Dallas, TX
Top-3 Free Agents I Want the Dallas Cowboys to Retain
Dallas Cowboys fans were so adamant about this season being the best chance at a Super Bowl, and for good reason.
Dak Prescott was clearly the best passing quarterback in the NFC, and the teams with the best quarterbacks need to capitalize on that talent gap.
Unfortunately, the Cowboys could not capitalize, wilting at home to the 7th-seed Packers like Bluebonnets after a Texas frost.
One of the main reasons this was the year to strike is because of the list of players entering free agency.
The Cowboys have 16 players with expiring contracts, and many of them are key players for depth and rotation.
Today I’d like to play a little game.
Out of the 16 looming free agents, if we could only pick the top three we’d want to return, which three would they be?
Here are my top three.
LT Tyron Smith
Some of you may be rolling your eyes reading this one, but hear me out.
Would it shock you to find out that Tyron Smith earned 2nd-team All-Pro in 2023, marking the fifth time he’s been rewarded with that accolade?
It’s also the first time since 2016 that he’s earned that honor.
So what changed?
Mainly it’s been the fact that Dallas decided to give Tyron a veteran rest day from practice essentially the entire season.
This change in routine saved wear and tear on Tyron’s body so he could perform to the peak of his abilities when it mattered most, during games.
Tyron is getting a little long in the tooth, but he showed us this season he’s still capable of being an elite left tackle.
Tyler Smith also earned All-Pro honors this season playing left guard, and I’d prefer to leave him there instead of kicking him out to left tackle.
Bring Tyron back on a one-year deal and draft the left tackle of the future for him to mentor.
CB Stephon Gilmore
Another veteran who I’d like to see get another year in Dallas is CB Stephon Gilmore.
Gilmore played solid football in 2023 and was a much-needed veteran presence in a very young secondary room.
The former NFL Defensive Player of the Year did not earn the accolades this season, but he was a welcome addition to the defense.
This was especially evident when Dallas lost All-Pro CB Trevon Diggs to a torn ACL early in the season.
The Cowboys weren’t able to weather injuries to their cornerback room in 2022, and it was a big part of their exit from the playoffs.
Gilmore brings stability to one of the boundaries and will allow Diggs some time to make a full recovery from his torn ACL without a huge talent drop-off.
Maybe Gilmore will willing to accept a team-friendly deal to avoid moving to his fifth team in the past five years.
First-team All-Pro DaRon Bland could also use another year of tutoring from one of the best to ever lace up his cleats.
C Tyler Biadasz
This one is perhaps the most controversial of my picks, but despite Tyler Biadasz’s flaws as a run-blocker, I think it’s important to maintain continuity for Prescott.
It’s easy to underestimate the connection between the center and the quarterback but just think about the history.
Troy Aikman played his best football taking snaps from Mark Stepnoski.
Tony Romo had his most successful years with Travis Frederick in the middle of the line making the calls.
Say what you want about Biadasz, but he’s been that constant for Prescott since he was drafted in 2020.
He didn’t get the nod for 2023, but Biadasz is just one season removed from his first and only Pro Bowl appearance.
That one accolade might drive his price up a bit, but Dallas should be able to swing a three-year deal to keep Dak comfortable under center.
We are less than two weeks away from the 2026 NBA Draft, and the Dallas Mavericks are aware of just how vital this draft is for the future of the franchise. They want to build the team around Cooper Flagg, who had a sensational rookie year, and this is their best chance to do so.
They sit with the 9th, 30th, and 48th overall picks, the last two coming in via the Anthony Davis trade they made in February. This gives them multiple swings to build around Flagg.
However, the Mavericks may not be set on picking 9th. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, “Sources say that the Mavericks, however, have told rival teams that they are very much open for trades in either direction with their No. 9 pick.”
With how deep and talented this draft class is, it shouldn’t be that surprising that they’d be willing to move in either direction. If the right player starts falling down the board, they can jump up a few spots to secure him. Or, if there are multiple good players on the board, and there will be, there will be the option to trade down and accumulate more picks while still getting a good player.
Draft Trade Options for the Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks will have plenty of options for trades in a few weeks, whether they move up or down, or they use their financial flexibility to take on bad contracts and add more picks. That might be the best option to explore, as they have a $20.8 million trade exception and a $6 million exception that expire in February.
They could use those exceptions to take on a larger, bloated salary and add a draft pick or two. They need as much future draft capital as they can possibly get, and if teams are willing to give up any picks in this loaded draft class, even better. A lot of teams are looking to duck under the tax aprons because the penalties are too harsh, so the Mavs can be a facilitator of some of that desperation around the NBA.
Teams like the OKC Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers are teams looking to shed future money, so they could be an option for that.
They could also look to trade back and take a player like Labaron Philon near the end of the lottery. The Thunder and Hornets have multiple first-round picks and could look to target a forward or center like Aday Mara or Yaxel Lendeborg.
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A 31-year-old woman has been arrested in the Dallas food delivery turned ambush in March, where a man was shot moments after opening his door to an order he said he never placed, officials said.
Dallas police said a man was ambushed at his front door on March 1, around 4:15 p.m. in the 1800 block of Sedona Lane. According to the report, a delivery driver walked a bag of food to the front door while a suspect in dark clothing waited just out of sight near the garage. As soon as the door opened, the suspect rushed in and began shooting.
Dallas police said the suspect made the food order to lure the victim to answer the door and shot him. The victim, who has not been identified, was critically injured.
Officials said the suspect has been identified as Marquita Rice, 31. Rice and the victim are known to one another.
On May 26, U.S. Marshals and the Wake Forest Police Department found Rice in Wake Forest, North Carolina. She was arrested and is in custody at the Wake County jail pending extradition to Dallas County. She is charged with aggravated assault – family violence with a deadly weapon.
She is being held on a $1 million bond.
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