Here are 5 players the Dallas Cowboys could target in free agency

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Legal tampering begins Monday in the NFL and free agency begins later in the week. Of course, this is usually time for Dallas Cowboys fans to be disappointed. It should be a time when the hope for roster improvement blossoms, as teams can improve by acquiring better talent, but that hasn’t been the case for the Cowboys for years now.

Instead, the opening of free agency has become a time for Dallas’ front office to sit back and watch the best players go to teams who are actively trying to get better, while the Cowboys wait until the second and third waves arrive and fill holes while Stephen and Jerry Jones remind of their salary cap constraints.

However, things could be different this offseason. The Cowboys have already done deals with some of their own free agents and are actively working on getting more in-house players extended. 

Defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa has signed his new deal, as have several other free agents, including safety Markquese Bell, who inked a three-year, $12 million deal on Sunday.

The organization has also cleared out some salary cap space, which could mean they’ll be more active in free agency. “Selectively aggressive” has been the phrase that’s been put out by Stephen Jones, and the hope is that the Cowboys will be involved in the open market this year.

Nevertheless, no one should expect the team to be going after the most expensive players in free agency, but the Cowboys do have money to spend and could find players who fit into what they’re looking for. 

Here are some names that could intrigue the Cowboys in free agency:

The market is flooded with good veteran wide receivers, but most of whom will come with a cost too pricey for the Cowboys. Lockett fits more into what the team is looking for in terms of finding a good WR and the right price.

Lockett will be 33-years old in September and is two years removed from his last 1,000-yard season, but he can still play. He’s also someone who played in Brian Schottenheimer’s offense for three years with the Seattle Seahawks, which included two 1,000-yard campaigns and two double-digit touchdown seasons. 

He’s not the explosive receiver he used to be, but Lockett is reliable – he’s missed just two games in his 10-year career – has great hands, and knows how to get open. Lockett was phased out by a younger duo for the Seahawks, but he would be a great compliment to CeeDee Lamb and could be a security blanket for Dak Prescott.

Another contributing factor in linking Lockett and the Cowboys is the WR won’t count against the compensatory formula since the Seahawks released him. Considering Dallas’ history of valuing compensatory picks, Locket fits the bill as a target.

Acquiring Greenlaw would take more of a financial commitment than the team is used to giving out, but the Cowboys have a big need at linebacker and Greenlaw is among the best options available. Greenlaw’s been with the San Francisco 49ers for each of his six seasons and played his best football in 2022 and 2023, where he had 120 or more tackles in each year. 

An ACL injury in the Super Bowl caused him to miss almost the entire 2024 season, but he’ll be further removed from that surgery, and he’ll still be in his prime at 28-years old. The 49ers are expected to make a push to keep Greenlaw, so if the Cowboys want him, it might take an aggressive offer to sign the veteran LB.

The Cowboys rarely spend decent money on an outside free agent, but if they want Greenlaw, they might have to stray from that philosophy. It could come down to how much new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus wants him. 

If the Cowboys can’t or don’t want to pay to sign Greenlaw, Spillane would make a good addition at LB. The veteran is coming off the best two seasons of his career, each with over 148 tackles with the Las Vegas Raiders. 

At 29-years old, Spillane has found his groove and does a little of everything. In his career he has 8.5 sacks, six interceptions and 19 passes defensed, demonstrating that he’s good in coverage as well. Much of that success has come in the last two seasons which means he’s also on the rise.

Spillane won’t come cheap, but he likely won’t cost as much as Greenlaw, which could work in Dallas’ favor. There’s a need for the Cowboys to find a productive veteran LB in free agency and Spillane checks a lot of their boxes.

If the Cowboys bypass the pricey names at DT, they could look into a run stuffer like Ford, who’s cost would be lower. At 310 lbs, Ford’s specialty is taking on blockers and eating up space in the middle, something he did well last season with the Los Angeles Chargers. 

Ford would step in and immediately compete with incumbent Mazi Smith as the starter as the best run stopper on the Cowboys defense.

Like Lockett, Ford was in Seattle when Schottenheimer was there as the offensive coordinator, and even though they were on opposite sides of the ball, the connection can be made. Ford would be a great fit with the Cowboys; he shouldn’t command too much money, and he’d pair well next to Odighizuwa.

The Cowboys lost legendary former All-Pro Zack Martin to retirement, and even though they have some in-house candidates to replace him, Hernandez would make some sense as well. 

The veteran offensive lineman was a former second-round pick for the New York Giants who was rumored to be of interest by the Cowboys during the 2018 draft before moving onto the Arizona Cardinals, where he played under new Cowboys offensive coordinator Klayton Adams. 

Although he’s never lived up to the draft status as a second-round selection, Hernandez does have strength and plays with a nasty disposition. Hernandez played in just five games last season due to a knee injury but has been a starting guard for almost his entire career.

If the Cowboys want to add a veteran interior offensive lineman who can compete for a starting job at a cheap cost, Hernandez fits the bill. His connection with Adams makes bringing in Hernandez a strong possibility.

Do you think the Cowboys will be active in free agency? Make your thoughts with Ben on X (formerly Twitter) @BenGrimaldi.