The Dallas Cowboys open training camp on July 25 in Oxnard, CA, and the vibe around the team is unsettled, to say the least. The Cowboys have been one of the NFL's better teams over the last three seasons, but they've failed to live up to postseason expectations and are now experiencing a lot of turnover on both the coaching staff and the roster as a whole.
With so many departures this offseason, it's going to be fascinating to see if the Cowboys bring in any additional veteran help before the start of training camp. This is not as loaded of a roster as it has been, so veteran free agents willing to play for a team-friendly price could be coveted by Dallas.
Which free agents are still available that this team could actually look into signing with training camp on deck?
3 free agents the Cowboys could sign before training camp
1. Latavius Murray, Running Back
This may not be the most exciting name out there, but a veteran like Latavius Murray could really help fortify the Dallas Cowboys' running back room, at least as much as you can do so this late in the offseason.
The team brought back Ezekiel Elliott this offseason, and he'll be getting the heaviest share of the workload. Beyond Elliott, there isn't really a "sure" thing at the running back position for Dallas, just a bunch of wild card options. Latavius Murray is 34 years old this year, but he had a really solid 419 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns last year for the Buffalo Bills.
You can count on Murray to take care of the football and still get you some big chunks of yardage on the ground or after the catch as a receiver. He may be 34 years old but he takes exceptional care of himself.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was Murray's head coach in Minnesota for a couple of seasons, so he could vouch for this move as well.
2. David Bakhtiari, Offensive Tackle
The ties that bind could certainly come into play for offensive tackle David Bakhtiari, a former All-Pro and Pro Bowl regular who saw his long tenure with the Green Bay Packers come to an end this offseason. The Packers had to say goodbye to Bakhtiari due to a nearly $40 million cap hit on the books for 2024, and he has seemingly not gotten any looks from other teams since his release.
In fact, we've even seen some public campaigning from NFL insiders who have reported that Bakhtiari is planning on playing this season.
Bakhtiari said he wants to play with the Super Bowl MVP, and I suppose Dak Prescott is as likely of a preseason candidate as anyone that the left tackle could realistically suit up with, right?
The tie that binds here is Mike McCarthy, who was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers when Bakhtiari was drafted back in 2018. McCarthy is obviously extremely familiar with Bakhtiari and his game, but also as a person and what he brings to the locker room.
The Cowboys lost veteran left tackle Tyron Smith this offseason to the New York Jets in NFL free agency. They landed Tyler Guyton in the 2024 NFL Draft as his long-term replacement, but having some veteran insurance like David Bakhtiari wouldn't be the worst idea in the world. Especially if Terence Steele struggles, and the Cowboys could move Guyton to the right side and have Bakhtiari step in on the left side.
This team can't sacrifice another year of Dak Prescott's prime by allowing Guyton to take his lumps as a rookie and letting Steele struggling on the right side if both are happening. It could be a great option for the Cowboys to land someone like Bakhtiari on a low-risk one-year deal to come in and be a swing or backup option.
3. JC Jackson, Cornerback
You can never have too many good cornerbacks in today's NFL, and the Dallas Cowboys are a team that has exemplified that truth over the last couple of seasons.
The Cowboys had to deal with a major injury to Trevon Diggs last season, which prompted the huge year from young DaRon Bland at the position. Bland followed up a five-interception season back in 2022 with a whopping nine interceptions last season playing on the opposite side of the field from veteran Stephon Gilmore.
And I thought about putting Gilmore on this list for the Cowboys but he probably wants too much money and a bigger role than Dallas would be willing to give him. The fact of the matter is, the Cowboys have a pretty set depth chart right now at the cornerback position but Jourdan Lewis was not good for the majority of last season. The Cowboys made it a priority to bring him back this year, and they undoubtedly have some other options in this lot, but why not take a low-risk one-year shot on someone like JC Jackson?
Jackson was outstanding as a member of the New England Patriots, constantly making plays on the ball and intercepting passes left and right. He signed a big-money contract in free agency with the Los Angeles Chargers but was a complete bust when he left New England. The Patriots re-acquired him in a trade last season but cut him back in February.
As an additional option in the slot and veteran to push Jourdan Lewis, this could actually be a really savvy addition for the Cowboys before training camp at the right price.
More Dallas Cowboys news and analysis: