Cowboys 2020 Free Agent Power Rankings: Dak, Amari lead the way
The Dallas Cowboys have gotten deals done with running back Ezekiel Elliott, offensive lineman La’el Collins and linebacker Jaylon Smith in just the last six weeks. We’re betting there are other deals to come. But which free agents take priority? My job, for the next few months, is to keep track of them, rank them by priority and get you ready for what the Cowboys might do once the 2020 offseason begins. As we enter the season, here are the Cowboys’ Top 10 free agents to keep in mind for 2020.
1. QB Dak Prescott (final year of rookie contract, paid $680,848 in 2019).
Prescott is the highest priority? Of course, and now that Elliott’s deal is done consider Prescott’s deal to be next. Here’s why. Ask yourself this question — what will the Cowboys do IF they don’t re-sign Prescott in 2020?
Do you like Cooper Rush as the heir apparent? Doubtful. Do you like any of the free agents that are set to hit the market next offseason? Don’t look. I did. The pickings are slim. Next year’s draft? Maybe, but the truly good quarterbacks will probably be off the board by the time the Cowboys hit the clock (I, like many of you, believe the Cowboys are a playoff-bound team). Prescott may not be perfect, and he may end up averaging $30-40 million per year. But sometimes the devil that you know is better than the devil that you don’t. Given those parameters, a deal is basically a given. The devil is in the details (and the cap hit) at this point.
2. WR Amari Cooper (final year of rookie contract, paid $5,665,779 in 2019).
To me, Cooper proved his value in this offense during his nine games with the Cowboys in 2018, during which he blew away any projections that I had for him by catching 53 passes for 725 yards and 6 touchdowns. Cooper has been handling his offseason contract negotiations like Prescott — show up, work hard and let the agents handle it. A big year in 2019 would lead to a massive pay day for the No. 1 wide receiver in 2020. Sure, the Cowboys could ALLOW Cooper to hit the market. But what would the Cowboys do without him? Hand Michael Gallup the No. 1 job? Maybe he’ll be ready by then. The Cowboys shouldn’t take the chance. They also shouldn’t take the chance of having both Prescott and Cooper as impending free agents next offseason, as the Cowboys can only use the franchise tag on one of them.
3. CB Byron Jones (final year of rookie contract, paid $2,150,485 in 2019).
Jones grew into his new role as a cornerback last season under secondary coach Kris Richard and there’s no reason Jones can’t continue on an upward trajectory in 2019. And going into a contract year there’s no better time to do that. I know the Cowboys have some significant depth in the secondary, but solid corners like Jones are hard to come by. He may become a casualty after all the extensions for Prescott, Cooper and Elliott are done. But if there’s money left, it should go to Jones.
4. DT Antwaun Woods (last year of contract, paid $525,000 in 2019).
Woods is an exclusive rights free agent in 2020, which means the Cowboys just have to tender him an offer to keep his rights (and that offer could be for less than $1 million). As long as he builds on his performance from last year — when he emerged as a valuable nose tackle in the run game — the Cowboys are likely to tender him. Sure, Woods can refuse to sign the tender, but he would have to find a way to persuade the Cowboys to either give him more money or release him. The point of Woods being ranked No. 4 here is that he’s talented, valuable and cheap at a time when the Cowboys need as much of that as they can get.
5. DT Maliek Collins (last year of rookie contract, paid $887,545 in 2019).
Has Collins lived up to the potential that the Cowboys thought he had when he arrived four years ago? Depends on your point of view. I think most hoped he would develop into a dominant under tackle in Rod Marinelli’s defense. Dominant would be a stretch at this point. He’s certainly a solid tackle entering his fourth season. But he has just 10.5 sacks and 30 quarterback hits. However, this works in Dallas’ favor, at least entering the season. The Cowboys would probably allow Collins to test the market at this point, but I’m not sure he’d find the type of contract that he’s looking for. That would allow the Cowboys to sweep in with a team-friendly offer — one that would still be far better than his rookie contract — and keep him in Dallas. The possibility that Collins could be a cheap starter in 2020 and beyond keeps him high on this list. But he’s behind Woods here because the Cowboys have far less control of Collins than Woods, and Woods, potentially, could step into Collins’ shoes on a cheaper deal. He's not a player the Cowboys can’t “live without.”
6. LB Sean Lee (last year of contract, paid $3.5 million in 2019).
The “General” is 34 going into this season and he’s fought injury issues his entire career. The presence of both Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch puts far less of an onus on Lee needing to be “the man” at linebacker. Three years ago, if Lee had been going into the final year of a contract, I’d have him a lot higher here. Going into this season, depending upon how he plays and how healthy he remains, he might hold steady here, or even drop. The Cowboys signed Lee to a $42 million contract in 2014. After the 2018 season the Cowboys got Lee to take a pay cut for the 2019 season. There is plenty of loyalty built up on both sides. The question is whether Lee’s play will back up that mutual loyalty for another season in 2020. The Cowboys have functional depth behind Lee, but no one that could really fill Lee’s shoes at this point.
7. DE Robert Quinn (last year of contract, paid $8 million in 2019).
When the Cowboys acquired Quinn earlier this year, I think the perception was that he would be a rent-a-player for one season. I think that still holds. He needed surgery to fix a broken hand and he’s going to miss the first two games due to a suspension. But there are a couple of good reasons to think about him as a Cowboy in 2020. First, he’s been a pretty consistent performer throughout his career. Second, entering his second decade in the NFL in 2020 he’s likely not going to get the type of contract he’s wrapping up here in Dallas. In other words, with a solid, but not outstanding season, Quinn could price himself in a way that would make him attractive for the Cowboys to re-sign in 2020.
8. SS Jeff Heath (last year of contract, paid $1.917 million in 2019).
The fact that Heath has survived this long in Dallas is pretty remarkable. A few years ago the former Division II star was practically every fan’s whipping boy on the rare occasion that he started. Now he’s entering his seventh NFL season and has spent the past two years as a full-time starter. But during the Earl Thomas flirtation, it was pretty clear that Heath would be the one to suffer the loss of playing time should Thomas reach Dallas. Heath has created just 13 turnovers in six seasons, with seven of those the past two seasons. The Cowboys want to increase turnovers across the board this season. Heath has talent, but an upgrade can be found. Of course, if Heath has a big season in 2019 he could be a Jermey Parnell or Ron Leary-type of free-agent signing for another team in 2020. But, it’s possible players like Xavier Woods and rookie Donovan Wilson take playing time away from Heath, making him expendable that way, too. Like Collins, there is depth that could make Heath a “we can live without him” type of player.
9. WR Randall Cobb (last year of contract, paid $5 million in 2019).
Imagine a world where, for some reason, the Cowboys don’t extend or re-sign Amari Cooper. That’s why Cobb could end up remaining in Dallas beyond the 2019 season. There is a market for Cobb in 2020, and if the Cowboys end up keeping Cooper, as most of us expect, Cobb would likely drop out of the Top 10 as a free agent target for 2020.
10. S Kavon Frazier (last year of rookie contract, paid $610,089 million in 2019).
A late-draft pick four years ago, Frazier could end up having a growth arc like Heath, as long as he remains in Dallas. The good news for the Cowboys is that he’s solid depth, a good special teams performer and is likely to come cheap in 2020, as there won’t be a huge market for him. Those are the kinds of deals the Cowboys must swing in a world where their new “triplets” make the big money. The bad news for Frazier, as I noted, is that the competition at safety is fierce and the other players on the roster could make Frazier expendable no matter what he does.
Why not …
TE Jason Witten: The 38-year-old tight end may be the No. 1 player on the depth chart, but he’s a year-to-year proposition at this point, especially at the $4.25 million price the Cowboys are paying in 2019.
WR Tavon Austin: He’s a low-cost option for the Cowboys this year, and could be next year. But rookie Tony Pollard can do the same things for cheaper the next three seasons. Still, if Austin plays well and remains healthy, he can slip into this Top 10 list.
LS L.P. Ladouceur: A long snapper isn’t valuable enough to be in the Top 10. But, he has a job as long as he wants it. At 39 he’s one of the most consistent long snappers in the game.
Other expected Cowboys free agents in 2020 (unrestricted free agent unless otherwise noted): T Cameron Fleming (club option), DT Christian Covington, ILB Joe Thomas, RB Alfred Morris, DT Kerry Hyder, G Xavier Su’a-Filo, OLB Justin March, FS Darian Thompson, S C.J. Goodwin, DT Daniel Ross (Restricted free agent, on injured reserve), CB Anthony Brown, TE Blake Jarwin (RFS), QB Cooper Rush (RFA), G Adam Redmond (RFA), K Brett Maher (ERFA).
Our next Free Agent Power Rankings will appear after Week 4.
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