Things are looking good for the Dallas Cowboys. After finishing 2018 with an impressive 11-5 record, the team re-signed superstar defensive end Demarcus Lawrence to a massive extension. The Cowboys are certainly trending in the right direction, but this roster still has room for improvement. Dallas enters the 2019 NFL Draft without their first-round pick thanks to the midseason deal for Amari Cooper. While the trade was easily worth it, the Cowboys don’t have the capital to find an instant starter in the draft. While most of the big-name free agents are gone, there are still quite a few Dallas Cowboys free agent fits on the market.
Best Dallas Cowboys Free Agent Fits
Corey Liuget
The fact that a player as good as Corey Liuget is still on the market is nothing short of remarkable. Liuget isn’t the player he once was, but he’s still a solid contributor capable of plugging holes along the interior. The former first-round pick played six games in 2018, recording 1.5 sacks, 14 tackles, and five tackles-for-loss. Pro Football Focus gave Liuget an above-average 69.9 grade during his abbreviated season.
Unfortunately for Liuget, the normally-durable defensive tackle suffered an injury at the worst possible time. The former first-rounder tore his quadriceps early in the season and underwent surgery back in November. Seemingly forgotten by the league, Liuget hasn’t had much of a reported market.
Fortunately, there are plenty of reasons to believe that this injury was a one-time incident. Liuget has played in at least 11 games in his previous seasons, so he’s not a high-injury risk. Additionally, Liuget can come back from a quad injury at full strength. The Cowboys need somebody to replace David Irving, and they could do a lot worse than the former first-round pick. At the very least, Dallas could sign him to an incentive-laden one-year deal.
Glover Quin
The Cowboys missed out on free agent Earl Thomas but could get the next best thing in 33-year old Glover Quin. The former fourth-round pick had a rough year in 2018, finishing the season with just 74 tackles, one sack, and three passes defended. This subpar season caused his value to plummet, and the Cowboys should swoop in and take advantage of his slow market.
Quin was never a fit for first-year head coach Matt Patricia and his style of defense. However, Quin was one of the best safeties in the game when playing under defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. Austin served as Detroit’s defensive coordinator from 2014 to 2017, and during that four-year stretch Quin recorded 16 interceptions and 26 passes defended while doing a fantastic job at taking away the deep part of the field.
While Quin may have lost a step, he’s still a starting-caliber safety. The 10-year NFL veteran is a clear upgrade on Jeff Heath and Xavier Woods and would go a long way in solidifying an already talented defense.
Muhammad Wilkerson
There was a time when defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson would have been one of the most coveted names in free agency. The former first-round pick was one of the best defensive tackles in the game early in his career. However, his play took a nosedive after earning a hefty payday after the 2015 season. Seemingly satisfied with his massive salary, Wilkerson wasn’t the same player during his final two seasons in New York. He tried to re-establish his value with the Green Bay Packers but suffered a season-ending ankle injury after just three games. The eight-year NFL veteran has received minimal interest and should be available at a bargain rate.
Wilkerson still has something left in his tank, as he looked good last year when he was actually on the field. While he didn’t look like his early-career self, he was still a solid starter along Green Bay’s defensive front. While he didn’t record a sack, Wilkerson collapsed the pocket on multiple occasions and finished the year with a 76.5 grade from Pro Football Focus. Signing Wilkerson to a one-year deal would make sense for both sides.
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