When free agency begins on March 13, the Cowboys will be monitoring the cornerback market closely.
The team has been particularly linked to Kansas City's Brandon Carr and Tennessee's Cortland Finnegan, but other cover men are under consideration as well.
Atlanta's Brent Grimes and San Francisco's Carlos Rogers round out what is considered the top tier of unrestricted free agents at the position, but there is a wealth of players available who could step in as starters for the Cowboys.
Most prominent among the other unrestricted players-to-be are Arizona's Richard Marshall, New Orleans' Tracy Porter and the New York Giants' Terrell Thomas, all of whom are in their late 20s.
Baltimore's LarDarius Webb may be the best free agent cornerback, but he is restricted, and is likely to receive at least a first-round level tender from the Ravens.
With as many as a dozen potential starting-caliber cornerbacks expected to be available, it's wrong to assume the Cowboys will drop big money on one of the top names as soon as free agency opens.
More likely, the team will stick to its history of shopping for bargains on the open market. That could still mean Carr or Finnegan, but at a price the Cowboys are comfortable paying for their services.
