The 2024 NFL season is almost over. Fans in Philadelphia and Kansas City are bathing in the glory of their teams winning their respective conferences, earning the right to play in Super Bowl LIX.
Soon after the Super Bowl champion is crowned, free agency will ramp up before the draft, allowing teams to sign veteran free agents before bringing in new talent in April.
The Cowboys love using free agency to fill any holes in the roster before the draft so they aren’t pigeon-holed into selecting positions of need in the moment. Well, that used to be the way they do things.
Jerry and Stephen Jones have mismanaged free agency so pitifully over the past few seasons that this may be the second draft in a row where the team will expect veteran production from multiple rookies and undrafted free agents.
ESPN’s Matt Bowen released a list of the NFL’s top-50 free agents in the 2025 class, and four Dallas Cowboys are mentioned in the article. The Cowboys have a laundry list of unrestricted free agents once the league year ends. Here are the main names:
- WR Brandin Cooks
- RG Zack Martin
- DE DeMarcus Lawrence
- P Bryan Anger
- LB Eric Kendricks
- CB Jourdan Lewis
- DT Osa Odighizuwa
- RB Rico Dowdle
- DL Chauncey Golston
- DE Carl Lawson
Those are some big names that might not have a star on their helmet next season. As much as I’d like to bring most of them back, it’s not likely.
ESPN’s top-50 free agent list has some big names on it as well. Here are the top five names on the list:
- WR Tee Higgins (Cincinnati)
- G Trey Smith (Kansas City)
- OT Ronnie Stanley (Baltimore)
- CB DJ Reed (New York Jets)
- WR Chris Godwin (Tampa Bay)
I would love for the Cowboys to add one or two of those names in free agency, but I know better than to expect that by now. We might have to settle for the four Cowboys players that made the cut.
DT Osa Odighizuwa
ESPN Rank: 10th
Osa Odighizuwa played out his rookie contract this past season, much like how every coach and player did that isn’t named Dak Prescott or CeeDee Lamb.
He can be considered a priority re-sign for the Cowboys because the only other defensive tackle on the roster with any experience is Mazi Smith. Other teams could use his services as well.
It will not be a walk in the park to get Osa to sign a new contract to stay in Dallas. He deserves to be paid for what he has done with the Cowboys, but do the Cowboys feel the same?
RG Zack Martin
ESPN Rank: 21st
Zack Martin did not look like the best right guard in the NFL anymore in 2024. The player who once had more All-Pro selections than penalties called against him dealt with injuries, but could still return to form if healthy.
That’s the question that all teams, especially the Cowboys, will ask themselves. Can Zack Martin return to the player of old?
I’m sure the Cowboys are already thinking about how to keep Martin a Cowboy, and Dallas is most likely where he wants to stay.
DE DeMarcus Lawrence
ESPN Rank: Honorable Mention
DeMarcus Lawrence is the longest-tenured player on the Cowboys; a distinction he shares with Zack Martin. He was selected in the 2nd round of the 2014 NFL Draft, and keeps making his way back to the Cowboys each time he hits free agency.
Lawrence is still an impact player, and his veteran savvy and leadership on the defensive side of the ball would be a welcome addition to any locker room.
Hopefully, the Cowboys can work out a deal with him to come back because he is the Cowboys’ best run defender, and I’d hate to see him making plays in another uniform.
RB Rico Dowdle
ESPN Rank: Honorable Mention
Rico Dowdle is the name that surprises me most on this list. Not because I don’t think he is a talented player, but because it means others outside the organization are paying attention.
Dowdle shared carries with Ezekiel Elliott to start the season, but eventually became the lead back, finishing the season with 1,079 yards rushing on 235 carries.
Teams are always looking for young, explosive backs with more tread on the tires. Dowdle might be a sought after running back, but the Cowboys should have the best chance to bring him back.