Top 50 NFL Free Agents: ESPN Signing Prediction for 5 Cowboys
FRISCO - It's almost NFL free agency time (the legal tampering period starts Monday, March 14 with the official free agency start date on Wednesday, March 16) and we're about to see which players the Dallas Cowboys truly covet ... and who on the Cowboys roster might be overrated or underrated around the league.
We get the ball rolling with ESPN’s top 50 list of free agents (subscriber, $), which features five Cowboys in that top group - and Bristol even offers up their predicted destinations. We'll offer ESPN's evaluation, and a quick note ourselves:
No. 15 DE Randy Gregory - Cowboys
Why it makes sense: No team knows Gregory better than Dallas. Now that his career is ascending, the Cowboys should reap the benefits with a long-term deal that both sides can appreciate.
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CowboysSI.com: Gregory back in Dallas is the Cowboys' "priority,'' we're told. Is he getting $15 million APY offers elsewhere, though? At 30 and with his spotty history, is "long-term'' all that wise? And could the franchise tag be needed?
No. 23 TE Dalton Schultz - New York Jets
Why it makes sense: Expect the Jets to be in the market ... Dallas wants to re-sign Schultz, perhaps the most complete tight end in the class, but it can't keep everybody.
CowboysSI.com: Nothing against Schultz; he's put up some Witten-esque numbers in the last two years. But ESPN is wrong about any great desire Dallas has to overpay here. Schultz is about to get overpaid by somebody.
33. G Connor Williams - Cincinnati Bengals
Why it makes sense: With Quinton Spain hitting free agency, the Bengals could pair Williams with center Trey Hopkins and guard Jackson Carman, who should make a Year 2 jump. -- Fowler
Scheme fit: While we have some concerns on Williams' overall power and ability to anchor, he upgrades the interior of the Bengals' offensive line. A good fit for Zac Taylor's outside zone run scheme, Williams also has the movement skills to mirror in pass pro. -- Bowen
CowboysSI.com: Williams tried. Tried to get bigger, stronger, better ... and lost his starting job at mid-season for a time. The penalties are now part of the reputation, but it's more than that: A big second contract is not merited. Moving La'el Collins to left guard is a much better idea.
No. 40 WR Michael Gallup - Chicago Bears
Why it makes sense: Gallup will be the steal of free agency if a team gets a discount due to his torn ACL. By midseason, he should be humming. Offensive coaches around the league love this guy's game and felt he has been underutilized in Dallas.
CowboysSI.com: ESPN is wild-guessing here, and they know it. "Steal''? "Discount''? "Humming''? Not even Gallup himself knows if any of that is true. And meaning no disrespect, but we're skeptical of the idea that an ESPN reporter surveyed "offensive coaches around the league'' to learn that they "love'' Gallup. And while we're at it: He's the third receiver in Dallas and missed most of 2021 due to injury. That's how "underused'' happens.
No. 45 LB Leighton Vander Esch - Houston Texans
Why it makes sense: Vander Esch can still play a pivotal role on a defense. Lovie Smith needs a downhill thumper in Houston, but Pittsburgh could get involved here, too. The Steelers were very high on Vander Esch coming out of the draft and need linebacker help.
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CowboysSI.com: Dallas had its chance to retain Vander Esch for 2022 with a $9 million price tag on his fifth-year option and declined. Any semblance of a bidding war and the Cowboys move on, with Micah Parsons running the linebackers room, with rookie Jabril Cox coming back from injury, and maybe with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn recruiting a return from Keanu Neal.
In total, the Cowboys would be wise here to void falling so in love with the notion of "signing our own'' that anybody gets overpaid - and that includes Gregory.
