With training camp just days away, the Dallas Cowboys still have one major question to answer: can they create enough salary cap space to strengthen one of their biggest remaining roster needs? One Cowboys analyst believes the solution is already on the roster.

Cowboys Report by Chat Sports host Tom Downey noted that Dallas has "just over $5M" in cap space, suggesting the team restructures a defender's contract to fix its linebacker depth.

“The big money-saving option, the lever to pull, is a big Quinnen [Williams] extension,” Tom Downey said during an episode of Cowboys Report by Chat Sports on July 22. “That would save over $15 million in cap, a little bit less if they did a simple restructure, but that is the main lever with which they can pull."

“I will say, you can make it work - if you really wanted to, you could give Bobby Wagner a one-year, $8 million deal, make like $6 million of that a signing bonus, add a bunch of void years, and you're paying him like $3 million this year,” Tom Downey said during an episode of Cowboys Report by Chat Sports.

Downey believes that if the Cowboys create cap space through Williams' extension, the team could structure a one-year deal for former Washington Commanders LB Bobby Wagner with a low 2026 cap hit by using a signing bonus and void years.

The decision comes down to how the Cowboys want to address the roster needs, as Downey believes that without restructuring Williams' deal, the team has less flexibility and limited options to make another significant addition before training camp.

Cowboys analyst sees only two linebackers worth pursuing in free agency

During the same episode of Cowboys Report by Chat Sports, Tom Downey pointed out Bobby Wagner and former New York Giants LB Bobby Okereke as potential options at linebacker for the Cowboys.

"The two Bobbies - Wagner and Okereke are the only free agent linebackers I would have interest in, if I actually needed any help," Downey said. "Okereke is likely much cheaper, and might not be as big of a liability in the passing game if that's what you want, value for the cost and passing game impact."

Downey believes Okereke is a solid alternative given the limited free-agent market. He argued that Okereke's leadership as a green-dot linebacker could make him a perfect fit for the Cowboys' current defensive unit despite his recent decline in production.

Though Downey preferred Okereke as a low-cost, high-reward option, he vouched for Wagner to be a better player, as he could serve as a run-support player rather than a coverage LB like the former Giants linebacker.

What do you think? Should Dallas restructure contracts, or should they stick with the current roster? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore