The Dallas Cowboys find themselves in an awful salary cap situation, but as the offseason begins could benefit from another team slashing salary to get under the cap before free agency gets underway.
As Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers showed during a blowout victory over the Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card round, Dallas’ secondary can be vulnerable to the vertical passing game.
According to CBS Sports, Jordan Poyer, who the Buffalo Bills recently released as a cap casualty, could be exactly the player the Cowboys need to solidify the secondary.
“Poyer will be searching for a new NFL home for the first time since 2017,” Jordan Dajani writes. “And while he turns 33 in April, he should see interest from contenders. In 2023, he recorded 100 combined tackles, one sack and four passes defensed. In 2021, he was named a First Team All-Pro after tying a career high with five interceptions, and was named to his first Pro Bowl the following year in 2022. A defensive leader on the back end who can still play.”
Poyer could be the ideal veteran presence for new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to lean on both on the field as well as to help teach younger players a new scheme.
Through his first 12 seasons, Poyer has produced 806 total tackles with 24 interceptions, nine forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries.
Remaining one of the top players at the position, Pro Football Focus points out that Poyer held opposing wide receivers to just 10.1 yards per reception when targeted, en route to a 74.4 coverage grade and a 73 overall mark.
What is Jordan Poyer’s Market Value?
Given the state of the safety market, with several marquee players at the position being released ahead of free agency even beginning, it’s unlikely Poyer will break the bank.
Because the Cowboys currently have just $8.8 million under the cap, Dallas will likely be searching for bargains closer to the bottom of the market in free agency. Poyer could wind up being one of the ultimate boom-or-bust signings across the league this offseason.
Signing Poyer would represent adding a player who likely will fetch a one or two-year contract, but who has surpassed 90 tackles all but one season since 2017. That level of consistency gives Poyer the potential to significantly elevate the Cowboys’ secondary.
Why Cowboys Might Not be Aggressive in Free Agency
Everything the Cowboys do this offseason is predicated on finding a way to lower quarterback Dak Prescott‘s cap number, be it by a new contract extension or restructuring his current deal.
ESPN suggests Dallas might be one of the quieter teams in free agency.
“The Cowboys are at a significant inflection point, with a good amount of cap resources to extend their stars — QB Dak Prescott, WR CeeDee Lamb and LB Micah Parsons — over the next year,” Former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum writes. “But it will leave them with little room to sign external free agents. However, they do have to decide whether they should re-sign Tyron Smith — who is unlikely to return — Tony Pollard and Stephon Gilmore.”
Dallas has a lot of high-priced veterans to worry about securing for the long-term, which could make searching for free-agent bargains with upside the Cowboys’ strategy in the coming weeks.
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Dallas Cowboys Linked to All-Pro to Fill Major Need