Which free agents should Cowboys pay: Wilson? Vander Esch? Pollard? - Dallas Cowboys Blog- ESPN

FRISCO, Texas — Now the fun starts for the Dallas Cowboys.

They have 19 players set to become unrestricted free agents, including key contributors on both sides of the ball in Tony Pollard, Dalton Schultz, Donovan Wilson and Leighton Vander Esch. Fitting all those players together will be difficult and require some maneuvering because the team is about $7 million over the $225 million salary cap.

The Cowboys’ desire is always to keep their own free agents rather than spending big on the market. Here’s a look at what they should do to keep a roster that finished 12-5 strong and make the playoffs for the third straight year.

S Donovan Wilson: The Cowboys' base defense essentially features three safeties. Wilson led the Cowboys in tackles and had the most sacks (5) by a defensive back in the NFL in 2022. He was a tone-setter on a defense that led the league in takeaways each of the past two seasons. He is the type of player the Cowboys want: drafted in the sixth round, developed into a starter. Now it’s time to sign him to a second contract, although the length of said deal might need to be watched.

LB Leighton Vander Esch: When he was lost to a trapezius strain late in the season, his absence was felt. He was their best tackler. He is good in coverage. He gets everybody lined up correctly. The Cowboys were able to keep him last season on a one-year deal, but that won’t be the case this year. He figures to have a stronger market after starting 30 of 34 games the past two years. He also has had a positive impact on star edge rusher/linebacker Micah Parsons during his first two seasons.

WR Noah Brown: In 2022, He had more catches (43), yards (455) and touchdowns (3) than he had in his first four seasons combined. He was asked