Bryant, Murray among 21 Cowboys entering some type of free agency
The Cowboys have 21 players who will become some type of free agent this off-season:
Player | Pos. | Age | Exp. | Comment |
Cole Beasley* | WR | 25 | 3 | The Cowboys love him, and he loves playing in Dallas. |
Dez Bryant | WR | 26 | 5 | The Cowboys will franchise the All-Pro if they can’t get a long-term deal. |
Bruce Carter | LB | 26 | 4 | The former second-round pick seemed to have the light bulb go on late this season, coming up with several clutch plays. But can the Cowboys afford him? |
Tyler Clutts | FB | 30 | 4 | He won’t cost much to keep. |
Lance Dunbar* | RB | 24 | 3 | The Cowboys’ third running back will return. |
Justin Durant | LB | 29 | 8 | His two seasons in Dallas both have ended on injured reserve, but the Cowboys love his versatility. |
Doug Free | RT | 31 | 8 | With 82 career starts, including some at left tackle, he could find a bigger deal on the open market. |
Dwayne Harris | WR | 27 | 4 | The Cowboys won’t need much cap space to re-sign their returner and best special teams player. |
Nick Hayden | DT | 28 | 7 | He has started all 32 games over the past two seasons and should be inexpensive to keep. |
Tony Hills | OT | 30 | 2 | He was a reserve after being signed off Miami’s practice squad in October. |
Chris Jones* | P | 25 | 3 | He averaged 45.4 yards, with a 39.8 net, and the Cowboys would like him back. |
Cameron Lawrence** | LB | 23 | 2 | He was a core special teams player. |
Ron Leary** | LG | 25 | 2 | The Cowboys will re-sign their starting left guard. |
Rolando McClain | LB | 25 | 4 | The Cowboys want him to return, but at their price. |
Sterling Moore* | CB | 24 | 4 | He was a solid third corner for much of the year. |
DeMarco Murray | RB | 26 | 4 | The NFL’s leading rusher saw his price tag rise after his ’14 season, and he might get a bigger deal from another team. But he perfectly fits what the Cowboys do. |
Jermey Parnell | RT | 28 | 5 | He started seven games this season, including the playoffs, and held his own. He will be cheaper than Free. |
George Selvie | DE | 27 | 5 | He shouldn’t cost much after making two sacks in ’14. |
Anthony Spencer | DE | 30 | 8 | After playing the past three seasons on one-year deals, he wants something more lasting this off-season. |
C.J. Spillman | S | 28 | 6 | He was a core special teams player with 10 tackles. |
Darrion Weems** | OT | 26 | 2 | Cowboys liked enough to carry him on IR all season. |
*restricted free agent **exclusive rights free agent
Note: The Cowboys have until March 10 to decide DT Henry Melton’s fate. They are not expected to activate a three-year, $24 million extension, which would make him a free agent.
This story was originally published January 17, 2015 at 6:47 PM with the headline "Bryant, Murray among 21 Cowboys entering some type of free agency."