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Thanks to years of horrible, nearsighted contracts, the Cowboys may have to part ways with major names such as Miles Austin and DeMarcus Ware just to get under the cap and pay their incoming class of rookies.
This offseason comes on the heels of a mediocre 8-8 season in which the Cowboys were never more than one game over .500 and touted one of the league's worst defenses.
That defense will surely be the focal point of the strategy for the front office as the team heads to free agency, but unless it is willing to send several stars packing, nothing of merit will come from the period and unproven rookies will have to pick up the slack.
Salary-Cap Situation
The Cowboys entered the legal tampering period with just over $1.6 million in free cap space, according to Over the Cap.
For those keeping count, that is hardly enough to bring a single player on board.
Dallas earned this bit of wiggle room by forcing right guard Mackenzy Bernadeau into a pay cut, according to USA Today's Tom Pelissero:
Bernadeau is far from the only player on the roster who will be impacted by years of ineptitude by the front office.
According to Joseph White of the Associated Press, via USA Today, Ware and Austin are likely to be the others punished this offseason:
The Cowboys, meanwhile, are still in a tight squeeze. They have been trying to restructure defensive end DeMarcus Ware's deal, which has a $16 million cap hit this year, just to have a modest amount to spend in free agency.
Executive vice president Stephen Jones has said it's unlikely the club will pursue any expensive players. Receiver Miles Austin, whose six-year, $54-million contract signed in 2010 got Dallas into trouble in the first place, is almost certain to be a June 1 cut that would save $5.5 million under the cap.
No matter who takes the cuts or is cut, expect a slight exodus of talent from Dallas rather than an influx in the coming weeks as Jones and Co. look to right the ship, both on the field and on the books.
List of Free Agents
The names at the top should concern Dallas fans the most.
Jason Hatcher is coming off a career year at the age of 31 and posted 11 sacks while ranking as the No. 8 overall defensive tackle in the league, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). His presence is not so easily replaced by what will likely be a rookie, and the same goes for Anthony Spencer.
A two-time franchise player for the Cowboys, Spencer played in just one game last season before he suffered a knee injury. In theory, this would make it easier for the Cowboys to bring him back than Hatcher—if they round up some free cash.
To make matters worse, the two have a lot of interest on the market already, according to ESPN's Calvin Watkins:
While this clearly reeks of agent speak, it goes to show that Dallas may not have the funds necessary to compete on the open market for their two biggest free agents.
The rest of the names are mostly depth that can be replaced through the draft and on the market, so this at least helps the front office as there are only two real priorities it should have in terms of retaining its own.
Team Needs
Defense.
But seriously, other than the potential void created by Miles' likely imminent departure on offense, the Cowboys have to put all of the focus on the defensive side of things as the unit is in shambles after a miserable season.
It starts up front. If Dallas cannot find a few quality tackles, it does not matter who the linebackers are behind the line. As Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram points out, the team may have a serious interest in Chicago's Henry Melton:
Melton played under Rod Marinelli in Chicago and fits the Cowboys’ scheme perfectly. He is a local athlete who played at Grapevine High School and the University of Texas. He might come as a bargain because he is coming off knee surgery. He is a top-five talent at the position with 13 sacks in 2011 and 2012 combined.
Wishful thinking, but it does show how desperate the Cowboys will be for help. The same goes for defensive end. Adding more corners would not make a lot of sense thanks to Brandon Carr, Orlando Scandrick and Morris Claiborne, but safety is another area in need of an upgrade.
At this point, the Cowboys have to do whatever it takes to upgrade Monte Kiffin's porous unit.
Latest Rumors
Cowboys Interested in Wesley Woodyard?
According to Watkins, the Cowboys have their eye on former Denver linebacker Wesley Woodyard.
Woodyard is the definition of what the Cowboys are looking for this offseason—a bargain. He played middle linebacker with the Broncos last season, but was eventually benched in favor of Paris Lenon.
The good news here is that Woodyard can contribute at all three linebacker spots and play special teams. For a team with hardly any cash to work with, Woodyard is a perfect fit.
Latest on Miles Austin and DeMarcus Ware
Cowboys fans have had more than a month now to digest the fact Austin is likely on his way out, as ESPNDallas.com's Todd Archer hinted:
From all the sounds coming from Valley Ranch, the Cowboys want to move on. Austin just couldn’t get going in 2013 with those hamstring injuries. I’ve long defended him and felt he was a good fit after what he did in 2012. But he just couldn’t get over those injuries.
More recently, Hill posted a telling picture on Twitter:
As for Ware, the team has officially told him he needs to take a pay cut, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:
Of course, Ware believes he can make a large amount of money on the open market (he sure can), as hinted by Watkins:
Stay tuned.
Roster Additions
This section will be updated as the Cowboys sign players.
Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com
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