that usage, that removes Lawrence from consideration. Instead, it’s another defensive player who is the most important free agent to be for this team.
That title belongs to linebacker Anthony Hitchens.
Why do I believe Hitchens is so vital to the Dallas Cowboys?
For one, losing Hitchens not only will affect their free agency shopping list, it will also affect their draft. If Hitchens moves on, there is no way the Cowboys can avoid drafting a linebacker in the first two rounds.
Look at the current roster. The Cowboys only have five players at the linebacker position currently signed. That alone let’s you know how important the position is for this team heading into roster building time.
Two of those five (Sean Lee, Jaylon Smith) have great potential both on the field and to miss games due to injury. Another (Damien Wilson) did not progress as the team would have liked last season. The other two (Justin March-Lillard, Tre’Von Johnson) are completely unknown commodities.
Linebacker will likely be a high need in this year’s draft. Without Hitchens, it vaults to the absolute biggest need.
Speaking of Jaylon Smith, you have to believe that his progression plays into the way Dallas handles Hitchens. If he continues to show signs of complete health, it may make it easier to part with Hitchens. Anything less than that though makes that move quite risky.
On one hand, you don’t want to have a “progress stopper” in front of the guy who is supposed to be the future. On the other, if that guy isn’t ready, he’s not ready.
Another reason Hitchens is so important is that you can easily make a strong argument that he’s one of the best defenders on this team.
In his four best games of 2017, the Cowboys won three, holding their opponents to just over 11 points per game. In the four games he missed due to injury, Dallas won just two and allowed over 24 points per game.
At the end of the day, what Dallas decides to do with him is a huge conundrum. If they sign Lawrence to a long-term deal, do they use the franchise tag on Hitchens? Last year, that would equate to $14.5M. It will be slightly higher in 2018.
Hitchens is important. He’s not that important.
Does he love playing for Dallas enough to spurn more lucrative offers elsewhere which is almost assuredly going to receive? While the Cowboys have a decent amount of cap room, I can’t see them breaking the bank for Hitchens.
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There in lies the biggest problem in this conversation. I just don’t see a number that’s fair to Hitchens and favorable to Dallas. Ultimately, unless Hitchens takes a home team discount, it’s safe to assume he’ll be playing elsewhere next year.
Hopefully, the Dallas Cowboys have plans for his departure. Sadly, it’s appearing we’ve seen the last of him in Dallas.