One of the reasons the Cowboys seemingly had so much pressure to win this year, is what seems to be on the horizon here in March.
The Cowboys leaned on several key players in 2021 who have expiring contracts in the upcoming free-agent market.
Randy Gregory was likely a candidate for the Pro Bowl had a calf injury not taken him off the ballot in the final month of voting.
Bryan Anger set a franchise record for punting. Dalton Schultz had another career year at the tight end position and Jayron Kearse easily had his best season of his career, leading the team in tackles.
That's just a handful of free agents on the list, not to mention a duo of receivers in Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson that could hurt the Cowboys' depth if they're both not back.
So let's look at all 21 unrestricted free agents. That doesn't include restricted free agent Luke Gifford and exclusive rights free agents Francis Bernard and Mitch Hyatt.
For now, let's focus on the ones who can easily walk out the door come March if the Cowboys don't give them a new deal.
Our DallasCowboys.com staff writers have ranked the free agents, on a combination of priority and value.
As we head into the first full week of the offseason, it's never too early to evaluate the free-agent market, especially with the Cowboys having 21 players with expiring contracts. We ranked the list from top to bottom.
21) Corey Clement: The former Eagle signed with the Cowboys on September 1, but he didn't establish a role until late in the season when Tony Pollard missed time with a foot injury and Ezekiel Elliott was still favoring a knee injury. He scored a touchdown against his former team and had become a part-time kickoff returner. Veteran backs usually don't have a lot of value at this point in free agency, but are often brought in after the season starts to add immediate value.
20) Maurice Canady_: _Canady provided veteran depth in the secondary until he suffered a concussion in Week 6 that landed him on the injured reserve. It was his first real season with the Cowboys after sitting out the 2020 NFL season due to COVID-19. The Cowboys have a lot of young cornerbacks on the roster and will likely focus on giving them plenty of chances to shine.
19) Jeremy Sprinkle: Sprinkle was rarely used as a receiving tight end for the Cowboys, only playing 15 percent of the offensive snaps in 17 games, but he did play over half of the team's special teams snaps. The veteran has a baseline ability to catch the football and block and could continue to serve as a backup in the offense. The fact the Cowboys are in need of a blocking tight end might at least offer him the opportunity for a return.
18) Brent Urban: The veteran defensive linemen added valuable depth for the Cowboys until he was placed on injured reserve in late October, playing 42 percent of the team's defensive snaps in the six games. With emerging young talent along the defensive line, Urban's role may not be as important to the team.
17) Ty Nsekhe: The veteran tackle only played 145 offensive snaps in his one year as a Dallas Cowboy as the team opted to play Terence Steele as the primary backup at left and right tackle. Nsekhe is well-respected, but he will turn 37 during the 2022 season, potentially making him a long shot to be brought back. But if the makeup of the position changes dramatically this offseason, he could be a veteran the Cowboys lean on for depth.
16) Noah Brown: Brown has always been at the bottom of the depth chart at receiver, but has performed well given those expectations over the past few years. Over the past two seasons he has accumulated over 300 yards in very limited opportunities. If free agency led to the loss of Michael Gallup and Wilson, the Cowboys could re-sign Brown and give him a larger role in the offense.
15) Malik Turner: Turner had a few of the most impressive games you'll ever see from a team's sixth receiver. He had a two-touchdown game in a blowout loss to the Broncos and an 82-yard, one touchdown game in a blowout win against Washington. He has established that he has the ability to make plays, but the Cowboys will have many other decisions to make before they look towards Turner.
14) Carlos Watkins: Watkins turned out to be an excellent veteran addition to the Cowboys' defensive line. He was reliable and even returned an interception for a touchdown in 2021. Watkins has made clear that he would like to be back on the Cowboys next year, but the team also has some young talent along the defensive line that could soften the blow if he ends up elsewhere.
13) Connor Williams Williams started the season at left guard before being benched for committing too many penalties in favor of Connor McGovern. However, McGovern was not as competent a blocker so Williams eventually got his job back. No one denies the 24-year-old's apparent talent, but will his miscues give the Cowboys pause in committing to him for the future?
12) Keanu Neal: While he was a former Pro Bowl safety in Atlanta, Neal moved to linebacker this season, a vision of Dan Quinn that didn't really produce a major impact. Neal was a solid contributor but not one that will be a high priority unless the defensive coordinator again has a certain vision for him.
11) Jake McQuaide: The veteran long snapper performed well for the Cowboys in his first year on the team. Punter Bryan Anger reached a Pro Bowl receiving snaps from McQuaide. The close-knit nature of the special teams unit would make a McQuaide re-signing seem likely.
10) Dorance Armstrong While not the first name brought up on the defensive line, the 2018 fourth-round pick showed exciting development in 2021. He recorded five sacks and returned a fumble for a touchdown. The Cowboys could not afford to lose both Randy Gregory and Armstrong from their defensive line.
9) Malik Hooker Hooker was added to the Cowboys' roster during the first week of 2021 training camp, and he played a versatile role in the defense's regular season success, making plays on the ball and coming up to defend the run well. If the Cowboys were to lose Jayron Kearse in free agency then maintaining Hooker and giving him a larger role would become a priority
8) Damontae Kazee:Kazee was a mainstay at free safety in his first season as a Dallas Cowboy, reuniting with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn who drafted him in Atlanta. The playmaker recorded two interceptions in 2021. Retaining Kazee might be a priority for the Cowboys, but it'll likely depend on the scheme and coordinator.
7) Leighton Vander Esch: After two years of being bothered by injuries, Vander Esch played all 17 games in 2021, but he still didn't match the production of his phenomenal 2018 rookie season. Micah Parsons is the new core of the Cowboys' defense and the team parted ways with Jaylon Smith midseason. Will the possible emergence of Jabril Cox be enough for the Cowboys to let Vander Esch leave in free agency?
6) Cedrick Wilson: Wilson was terrific filling in for Michael Gallup for most of the season and performed well in a smaller role when Gallup returned as well. The 2018 sixth rounder recorded six touchdowns and 600 receiving yards in 2021. Wilson has stated that he would like to return to the Cowboys, but will another team give him a larger role?
5) Bryan Anger It didn't make a huge splash when the Cowboys signed Anger last April, but it turned out to be one of their savviest acquisitions. Along with completing a pass on a fake punt conversion in the Cowboys' Wildcard playoff game, Anger was named to the Pro Bowl and selected to Second Team All-Pro in his first season with Dallas. Anger credited special teams coordinator John Fassel with reviving his career, so both sides will likely hope to work out a deal.
4) Michael Gallup: Gallup doesn't need to prove his playmaking skills to the Dallas Cowboys. He's made plenty of catches for the Cowboys along with 15 touchdowns and nearly 3,000 receiving yards since 2018. Unfortunately, a calf injury followed by a season-ending torn ACL caused him to miss nine games in 2021 and put his future health in question. Director of Player Personnel Stephen Jones said, while the team will face cap challenges, they would like to bring Gallup back next season if possible.
3) Dalton Schultz: Schultz was made the starting tight end after Blake Jarwin was injured in Week 1 of the 2020 season. Since then he's recorded 12 touchdowns and nearly 1,500 receiving yards as a favorite target for Dak Prescott. The Cowboys are still committed to Jarwin next season, making Schultz's future difficult to predict.
2) Jayron Kearse: 2021 was Kearse's first season with the Cowboys and first as a full-time starter, and he did not disappoint. He proved to be a phenomenal tackler, playmaker, and even an efficient blitzing safety. He will likely cash in on his breakout season, and if he were to go elsewhere, the Cowboys would be left with the same hole at safety they spent years trying to fill.
*1) Randy Gregory: *In what was essentially his first full NFL season after years tangled in suspensions and off-field issues, Gregory rewarded the Cowboys' patience with him. He recorded six sacks and forced three fumbles in 12 games. Despite the fact Gregory will have knee surgery this week, he not only is expected to be fully recovered this offseason, but will likely be a hot commodity for any team trying to bolster their pass rush. Owner/GM Jerry Jones has been Gregory's biggest supporter over the years. So now that he's finally in line for a big deal, does Jones do everything to keep him? Will Gregory give the Cowboys a home-town discount? Time will tell but it doesn't seem likely the Cowboys will let a play-making pass-rusher walk out the door without a fight.
