The price of beef may be going up nationwide but it should be going down on the NFL’s free agent market. Several notable defensive tackles remain unsigned and a few of them are veteran run stuffers who might be able to make an immediate contribution for the Dallas Cowboys.
In late March we tossed out Akiem Hicks as an option and the 32-year-old remains available for now. This has been a rough offseason for many older free agents, some of them even major stars at their positions, as teams seem to be leaning more and more on youth in their roster building.
Since we considered Hicks the Cowboys haven’t done much work at defensive tackle. They spent a 5th-round pick on Arkansas’ John Ridgeway but other than that are bringing back the same basic cast as last year: Neville Gallimore, Osa Odighizuwa, Carlos Watkins, Trysten Hill, and Quinton Bohanna.
Unless Ridgeway is going to be one of the more amazing Day 3 picks in franchise history or Bohanna is makes a dramatic second-year leap, counting on either of these big-bodies tackles to help Dallas’ leaky run defense in 2022 is poor strategy. None of Gallimore, Odighizuwa, or Watkins are built to be run stoppers and Hill is going to be lucky to make the team.
That’s why we’re circling back to this topic. Hicks is still out there but he’s not the only reputable DT still looking for a job next season. And now that we’re in the middle of the May, the negotiating leverage for these players has never been lower.
You can click here for a deeper dive into Akiem Hicks. But along with him, here are two other current free agents that could suit Dallas’ need.
Star Lotulelei
The former 2013 1st-round pick by Carolina was released by Buffalo after four seasons. He opted out in 2020 under the COVID-19 policy and returned last year, but between catching COVID and personal issues he only played in 11 games.
Still, despite his struggles and absences, Lotulelei posted three sacks for Buffalo in 2021. He was a starter in eight games while the Bills proved to be one of the NFL’s stingier run defenses last season.
Now 32 years old, Star wasn’t going to be a top name on anyone’s free agent list. But given the COVID-related circumstances of his unceremonious end with the Bills, Lotulelei’s stock may be lower than it should be.
Brandon Williams
Williams has started every game he played in for Baltimore since 2015. He was a Pro Bowler in 2018 and has been a stalwart on their defensive line for almost a decade.
While he’s the oldest of the three players mentioned here, already 33, Williams’ experience included playing in multiple defensive looks with the Ravens. He’s been a 3-4 nose tackle and defensive end, which would translate well to the Cowboys’ versatile scheme.
Like Lotulelei, Brandon caught COVID in 2020 and missed a few games. It is unknown how much this impacted his performance, but any decline may have been partly why Baltimore didn’t re-sign the veteran after his contract expired in March.
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The key factor in discussing any of Hicks, Lotulelei, or Williams is that they’re not going to be asked to become a focal point or even a heavy rotation player in Dallas. They’re all 32-33 and will likely welcome a smaller role with their next team.
Whether it’s to combat age, old injuries, or nagging effects from pandemic issues, the niche role of nose tackle and run-stopper with the Cowboys could be a perfect fit for these veterans. A one-year deal with a potential playoff team will become all the more appealing as the offseason rolls on, and you can imagine at least one of these guys wants to continue their careers.
Naturally, we’re all dubious now of the Cowboys front office spending any of Stephen Jones’ precious salary cap space. But after years of watching the run defense struggle, finding a proven plugger for the middle of the defensive line would be a worthy use of our remaining 2022 funds.
