The Dallas Cowboys will enter the 2020 offseason no different from recent history, with the hope that it will help supplant a post-season race, but the franchise faces a formidable challenge. It’s not that the Cowboys are in reconstruction mode, but they are undergoing a radical regime change by bringing in Mike McCarthy and separating from Jason Garrett after he gave him almost a decade to take them to Promised land.
And with McCarthy comes a new cast of training characters all striving to have their first free agency stint in Dallas filled with good decisions, then preparing for the very important NFL 2020 draft in late April. With the first order of business – the chief coaching exchange – now on the books, all eyes are on contract negotiations with Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott, which can be considered the skeleton key for subsequently entering into an agreement with the Pro Bowl Amari Cooper’s quadruple wide receiver.
From there, the club will have to decide if they will engage in a possible bidding war for Byron Jones, then sift through a proverbial Rolodex of names of internal free agents to determine who stays and who leaves. The front office is already working hard on all of this, but also needs to balance that with meeting, interviewing and pre-draft prospect assessment – making it the busiest part of the offseason for the Cowboys. They also run against the NFL deadlines to see it all, and well done, adding to the level of difficulty in an offseason that has already seen massive changes in the tectonic plates under the team.
Welcome to the official CBS Sports center for the Cowboys’ off-season, where we break down each item of interest. Bookmark it as it will be updated often.
Hello 2020.
Key dates to come
There are a multitude of dates that you will need to circle on your calendar while you keep track of the Cowboys during the off season, and some will not be determined for a while – like the OTAs, the mini-camp and the camp. training – especially when a new CBA floats above it. For now, however, most of them are already known and are worth noting.
More dates will be added as the Cowboys and the NFL finalize them.
- 12th of March*: Deadline for NFL teams to place the franchise or transition label on a player.
- March 16: The NFL legal forgery period begins.
- March 18: The new championship year officially begins at 4 p.m. AND.
- March 29 to April 1: The annual NFL meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, takes place.
- Half April: The NFL will release the 2020 regular season schedule.
- April 6 **: Teams with New Head Coaches May Begin Official Offseason Program
- April 17: Deadline for the signing of offer sheets by restricted free agents
- April 23 to April 25: The NFL draft takes place in Las Vegas.
- April 27: NFL teams may request permission to visit, try out or sign any player who has an XFL contract at the end of the XFL season.
- May 1 to May 4: Teams can organize their rookie mini-camp three days after the draft from Friday to Sunday or from Saturday to Monday.
- May 8 to May 11: Teams Authorized to Hold a Three-Day Recruit Mini Camp
- Late May to early June (to be determined): Start of organized team activities (OTA)
- Mid-June (to be determined): Start of compulsory mini-camp
- July 15th: Deadline to negotiate a multi-year extension on a tagged player
- End of July (to be determined): Training camp in Oxnard, California
* The deadline for applying the franchise and / or the transition label has been moved from March 10 to March 12 to take into account the negotiations under way on collective agreements.
** The Cowboys will have the opportunity to start their offseason program on April 6 – two weeks before teams that have not changed their head coach – and will also have the right to hold an additional voluntary minicamp before the draft the NFL. However, they are not allowed to make other changes to their off-season schedule, as required by the league.
Free agent dashboard
Here’s where rubber really hits the road for the Cowboys.
They enter the off-season with a list of 30 (!!) internal free agents to attend before and while monitoring the landscape outside of Dallas to see who deserves an offer to join the team in 2020. More it will take time to reach a deal on Prescott, the most difficult however. With the team currently richer in cash than it has been since the creation of the CBA which is currently expiring, the Cowboys could flip a few switches and have more than $ 100 million in ceiling space, but just because they can afford to pay their key guys and there are still huge pieces of pie doesn’t mean they want to.
As such, they will continue to follow their usually frugal approach to “outside” free agency, keeping as many key players as possible in their given financial plan – that is, paying based on assessments of the value and not the amount of money is on the table – and then rely on their mainly solid draft building ability to take care of the rest.
Without further ado, here are the players entering free agency in 2020, and their respective designations.
Exclusive free agent:
- Antwaun Wood – iDLWoods was proven in 2018, but fought an injury in 2019, and an impending off-field case could lead to his first suspension in the NFL. The team wants him to be there and there is no indication that he will not be there – especially as EFRA without the possibility of moving to the left or right in free agency. As a player with less than three seasons accumulated, Woods cannot negotiate with other teams unless the Cowboys do not offer it – at minimal cost.
Restricted free agents:
Unlike Woods, the following four players have accumulated more than three years but not yet four, and the latter would qualify them for unrestricted free agency in 2020. Instead, while they are allowed to trade with other clubs, each can be assigned a respective call for tenders – first round, second round, original round – or the right of first refusal to give the Cowboys a chance to receive compensation in case they decide not to match at the offer of another team.
The caveat lies in the offer of the original round and the right of first refusal, because if a player has not been drafted, there is no compensation by default, which essentially makes one in the same. Cowboys must be strategic in how they label each, because the higher the supply, the higher the salary if the player is selected. (e.g. the second round call for tenders on David Irving in 2018)
Per Over the Cap:
First call for tenders – $ 4.667 million
Second round tender – $ 3.278 million
Initial tender – $ 2.144 million
- Blake Jarwin – TE: Jarwin has a proven track record as a playmaker in Dallas, and there is no reason why they should stray from his athleticism and ability to accumulate meters after capture. An undrafted free agent who signed a three-year contract in 2017, the Cowboys love Jarwin very much, and there are no plans to let him walk. If it’s something, that’s why Jason Witten ends up [finally] on the outs. The current plan is to keep Jarwin and release him with a complementary talent acquired during this off-season, so expect a high value offer to be placed on him with long term discussions underway.
- Daniel Ross – iDL: Ross sometimes flashed as a defensive lineman in rotation, but an arrest in November did him no favors during an off-season in Germany. His future will be based on the depth that the Cowboys think they have outside of him. He only has two bags in two seasons, so they won’t hurry to keep it.
- Cooper Rush – QB: Once upon a time, Rush made his pre-season (2017) debut as a rookie, but it seems like an eternity when taking into account his difficulties in beating an uneven Mike White that lasted two August. The Cowboys will have one eye on keeping Rush and another on upgrading when backing up QB this offseason – whether in free agency or the draft. There’s a good chance, even if you’ve signed up again, that Rush won’t survive the final downsizing, depending on who else they will bring.
- Adam Redmond – OL: A back-up offensive lineman that the Cowboys will only keep if they feel they cannot do better than keeping a player who has no start and did not play a game in 2019, half of last season having been spent on an injured reserve and the other half having been in good health but never entered the 46-player roster.
Unrestricted free agents:
Take the keys to the Brinks truck and save it directly in this section of the free Cowboys agency, as this is where the money will soon be found.
Each of these players has accumulated four or more seasons of service in the NFL, which means that the Cowboys have no control over where they sign, unless the franchise tag or transition tag is used. . If the latter is deployed, they will not receive a compensatory choice if they choose not to correspond to an offer from another team on the player to which it is attached, unless they cancel it first. And then there’s the fact that the franchise label itself is split between an exclusive and non-exclusive ranking, the former preventing a player from negotiating outside while the latter allows it, but giving the Cowboys two choice of first round if they let the player walk.
It’s all a game in a game, and here’s how the Cowboys hope to play it.
- Dak Prescott – QB: If facing a franchise label, Prescott should not show up for off season training. Given the adjustable wrench that would throw into McCarthy’s plan to install west coast modifications into Kellen Moore’s system, the team wants nothing more than to make Prescott the highest paid player in the world. history of the franchise before March 12. They will wait until the last possible minute to label it if they have to, and even then it will be a placeholder to make a deal by July 15. The sooner it lands, the better and more than just the fact that Prescott may not appear on a label.
- Amari Cooper – WR: The other reason the Cowboys don’t want to use the franchise tag on Prescott is that they would like to use it on Cooper, whose discussions are held until the Prescott deal is reached. . That means Cooper has a chance to hit the open market, and the team doesn’t want that to happen – not unless they allow him to take calls on the non-exclusive tag which could give them two choices. first round. The goal is to keep Cooper in Dallas in 2020, by hook or scammer, and it becomes more urgent if a new CBA steals a label from them in an off-season where they might have had to use one on Prescott.
- Byron Jones – CB: The All-Pro cornerback is probably the strange man here, but not because the Cowboys can’t afford it. This is because they do not want to engage in a bidding war for its services, more inclined to put an offer on the table which they deem fair – namely around 12.5 million to 13 million dollars – and firm. Without a label, Jones will be free to watch other teams cross that mark to acquire it, making it unlikely (but not impossible) that Jones will prepare for the Cowboys again.
- Randall Cobb – WR: When I spoke to Cobb after the end of week 17, he was discouraged and uncommitted to stay in Dallas. Since then, McCarthy has been hired and Cobb was at the center of his old (and new?) Head coach’s press conference, and called new assistant head coach Rob Davis “a legend”. There is a very, very good chance Cobb now stays with the Cowboys – thanks to McCarthy and Davis – and improves what could have been a stellar year if not for a few untimely declines.
- Jason Witten – TE: For the first time in Witten’s illustrious Hall of Fame career, he has no, if any, seat at the Cowboy table. The veteran already plans to play elsewhere in 2020 and that could include a meeting with Jason Garrett in New York. He still wants to dress for the Cowboys, and could, but he considers himself a starter and all the signs indicate that this ship has now sailed with McCarthy in the vessel. Basically, it is time for the Cowboys to move forward, and they are obviously ready to do so.
- Anthony Brown – CB: His time in Dallas had more lows than heights, flashing in first year only to wade in fourth year due to an injury that led him to lose his starting role against a more impactful Jourdan Lewis. With Lewis having now stamped his seat as a nickel corner number one, Brown is disposable, unless Jones walks and the Cowboys hold him for depth. He should however accept this role, or leave if he thought he could be a starter elsewhere – for more money.
- Tavon Austin – WR: It was easier to see Austin out of Dallas in 2019 than in 2020, after an uneven comeback by rookie Tony Pollard and now the addition of John “Bones” Fassel as special teams coordinator. Austin’s best season as a returner has gone under Fassel in their time with the Rams in the past, and Fassel could argue to give Austin another one-year contract to see if he still has the juice. Also, having another fast WR on the offensive can’t hurt, as it was an area of need last season.
- Robert Quinn – FROM: The pursuit of Quinn will be inevitable for the Cowboys, the team wanting him to return as badly as he wants. He will get offers elsewhere, but if the Cowboys can convince him that he will always be a three-hit rusher on the heels of a 11.5-bag team season, the sure bet is that he will stay in Dallas. What is going on with Quinn will inevitably be linked to what is going on with Jones, I am told, in what can be considered a “tug of war” in the front office on who has the most value.
- Xavier Su’a-Filo – iOL: Su’a-Filo, a more than solid backup who is known to do damage as a starter, has a good leverage in finding another deal with the same Cowboys team that gave him a chance then no one else would in 2018 Thanks to repeated injuries to the left guard position, keeping Su’a-Filo will be paramount to avoiding calamities as Connor Williams and Connor McGovern return from the injured reserve. Su’a-Filo will be too, but he only missed one game because of that.
- Michael Bennett – FROM: Acquired via trade just before the NFL trade deadline, Bennett instantly became a leader in the locker room and often flashed on the field. In a gentleman’s agreement after the exchange, the Cowboys canceled the year 2020 of Bennett’s contract to allow him to enter into free agency. This, in itself, does not refer to a guy who is trying to wear the star again.
- Maliek Collins – iDL: A beginner-level talent that exploded during his contract year before cooling off significantly at the end of the season. However, Collins has delivered four bags and has 14.5 bags in four years in Dallas. The club will certainly want to keep Collins, if possible, given that he cannot afford to weaken an already questionable defensive interior.
- Kerry hyder – DL: A solid spinning guy who has impacted more than a game or two, Hyder is a backup of interest for the Cowboys who won’t cost a lot of capital to keep.
- Christian Covington – iDL: Like Hyder, Covington did, he was asked to do it during his year with the team, and is expected to be offered a low cost deal.
- Jeff Heath – S: Say what you want about Heath, but the fact is that he’s the best player on the team’s special teams outside of fellow safety Kavon Frazier. With Frazier on IR and Heath struggling with a multitude of injuries, the unit struggled to cover up. Heath is also known as a solid replacement who can excel in defense when not routinely asked to be a starter, so his overall value within the organization is well known and highly valued. They will try to sign it again, unless he wants a new start elsewhere.
- Kavon Frazier – S: Speaking of new starts, Frazier probably wouldn’t mind – assuming favorable offers arrive. Fassel will find it a more difficult task to rebuild his special teams unit without one or two of his best players, and Frazier is also a very good security in its own right. The veteran can step in and be a starter when asked, as proven before, and might want to give himself a chance to be one for another club. As it stands, however, he is successful enough to get a nod from Fassel, Mike Nolan and McCarthy in a position that cannot afford to lose talented bodies.
- C.J. Goodwin – S: Yet another security that strikes the market is Goodwin, and although it is not as valuable as Heath and Frazier, he played well in stretching last season due to the latter’s absence – especially in special teams. With Heath and Frazier both in good health, Goodwin’s value decreases a bit however, and it seems that his retention is linked to that of Heath and / or Frazier. Regardless of that, the Cowboys will be fine if they sign elsewhere. They consider his role as replaceable in the project.
- Darian Thompson – S: Hey look, another security is no longer under contract with the Cowboys. Now you get a more complete picture of the work the team needs to do to consolidate and improve the position. Because of the latter, players like Goodwin and Thompson are more consumable. If I had to choose between the two (they are not), I would go with Thompson, who caught my eye more at the end of the season when he gave the go-ahead to rookie Donovan Wilson.
- Sean lee – KG: Sources tell CBS Sports that while Lee is ready to see what he can gain in the open market, the Cowboys have offered him a seat in the McCarthy regime. Although they are convinced that there are no lingering problems with Leighton Vander Esch, it is essential that they maintain confidence in the position and want it to be Lee. After an essentially improved season in 2019, Lee may be seduced by the promise of a starter role and more money, but it won’t be easy. Her current skinny stays with her beloved Cowboys, but everyone has a price, as the proverb says.
- Joe Thomas – KG: If Lee walks unexpectedly, Thomas will be the next level of assurance the team will try to hold onto. A veteran who knows and plays the position well in spell service and as a starter, Thomas is not a bad backup plan in the absence of Lee. Again, even if Lee is re-signed, they will still make an offer to Thomas. Keep in mind that the team also sees great promise in second-year talent Luke Gifford, but his rookie season has been plagued by injuries, and that’s another reason to keep Lee and / or Thomas in rows.
- Malcolm Smith – KG: Joining a team at the end of a season and due to injuries it is always difficult to dig your heels and convince the club that you should stay after the contract expires. It is in this situation that Smith finds himself, having registered only four games for the Cowboys in 2019 (a start) with five combined tackles – although he had a forced fumble. A former Super Bowl player par excellence, Smith’s resume is impressive, but not much of what he did in Dallas during his short stay would warrant keeping him if Lee and Thomas are both safe.
- Ray Ray Armstrong – LB: All jokes aside, if you are wondering who it is, it is because it was signed on Christmas Eve and it had little time to do anything before the end of the season in the week 17. The veteran journeyman will likely end up somewhere else in 2020.
- Justin March – LB: A solid linebacker in rotation to a position that requires solid depth due to a series of recent injuries, March has carved out a fine little niche for himself in Dallas. I would expect a one-year offer to be launched in its own way for a negligible cap.
- Kai Forbath – K: Not all heroes wear capes. Forbath has been instructed to be hired too late in the season to really help turn the tide after Brett Maher has outgrown his welcome, and after a scary first kick off which resulted in a penalty for out of bounds, Forbath has found its rhythm and has reached a perfect score of 10 for 10 on the field placement attempts and the PAT, which makes it obvious, the Cowboys will seek to sign it again – even if they add competition in April in hopes of finding the future at the position (as they should).
- L.P. Ladouceur – LS: The man. The myth. The legend. If arguably (?) The best snapper in NFL history wants to return for a 16th season, he will be allowed to do so, and that’s the bottom line. The Cowboys are not ready to go, and may never be.
FA signatures that have an impact on the compensatory election formula 2021
Unrestricted free agent signatures of other teams
Free agent signatures for players cut by other teams
Why is there a difference between these two categories? I’m glad you asked.
It is important to differentiate between players signed as unrestricted free agents and those signed after being eliminated by another team, since players who are signed after being released by another team do not count towards the compensatory project selection formula for the team that signs them. This is how the NFL sorts its complex formula to decide whether or not to choose choices in next year’s project.
2020 NFL Draft Pick
Top 5 positional needs: iDL, S, TE, CB, K
- Round 1:17
- Round 2: 51st
- Round 3: 82nd
- Day 4: 122nd
- Round 5: 156th
- Round 5 *: 180th (compensatory compensation planned for the loss of Cole Beasley in FA 2019, by OTC)
- Round 6: 199th (awarded to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Robert Quinn)
- Round 7: 233rd
* The compensatory choices have not yet been formalized by the NFL and, as such, the projection is subject to change.
Rumors, reports and updates
There is no angle we haven’t covered for you regarding the Cowboys this offseason, and here are the latest credible sources, including CBS Sports’ own original reporting, as the team travels the waves over the next few months.
MARCH:
Amari Cooper wants to stay Cowboy and play with Dez Bryant (3/6)
Ronald Leary to hit free agency open to tempting reunion with Cowboys (3/5)
Andy Reid Praises Cowboys for Hiring “ Higher Level ” Mike McCarthy (3/4)
(3/2)
FEBRUARY:
Sean Lee eyeing Giants if Cowboys don’t re-sign as expected, report says (2/28)
Jerry Jones reflects on possible meeting with Dez Bryant (2/28)
McCarthy says Prescott is championship caliber and wants Cooper and Cobb to be signed again (2/26)
Tua Tagovailoa clarifies comments regarding Cowboys (2/25)
Darren Woodson says asking Dak Prescott to take less is a “ slap in the face ” (2/24)
How the new CBA could / would impact the Cowboys’ plan for Prescott, Cooper and Jones (2/21)
Byron Jones expected to order more than $ 16 million in FA, Eagles to sue (2/18)
Dez Bryant wants to go home to the Cowboys, friendly for a new role (2/11)
Cowboys aims for more years on Prescott deal, QB wants short, ABC-compatible extension (2/11)
Cowboys to reorganize special teams in 2020, target mandated by McCarthy, Fassel (2/5)
DeMarcus Lawrence pressures Cowboys to re-sign Dez Bryant (2/3)
JANUARY:
Dak Prescott will not rule out the heist if it is marked with a franchise in 2020 (1/31)
Jason Witten “will use up all opportunities” to play, even if not with the Cowboys (1/31)
Dak Prescott: a “confident” agreement with the Cowboys will be concluded “soon” (1/29)
Mike Nolan demands takeout, says defensive scheme is not important (1/28)
Kellen Moore Talks About Merging Offensive Plan With Mike McCarthy’s Plan (1/28)
How Byron Jones’ future with Cowboys is linked to that of Robert Quinn (1/23)
Cowboys to “do things a little differently” in McCarthy’s first draft with the team (1/23)
Cowboys # 1 priority “expands Dak Prescott without using franchise label (1/22)
Mike McCarthy on Cowboys using analytics: “We look at everything” (1/10)
Mike McCarthy’s New Coaching Staff at Dallas (Update: 1/30)
