Whenever the lockout ends, the Dallas Cowboys will have a window to sign their own free agents-to-be before the free agency period begins in earnest--a window that could be crucial for the team, as under the new collective bargaining agreement several key pieces could depart with no compensation for the team.
Tackle Doug Free and defensive ends Stephen Bowen and Jason Hatcher are all unrestricted free agents. Before the lockout (under the old rules, that is) each was given a tender offer--but, under the new rules, these offers are null and void.
Now, it appears that at least one of these players is preparing for the end of the longest work stoppage in league history. Bowen recently changed agents, hiring Pat Dye, after several years with Jordan Woy. Dye is probably most famous for representing DeMarcus Ware in the negotiations that led to Ware’s big extension in 2009.
Aside from Free, we’d guess that Bowen, an ultra-versatile end, is the team’s top priority moving into what appear to be the final stages of the lockout.
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