News: USAToday: Tre Boston, Sam Bradford among 9 free agents Cowboys should sign, but won't

[NewsBot]

The window is almost closed. This isn’t about the opportunity the Dallas Cowboys have to compete for a Super Bowl, but it could be seen as a way to get to the end game. No, this window is about compensatory picks and the fact that any free agent left standing after 4:00 p.m. eastern on Tuesday will no longer count towards the complicated formula the league has in determining which teams get a piece of the additional 32 picks handed out each year.

The Cowboys have signed the same amount free agents who qualified for the formula as they have lost but can still release players counting in the formula, all the way through Week 10 of the regular season like WR Deonte Thompson in 2018. The big names on the market are DE Ziggy Ansah, DT Ndamakong Suh and RB Jay Ajayi. The Cowboys are currently at a zero balance when it comes to the 2020 comp pick haul, but those names likely matter little to Dallas.

Many NFL teams are now hip to the game and that’s a big reason why there are so many well-known names still on the market. Because there remains a chance to get a pick, possibly an additional fifth for losing Cole Beasley, it behooved Dallas to wait until the window closed before making any more additions.

2019 Compensatory Pick Ledger

PLAYER LOST​

CONTRACT​

Qualifying
APY​

PROJECTED
ROUND​

PLAYER SIGNED​

CONTRACT​

Qualifying
APY​

Projected Round
Cole Beasley​

4 yr / $29M​

$7.25M​

5th​

Randall Cobb​

1 yr / $5M​

$5M​

6th
Damien Wilson​

2 yr / $5.8M​

$2.835M​

7th​

Christian Covington​

1 yr/ $2.5M​

$1.68M​

7th
Geoff Swaim​

2 yr / $6.38M​

$2.75M​

7th​

George Iloka​

1 yr/ $1M​

$1M​

7th

Non-Qualifying Free Agent Moves

PLAYER LOST​

CONTRACT​

REASON​

PLAYER SIGNED​

CONTRACT​

APY​

REASON
Codey McElroy​

1 yr – $495k​

too little
Kerry Hyder​

1 yr – $887k​

non-tendered RFA​

Now that the team has acquired their draft picks and know what holes remain, things are once again open for business.

Here’s a group of players the Cowboys should be considering, but probably won’t. Not all are part of the comp pick formula, as some were released by their prior teams but still warrant being mentioned.

Comp Formula Guy: S Tre Boston


Yes, Boston is a free safety. Yes, Boston also has experience playing in the box (about a quarter of his snaps over the last few years) and more importantly, he’s a sure-handed tackler. That’s really the gripe most have with free safety-turned strong Jeff Heath, the horrible ability to wrap up and take correct angles. Boston has far outpaced Heath in tackling efficiency over the last several years and is much more of a ball hawk.

Comp Formula Guy: DB DeShawn Shead


Shead is now two years removed from a torn ACL and is free after spending 2018 with the Detroit Lions. A former UDFA signing in Seattle, passing game coordinator Kris Richard is well aware of what a healthy Shead can do. Shead has experience playing wide corner but has also dabbled in the box at times for Richard. At 6-foot-2, 216 pounds, he makes sense to take a flyer on.

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Comp Formula Guy: LB Manti Te’o


Te’o was performing well in New Orleans but the Saints rightly moved him aside to get Alex Anzelone snaps. Dallas has a strong plan at linebacker, starting Jaylon Smith in the middle with Leighton Vander Esch at the weakside. Sean Lee will play Sam and backup LVE, with Joe Thomas backing him up. If Smith gets hurt, LVE slides to the middle, but with a player like Te’o, they wouldn’t have to interrupt multiple spots for one injury.

Continue…

Gallery

Cowboys 2019 Depth Chart, position by position





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[Future]

Boston would be such a good signing, especially now.

 

[jrumann59]

Boston, Shead, and Te'o are worth a look. Can Te'o play all the LB positions or is he more a MLB or WLB?