Next Cowboy to cash in?

Source: Associated Press

Now that the Cowboys have signed Marion Barber and Terence Newman to long-term deals, who's next?

Safety Ken Hamlin likely tops the priority list. He'll be back next season no matter what because the club made him their franchise player. However, both sides would rather have a multiyear deal than the one-year contract under the franchise rules.

"We spent some time over the last three or four days," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Wednesday. "Just couldn't get there talking to Hamlin's representative. We just couldn't make that work."

Jones said things did work with Barber and Newman because a lot of the parameters already were worked out in advance.

"We have more things to work out (with Hamlin)," he said. "We certainly want to get something done with him."

Defensive end Chris Canty is probably second. He's a restricted free agent.

And then there's Terrell Owens, who is going into the third and final year of his contract. However, he said Wednesday that he's willing to wait.

Part of the holdup for the Cowboys is the shakeup stemming from the change in the labor agreement.

"This now has become not only what we need to do right now before this season, but what we're going to do over the next two or three seasons," Jones said. "Because we've got different dynamics. This is a 36-month look at how we keep these guys who can work together. How we can keep this staff in place, in my mind, gives us the best chance to maybe getting ahold to one of those Super Bowls."