CFZ Cowboys players who probably won't be back next year

quickccc

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There are multiple players on our roster, many who will be FAs next year who likely will not be on the roster next year either because of cap restrictions or just needing to move on. I’m intentionally leaving Dak off this list because that is a much more complex situation that requires a separate category. I’m not against moving on from Dak, but don’t want to discuss it here.

Some of these names will be obvious, some may not. Most of the guys I’m about to list will be FAs. Here are my predictions for players we will (should) be considered for an exit:
  • Tyler Biadaz- finished his rookie deal and will command a hefty raise. But IMO, he’s just ok. He’s a good starter but he’s not worth a big raise on a team full of cap challenges.
  • Michael Gallup- has never been the same since his knee injury 2 years ago. His contract is structured for an out this year. He gone.
  • Tony Pollard- after one year on the cap at $10 mil a season, he’s going into 2024 with no contract. He will not be worth the contract he will garner next year. He’s gone.
  • Leighton Vander Esch- LVE - His neck injury is a quality of life thing. He needs to retire.
  • Dorance Armstrong- he’s a good but not great player who benefits greatly being a part time pass rusher opposite Parsons. He will get offers for more than we should pay.
  • Stephon Gilmore- he is a FA. Honestly at 34, he is probably mostly done. We have Diggs on a big deal and Bland. Time to move on.
  • Tyron Smith- He is signed through 2024 I think. But honestly, even though he had an ok year in terms of not missing as many games as he had been missing before. That’s a low bar. He will be an old 34 next year. He’s not owed that much. I would move on. He’s no longer dependable. I love Tyron. He was truly a great player; a great player who‘s time is up.
  • Jourdan Lewis- He will be 29 next year. He had a pretty good year last year but is he worth getting a raise on a cap strapped team?
  • Jayron Kearse- Kearse has been good. Great? No. He’s probably going to get some higher offers that make it hard to keep him. I could see him following wherever Dan Quinn lands.
  • Dante Fowler- he’s a good pass rusher but is he worth keeping at the same price or more? No.
  • Neville Gallimore- finished his rookie deal and is just a rotational guy with only occasional flashes. JAG.
  • Noah Igbinoghene - guy we got in the KJoseph trade last fall. Played very little when it mattered. His rookie deal is up. So…bye.
  • Sean McKeon- Now the 4th or 5th TE who is mainly a blocker. We have a better TE room than 2 years ago.
There are a few other FAs that may be gone. Some of the guys above may also sign here again. Many of the replacements for the guys above would likely come from the draft or cheaper FAs. Will be a very interesting offseason to say the least.

- Why would Tyler B. command a hefty raise coming off a subpar year ? His stock is down, not up as it was off the pro bowl alternate per last year in ’23.
Thought for sure his limited play had to be injury related.
Tyler B had issues getting to 2nd level of defenders, pulling and he was doll ragged too often. The anchor of your OL must be upgraded.

- Gallup is making too much $$ to be a 3rd WR, that is way too up and down in production, and doesn’t have special teams value- while there are some 3rd WRs around the NFL that seem.
to making a pretty penny to be 3rd and 4th WRs, ala Miami’s Cedrick Wilson, In a strong upcoming WR depth draft class, I can see this team seeking to trade him and that contract- but good luck on that.

- Armstrong will likely get a heft FA contract and he’ll be too out priced for Cowboys to try to keep him. But like several vet FA’s he’ll return a compensatory pick in the future.

- Everything seems to be pointing towards Sam Williams to step into DA’s starting role, but that does not stop the club from continuing to add DE’s per draft/FA,..

- I dunno what to make of V. Feheko who still seems more project development than readiness. Zero game experience in ’24.

- If Fowler is willing to same bargain cheap, 1 year rental deal, and DC pending, I think we’ll return him in same nickel rush pak as he’s been doing so here.

- I can’t see how this team could talk themselves on returning injury prone, neck- risky LVE, .. but with this team who knows.

- So long as McCarthy staff is still here, Pollard will not be utilized as an all-purpose back – and it’s still a mystery if Pollard has/can return his once explosive fifth gear.
Atrocious coaching scheme added to the concern.

-But there’s no A-tier market for TP. Either he’ll except a C-tier deal, or club will look in NFL draft for a RB in accordance to their draft board. Rico to re-sign cheap one year rental deal
 

TheHerd

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Based on the guys I think we need to let go and based on our obvious weaknesses, this off-season will require major talent upgrades at the following position groups:
  • LB (biggest defensive need)
  • OL (getting old and need a C or T)
  • DL (need some run stuffers)
  • RB (A huge need going into 2023 that was overlooked)
  • (Maybe) Safety
  • QB - I would draft a QB regardless of whether we keep Dak or not. Based on past history I can almost 100% guarantee you this front office won’t draft anyone until round 6 or 7.
Funny, these look remarkably similar to last year’s list!
 

conner01

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There are multiple players on our roster, many who will be FAs next year who likely will not be on the roster next year either because of cap restrictions or just needing to move on. I’m intentionally leaving Dak off this list because that is a much more complex situation that requires a separate category. I’m not against moving on from Dak, but don’t want to discuss it here.

Some of these names will be obvious, some may not. Most of the guys I’m about to list will be FAs. Here are my predictions for players we will (should) be considered for an exit:
  • Tyler Biadaz- finished his rookie deal and will command a hefty raise. But IMO, he’s just ok. He’s a good starter but he’s not worth a big raise on a team full of cap challenges.
  • Michael Gallup- has never been the same since his knee injury 2 years ago. His contract is structured for an out this year. He gone.
  • Tony Pollard- after one year on the cap at $10 mil a season, he’s going into 2024 with no contract. He will not be worth the contract he will garner next year. He’s gone.
  • Leighton Vander Esch- LVE - His neck injury is a quality of life thing. He needs to retire.
  • Dorance Armstrong- he’s a good but not great player who benefits greatly being a part time pass rusher opposite Parsons. He will get offers for more than we should pay.
  • Stephon Gilmore- he is a FA. Honestly at 34, he is probably mostly done. We have Diggs on a big deal and Bland. Time to move on.
  • Tyron Smith- He is signed through 2024 I think. But honestly, even though he had an ok year in terms of not missing as many games as he had been missing before. That’s a low bar. He will be an old 34 next year. He’s not owed that much. I would move on. He’s no longer dependable. I love Tyron. He was truly a great player; a great player who‘s time is up.
  • Jourdan Lewis- He will be 29 next year. He had a pretty good year last year but is he worth getting a raise on a cap strapped team?
  • Jayron Kearse- Kearse has been good. Great? No. He’s probably going to get some higher offers that make it hard to keep him. I could see him following wherever Dan Quinn lands.
  • Dante Fowler- he’s a good pass rusher but is he worth keeping at the same price or more? No.
  • Neville Gallimore- finished his rookie deal and is just a rotational guy with only occasional flashes. JAG.
  • Noah Igbinoghene - guy we got in the KJoseph trade last fall. Played very little when it mattered. His rookie deal is up. So…bye.
  • Sean McKeon- Now the 4th or 5th TE who is mainly a blocker. We have a better TE room than 2 years ago.
There are a few other FAs that may be gone. Some of the guys above may also sign here again. Many of the replacements for the guys above would likely come from the draft or cheaper FAs. Will be a very interesting offseason to say the least.
Smith is a FA
 

conner01

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Kind of leaves us thin at CB. I'd like to see Lewis stay.

Great list Bob!!!!!!!!!
Diggs and bland starters. After that it’s nothing
We could draft a cb at 24 though having to draft any position because of need generally doesn’t workout
 

Bobhaze

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He was second on the team in sacks this year and last year. How is that not good? He also had 7 tackles for losses this season. He is needed.
I like Dorance Armstrong. But come on man, he’s a decent pass rusher who can’t stop the run. We don’t need to spend extra money to keep that skill set.
 

DuncanIso

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Agree with everyone, except Tryon and Lewis

Sign Tryon to a team friendly deal as the backup swing tackle. Also sign Lewis as he will be the slot corner with Diggs and Bland the starters.

You then draft a center with the first pick. Tackle is deep in this draft. You can draft one in round two. Round three is where you choose your LBer. The RB position is addressed after that.

Be aggressive this offseason. Restructure Lawrence, Diggs, Steele, and Wilson. You can gain between 30 and 45 million in cap space. When Prescott gets extended next year have the cap hit be 30 million. This saves another 30 million on cap. You then have between 60 to 75 million minus 20 million the team is over now, leaving 40 to 55 million for free agency.

Get one of these two, Christian Wilkins20 million(younger more expensive) or DJ Reader15 million(injured cheaper). Also go after one of these two, Patrick Queen15 million(more expensive) or Wagner10 million or less(cheaper one year option). Lastly I would go after one of two Jacobs12 million(26 and expensive) or Henry5 million(older cheaper).

Getting these three players will help when in draft. 45 for the most expensive options and 30 million on the cheaper options.

You can make some of the players that aren't coming back June 1st cuts gaining more space for the season.
Why draft a center?

Just pay who we have.

Need that pick for a RB.

Our 2024 cap is a mess. Gonna be tough.
 

LACowboysFan1

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I like Dorance Armstrong. But come on man, he’s a decent pass rusher who can’t stop the run. We don’t need to spend extra money to keep that skill set.
Some team that wants him solely as a pass rusher will probably offer him more than Dallas can pay.

Which ain't much if Dak sucks up 59 mil of the cap....
 

CT Dal Fan

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Actually thinking Brock Hoffman could work at center. Would he represent that big of a drop off from Biadasz, if at all?
 

Bobhaze

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Actually thinking Brock Hoffman could work at center. Would he represent that big of a drop off from Biadasz, if at all?
Here’s my take on Hoffman: He looked good vs the Commanders for the most part. But that doesn’t mean he would for 17 games against better competition. Maybe he would but I never take one game as a big enough sample size.
 

KJJ

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I like Dorance Armstrong. But come on man, he’s a decent pass rusher who can’t stop the run. We don’t need to spend extra money to keep that skill set.
You have to have a pass rush and we can’t just rely on Parsons to get to the passer. Our sacks were down this season and for two straight seasons Parsons and Armstrong have been our two leading sackers and Armstrong also had 12 QB hits. We’ll see how it plays out this offseason.
 

LACowboysFan1

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Here’s my take on Hoffman: He looked good vs the Commanders for the most part. But that doesn’t mean he would for 17 games against better competition. Maybe he would but I never take one game as a big enough sample size.
Only one way to find out, play him. I was never impressed with Biasasdz, from day one. Still not. He's gotten a little better but losing him won't be like losing Frederick. Hoffman ain't got to be great, cuz B-boy isn't...
 

Bobhaze

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You have to have a pass rush and we can’t just rely on Parsons to get to the passer. Our sacks were down this season and for two straight seasons Parsons and Armstrong have been our two leading sackers and Armstrong also had 12 QB hits. We’ll see how it plays out this offseason.
Or…we could draft a young D-lineman who can rush the passer ok but also stop the run. Armstrong will cost more than that. Sam Williams will be stepping into the pass rush gig IMO.

But again, this team‘s biggest defensive problem is they can’t stop any team with a lead and a great running game. This team‘s defense only worked when they either got a big lead or some turnovers. In games they got zero TOs and got behind early, the pass rush didn’t help. We MUST fix the inability to stop the run.
 

ColoradoCowboy

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We certainly do sometimes. It just has to match up with the talent chart. If two players are rated close together on that chart and we need one but not the other, we'll take that need even if the other rated slightly higher.
Exactly how we ended up with Mazi.
 

KJJ

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Or…we could draft a young D-lineman who can rush the passer ok but also stop the run. Armstrong will cost more than that. Sam Williams will be stepping into the pass rush gig IMO.

But again, this team‘s biggest defensive problem is they can’t stop any team with a lead and a great running game. This team‘s defense only worked when they either got a big lead or some turnovers. In games they got zero TOs and got behind early, the pass rush didn’t help. We MUST fix the inability to stop the run.
Drafting a D-lineman who can rush the passer and also stop the run is easier said than done. No assurances the player we draft will turn into a solid player, especially at 24. We got virtually nothing out of this draft class. Our first two picks were duds. The jury is still out but neither player showed promise. As for Sam Williams, I thought he had a chance to be a great player but he never shows up consistently. He’ll make a play the disappear for a few games. We hear his name more often when he’s committing stupid penalties. He’s reminding me of Randy Gregory. He’s had off the field issues and doesn’t seem to be making much progress. Can’t rely on him.
 

Beaker42

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Thanks for sharing. I acknowledge I'm bitter and have a bad attitude, but honestly don't care if every single one if these guys walks.
You’re not the only one - out with old losers and in with new.
 
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Beaker42

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The problem replacing so many players and having so many needs is we don't have many picks next year. I'm pretty sure we don't haveca 4th, 5th or 6th from previous trades.
Gotta be lucky with UDFA’s, active in FA and watch for camp cuts.
 
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