FRISCO, Texas – Over the next 10 days, a lot will change in terms of the Cowboys roster, especially when the official free-agent signing period opens on March 16.
But between now and then, there will be a few other deadlines, including Tuesday, the last day teams can place the franchise tag on a player. Also, there will be a two-day window in which other teams can start negotiating with free agents before the start of the new league year.
So expect some chaos to occur regarding the this team, which has over 20 unrestricted free agents on the list.
Today, let's focus on a few guys that might have played their last game with the team. Who knows what free agency holds, but these guys don't seem to be at the top of the priority list.
Corey Clement – Signed at the start of last season, Clement had some veteran experience and even won a Super Bowl ring with the Eagles. There were a few games late in the season in which he was called up to help with the workload with Zeke and Pollard both banged up. While he provides some depth and versatility with his special teams ability, Clement doesn't seem to be in the plans, at least here in free agency. But guys like that are usually added to the rosters later in the summer or close to the season, just like he was with the Cowboys.
Maurice Canady – Back in training camp, Canady was one of the biggest surprises in Oxnard. He was not only making plays with key interceptions, but his role on special teams made him a lock to make the team. While he did that, injuries forced him to miss considerable time on injured reserve. The Cowboys are expected to bring back veterans Trevon Diggs, Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis, along with two drafted cornerbacks from last year. There doesn't seem to be any room for a veteran cornerback that likely won't compete for a starting job.
Malik Turner – This one is tricky because the Cowboys have a ton of question marks at wide receiver. Basically, everyone other than CeeDee Lamb is in question. Turner is one of four unrestricted free agent receivers, along with Michael Gallup, Cedrick Wilson and Noah Brown. While he had a couple of nice moments late in games last year, including his two touchdowns in the fourth quarter vs. Denver to prevent a shutout. Overall, Turner had a tough time finding playing time and it appears even with the decisions to make, the Cowboys will look for other options, at least early in free agency. Don't rule out a return from Turner, but maybe later in the offseason if he's not with another team.
Ty Nsekhe – Like wide receiver, offensive tackle is far from settled as the Cowboys must make some important decisions. But there aren't many free agents on this list. Nsekhe was a solid backup when called upon, but injuries didn't make him available all the time. Re-signing him to another deal doesn't seem likely for Nsekhe, who will turn 37 in the middle of the season. The Cowboys currently have Tyron Smith, La'el Collins and Terence Steele as the top three tackles. This offseason, they will be hopeful that 2021 draft pick Josh Ball develops into a player that can at least contribute.
On Tuesday, we'll focus on players that could be back in the fold although if the price is right.
