3 Cowboys Dallas Can't Afford to Let Hit Free Agency in 2024

Dallas Cowboys fans are hungry for a Super Bowl. The championship drought is now nearing 30 years following a disappointing exit in the 2023-24 NFL Wild Card Round, leaving time to tell what the Cowboys will do this offseason to get one step closer to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy again.

While fans are eager to see if Jerry Jones truly goes "all in" in free agency, management can't forget about their pending free agents. After all, 14 Dallas players are slated to hit free agency this offseason, per Spotrac, with some of them being major names.

Here are three Cowboys that Dallas can't let hit free agency.

Cowboys Can't Let CB Stephon Gilmore Hit Free Agency

The Cowboys were a top-five team against the pass in 2023 and Stephon Gilmore played a huge role in that success.

The 2019 Defensive Player of the Year appeared in all 17 games, finishing with 54 solo tackles, 13 defended passes (his most since 2019), two interceptions, and one forced fumble. He only allowed a 55.8% completion rate and 82.7 passer rating on 95 targets, too. When the dust settled, Gilmore finished the year as Pro Football Focus' No. 35 cornerback with an overall defensive grade of 71.2.

The Cowboys' season looked to be in trouble when Trevon Diggs suffered his season-ending ACL tear. Fortunately, they had Gilmore and first-time All-Pro CB DaRon Bland to hold down the fort. Diggs and Bland will be a formidable duo for opposing quarterbacks next season, but I (and many Dallas fans) would love to see what the trio could do together throughout a 17-game schedule.

Spotrac projects Gilmore's market value at $11.1 million annually, which is pricey for a team that's currently $14.2 million over the cap. Nevertheless, some restructuring and/or trades could help free up enough space to re-sign the five-time Pro Bowl cornerback.

Who knows? Maybe he'll take a team-friendly discount if he's confident that the Cowboys can win the Super Bowl in 2025.