With the majority of NFL rosters officially set following cutdown day, the Dallas Cowboys, along with the other 31 teams, will be looking around the league to see if there are any players that may help them improve in weak areas.
With clear positions of need, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Dallas aggressively round out the back end of the team.
We analyze five names at positions of need that the Cowboys could look to add following their release on cutdown day.
5 Potential Free Agent Targets for the Cowboys
Caleb Farley, Cornerback
Many of the Cowboys’ holes have been glaring all offseason. With much of the focus centered around running back and defensive tackle, the injury to starting DaRon Bland that will cost him at least the first month of the season creates a new challenge.
Dallas feels good about some of the pieces it has in the room, but may still look to add an intriguing former first-round talent to the mix as well.
Caleb Farley is still a young and talented player, but many of his issues stem from injuries. Since being drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Farley has only appeared in 12 games, starting only two.
What a hit by Caleb Farley. Great to see him back on the field, making a play, and getting hyped up #TENvsNO pic.twitter.com/7fXFeDmFGV
— Justin Graver (@titansfilmroom) August 25, 2024
This is the type of low-risk, high-potential move Dallas likes to make with a player who is clearly talented but has had injuries completely derail his career.
If Farley can get into the building and stay healthy, Dallas could be cashing in big on an otherwise modest addition.
D’Onta Foreman, Running Back
Dallas already added Dalvin Cook to their practice squad, but with their running back room so uncertain, it couldn’t hurt to add another player with NFL production to the group.
The Cowboys are actively looking to add pieces and hoping they stick at this point, and with Foreman bringing younger legs than what they have in Cook and Ezekiel Elliott, he may be an intriguing player to consider.
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Foreman is entering his seventh season in the NFL, where he has tallied 552 rushing attempts and 2,326 rushing yards, good for 4.2 yards a carry and 14 touchdowns.
It’s definitely a diverse medley of options in the Cowboys’ backfield, but with an obvious attempt to right their wrongs, adding another piece like Foreman to evaluate can’t hurt.
C.J. Henderson, Cornerback
In the same vein as Farley, Henderson is a former first-round pick who hasn’t quite panned out in his young career.
Looking for a fresh start and Dallas trying to fill the gaps on an already promising secondary group, Henderson could come in and resurrect his career.
Henderson has appeared in 49 games in his four-year career, starting 32 of them. During that time he has tallied just three interceptions, 172 tackles, and six tackles for loss.
Any cornerback added to the Cowboys would essentially keep Bland’s seat warm until he comes back, but with a change of scenery doing him good and potentially a serviceable player with NFL experience to fill the gap, Dallas may feel inclined to take a look at Henderson.
Jackson Carman, Offensive Line
The Cowboys are going to start two rookies on the offensive line in Week 1. With both Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe winning their roster battle jobs at left tackle and center, respectively, the question now turns to depth behind them.
Recently cut by the Cincinnati Bengals, Jackson Carman could be a potential fit for the Cowboys.
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Carman is entering his fourth season in the NFL. Through three seasons, he has appeared in 22 games, starting six.
At 6’5″ and 332 lbs, Carman is a big-bodied tackle that provides veteran depth behind Guyton as Dallas looks to sure up their tackle depth following Chuma Edoga’s broken toe injury that will have him start the season on injured reserve.
Byron Young, Defensive Tackle
To many people’s surprise, even after initially making the Las Vegas Raiders’ 53-man roster, Byron Young, a third-round pick from last year, has been let go and is now available.
With an obvious need for more talent at the interior defensive line spots, Young could be a sneaky good piece for Dallas to explore.
Byron Young defeats the double team by spiking the knee. @ByronYoung19 holds his ground, then uses his strength/leverage to recover & drive his blocker into the RB! #StopTheRun #Raiders #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/pwRNPIfYwg
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) August 26, 2024
Young is clearly still raw, only appearing in six games last season and tallying four tackles. However, this move would be one made with an eye toward the future.
Dallas has brought in seasoned veterans Linval Joseph and Jordan Phillips as of late, but adding Young into the fold would allow him to get into a room with guys who can help him develop.