Dallas Cowboys: What will the Cowboys do with their salary cap space?

The Dallas Cowboys could potentially have a ton of salary cap space and could find it useful as free agency and contract negotiations begin to pick up.

The Dallas Cowboys will have some big questions to solve in the upcoming months. The Cowboys should have around $19.3 million in salary cap space, however, most of that could end up going to a player who ended up accumulating second-most sacks in the NFL, Demarcus Lawrence.

With the team focused on retaining their best pass rusher, just how much cap space could there be for additional free agents?

One thing the Dallas Cowboys do not appear to be afraid of are signing free agents and expecting them to produce like starters. They have brought in several cheaper options at cornerback and along the defensive line and have gotten a surprising amount of production from those players.

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Still, these players may not create the biggest splash when they are signed however they play an important role. Players like Benson Mayowa, Alfred Morris, and Jonathan Cooper have played important roles in being bridge players for the franchise.

They may not have cost much, but they ended up producing quite a bit in the end. The Cowboys could look to have that same mentality when it comes to free agency as they may not have a lot of cap space to work with.

Assuming that Lawrence and offensive lineman Zack Martin sign long-term deals with the club in the coming months, the Cowboys would end up having a lot more flexibility than previously thought.

If they are forced to tag Lawrence, that could throw a wrench into their free agency plans. The team could also cut veterans like Orlando Scandrick and/or Benson Mayowa to save some extra room if there is a player they are high on.

It would be reasonable to think that if the Seattle Seahawks released Earl Thomas due to his exorbitant cap hit, the Cowboys would look to make a move. There is also the issue of the Dez Bryant contract situation.

Would Dez be willing to take a pay cut has been the primary question on most analysts minds, but it is hard seeing a way he remains on the team without restructuring his deal. Bryant himself has said no, but it is a bit short-sighted on his end considering his contract directly impacts the players around him.

If Thomas becomes available, Bryant could change his tune to add one of his closest friends in the league to the roster. It appears that the Dallas Cowboys draft strategy would be dictated by what needs the team can take care of in free agency.

If players like Ezekiel Ansah or Adrian Clayborn are on the open market, it is possible Dallas brings them in instead of using one of their high picks on a defensive lineman. The same goes for the wide receiver and the running back position, if the Cowboys can bring in a veteran back like Frank Gore or a younger player like Isaiah Crowell to back up Ezekiel Elliott, they will likely not select one with one of their picks.

In terms of receivers, the Cowboys could be rebuilding that entire group so bringing in some free agents is a totally feasible and fairly likely possibility. Players like Kamar Aiken, Mike Wallace, Taylor Gabriel, Marqise Lee, or Danny Amendola could all be brought in to help give quarterback Dak Prescott some extra firepower.

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There are plenty of avenues for the Dallas Cowboys to explore as the team prepares for the 2018 season. Who they target and what positions of need that come up will become more obvious as we start seeing players released and players worked out. How the Cowboys spend their money will likely come down to which players they need the most and who they can afford.

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