Fans pretty much agreed that there are areas of the Dallas Cowboys that need work. Those areas are the defensive secondary and offensive line and they could use one more linebacker as well. A lot of talk was also made about fixing these areas through the draft.
I am all for finding great draft picks who can help out but that will not help the team immediately. With the draft picks that Dallas has, they might get two marquee players for the 2012 year. That won't fix the team.
Luckily, Jerry Jones made a comment while at the Senior Bowl that made me very happy. Apparently, by dropping players like Andre Gurode and Igor Olshansky before the 2011 season, the Cowboys freed up a lot of cap room. In 2012, the Cowboys still have "dead money" on the books for Roy Williams, Leonard Davis and Marion Barber but that will be almost all paid off by 2013. However, despite this "dead money," Dallas still has $20 million to spend in 2012.
Jerry Jones said they will spend that money to make the team better.
Here is a look at some free agents that Dallas can target to make the Cowboys a playoff contender in 2012. The first thing Dallas needs to do is re-sign wide receiver Laurent Robinson and fullback Tony Fiammetta. Then they can work on the following areas.
Defensive Backs
I'd love for the Cowboys to get someone like Brent Grimes. However, rumors have the Atlanta Falcons considering using the franchise tag on him, which would make him cost around $10.2 million for 2012. He currently wants a six-year deal for Dunta Robinson money. Carlos Rogers is another possibility if Dallas can lure him from San Francisco. This is a better chance because the San Francisco 49ers will franchise tag Dashon Goldson over Rogers, who will hit the market on March 13. One final option, if Dallas wants an elite player, is Cortland Finnegan, who is almost assuredly leaving the Tennessee Titans.
Linebackers
I assume Dallas will continue to play the 3-4 defense, and with DeMarcus Ware, Sean Lee and Bruce Carter probably starting in 2012, they could use another outside linebacker to take some pressure off of Ware. Could you imagine Dallas going after Houston Texans' outside linebacker Mario Williams? That would give the Cowboys the best linebacker corps in the NFL, hands down.
Offensive Line
I see Tyron Smith moving to the left tackle position in 2012 and Doug Free switching back to right. Kevin Kowalski should get the start at center in 2012 but Dallas needs help at guard. I see both New Orleans' Saints star Carl Nicks and Baltimore Ravens star Ben Grubbs as big time possibilities.
Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys' fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys' related news, good or bad
