Cowboys free agent Carlos Watkins signs new contract

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle free agent Carlos Watkins signed a new deal this week with the Arizona Cardinals. The former Clemson standout inked a contract for one year, the Cardinals announced, but the details, including his salary, are still under wraps.

The Dallas Cowboys made it clear throughout free agency that they wanted Watkins back for 2023. However, one day after inking veteran DT Johnathan Hankins for the veterans minimum of $1.165, the Cowboys learned Watkins would not return.

During the 2022 season, Watkins dealt with a knee injury but played in 12 regular season games and both postseason games for Dallas. He racked up 26 tackles, along with 5.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

Watkins played the 2022 season on a one-year, $1.18 million deal. The Cowboys released him in August to clear almost $900,000 in cap space but added him back to the practice roster the next day. He hit the active roster in October.

A fourth-round draft pick in 2017 for the Houston Texans, Watkins is going into his seventh year in the league in 2023. So far, he’s made $6 million while in the NFL, of which half is from the Cowboys. He’s played all six seasons in Texas but now heads to Arizona.

During Watkins’ four-year stint with the Texans, he played 42 games, making 69 tackles with four sacks.

The departure of the former fourth-rounder makes it that much more likely that the Cowboys pursue a defensive tackle in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.

More on the 2023 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2023 calendar year began at 4 p.m. ET on March 15. At that time, contracts running through 2022 officially ran out, making those players free agents.

Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams had a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 7. The Cowboys used their franchise tag this year on Tony Pollard.

The legal negotiation period spanned from March 13 through March 15. The new year marked the beginning of all trades going official per the league office. April 21 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 26, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hits.

There were 722 players due to hit free agency in 2023, including 20 unrestricted free agents for Dallas. Follow all the Cowboys free agency news with the offseason tracker.