Could Cowboys join surprise bidding war on unexpected internal free agent?
By Jerry Trotta
The NFL salary cap makes it impossible to avoid roster turnover, and the Dallas Cowboys figure to learn this lesson the hard way this offseason given they’re $22 million over the cap and have 24 pending free agents.
Most of the offseason discourse has revolved around the possibility of cutting DeMarcus Lawrence or Amari Cooper, what contracts could be restructured and whether marquee FAs Dalton Schultz and Randy Gregory will be back.
While those are all pertinent topics, let’s keep this conversation focused on the safety position, which, for the first time in ages (the Dan Quinn effect) wasn’t a glaring weakness for Dallas’ defense in 2022.
While most fans would like to see the team retain Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker, a report from FanSided’s NFL insider Matt Lombardo suggests Damontae Kazee will be the hottest commodity on the open market amongst Dallas’ safeties.
One player to watch in free agency is #Cowboys S Damontae Kazee.
— Matt Lombardo (@MattLombardoNFL) March 1, 2022
According to sources, several teams are in the mix. Started 15 games in Dallas after returning from an Achilles injury that sideline him in 2020, led #NFL in 2019 with 7 INTs. He’s guy that will be in high demand
Could the Cowboys join a bidding war for Damontae Kazee this offseason?
There’s no doubting that Kearse and Hooker have more popularity amongst Cowboys fans, but the 28-year-old Kazee helped supply Dallas with stability in the backend of the secondary, so it’s not a huge surprise he has a robust market.
While Dallas isn’t financially equipped to get into a bidding war for Kazee, they have something other teams don’t when it comes to a free agent pitch: Dan Quinn, whom he’s played under in all of his five NFL seasons.
Kazee is the most capable of the Cowboys’ safety trio when it comes to playing the single-high safety role. The team ran a ton of single-high looks under Quinn’s tutelage in 2021, so the innovative defensive coordinator would likely appreciate the idea of having Kazee return in a similar role.
The former fifth-round pick played all 17 games (15 starts) this season and logged a 79% snap share. While Kazee played fewer total snaps than Kearse (94%), he played 602 more snaps at the free safety position than his running mate, per PFF.
Yes, while Kearse was technically more impactful and should be re-signed, it’s misguided to say Dallas should keep one or the other. While both are safeties by trade, they had different roles on Quinn’s defense, so it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison.
Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse today on @1053thefan: “Getting Dan Quinn back was a huge win, and it was much-needed just to try your best to keep this group together. Because the strides we made in Year 1, it can give us a lot of upside going into Year 2, with guys being together.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) February 22, 2022
Signed to a one-year “prove it” contract after tearing his Achilles in 2020, its fair to say Kazee exceeded expectations with 52 tackles, two interceptions, four passes defended and two forced fumbles. That would certainly explain why he has “several” teams in the mix for his signature.
We wouldn’t go as far as to call Kazee a must-keep, but the front office (Quinn included) should look to bring him back. That said, if teams are willing to pay a premium for him, it might be best to let him walk and pursue a cheaper alternative, whether it be through free agency or the draft.
