Cowboys’ Jerry Jones Hints at Free Agency Moves: ‘A Close Eye’

Getty Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones walks onto the field after an NFL game.

As major names hit the free agency market, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is making his thoughts known about the Cowboys’ potential business. Dallas has already made significant moves this offseason, but there is still time to improve.

According to SI.com’s Mike Fisher, Jones spoke this week about the chances of the Cowboys diving back into the market. For the Dallas owner, a free agency move is still on the table.

“There’s an active free-agent market … some pretty talented people out there. We want to keep a close eye on that. I never shut the door,” Jones said. “I would tell you that 99 percent of my thinking is for this year.”

The release of former Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has turned a lot of heads. Considering the Cowboys released Ezekiel Elliott and haven’t made a big addition to replace him, adding the former Florida State star feels like a possibility.

If Jones is thinking about winning this season, adding someone like Cook could be the difference between another early playoff exit and a much more fruitful postseason run.

Dalvin Cook Hits the Free Agency Market

After being unable to find a trade partner, the Vikings elected to release Cook on June 9. The 27-year-old was going to be a $14 million cap hit in 2023, and Minnesota has the fortune of having Alexander Mattison and a versatile RB room.

It’s hard to imagine releasing a running back coming off his fourth-consecutive season with 1000-plus rushing yards. Cook’s NFL career started slow due to injuries, as the former FSU running back played in just 15 games over 2017 and 2018.

Since 2019, though, Cook has been a prolific weapon. He has surpassed 5000 yards over his past four seasons, scoring 43 times in 48 games played according to Pro Football Reference. He also totaled 1399 receiving yards over that span.

At 27, Cook still should have some of his athletic prime left. The lifespan of an NFL running back is short, but the former Vikings RB has shown few signs of slowing down considering he played in every regular-season game for Minnesota for the first time in 2022.

Cowboys Sign Ex-Colts DE in Free Agency

Heavy’s DJ Siddiqi recently wrote an article detailing the Cowboys’ most recent free agency pickup, former Indianapolis Colts defensive end Ben Banogu. Banogu may not be a national name, but fans in the Dallas-Fort Worth area ought to be familiar.

Banogu was a star at TCU during his college career after playing his high school ball at Prosper High School in the metropolitan area. His success with TCU led to a second-round selection by Indianapolis in 2019. However, his time with the Horned Frogs has not translated to NFL success.

In four seasons with the Colts, Banogu had just 2.5 sacks according to PFR. All 2.5 sacks came in his rookie season, with Banogu failing to register a sack or a tackle for loss in the past three seasons.

A homecoming could be exactly what the 27-year-old needs to reignite his career, but he has an uphill battle as a defensive end and the Cowboys already boast depth at the position.