3 veteran guards Cowboys must sign after 2023 NFL Draft

2. Justin Pugh

The Cowboys have a history of investing in players coming off serious injuries, and Pugh tore his ACL in Week 6 of last season. That's much earlier than Steele tore up his knee and the expectation is Steele will be ready for training camp.

Sure, Steele has youth on his side relative to Pugh, but the 32-year-old tweeted at the start of free agency that he'll be ready for Week 1.

With so many young rotation players -- including the newly drafted Richards -- pegged behind the starting five, the Cowboys need another experienced backup. Even free agent pickup Chuma Edoga has less than 30 starts under his belt.

A former first round pick of the Giants in 2013, Pugh has started 119 of 120 games in his career, including making at least 13 starts in six years. Dallas would obviously have to clear him medically post surgery, but in terms of need, fit and price the front office could struggle to find a better match than the Syracuse product.