The Dallas Cowboys may have 27 free agents to resign next season. The number of free agents seems alarming, and it should, especially after this season, which was well below expectations.
A down year and the number of free agents needed to be filed through to find the players the team needs to keep will make this offseason challenging.
Several free agents are players who should not be brought back and can easily be replaced with players of the same caliber. Other potential free agents are big names, and their production will be missed if they do not re-sign.
Below, we will look at the 2025 Dallas Cowboys free agents, starting with the snap count percentage.
Snap Count Percentage of 50% or Higher
The first player on the list of potential Dallas Cowboys free agents next offseason is Eric Kendricks, the defense leader.
Eric Kendricks has played 81.2% of the snaps on defense. This number is important because he is the defensive play-caller and helped implement the new defense.
Kendricks is also 33 years old, and a younger alternative could be found. He will be an unrestricted free agent.
The next man played 78.6% of the snaps on the defensive line. Osa Odighizuwa has become a force for the Dallas Cowboys defense, and he has to be game-planned for when an offense plays the Cowboys.
Losing Odighizuwa would be a massive loss as the 27-year-old has several good years ahead of him. The problem is he may be priced too high for the Cowboys to get involved.
With 76.7% of the snaps taken on defense, Jourdan Lewis has been a stalwart of the defense. His leadership and tenacity would be hard to replace.
Jourdan Lewis will be an unrestricted free agent.
Chauncey Golsten has played 70.9% of the defensive snaps to this point in the season. He has become a great rotational player who has stepped up with the rash of injuries.
Chauncey Golsten will be an unrestricted free agent.
The man, the myth, the legend Zack Martin, will enter the offseason as a free agent, with next year being a voidable year. He played 62.0% of the snaps on offense.
His play seemed to take a step back this year, but the veteran presence he brings to the offensive line will be sorely missed.
However, with the line playing better of late, his presence may not be missed.
Rico Dowdle has come on strong the last few weeks. Once he was handed the keys to the running back position, he not only took advantage of it but also excelled in the role.
He has played 52.7% of the snaps on the season and will be an unrestricted free agent.
Snap Count Percentage of 30% or Higher
Cooper Rush will be an unrestricted free agent and has played 49.8% of the snaps on offense.
Rush has filled in admirably for Dak Prescott, and the offense has been more run-heavy, which has translated into what seems to be a more efficient offense.
Several teams should call Cooper Rush to see if he can be a “Sam Darnold” placeholder for a rookie quarterback.
Carl Lawson has played 36.9% of the defensive snaps and has been a great pickup, adding a solid veteran presence to the defensive line.
Carl Lawson will be an unrestricted free agent.
Brock Hoffman has been a beast and brought a mean streak to the offensive line, which needed it. He has played 36.6% of the snaps on the offensive line and needs to be a top priority.
Luckily for the Cowboys, Brock Hoffman is an exclusive rights-free agent. This means the Cowboys can offer him a one-year contract at the league minimum, and he cannot negotiate with other teams.
The wide receiver room should look a lot different next year, and not having Brandin Cooks will be the start of the revamp.
Brandin Cooks has played 36.4% of the offensive snaps and has been an afterthought all season. His contract is voidable after this season.
The Best of the Rest
These players had snap count percentages below 30%, but a few have the potential to be big-time players for the Cowboys, and one is already that player.
That one player is KaVontae Turpin, the all-world returner. Turpin is also becoming a great weapon on offense as a wide receiver and is a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball.
Turpin has played 23.6% of the offensive snaps this season. He will be a restricted free agent, which means the team can place a tender on the player and match offers from other teams.
DeMarcus Lawrence will be a free agent in the offseason. His contract will be voided after this season.
DeMarcus Lawrence is 33 years old and has become injury-prone, only playing 14.0% of the defensive snaps. However, he is a locker room leader, which is just as important as stats.
When healthy, he is still one of the best run-stopping defensive ends in the league. This is a player the Cowboys need to find a way to bring back to the defense.
Bryan Anger is 37 years old and has 29.8% of the snaps, but he is still one of the better punters in the NFL.
He will be an unrestricted free agent and will more than likely be brought back unless a younger, better alternative is found in free agency.
The Remaining 14 Free Agents
The 14 free agents left on the list are players who could be brought back on cheap contracts but could be easily replaced if the price tag becomes too high.
Listed in possible importance to the team.
- CJ Goodwin Unrestricted Free Agent (CB/Special Teams Ace)
- Juanyeh Thomas Exclusive Rights Free Agent (Safety)
- Israel Mukuamu Unrestricted Free Agent (CB/Safety)
- Chuma Edoga Unrestricted Free Agent (Left Tackle)
- Trent Sieg Unrestricted Free Agent (Long Snapper)
- Tyrus Wheat Exclusive Rights Free Agent (Edge)
- Markquese Bell Restricted Free Agent (Safety)
- Amani Oruwariye Unrestricted Free Agent (CB)
- Nick Vigil Unrestricted Free Agent (LB)
- Linval Joseph Unrestricted Free Agent (DT)
- Carlos Watkins Unrestricted Free Agent (DT)
- Andrew Booth Jr. Restricted Free Agent (CB)
- Trey Lance Unrestricted Free Agent (QB)
- Ezekiel Elliott Unrestricted Free Agent (RB)
A few of these players will be back, but others do not even need a phone call. I’m looking at you, Ezekiel Elliott.
The Dallas Cowboys will have a busy offseason trying to get players healthy and sifting through their free agent list. All the fans know how good the Cowboys front office is with free agency, so don’t expect the right thing to happen.
Here’s hoping the team will be more adventurous in free agency and bring in some new faces who are not bottom-of-the-barrel players.
The future looks bleak, but the Cowboys could be formidable next year if this front office can handle business before the season’s first game.
