The Dallas Cowboys made two notable additions to their defense during Day 1 of the legal free agency tampering period on Monday, but fans are still wanting more.
Fortunately, it appears the Cowboys could be closing in on making another roster addition in free agency.
After trading for Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Rashan Gary and agreeing to terms on a three-year, $36 million deal with Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson, the Cowboys restructured the contract of defensive tackle Kenny Clark on Tuesday, per ESPN's Todd Archer.
Archer reported that the Cowboys are turning Clark's looming $11 million roster bonus into a signing bonus, which creates about $8.8 million in salary cap space for Dallas this offseason.
What Kenny Clark's Contract Restructure Means for Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Kenny Clark
Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Kenny Clark against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Clearing this amount of cap space comes at an interesting time and appears to signal that the Cowboys are gearing up to add another new player to the roster in the coming days.
Of course, it remains to be seen who that new addition might be, but there's no secret that the Cowboys would love to add to their defense once again, particularly at the linebacker spot, after addressing the secondary and defensive line.
The Cowboys have already missed out on some notable linebackers during the start of free agency, including former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean and Packers linebacker Quay Walker, both of whom agreed to sign with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Dallas can still look to address this area in the first round of the draft, with many fans having sights set on Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles.
That said, it will be tough to believe in the defense making a significant turnaround next season if the team's two best linebackers are a rookie and an often-injured DeMarvion Overshown, who has undeniable talent but has had trouble staying healthy.
Even if Dallas fails to add another starting-caliber linebacker, it will be hard for fans to feel at odds with the front office if the Cowboys manage to bring in an experienced player at an affordable price to aid a defense that can only go up next season.
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