3 pending free agents the Cowboys must re-sign soon

Here are three pending free agents the Dallas Cowboys should re-sign

Now that their regular season is over, the Dallas Cowboys can begin thinking about making some offseason moves. The Cowboys have 17 players currently scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in March.

That list includes a number of veterans like linebacker Sean Lee, defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford, and center Joe Looney. Of all the pending free agents, here are three we believe the Cowboys must re-sign this offseason.

Dak Prescott, QB

This is an easy one. Even Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones recently admitted that this is Dak Prescott’s team. I’m not sure there’s a better endorsement that a long-term deal should come soon.

Yet, these two sides had more than a year to agree to an extension … and couldn’t. While using the franchise tag again to retain Prescott at a cost of $37.7 million for 2021 is still on the table, there’s no reason to delay the inevitable.

With Dak Prescott being sidelined since Week Five with an ankle injury, the Cowboys got a taste of life without the two-time Pro Bowler under center. And it was bitter. The offensive output dropped from 32.6 points per game with Dak under center to just 15.0 points per in the following seven contests without him. Pay the man.

Aldon Smith, DE

Despite the surprising resurgence from defensive end Randy Gregory this past year, the Cowboys must still re-sign fellow pass rusher, Aldon Smith, this offseason. While the 31-year old Smith hasn’t posted a sack since Week Eight, he racked up a quick 4.0 sacks in his first three games back following a five-year hiatus.

Smith should post a much better performance with a full offseason training program to properly prepare himself for the NFL grind. But his lack of sacks in the second half of the season should allow the Cowboys to retain him on a more reasonable contract than what he might have garnered if he’d maintained the breakneck pace he set in his initial return.

Chidobe Awuzie or Jourdan Lewis, CB

The Cowboys will have both Anthony Brown and 2020 second-rounder Trevon Diggs at cornerback next season. It’s probably a safe bet Dallas will add another high-draft choice to bolster the position this offseason.

That makes pending free agents Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis both somewhat expendable. Yet, if this past season proves anything, it’s that you can never have enough depth. Especially if they already possess experience in the current scheme.

So re-signing one of the two would seemingly give the Dallas Cowboys a bridge player that would allow them to continue to develop the 22-year old Diggs and any new rookie corners that are added to the squad via the draft.