As the Dallas Cowboys prepare for the 2025 NFL season, the need for strategic additions in free agency is becoming increasingly apparent.
In Stephen Jones’ own words, it’s time to get “selectively aggressive” with their player additions. What exactly do they mean by selectively aggressive?
To me, it means they need to identify their biggest needs first, then use free agency to add players whose traits and play style fit the Dallas Cowboys best.
While the team has had solid play over the past few years, thanks, in part, to above average drafting and selectively aggressive trades at key positions on the roster, there is a third element that the Cowboys have widely ignored: free agency.
A tripod cannot stand on two legs. The Jones know this. They just try their hardest to make the other two legs so strong that they can stand on their own, but it’s just not possible.
Dallas needs to utilize free agency and get selectively aggressive this time. Emphasis on “aggressive”. It’s time to find starters who can move the needle. Not bargain bin signings just for depth.
The key here is they need to be affordable. Dallas likely won’t be shooting for the top of the market at any position, but there are several players who will cost less money and still impact the team in a positive way.
If only there were a magic button to reveal the best fits for the Cowboys in free agency while keeping costs at a reasonable level. We might not have magic, but we have Twitter/X.
Twitter/X user @OutlawCowboyNFL did incredible work for Cowboys Nation, taking the time to research and list four players on defense who will move the needle and not cost a ton.
Understanding the Exercise
Before diving into the names, let’s take a look at how this plan was formed, and which factors led Outlaw to select these specific four defenders.
He used market values via Spotrac.com for the length and total earnings of each deal. Then, he used the average guaranteed money of the top 20 players at each position to project guaranteed money for 2025 contracts.
Without further ado, here are four free-agent defenders who can take the Cowboys defense to the next level in 2025 who won’t take up too much of that precious Jones pie.
S Tre’von Moehrig
Projected Contract: 3 years, $47.1M (27.9M guaranteed)
Previous Team: Las Vegas Raiders
Tre’von Moehrig is one of the most talented safeties on the market. The Cowboys have gotten acceptable play from the trio of Donovan Wilson, Malik Hooker, and Juanyeh Thomas, but there is still some meat on the bone.
Wilson makes sense as a post-June 1st release and the same could be said for Hooker. Making that move on both would save the Cowboys $9.1 million to the 2025 salary cap.
Thomas is a player that I have been screaming to the mountaintops about a larger role on defense. Yes, he’s a great special teams player, but it’s his time to shine now.
With Wilson and Hooker as cap casualties, Thomas would rightfully be elevated to the starting strong safety. Signing Moehrig to play the free would be a perfect pairing.
Moehrig is known for his ability to patrol the deep middle of the field, his ball-hawking instincts (5 interceptions in his last 31 games), and as a leader on the field. Those are all traits the Cowboys need in the secondary.
Kick in the fact that the Cowboys were ready to turn in the draft card with Moehrig’s name on it during the 2021 NFL Draft only for the Raiders to swoop in one pick before, and it makes too much sense.
CB DJ Reed
Projected Contract: 3 years, 43.9M (27.6M guaranteed)
Previous Team: New York Jets
The cornerback position is a sneaky need for the Cowboys. Once a unit that looked strong for years to come, it has quickly fallen apart.
Trevon Diggs may not be ready for the 2025 season at all after yet another knee surgery that appears much more serious than the ACL tear he suffered. Jourdan Lewis is a free agent who might not want to take another team-friendly deal.
He was superb in 2024, and it could push him out of the Cowboys’ financial level of comfort on the open market. DaRon Bland is the brightest spot in the secondary, but he is due for a new contract at the end of the 2025 season.
All of a sudden, the 2026 cornerback room could be a complete overhaul around 2024 rookie Caelen Carson, who was a far cry from a walking seat belt, as he likes to call himself.
DJ Reed could come in and fill the void in a big way. His physicality and ability to play both man and zone coverage make him a perfect fit for any defensive scheme DC Matt Eberflus chooses to run.
Reed has been one of the most underrated cornerbacks over the past couple of years, and adding him opposite Bland would ensure the Cowboys still have two elite players on the boundary during Diggs’ rehabilitation.
Additionally, Reed’s ability to match up with physical wide receivers and his knack for creating turnovers would improve a Cowboys secondary that already has the potential to be elite.
LB Dre Greenlaw
Projected Contract: 3 years, $18M ($10.8M guaranteed)
Previous Team: San Francisco 49ers
The linebacker position is one where the Cowboys have a solid foundation, but adding a veteran like Dre Greenlaw would solidify the defense with elite play at a key position.
Greenlaw is known for his sideline-to-sideline speed, ability to cover ground in pass defense, and his knack for making clutch tackles. He has been one of the most impactful linebackers in the league when healthy.
Dallas’ foundation at linebacker starts with #13 DeMarvion Overshown, who suffered a knee injury that may sideline him for most of the 2025 season. Marist Liufau took on a larger role after Overshown went down, and he will likely start the season with the green dot on his helmet.
Beyond that, the Cowboys are thin at linebacker.
A player like Dre Greenlaw, who has played alongside Fred Warner for years, can come in and give an immediate sideline-to-sideline threat the Cowboys have lacked since Sean Lee and, most recently, a healthy Overshown.
If the Cowboys can reel in Greenlaw at THAT price, I’m game.
DT BJ Hill
Projected Contract: 3 years, $18M ($10.8M guaranteed)
Previous Team: Cincinnati Bengals
Adding a player like BJ Hill to line up on the interior with Osa Odighizuwa and Mazi Smith would be a huge improvement over the defensive interior play the Cowboys have gotten.
Hill is a disruptive defensive tackle who loves wreaking havoc in the backfield. His quickness off the line of scrimmage and his knack for disrupting both the run and pass would complement Osa’s pass rush ability.
Defensive tackle has been an issue for the Cowboys defense for years. They have ranked in the bottom third of run defense for most of that stretch, and are even worse if the metric is specific to in between the offensive guards.
I feel like the last time the Cowboys had a dynamic duo of interior defensive linemen, Chris Canty and Jay Ratliff were suiting up for the team.
At the End of the Day
This was a fun exercise to elaborate on, and we owe credit to OutlawCowboyNFL on Twitter/X for doing the leg work.
If you enjoy all the Dallas Cowboys content you can get, Outlaw is an incredible follow on Twitter/X, and you should follow him to enjoy more of these free agency scenarios.
As a matter of fact, stay tuned for my next article. This exercise was for the fans. The next exercise caters to the front office, and Outlaw cooked once again.
What do you readers think about how the team would fare if free agency fell this way? Let us know in the comments.