5 free agents the Cowboys should finally wise up and sign

Marcell Dareus, Defensive Tackle

With the recent release of Dontari Poe this week, the Dallas Cowboys need a bona fide run stopper in the middle of their defensive line. And Marcell Dareus appears to be the best one available in free agency.

Originally the third-overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, Dareus spent his first seven seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He earned two Pro Bowl nominations during that stint (2013, 2014) and named a first-team All Pro in 2014.

Dareus would be traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars midway through the 2017 season and was a 15-game starter for them in 2018. Last year, he played just six games for the Jaguars due to an elbow and abdominal injuries, the latter requiring core muscle surgery that landed him on Injured Reserve.

This offseason, the Jaguars elected not to pick up the veteran defender’s option for 2020, as he was scheduled to earn nearly $20 million. Now a free agent, Dareus is still considered to be an excellent run-stopper and someone the Cowboys should seriously consider adding if he’s healthy.