The Cowboys officially begin their 2024 NFL free agency with a dubious plan.

The Cowboys officially begin their 2024 NFL free agency with a dubious plan.

The legal tampering period has commenced, signaling the start of the 2024 NFL free agency period. The Dallas Cowboys have officially opened the time with a highly dubious approach.

At noon Eastern Time on Monday, teams “are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their 2023 player contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 13,” according to the NFL.

Put another way, players can begin negotiating with other teams on Monday, which is effectively the first day of free agency. For this reason, the choices the Cowboys made regarding each of their 16 free agents are significant:

None of the 16 players whose contracts expire on Wednesday have been re-signed by them; they will all be available on the free market.

Most significantly, it is said that Tyron Smith, an All-Pro left tackle, is unlikely to return to the Cowboys. In addition, though, the front office is allowing Jonathan Hankins, Jayron Kearse, Stephon Gilmore, Tyler Biadasz, Tony Pollard, and Jourdan Lewis to sample the market. Out of a 12-win squad, it makes a total of seven starters.