3 veteran free agents Dallas Cowboys should sign ahead of camp

1. Julio Jones, WR

Dallas was one of the best teams in the league last season when it came to moving the ball through the air. They finished the year with 4,800 yards and 40 touchdown receptions. However, their receiving corps is going to look different in 2022.

The Cowboys traded Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns for a fifth-round pick and were unable to retain Cedrick Wilson, who had a breakout campaign in 2021. With those two out, they agreed to an extension with Michael Gallup while using a third-round pick on Jalen Tolbert from South Alabama. Dallas also added James Washington in free agency, but he didn’t exactly set the world on fire in Pittsburgh.

Adding CeeDee Lamb and Dalton Schultz to the mix means they still have plenty of weapons, but there’s no guarantee they will be great from Week 1. Tolbert could end up needing time to acclimate to the speed of the NFL game, and Gallup is recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in January.

Unless they know Gallup will be ready by September, it might be a smart idea to add another veteran, and there’s a talented one out there in Julio Jones.

The former Atlanta Falcons star spent last season with the Tennessee Titans and was only able to play in 10 games. He finished with 31 receptions for 434 yards and a touchdown — which wasn’t enough for Tennessee, as they released him in the offseason.

It’s clear that Jones isn’t the player he once was, but if he’s willing to take a lower contract with incentives, it could be worth it for Dallas to see if he can help them continue to be an elite passing offense.