Instead of participating in this weekend’s playoff festivities, the Dallas Cowboys will be watching the AFC and NFC Championships Games from their couches. That’s what happens when you choke away the NFC East down the stretch and finish at a massively disappointing 8-8.

When the four best teams in the NFL face off this weekend, the other 28 teams will be paying close attention in an attempt to glean any iota of information that can help them be more successful in the future.

For example, the rest of the NFL learned how to slow down the Los Angeles Rams’ potent wide-zone scheme after watching the New England Patriots do it using a 6-1 front with two high safeties to bottle up the Rams on the ground.

Belichick out here w/ his 6-1 daring McVay to run on him



LAR obliges



Things of Note:



-Ran an Over Walk (DE to Nose in 4i/Will 9) most of night

-Forced the ball to bounce or into clogged "A" gap

-Stayed single-high w/ 1 Saf in the hole to cut-off Over routes (layers)#ArtofX pic.twitter.com/Vv0yJWddkq — Cody Alexander (@The_Coach_A) July 13, 2019

On top of that, with free agency almost two months away, this will be a great opportunity to evaluate some of the participating teams’ free agents-to-be on one of the game’s biggest stages, an invaluable opportunity for the Cowboys and others.

With that in mind, let’s dive into a few impending free agents from Championship Sunday who could be great fits for the Cowboys in 2020.

Chris Jones, DT, Kansas City Chiefs

With the Cowboys projected to have $81 million in cap space this offseason, there’s a better chance than usual that they dip their toes into the high-priced free agency market they’ve avoided in recent years. Yes, the team still needs to extend Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper on big-money, long-term deals, but there should still be dollars left over for a big splash in free agency.

With Maliek Collins and Christian Covington scheduled to become free agents, the Cowboys’ defensive tackle need only gets bigger.

Enter Chris Jones, who is scheduled to become a high-priced free agent and would fill a huge need in Dallas’ defensive front.

Chris Jones sack vs LAC pic.twitter.com/zYjkMakZZv — All22Hype (@All22Hype) January 16, 2020

Outside of Aaron Donald and Fletcher Cox, Jones is the most gifted interior pass rusher in all of football, finishing in the top four in total pressures among interior defensive linemen in each of the past two years (79 in 2018; 59 and counting this season). He even finished with 15.5 sacks in 2018, an incredible number for a non-Donald defensive tackle.

Jones’ pass-rush ability is predicated on his elite get-off, quickness, disguised footwork and cunning hand usage. He is outstanding at keeping his chest clean while rushing the passer, using his signature two-hand swipe move -- also known as a side scissors. Like Floyd Mayweather, Jones is an elite counter fighter who does an excellent of job knocking down opposing linemen’s hands as they try to strike and latch onto his frame.

Chris Jones stop vs LAC pic.twitter.com/qxC1PCTOqJ — All22Hype (@All22Hype) January 16, 2020

Jones’ play-making ability transfers over against the run as well, as he makes a living in opposing backfields using his quick first step and adept hands. His athleticism also enables him to make plays outside of his responsibility, which is important when paying big money for a defensive tackle.

Chris Jones defending give and keep on a zone read pic.twitter.com/jzvy3oj49O — All22Hype (@All22Hype) January 16, 2020

Jones’ athleticism enables him to make a lot of plays that most defensive tackles couldn’t dream of, such as defending both the give and keep on a zone read (above clip). That kind of athleticism is rare.

In terms of potential free agents, there’s not many who would project to make a bigger or more meaningful impact for the Cowboys than Jones. He’s not only an elite talent, but he also comes at a huge position of need for Dallas.

He’ll cost a pretty penny, but if the Cowboys can make it work financially, Jones is exactly the kind of big fish that Jerry Jones should try to reel in this March.

Mike Pennel, DT, Kansas City Chiefs

If the Cowboys don’t want to shell out the cash necessary to acquire Chris Jones, they could turn their attention to another effective interior defensive lineman from the Chiefs: Mike Pennel.

Pennel fits the profile of the free agent the Cowboys have targeted recently, as he’s relatively young (28 years old), cheap, provides nice depth and could fill a position of need.

Unlike Jones, Pennel provides little in the terms of pass rush, totaling 20 pressures combined in the past two seasons. Most of Pennel’s contributions as a pass rusher come from his ability to push the pocket in an attempt to take away the QB’s ability to step up, making him an edge rusher’s best friend.

Still, Pennel’s particular set of skills are best seen against the run. Listed at 6-4, 332 pounds, he is extremely difficult to move out of his spot, which forces double-teams to stay at the first level just a tick longer, giving linebackers more time to flow to the ball carrier.

Pennel’s impact as a run defender isn’t just thanks to his size and power. He’s also an extremely smart defender who reads and destroys blocks with ease.

That impact is best shown in Kansas City’s splits on defense with and without Pennel on the field. Without him, the Chiefs allow 5.12 yards per carry and a 53.8% run success rate. With him on the field, the Chiefs allow just 3.73 yards per carry and a 31.3% run success rate, according to The Quant Edge.

That’s the kind of impact the Cowboys could use up front, and it’s why Pennel is the perfect low-priced target for the Cowboys in free agency.

Keep an eye on Pennel as the Chiefs try to slow down Derrick Henry and the Titans’ smash-mouth run game. He may not make a ton of plays individually, but you can bet his presence will be felt throughout the game.

Marcedes Lewis, TE, Green Bay Packers

I can hear it now: “WHAT?! Why would the Cowboys ever sign a 35-year-old tight end who is not even a starting-caliber player?”

Well, put down your collective pitchforks and tiki torches, Cowboys Nation, and hear me out.

Yes, Marcedes Lewis is 35 years old, but it doesn’t matter much since he would only be coming to Dallas as a one- or two-year rental (at most) while possessing a skill set that ages well.

It’s common knowledge that new coaches often like to sign “their guys” to help ease the transition from the old to the new regime, and Lewis has familiarity with Mike McCarthy from their time together in Green Bay in 2018. McCarthy’s time in Green Bay may have been cut short that season (he was fired after Week 13), but Lewis’ familiarity with his way of doing things remains.

The unsung hero of the Packers excellent running game this season has been TE Marcedes Lewis, who has been an invaluable extension of OLs for a LONG time. His worth was on full display in Week 14 👇 pic.twitter.com/MwOCXqDJzR — Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) December 13, 2019

While it’d be worrisome if Lewis was forced into the No. 1 TE spot, his skill set still enables him to fulfill a crucial role at this later stage in his career. He is a phenomenal blocker who is essentially a sixth offensive lineman every time he steps on the field.

Marcedes Lewis put on a run-blocking clinic in week 5 pic.twitter.com/WNW6TBsVCm — Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) October 10, 2019

Listed at 6-6, 267 pounds, Lewis possesses the size and strength to match defensive ends at the point of attack. On top of that, Lewis is technically sound and executes a wide variety of blocks that even an offensive lineman would struggle with. He is outstanding at the point of attack or climbing into space, as he’s the type of blocker who can elevate a team’s running game by himself.

Some fun stuff here.



First, Lazard lined up inline next to M. Lewis is just fun. He actually took the attention of the defenders & Geronimo Allison came open deep middle, Rodgers unfortunately didn't see him.



More importantly, Marcedes Lewis' blocking is pure *chef kiss* pic.twitter.com/uAhcmIDWEU — Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) December 4, 2019

Lewis has even been known, on occasion, to block defensive ends one-on-one in pass protection.

Lewis may not be a great all-around tight end anymore, but one thing that can be said for sure is he’s an elite blocker at the position. The Cowboys’ run game was stunted often in 2019 because of poor blocking by tight ends, so acquiring someone with Lewis’ skill set would be huge for the efficiency of their run game in 2020.