With the NFL offseason in full swing, and free agency on the horizon, the Cowboys have some decisions to make. Legal tampering starts March 11, which also means it is time for the Dallas Cowboys to see if someone on the roster can make good use of a franchise tag in 2024.
The window of opportunity for teams to use it started on February 20 and will close on March 5th at 4 p.m. ET.
Ezekiel Elliott has a cap charge of $6.04M for the 2024 season for the #Cowboys.
Dallas has no choice but to let Tony Pollard walk and go cheap at the position this year.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) February 12, 2024
Who Will Get Tagged?
From early reports from those around the team, and what I have seen, it looks like the Cowboys won't use it on anyone.
Dallas has 16 players that will enter free agency this season.
The problem with the tag is that if they use it, it becomes fully guaranteed at the price the player is worth.
Something they don't want to do if the player is not worth it.
In 2023, the Cowboys used it on Tony Pollard, and the team had to pay $10.1 million against the cap.
If they used it for a second time on Pollard (they won't), it would cost them $12.12 million for 2024 (120% of 2023 salary).
Former Players Tagged
Outside of Pollard, we have seen a few other players hit with the tag over the years. They have used the tag on a player in each of the last six offseasons.
DeMarcus Lawrence received the tag in 2018 and 2019 before he got a new deal.
Dak Prescott played on it in 2020 and got hit with it again in 2021.
Dalton Schultz played on it in 2022.
The biggest one we all probably remember is the Dez Bryant situation.
Jerry Jones and the team gave him the tag, and he voiced his concern that if he didn't get a new deal at the time he wouldn't play. Ultimately, he got the deal and did not play on the tag.
Anthony Spencer got it twice, Ken Hamlin got it in 2008, and Flozell Adams in 2002.
Veteran #Cowboys LT Tyron Smith doesn't plan on retiring and wants to remain with the team next season, per @calvinwatkins pic.twitter.com/vw9picrXmC
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 20, 2024
Free Agents
With it being unlikely the team will use the Franchise Tag, 16 members are set to test the free agent market in March without a new deal.
The biggest names are Tyron Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Stephon Gilmore, Jourdan Lewis, Dorance Armstrong, Tony Pollard, and Johnathan Hankins.
That is just seven of the 16 players.
Keep an eye on these guys as I think the Cowboys will try to get a few of them back in the building, even on shorter deals.
Smith said this week he has no plans on retiring and wants to remain with the team.
Pollard should not be re-signed. He has no value and showed he could not be an every-down back for this team.
Tony Pollard accounted for 4.4% of the #Cowboys cap in 2023.
That is just too big of a chunk of $$$… especially when you have a QB on a big deal. https://t.co/Ie7zTAAijd
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) February 8, 2024
They need to go cheaper at the running back position and use the money elsewhere.
Things are about to heat up for this football team. If Jerry Jones does not stick with his “all-in” claim, fans are going to be mad.
We have heard him talk over and over again, and 30 years later it is getting old.
The time is running out with the group of players they have. Dallas is going to extend Prescott, and still have to find a way to pay Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb.
