Some of these players are in need of a fresh start but it still won’t be easy for Dallas Cowboys fans to say goodbye
For the past couple of years, the Dallas Cowboys have shied away from the multi-year deals for free agents. Instead, they’ve tried to sign players to one-year deals to give themselves flexibility with the salary cap year after year. In doing so, they often look for bargain free agents which can be a source of frustration for fans.
Not only does this often run off potential additions but when it does work, they don’t always get to keep the players around. Even though fans are now used to seeing players come and go, it’s not always easy. Here, we look at six pending free agents who are likely going to head elsewhere in 2024 despite becoming fan favorites.
6. Dorance Armstrong, EDGE
When the Cowboys lost out on Randy Gregory in 2022 — which was a bullet dodged — they turned their attention to Dorance Armstrong. The former fourth-round pick was coming off his best season as a pro and signed a two-year extension. It wasn’t the typical one-year deal for a role player but it still wasn’t much longer.
Armstrong not only did well in replacing Gregory but he completely outperformed anything the former Nebraska Cornhusker did in Big D. He had 8.5 sacks in 2022 and followed that up with another 7.5 this season. He accomplished this despite playing in a deep rotation which included DeMarcus Lawrence, Micah Parsons, Dante Fowler, Chauncey Golston, and Sam Williams.
With several of those players still under contract, plus with Viliami Fehoko Jr. waiting to take more snaps in year two, Armstrong could be a player they lose. If so, it will be no small loss and fans will be sad to see him head out.
5. Jayron Kearse, Safety
When Dan Quinn took over, he made sure the Cowboys finally took the safety position seriously. For whatever reason, the front office made sure to use nearly no resources whatsoever on the position — and they would then spend the entire offseason wondering why they couldn’t stop the pass.
Quinn changed this when he was able to get them to sign Malik Hooker, Damontae Kazee, and Jayron Kearse in the same offseason. Of the three signings, Kearse was easily the one who garnered the least amount of attention.
Hooker was a former first-round pick who was coming off an Achilles injury. Everyone knew if he could get healthy, he would be a weapon and that wound up happening in time. Kazee was also coming off an Achilles injury but was a ball hawk under Quinn in Atlanta. He played the entire season that year but wasn’t a major factor.
As for Kearse, he seemed to bring a whole new attitude to the entire defense. His physical approach was contagious and he had 101 tackles with three picks. All three safeties were on one-year deals in 2021 and Hooker and Kearse received extensions. Kearse will once again hit the open market as his two-year deal is expiring but he’s also coming off a disappointing season.
His effectiveness dropped some in 2023 and while he still had 72 tackles and a pick, he wasn’t as explosive. Set to turn 30, there’s a belief he’s on the way out. If so, it will be tough to see him walk since he brought so much swagger to the secondary.
4. Jourdan Lewis, Cornerback
Jourdan Lewis was selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Michigan and was the second cornerback taken in a row that year. Before bringing him in, Dallas also added Chidobe Awuzie from Colorado in Round 2 as they aimed to fix their struggling secondary.
Awuzie was up and down throughout his tenure but showed enough to land a solid free-agency deal with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021. As for Lewis, he stuck it out with the Cowboys and that proved to be a good move on his part as well.
Lewis developed into a good slot corner and had a career-high 61 tackles that season. He also recorded three picks and broke up 11 passes — also all personal records. But then in 2022, he missed 11 games due to injury and became a forgotten man when DaRon Bland became a star.
Fans were ready to see him released but that didn’t happen, which proved to be a good thing. When Trevon Diggs went down with a torn ACL, Bland moved outside and Lewis was again the primary slot corner. He started slow but heated up as the year went on and recorded 52 tackles, five pass defenses, three forced fumbles, and a pick.
As good as he was, he might not be in the plans going forward. Lewis will be 29 years of age and the Cowboys might be ready to give youngsters such as Nahshon Wright more playing time. They might even try and get Eric Scott some snaps after he wasn’t utilized as a rookie — and they’re going to want to justify their questionable trade to land him this past draft. If so, it will be tough to see Lewis leave after he’s laid it all on the line for this team.
3. Tyron Smith, Left Tackle
This one is a bit of a mixed bag. There’s no denying Tyron Smith can still play and when he’s on the field, he helps this offense tremendously. The problem is that he’s missed so many games that it’s hard to depend on him.
In 2023, Smith ended playing in 13 games which was the most we have seen out of him since 2015. In fact, he played in 13 games every year from 2016 through 2019. Then the injuries really started to pile up as he missed 14 games in 2020, six in 2021, 13 in 2022, and finally four this past season.
Now, to be fair, if they got 13 games out of Smith that would be worth it. The problem is, as long as he’s been under contract, the front office hasn’t been consistent about getting a solid backup. They had Cam Fleming a few years back who did well but this past season, it was Chuma Edoga who wasn’t always up to the task.
That’s why many draft experts think the Cowboys will pull the trigger early on — perhaps even with a pick in Round 1. If so, that would spell the end for Smith who is the longest-tenured player on the team. A case can be made that they have to move on but that doesn’t mean anyone will be happy seeing the No. 9 pick from the 2011 NFL Draft heading elsewhere.
2. Tony Pollard, Running Back
It’s hard to think of any team that’s mismanaged a running back’s career worse than the Cowboys did for Tony Pollard. A fourth-round pick from Memphis in 2019, they spent three seasons hardly letting him see the field. They made sure Ezekiel Elliott, who they gave a comically oversized extension to in 2019, continued to get all the touches.
Not only did this run Elliott into the ground but it kept Pollard from seeing the field enough while he was busting out more than five yards per attempt. Then in 2022 when Elliott had a hard time staying in the field and was clearly a couple of steps slower, they finally gave Pollard the ball enough that he topped 1,000 yards on the ground and he was their most explosive offensive weapon.
Still, they made sure Zeke got the goal line touches and he finished with 12 touchdowns because of it. As for Pollard, he still had 12 when you added his three rushing scores but he should have been able to do more.
Unfortunately, he then suffered a fractured fibula and high ankle sprain in their playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers which visibly slowed him down early in the year as he worked his way back. By the time he seemed to be up to speed, the offensive line was a mess, and that led to a frustrating campaign for the fifth-year back.
Pollard did manage 1,005 yards but topped 100 in a game just once. He also had just 4.0 yards per attempt which was the lowest of his career.
The narrative, of course, became that he was never a feature back and Dallas was right to use Elliott. The truth is, they waited until it was too late to give him his shot and now he will likely be gone in 2024. That would be a disappointing end to what should have been a great career in Big D for Pollard.
1. Stephon Gilmore, Cornerback
This offseason, the Cowboys added a talented veteran on each side of the ball in exchange for day three picks. On offense, it was wide receiver Brandin Cooks who is still under contract in 2024. Defensively, they were able to bring in cornerback Stephon Gilmore who was in the final year of his deal.
Gilmore was supposed to be the No. 2 cornerback across from Trevon Diggs, who signed a mammoth extension in the offseason. Ahead of Week 3, Diggs went down in practice with a torn ACL and that meant Gilmore would start to cover all the opposing No. 1 wideouts.
At the age of 33, he was no longer a burner but the veteran still held his own. He finished the year with 68 tackles, 13 pass defenses, and two picks. While he would be welcomed back with open arms, Gilmore is one of several free agents Sayre Bedinger of The Landry Hat believes could follow Dan Quinn should he get hired as a head coach elsewhere. That might not happen with the Seattle Seahawks seeming to be his last shot but it’s still a possibility.
Even if Quinn stays, there’s no guarantee they will be able to retain Gilmore. Dallas has a lot of money invested in Diggs who should return by Week 1. There’s also DaRon Bland who led the team in interceptions for the second year in a row and set the record for the most pick-sixes in a single season. There will be room for all three but with his career coming closer to an end, Gilmore might not be willing to risk being the third guy.
