One Move to Make and No Room to Miss | Just Wondering with Norm Hitzges

It's Friday, January 16th, and today I'm just wondering about the free agents the cowboys might be able to pursue this offseason to help their club and then later several NFL notes, most of which concern the cowboys and now a word from our title sponsor. Eying retirement? We aim to turn your nest egg into a paycheck with half the amount you've been led to believe.

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Retire sooner, better lifestyle. For more information or to schedule a meeting, visit FluentFinancial.com or call 972-85248-00. The cowboys should have enough money to make one free agent move on defense this offseason, and that's even if they keep George Pickens at wide receiver, which by the way may be a little difficult to do.

Oh yes, you can franchise tag George Pickens for $28 million, but is he going to be happy about missing out on a four-year $140 million contract with a 100 million guaranteed by taking his $28.5 million franchise tag? And that's certain, and the world knows what an unhappy George Pickens can look like. And he likely is the number one target in free agency for teams around the NFL.

Likely number two or number one a defensive entry inriksen from Cincinnati, but the cowboys can't afford him. He's going to go in the $30 million range. They can't afford to add another $30 million player.

And there are some others that you'd like to have the Green Bay left tackle or shard walker, but left tackles cost a lot. A lot. So let's go some other areas, and I've concentrated on defense, and I've got five names for you.

Realizing the cowboys may not have any more than enough money to sign one of them. Okay, all defense. Number one, Jacksonville Landbacker Devon Lloyd.

He's been there four seasons. He was the number one pick in 2022, but his first three seasons weren't all that impressive. So Jacksonville declined his fifth year option, making the free agent this year.

But this year he was really really good. Profitball focus listed him the number three inside linebacker the entire Lee. He's only 27 years old.

So given the ages linebackers are playing to, you could give a four or five year contract to Devon Lloyd and have every confidence that he'd play that out at a high level. Can he blitz? He had 25 quarterback pressures as a blitzer this year.

Can he cover? He had five interceptions. Oh, that sounds like something the cowboys could use in the middle of their linebacking unit.

Next, Seattle Safety Kobe Bryant. Yes, I'm not I'm not putting on here. Kobe Bryant is available.

And he's only 26 years old. Now he began his career as a slot cover corner, which gives you some idea of his cover abilities and then he switched to safety. Now normally you'd worry about Seattle putting the franchise tag on somebody like Kobe Bryant.

But I think they're way more likely to use the franchise tag on cornerback to to re-quilling or runbacker Kenneth Walker. And in fact, maybe even defensive end they have, which is the next guy on our list. Boi Muffe.

Now let's go back to Bryant for a minute. Then back to Muffe or Muffe. Bryant is a safety.

I know the cowboys aren't likely to pay safety big money. But he's young and he can cover at safety. And we've seen a lot of problems with coverage from the cowboy safeties.

Now to that defensive end, Boi Muffe. He's 27 years old and he may be cheap. Now cheap for defensive end.

Well, Muffe has fallen a bit behind a couple of other Seattle defensive ends, including of all people. DeMarcus Lawrence, who made the pro bowl this year. You remember him.

He spent his entire early in mid career with the cowboys who then let him go. He's cheaper because he's infected back up. But with regular reps, he looks like a guy who has real past Russian ability.

The fourth one for you, injured Philadelphia linebacker and the Coby Dean. Okay. You don't want to take a chance of someone injured.

I understand you're thinking entirely. He was Herzruki, pectoral strain. Hurt in 2024, Patella Tenden surgery.

The first six games of this year, he was still recovering from that Patella tendon tear. And finished this year. He's a good player.

Why wouldn't Philadelphia use the franchise tag on him? I think it's way more likely. Philadelphia uses the franchise tag on defensive end, Jalen Phillips, who was a revelation once Philadelphia acquired him during the season in a trade.

So the entries may well keep the price of the Coby Dean down. I think the Coby Dean has a chance to be a star player if he's available. His ability is there.

His availability is in question. And I say a fifth player because I want to joke about it. One of the cornerbacks who will be sought after in this free agency period.

Nation right. To remember him, he did nothing as a cowboy. Chicago this year, he was a terror.

He led Chicago in theirceptions. Now, I'm sure the Coby's aren't going to be interested there, but you can never tell with a new defense coordinator. But that's my look at availability in free agency that the Coby's might pursue.

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And now I know you know that the Cowboys haven't even been to an NFC championship game in 30 years. But did you realize that in those 30 years, the Cowboys have only been to this round of the playoffs seven times. They've only reached the quarter finals seven times.

And by the way, lost them all. It really does tell you that the Cowboys have been a slightly above mediocre team for a long, long, long time now. Next, something negative happened to the Cowboys this week negative for their NFL draft hopes.

If you're holding the 12th pick, let's just concentrate on that one for a second. You're hoping that player X or player Y or player Z slides down to you. What your hopes also contain are the fact that ahead of you teams may take players at a position you don't need.

The Cowboys would love to have people take defensive tackle to the head of them. They don't need a defensive tackle. They'd love to have people take a quarterback ahead of them.

They're not going to take a quarterback. And that's where the rub comes. Francisco Mendoza is going to go number one to the Raiders.

It's solid. They're not going to trade the pick. They're desperate for a quarterback.

Mendoza fits Las Vegas takes Mendoza first. But here's the problem. The second best quarterback in the estimation of almost everybody.

The second best quarterback in college football this year was Dante Moore from Oregon. And the thought was that Jets were to grab him right away with the second pick in the draft. The problem is Moore stunk up the playoff game against Indiana.

An interception. Three fumbles. He looked frail.

He's going back to school. He's going back to Oregon. He's not going to declare for the NFL draft.

That's a problem for the Cowboys because that means one more player will be taken ahead of them. Moore won't go there. So someone else will go there.

And that could mean a player the Cowboys covet. Not quite sliding to them at number 12. And finally, this weekend in the NFL is a bit of a nod weekend.

It's the final eight teams, but usually teams at this stage of the playoffs, home teams are fairly well favored. Not this weekend. Only Seattle of the home teams is a significant favorite.

Seven over the very injured San Francisco 49ers. Otherwise, now realize teams in wagering teams get three points for being at home. New England is a three point favored over Houston, indicating that the odds makers think Houston and New England are the same team identically talented.

The other two games Denver, the number one seed in the AFC is favored only a point over Buffalo. The odds makers suggesting you Buffalo is the better team of these two. The only reason Denver's favored one is they're at home.

And finally, the Rams are favored three and a half over the Bears on the road. This this game might be a shootout. If only the Cowboys were here to shoot it out with someone.

And now a word from our title sponsor. Today's episode has been brought to you by Fluent Financial. Retire earlier, live better.

And by Bob's steak and chop house on Lemon and Dallas and in Craig Ranch in McKinney. Bob's a Dallas tradition for more than 30 years. If you've enjoyed just wondering, please hit follow and a fresh new episode will land in your mailbox early every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning.

Should you know a sports fan who might like our work, please share our contact information with that person. Thanks for listening to today's episode of Just One Ring. I'm Norm Hitzkes and know that every day I'll be just wondering about something.

And I'm Mary Hitzkes and I'll just be wondering too. This is a stolen water media production.