dbair1967

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Cowboys' priorities: Zack Martin's extension, speed receiver
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer

Here are the moves the Dallas Cowboys should consider when free agency opens at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Get ahead of the 2019 market: Since the Cowboys took care of their top priority last week by putting the franchise tag on defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, they have to sign Pro Bowl right guard Zack Martin to an extension. Martin is set to play this season on the fifth-year option, but that doesn’t mean the Cowboys should wait to get a deal done. The price will only go up next year for Martin, who has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons. He should be the highest-paid guard in the NFL, which would also make him the highest-paid offensive linemen on the Cowboys' roster. Without a new deal for Lawrence by mid-July, the Cowboys could find themselves losing Martin or Lawrence to free agency in 2019.


Find some speed on offense: If the Cowboys don’t get Dez Bryant to take a pay cut and release him, they should look at Sammy Watkins. Traded from the Buffalo Bills to the Los Angeles Rams prior to last season, he finished with 39 catches for 593 yards and eight touchdowns. As a former fourth overall pick, he might be something of a disappointment, but his best season came with new Cowboys receivers coach Sanjay Lal in Buffalo. He caught 60 passes for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games. If the Cowboys part ways with Bryant, they will need to find a replacement and add a player in the draft. It might come down to cost, but Watkins could find all that he needs with the Cowboys.

Shore up the depth: Watkins could be well out of their price range, and the Cowboys have not shown a willingness to do big deals in free agency lately. They have taken a cost-effective approach to free agency, but that backfired when their signings either never made the roster or were gone by late October (Nolan Carroll, Damontre Moore, Stephen Paea and Robert Blanton). With Anthony Hitchens expected to get a large deal that they won’t be able to match, the Cowboys could use linebacker help. With Byron Jones moving to cornerback, safety is a top option. They need to find offensive line depth as well. The Cowboys have used free agency to fill gaps so they can enter the draft without any major needs. That has to remain a priority again, but they need to do more than just hunt for bargains.
 

icup

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I know everyone gets all pissy over our FO for basically sitting out free agency, but when an average to above average starter like Hitchens gets this kind of $$$, it's hard to really question the Cowboys thinking on some of this. I liked Hitchens and thought he was underrated, but 9 mils per year? Really?




Ya i see their logic these contracts are unreal
 

NoMoRedJ

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I know everyone gets all pissy over our FO for basically sitting out free agency, but when an average to above average starter like Hitchens gets this kind of $$$, it's hard to really question the Cowboys thinking on some of this. I liked Hitchens and thought he was underrated, but 9 mils per year? Really?


Hitchens is a big weapon?
 

Dodger12

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Hitchens played well for a 4th round pick. I'll give him credit for that. But he was almost a clone of Brady James, at least to me, in that he was a decent player but one we should always look to upgrade. It just seemed we were content.
 

yimyammer

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Does it really matter what they do or don't do?

I can't get excited or upset over any scenario
 

theoneandonly

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There are Hitchens in the middle of every draft. Players that have warts but are useful enough that you want around as long as they work cheap. The problem is this FO isnt near good enough at finding them so we get idiotic tweets like he is some kind of weapon. Ten picks a this year if they make them all, and they will be lucky if four are on the team three years from now.
 

NoMoRedJ

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There are Hitchens in the middle of every draft. Players that have warts but are useful enough that you want around as long as they work cheap. The problem is this FO isnt near good enough at finding them so we get idiotic tweets like he is some kind of weapon. Ten picks a this year if they make them all, and they will be lucky if four are on the team three years from now.

Well, we should hit on our first rounder. :rofl2
 

NoMoRedJ

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Claiborne and Byron the workout warrior Jones say hi. Too early to tell with Taco.

So do T Fred, Martin and Zeke. Our recent success has been in the first round more times than not. But Im not holding my breath on Taco.
 

theoneandonly

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So do T Fred, Martin and Zeke. Our recent success has been in the first round more times than not. But Im not holding my breath on Taco.

If they draft for need instead of BPA could easily be a bad pick. To me this team has desperate needs at LB, WR and TE, Depending on how the first 18 picks fall its highly likely BPA wont be any of the above. That said I wont bitch if they end up taking BPA in either of the trenches no matter what.
 

Scot

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Cowboys just placed a second round tender on David Irving
 

Rynie

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Cowboys just placed a second round tender on David Irving

Sweet! Hopefully we can get a 2nd to draft a little blind retarded kid from the Make-A-Wish foundation. It'd still be a better pick than Randy Gregory.
 

Scot

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Sweet! Hopefully we can get a 2nd to draft a little blind retarded kid from the Make-A-Wish foundation. It'd still be a better pick than Randy Gregory.

LMAO!
 

Scot

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Well free agency has officially opened for the season. Are you guys ready for our very own Dallas Cowboys to make a big splash in free agency this season?

We have $1.26 and the lint at the bottom of Jeruh’s pocket to sign that big time playmaker! Who we gonna sign?

I have an idea, the FO should wait a few days while all the actual players that are worth a shit get snatched up. Then we can do our yearly scraping of the bottom of the shit pile to find a few scrubs to sign who won’t even be on the team come Thanksgiving!

Go Cowboys! Don’t worry guys, our front office has got this!!!
 
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