The Dallas Cowboys will have their hands full this offseason. After a disappointing season, the Cowboys have made recent changes including hiring Dan Quinn to be the next defensive coordinator of the team to try and compete next season. The Cowboys missed the postseason in back-to-back years for the first time since 2012 and 2013. Dallas fully expects to be dominant next year, but has key decisions to make regarding their free agents.
The upcoming offseason for the Dallas Cowboys can make or break their franchise. They have 23 players that are projected to be free agents including nine players who were starters from a season ago. It’s going to be tough to sign all these players due to salary issues so who is Dallas’ main priority.
Here are three players the Cowboys should sign back.
This is a given for the Dallas Cowboys. Prescott is their franchise quarterback and has shown his potential in the NFL. If the Cowboys can lock up Prescott to a 4-5 year deal, they will be a top team in the NFC for years to come. The Cowboys have expressed numerous times that Prescott is their main priority this offseason.
“It’s been urgent for us. We certainly want to get that done. That’s our No. 1 priority as we go into the offseason is to [sign Prescott]…hopefully, find some resolution to it and get that done,” said Cowboys VP Stephen Jones.
Before his injury, Prescott was balling-out and was on pace to shatter the passing yards record held by Peyton Manning. Through five games, Prescott threw for 1,856 yards, nine passing touchdowns while throwing four interceptions. Prescott showcased his worth when he threw for 450+ yards in three consecutive games in 2020.
Although Prescott is going to be a hot name on the market, the Cowboys will do all it can to sign Prescott even if it means franchise tagging him for another season.
The Cowboys should try to sign Aldon Smith to another contract. This was Smith’s first NFL season since 2015 and he did not disappoint. He was seen all over the field making plays. For a guy who was out of the league for four years, Smith played better than anyone expected. He finished second on the team in sacks (5), first in quarterback hits (14) and had the Cowboys only defensive touchdown of the season.
Smith signed a one-year $2 million contract last offseason with the Cowboys. However, it seems as if Smith will be asking for more after his solid performance in 2020. Smith, 31, still looks quicker than ever, so the Cowboys might try to sign him to a multi-year deal.
Dallas has struggled in the pass rush category the past couple of seasons, so signing Smith seems like the right move for the organization.
Chidobe Awuizie’s rookie contract is finally up after the Cowboys drafted him in 2017. Awuzie was drafted in the second round from the University of Colorado. Although Awuzie isn’t a hot name on the market, signing him might be vital for the Cowboys’ secondary.
Image Courtesy of Blogging the Boys
Awuzie, 25, is still young and can develop into an unexpected star. Even though he hasn’t been the most efficient for the Cowboys, Dallas can use all the cornerback help that they can get. In a contract year, Awuzie only played in eight games as he dealt with injuries for the majority of the season. In a contract season, Awuzie couldn’t prove his potential so this might have worked in Dallas’ favor.
Dallas will most likely draft a cornerback with the tenth overall pick, so having Awuzie and Diggs on the roster as well can really help Dallas turn into a scary secondary in the future.
Featured Image Courtesy of Getty Images
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