The Dallas Cowboys are finally making some moves in free agency.
After a slow start to the period, which left plenty of fans upset, the Cowboys made a pair of trades on Wednesday to help bolster their defense. They landed cornerback Kaiir Elam from the Buffalo Bills and then traded for linebacker Kenneth Murray in separate deals. The Cowboys also acquired future sixth- and seventh-round draft picks as part of the respective trades.
Murray was a former first-round draft pick, and he spent his first four seasons in the league with the Los Angeles Chargers. He had 95 total tackles and a career-high 3.5 sacks with the Titans last season. He has one year left on his two-year, $15.5 million deal. Murray will help fill the hole in the Cowboys’ defense after DeMarvion Overshown went down with a brutal knee injury late last year.
Elam is set to enter his fourth season in the league this fall. The Bills took him with the No. 23 overall pick in 2022 out of Florida. He had 26 total tackles last season largely off the bench for the Bills. He had two interceptions in his rookie season, but he played in just 13 games last season while being a healthy inactive at times. He should be able to step in well alongside DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs, who is working back from a knee injury himself, in the Dallas secondary.
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The Cowboys also made several other moves in recent days. They struck a three-year, $18 million contract with return specialist KaVontae Turpin, which makes him the highest-paid special teams player in the league. They also reached a deal with former Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams, though another backfield move is likely coming soon.
While they picked up several additions, the Cowboys lost two key players on Wednesday, too. Longtime defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence reached a three-year, $42 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks.
Lawrence has spent his entire career with the Cowboys after they took him in the second round of the 2014 draft. Lawrence, who will turn 33 next month, played in just four games last season while dealing with a foot injury. He had 14 tackles and three sacks.
He will end his career in Dallas with 61.5 total sacks and 450 tackles. Dallas also lost edge rusher Chauncey Golston to the New York Giants this week. Golston filled in for Lawrence after his injury, and had a career season with 56 total tackles and 5.5 sacks.
Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was on a live stream when the Lawrence deal went down, and seemed a bit stunned.
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Running back Rico Dowdle reached a one-year, $3 million deal with the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday, too. Dowdle, who is a North Carolina native, had 1,079 rushing yards and five total touchdowns last season in what was a breakout year for him. He will back up Chuba Hubbard in Carolina. Dowdle leaving will likely force the Cowboys to make another addition at running back in some form down the line.
While they weren’t the flashiest moves seen in free agency, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones is officially on the board this offseason. And if nothing else, the Dallas defense picked up some much-needed help.
