Just like that, the NFL season is over, and it ended favorably for the Dallas Cowboys as the division-rival Eagles lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. The Eagles now have as many Super Bowl losses as the Cowboys (three) and four-fewer wins in the big game.
While everyone is busy clowning Philly, the Cowboys can learn a lot from their foremost rivals from a roster-building standpoint. Both of the Eagles’ stud receivers — AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith — went off for 13 catches for 196 yards and a touchdown.
Perhaps Dallas will consider equipping Dak Prescott with another elite playmaker opposite superstar CeeDee Lamb.
We’ll cross that bridge if (when) the time comes. For now, let’s underline some key Chiefs and Eagles free agents that the Cowboys should already have on their radar for when the legal tampering period opens next month.
3 Super Bowl free agents for the Cowboys
3. Kyzir White, LB
We actually wanted the Cowboys to sign White last offseason, but he wound up in Philadelphia on a one-year, $5 million contract.
A former safety in college, White’s versatility fits the mold of a Dan Quinn defense. Jayron Kearse and Donovan Wilson both play significant snaps in the box, and are ‘tweeners in terms of the safety and linebacker positions.
White now has five straight years logging a coverage grade north of 60.0, per Pro Football Focus, and two straight seasons with 100 or more tackles. He was an integral part of the Eagles’ vaunted front seven in 2022, compiling 110 tackles, seven passes defended, three tackles for loss, and 46 run stops while not allowing a single touchdown as the primary defender in coverage.
Re-signing Leighton Vander Esch should be a top priority for the Cowboys in regard to addressing the linebacker position. Should the former first-round pick leave in free agency, though, White would be a worthwhile consolation prize to pair alongside Damone Clark and a potential mid-round pick in the 2023 draft.
2. Mecole Hardman, WR
Hardman wasn’t active for the Super Bowl, and injuries realy prevented him from taking on a bigger role in KC’s offense without Tyreek Hill.
If there’s one thing we know about how the Cowboys approach free agency, it’s that they never balk at signing a bargain, and Hardman could come at a notable discount after injuries limited him to just eight games and 25 catches for 297 yards and four touchdowns this season.
Hardman has never looked the part of a WR2, but he has WR3 potential and his athletic profile represents everything Dallas’ receiver room is missing. The former Georgia phenom has elite speed and acceleration, and is dynamic after the catch, averaging a healthy 8.9 yards after the catch since 2019.
Hardman is also a beast against single coverage. Per PFF’s Marcus Mosher, Hardman ranks in the 95th percentile (!) among WRs in separation percentage against single coverage since 2020. Beating single coverage is an area Dallas’ non-CeeDee Lamb receivers struggled with this season.
If the Cowboys enter 2023 with a WR corps of Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup, and Hardman, fans will have little to complain about. Speaking strictly in terms of Hardman, though, his ability to add an over-the-top dimension and contribute from the slot make him a potential great fit in Dallas.
1. Javon Hargrave, DT
Hargrave is one of the NFL’s best interior defenders, and the Cowboys have a glaring need at defensive tackle after Neville Gallimore and Quinton Bohanna failed to make an impact in 2022. By the end of the year, Carlos Watkins and Johnathan Hankins climbed to the top of the depth chart next to stud Osa Odighizuwa.
The only caveat with Hargrave is his expected big price tag. Over the last two seasons, Hargrave produced 123 tackles, 18.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss, 34 QB hits, 118 pressures and a 91.2 pass-rush grade from PFF.
Taking that production into account, Hargrave will likely command anywhere between $17-22 million annually. Hargrave and the Commanders’ Daron Payne are the cream of this year’s crop as far as free agent DTs, and either one of them could sign for close to 20 million per year.
Here’s a look at the highest-paid DTs for 2023 in terms of AAV
Hargrave is going to cost a pretty penny, but he’d be worth the price of admission on a three-year contract. The only question is if Jerry Jones and company will be willing to extend that much to bring him to the Cowboys.
