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4 Best Players the Cowboys Have Lost to Free Agency

By Will Coleman

Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith is the NFL's all-time leader in rushing yards, attempts and touchdowns.
Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith is the NFL's all-time leader in rushing yards, attempts and touchdowns. / Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

The Dallas Cowboys are approaching one of their most important offseasons in franchise history, and are looking to flip the script from years past. The Cowboys' front office hasn't had the best luck retaining players through free agency in recent memory, having been unable to keep some of their major contributors in Dallas long-term. As a reminder, here are the four best players that the Cowboys once parted ways with via free agency.

4. Cole Beasley

Bills receiver Cole Beasley, right, shares a moment on the field post-game with ex-teammate Dak Prescott.
Bills receiver Cole Beasley, right, shares a moment on the field post-game with ex-teammate Dak Prescott. / Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

Last year was the first time wide receiver Cole Beasley played an NFL season outside of Dallas. After six years spent with the Cowboys, Beasley signed a four-year, $29 million deal with the Bills. The 30-year-old had always been a reliable secondary receiving option for quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Tony Romo, but he had arguably his best season in Buffalo last year, notching a career-high six touchdowns. The Cowboys weren't willing to commit that much money to Beasley, and he probably made them regret that decision when he found the end zone in Buffalo's 26-15 win over Dallas on Thanksgiving Day.

3. Morris Claiborne

Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne lines up against his assigned receiver against the Packers in the NFC Divisional Round.
Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne lines up against his assigned receiver against the Packers in the NFC Divisional Round. / Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Dallas took defensive back Morris Claiborne out of LSU with the sixth overall pick in 2012 NFL Draft, and he never really panned out as a Cowboy. After starting 15 games at cornerback his rookie season, Claiborne was never able to suit up in more than 11 games in a season in his last four years with Dallas. The Cowboys took a chance on the hit-or-miss Claiborne with a one-year deal ahead of the 2016 season. It was arguably his best year with Dallas, but it was derailed by a concussion and injuries to his groin and ribs. The defensive back subsequently signed a two-year contract with the Jets the following offseason, where he continued to show promise in the secondary, and Claiborne was part of Kansas City's Super Bowl-winning team last season.

2. Emmitt Smith

Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith, right, motions for a pass before the Cowboys played the Bills on Thanksgiving Day.
Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith, right, motions for a pass before the Cowboys played the Bills on Thanksgiving Day. / Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith may have won three Super Bowls with Dallas, but he wasn't a career Cowboy. The NFL leader in career rushing yards, touchdowns and attempts could have finished out his pro tenure in Dallas, but head coach Bill Parcels wanted nothing to do with the aging halfback upon his arrival after the 2002 season. Smith signed a two-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals, and only managed to produce 1,193 rushing yards in the final 25 games of his career. When Smith decided to hang up his cleats for good in the 2005 offseason, he signed a one-day, $1 contract with Dallas so he could retire a Cowboy. Still, it hurt to see him in a different uniform.

1. Mark Stepnoski

Cowboys center Mark Stepnoski looks back at the sideline during a game against the Redskins.
Cowboys center Mark Stepnoski looks back at the sideline during a game against the Redskins. /

The first thing that comes to mind for NFL junkies when they think of the Dallas Cowboys is a tough and aggresive offensive line. The Cowboys have had success retaining some of the league's best offensive linemen throughout their entire pro careers, but that wasn't the case for Mark Stepnoski. Undersized for his position at just 6-2 and 265 pounds, Stepnoski's fall through the 1989 Draft ended when Dallas selected him in the third round. Stepnoski proved his doubters wrong when he established himself as one of the league's most impactful centers, blocking for the aforementioned Smith, but Dallas couldn't afford to pay him the big bucks at the end of his contract. Stepnoski instead took his talents to the Houston Oilers in 1995, becoming among the first big-name Cowboys to leave Dallas as an unrestricted free agent.