Outside of the trade for quarterback Joe Milton, the Dallas Cowboys have gone absolutely dormant in the second and third waves of free agency.
It stands to reason the front office will reenter the free agent market following the NFL Draft when they have a better idea of their roster needs. There are still myriad high-profile players looking for a new home, many of whom might not sign until right before training camp.
Well, the Cowboys have awoken from their free agency slumber and agreed to terms with a former rival. Per ESPN's Todd Archer, the team has signed offensive lineman Saahdiq Charles to a one-year contract.
A fourth-round pick of the Commanders in 2020, Charles shockingly retired last offseason after signing with the Titans following a four-year stint in Washington.
Cowboys reportedly sign offensive lineman Saahdiq Charles to one-year deal
The Cowboys are signing OL Saahdiq Charles to a one-year deal, according to a source. He worked out for the team last week. He retired last season after signing with Tennessee following a four-year run with Washington. He has 18 starts in 35 games.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) April 9, 2025
Nobody loves a reclamation project more than Jerry Jones.
With 18 career starts in 35 games, Charles adds more competition along the interior offensive line. The bulk of his snaps have been at left guard, though he has significant experience at both positions (704 snaps at LG compared to 402 at RG, per PFF). For what it's worth, he has seven snaps at left tackle and 71 snaps at right tackle in the NFL.
Charles was projected to be Tennessee's starting RG before he retired. It seems the Cowboys will leave no stone unturned in finding their Zack Martin replacement. Assuming Cooper Beebe stays at center, Brock Hoffman is the in-house favorite to start at right guard. However, Asim Richards, T.J. Bass and free agent pickup Robert Jones are seemingly all in contention for the job.
While signing Charles does little to move the needle, it does bring more experience to an offensive line that has lost two potential future Hall of Famers in Martin and Tyron Smith in consecutive offseasons.
It should not dissuade Dallas from targeting an OL early in the draft, but we understand the logic behind it.