Cowboys free agents: 5 bargain buys that are still available

With the first wave of free agency over it’s time to find those cheap hidden gems. Here are five the Cowboys should look to signing

With the first wave of free agency over, teams will now look to fill the roster holes with some of those hidden gems and bargain players that could make a difference. The Cowboys are usually players at this stage when it comes to getting bargain basement players and using them to fill voids to cover for the draft. If they do decide to hold up at this stage and wait until after the draft, there are some players below that could still be available for the team to budget buy and fill out the roster cheaply.

These names all come with questions, whether due to injury concerns or production issues, but when looking for low cost options it’s always a gamble. Here are five of those gambles that come at a reduced price, but if they strike could be a huge booster for the Cowboys this year.

Estimated contract values below are taken either from the Pro Football Focus free agent guide or the Over the Cap website.

WR Michael Thomas, New Orleans
Estimated value – $4.5m APY
Age – 31
When Michael Thomas first broke onto the scene he set the standard at wide receiver almost immediately. He was a reliable catcher of the ball and technician as a route runner. The one place at wide receiver that’s missing in Dallas is a true X-receiver, especially now that Michael Gallup has gone. Sure, there are questions relating to Thomas’ durability having not played a full season since 2019, and his medical record is quite a read. Even last season he only played up to Week 10 before being shut down due to an MCL injury.

Thomas has clearly lost some of that speed and athleticism due to the injuries, but he was never a guy that won that way, he won with smooth acceleration, sharp breaks and incredible route running. If the Cowboys can get over the low floor Thomas has with the medicals, the ceiling is actually high for him on an offense that is need of the services he can provide. The last time he played a full season, Thomas went for 1,795 yards and nine touchdowns.

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

OT Andrus Peat, New Orleans
Estimated value – $2.2m APY
Age – 30
Consistency and health has been the biggest problem for Peat the last few years. He last played a full season in 2020 but has always come back to play as one of the starting offensive linemen for the Saints. One of the issues that Peat had while at New Orleans that contributed to being inconsistent was him moving all around the line where the team needed him. This shows huge versatility which Dallas could tap into.

Last season, Peat played primarily at left tackle but in the nine years serving at New Orleans he’s also played extensively at left guard and right tackle. For the price Peat is estimated at, and with this level of experience and versatility, he could serve as a great swing tackle where the most questions derive on the offensive line in Dallas. Still not sold? Last year on 476 passing set, Peat allowed only two sacks.

LB Isaiah Simmons, New York Giants
Estimated Value – $3.7m APY
Age – 25
It looks unlikely Simmons returns to the Giants given the new defensive coordinator and the style of pass rush they will look to install this year. Last year, Wink Martindale was a coordinator that loved to scheme pressure with numbers and go blitz crazy. Given Simmons style of defending and lean size meant he was left as the odd-man out. The Giants never really ever figured out from there what to do with Simmons and that has left him impatient and wanting to find a team that will utilize him best and get the most out of him.

Simmons is an insane athlete the Cowboys could really use. His 40-yard time at the combine was 4.39s which was the fastest at his position and his 10-yard split of 1.55s is also one of the fastest. But it didn’t end there. His vertical and broad jump were both elite and he ended with a RAS (relative athletic score) of 9.97, practically perfect.

Simmons has all the hallmarks of a “late bloomer”. Linking up with guys like Eric Kendricks and Damone Clark in sub-packages or filling the void left by Jayron Kearse, as well as being a helpful piece on special teams makes him a cheap option to help fill a position in need of bodies.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

OT Donovan Smith, Kansas City
Estimated Value – $1.7m APY
Age – 30
Penalties are Smith’s worst enemy. Last year he recorded nine penalties and that was one of his better years. In the last four years, Smith has been flagged 40 times but as backup or swing tackle he has all the skills required. He’s a very functional pass protector who allowed only two sacks last season on 506 pass sets and in 2022 he allowed only one sack. The run blocking needs some work to break some bad habits like lunging, but if they can get him cheap he can help cover the tackle position in times of need.

CB Rock Ya-Sin, Baltimore
Estimated Value – $2m APY
Age – 27
Stephon Gilmore looks to be heading out, so Dallas needs to get a corner to cover the loss, especially given they still have no idea what type of Trevon Diggs they are getting back post-ACL recovery. Rock Ya-Sin had a very low workload last year which means his price tag this year is going to be low. He allowed a completion rate of only 55% last year and that’s a statistic that has stayed pretty constant in his career. He’s not going to get many interceptions, but when Dallas has two ball-hawks that have led the league in interceptions, turnovers aren’t the high priority when looking for an extra defensive back. Being functional in coverage and a solid tackler is what the team needs and that’s what Ya-Sin can provide, at a very cheap price.

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images