Free agency officially begins on Wednesday for the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the NFL. The tampering period opened on Monday. Expect the league to be very busy this week.

It is well-known just how badly the Dallas Cowboys need to improve the defensive side of the ball. The offense is mostly secured, save maybe upgrading the offensive line. Dak Prescott and the core of the passing game are locked in through the 2024 season.

The defense, however, has a lot of holes that need to be filled. Dallas will see key contributors hit the market this offseason. Chidobe Awuzie, Xavier Woods, Jourdan Lewis, and Aldon Smith, are free agents. There has not been a lot of information concerning the Cowboys bringing any of the four back.

We could very well see proven players around the league take one-year, prove-it deals this year. The salary cap is expected to go back up next year, but teams are limited with spending money this time around. That could certainly impact free agent strategies.

Regardless of how the Cowboys plan to do it, Dallas needs to upgrade the defense. It would not be ideal for the Cowboys to wait until the draft to do so. There will be defensive tackles, linebackers, and defensive backs to be had.

Cowboys are linked to a veteran cornerback.

Getting a deal done with Dak Prescott actually saves the Dallas Cowboys money in the immediate future. The team likely will not spend big money, but they do have some flexibility to add talent to the roster.

One player that has been mentioned as a possibility for the Dallas Cowboys to target is Tennessee Titans cornerback Malcolm Butler. The hero of Super Bowl XLIX has spent the past few seasons in Nashville. Now, the 31-year-old is free to sign with any team in the league.

Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon found "realisitic landing spots" for some of the players that have been recently cut this offseason. Gagnon says Dallas would be an ideal spot for Butler.

The Dallas Cowboys fit that profile after struggling immensely on defense in 2020, especially because they're clearly gunning for it all with Dak Prescott's new contract and they could lose both Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis on the free-agent market.

With Butler, they'd get older but more accomplished, potentially at a similar price because of the limited upside associated with a 31-year-old cover man.

Butler will likely have a healthy market in free agency. Teams are always wanting to improve their secondary, and Butler provides valuable experience. He is also coming off a solid season with the Titans.

It remains to be seen which route the Cowboys opt to take when free agency opens on Wednesday. That said, Butler is a player that should at least be on the radar.

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