It was the same old, same old for the Dallas Cowboys during the 2023 NFL campaign. Another impressive regular season was all for naught due to a quick postseason exit, leaving Cowboys fans hoping that next year yields better results and (hopefully) the end of the franchise's Super Bowl drought.
All eyes are on Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones to see what he does this offseason — especially regarding free agency. Spotrac lists Dallas as having 14 players hitting free agency in March and although some names are expendable, others must be brought back.
With that in mind, here are four pending Cowboys free agents who must be re-signed this offseason.
1. Tyron Smith, OT
Tyron Smith is, arguably, the Cowboys biggest free agent this offseason.
The 33-year-old offensive tackle has been one of the best blockers since entering the league in 2011 and the 2023 campaign was no different. Smith only allowed one sack and 18 total pressures on 847 offensive snaps across 13 games. Not only was he Pro Football Focus's No. 4 graded OT overall (83.8) but he was also the top-ranked pass blocker at his position (88.6).
That's without mentioning how he was also named All-Pro for the fifth time in his career and the first time since 2016.
It isn't hard to see how difficult it'll be to replace Smith if he leaves. Sure, there'll be decent O-line options in free agency and at the 2024 NFL Draft, but chances are none of them will come close to what the ex-USC Trojan brings to the table.
If the Cowboys want to continue boasting one of the league's best offenses, finding a way to bring Smith back is a must.
2. Stephon Gilmore, CB
The Cowboys had one of the best secondaries during the 2023 campaign and Stephon Gilmore played a big role in that success.
Acquired from the Indianapolis Colts for a 2023 fifth-rounder last March, Gilmore showed why he's one of the NFL's best cornerbacks. The five-time Pro Bowl defender was disruptive as usual, tallying 13 broken-up passes (his most since 2019) and two interceptions while tallying 68 solo tackles. He also only surrendered a 55.8% completion rate and 82.7 passer rating on 95 targets.
Although it wasn't his best season, Gilmore still earned an overall PFF defensive grade of 71.2, ranking 31st-best among eligible cornerbacks. Even if fellow CB DaRon Bland rightfully deserved all the attention that he received, it's clear that Dallas' secondary wouldn't be as strong without Gilmore in the mix, too.
With Bland and Diggs returning next season, attempting to re-sign Gilmore is a no-brainer. The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs are both proving that elite defenses result in Super Bowl appearances, so keeping the 33-year-old in Big D would go a long way in helping the Cowboys end their championship drought.
3. Dorance Armstrong, DE
Dorance Armstrong seems to be one of those players who just gets better with each passing year.
The veteran defensive end broke out in 2022 despite starting in just five of 17 appearances, tallying a career-high 8.5 sacks. Even though he started in four fewer games this past season, he was still productive, racking up 7.5 sacks, 20 solo tackles, and 34 total pressures.
The below chart also illustrates how Armstrong's PFF grades improved from last year.
Year | Overall Defense | Run Defense | Tackling | Pass Rush | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | 70.1 | 58.2 | 71.4 | 70.1 | 72.4 |
2022 | 61.8 | 57.5 | 56.0 | 62.3 | 68.0 |
Considering how the Cowboys were PFF's second-best team in terms of pass rush, it isn't hard to see just how important Armstrong was to that success. Signing him to another one- or two-year deal makes a lot of sense given the size of Dallas' championship window.
4. Tyler Biadasz, C
Few Cowboys worked harder than Tyler Biadasz during the 2023 campaign. The former 2022 Pro Bowl center's 1,028 offensive snaps trailed only Terence Steele (1,177) and Dak Prescott (1,115) on the team, proving just how much of a workhorse he was.
While some players crumble under the weight of that much playing time, Biadasz was an exception. The 26-year-old blocker did a fantastic job at protecting Prescott, allowing just 27 total pressures (20 hurries, 4 hits, 3 pressures) across 728 pass-block snaps while tying his career-low with four penalties.
Biadasz also does a lot of things that sometimes go unnoticed. He's great at getting the offensive line on the same page pre-snap, which was a big reason why the Cowboys were tied for the 10th-fewest false start calls. He also recorded a pair of fumble recoveries, which further highlights his impressive football IQ.
After a strong season like the last one, it won't be surprising if Biadasz sees some attention in free agency. That's why the Cowboys must do everything they can to retain him before he hits the open market. A failure to do so could set the team's offensive line back, which does the opposite of bringing Dallas closer to ending the Super Bowl drought.
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