The Dallas Cowboys have key decisions to make this off-season with their free agents on both sides of the ball.
As we wait to see what the team will do in the coming months, I wanted to look at the players I think might have the most difficult time deciding on starting in March.
The team seeks to get under the salary cap by the start of the new league year next month, but it could come with a cost.
Should the Cowboys bring these players back or let them walk?
DALTON SCHULTZ
The security blanket of the offensive, Dalton Schultz, appeared in two fewer games this season than he did in 2021, mainly because of fourth-round pick Jake Ferguson and undrafted free agent Peyton Hendershot.
With free agency set to officially land on March 15 (legal tampering opens on March 13), it is unclear what the future in Dallas looks like for Schultz. He is Dak Prescott’s favorite target, but with his numbers taking a bit of a hit this season, it would not surprise me if they let him test the market.
The team could get the same results from the duo of Ferguson and Hendershot for MUCH cheaper.
Let him walk.
TERENCE STEELE
One of the most important players on the Cowboys is a player with a contract set to expire this year, Terence Steele. Before he tore his ACL in December, he was one of the best players on the Cowboys team.
Unlike Schultz, Steele will not be an unrestricted free agent, and he has only been in the NFL for three years after signing as an undrafted rookie in 2020.
The Cowboys should have plenty of ways to get Steele to return on a team-friendly deal. This won’t solve all of the issues on the offensive line, but getting back one of the better young tackles in football, even after an injury, would be a huge bonus.
Bring him back.
ANTHONY BROWN
I think Anthony Brown is a player that fans finally realized was not as bad as they thought once he got hurt. Brown is the team’s most-experienced corner; outside of wide receiver, this is the BIGGEST need for this team going into next season.
I honestly have no idea what the Cowboys plan to do with Brown, and I would love for him to be able to return next season after a torn Achilles on a veteran minimum-type deal. That would be around $1.6 million or somewhere in that ballpark.
The Cowboys desperately need someone to play on the other side of Trevon Diggs. I think Brown might have played his last year in Dallas, with guys like DaRon Bland, Jourdan Lewis, and others for depth.
Again it is hard to say what the front office might do with him, but I let him walk.
Leighton Vander Esch
The biggest decision this off-season comes with Leighton Vander Esch. Signing a one-year, $2 million “prove it” deal last offseason. He did just that, he proved he is a key players for Dan Quinn and his defense.
The 2018 No. 19 overall pick finished second to only Donovan Wilson in combined tackles last season despite missing the last three games with a pinched nerve in his neck.
We all know he won’t be signing for another $2 million anywhere, Vander Esch should be a top priority for the Cowboys to re-sign this offseason, but will Jerry Jones think so?
Would he be willing to take less than market value, or will he chase the money? I think the Cowboys will offer him something, it is just a matter of what the team thinks he’s worth.
Bring him back if the team can.