FRISCO, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys have 18 unrestricted free agents with whom to deal before the market opens in March: nine on offense, nine on defense.

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to rank the priorities, and I went with Brandon Carr, Barry Church and Darren McFadden. I amended that later with the addition of Terrell McClain over McFadden, but what about the rest of the class?

Let's add a disclaimer: Ronald Leary would be in the top four, but his price tag will be too high for the Cowboys, considering what they'll have to pay for a long-term extension for Zack Martin. Leary could be one of the more sought-after players when free agency begins. He has played well for four years, never deserved to be benched in 2015 and has shown that the knee injury that contributed to him going undrafted did not hold him back.

So let's rank Nos. 6-18:

6. Terrance Williams: Some of you will believe this is too high, but the coaches have been much higher on Williams than those outside the building. He doesn't get hurt. He doesn't miss practices. He doesn't miss games. He can run all day. He's not a No. 1 receiver, but he is solid. The issue in keeping him will be the price. He will probably command more from another team with more cap space.

7. Morris Claiborne: He returned to the Cowboys on a one-year deal last year and should be in the same range in 2017. He has yet to play a full season in his career and missed nine games in 2016 with a groin injury. He was off to the best start of his career before the injury, but how do you make a big financial commitment to a player off of seven games? Claiborne's injury history could help the Cowboys' chances in retaining him.

8. Jack Crawford: The biggest asset he brings is the ability to play all four spots on the defensive line. He does not get much notice, but he had 3.5 sacks in 2016 and was third among the Cowboys' defensive linemen in tackles.

9. Jonathan Cooper: He was signed before the playoffs and was inactive for his only game. If Leary is as good as gone, perhaps the Cowboys can convince Cooper to return. He might have a better opportunity to start elsewhere, but he can play guard and center, which would give him a game-day spot even if he's not a starter.

10. Brice Butler: His chances of returning to the Cowboys would improve if Williams leaves, and his price would be cheaper. He had just 16 catches but three went for touchdowns. He has big-play ability, but he needed to show the ability to make contested catches to move up this list (maybe in the eyes of the team as well).

11. Kellen Moore: He missed the season with a broken ankle but could enter 2017 in the same role he had entering 2016: the No. 2 quarterback. He knows the offense better than just about anybody in the building, and there won't be a lot of competition for his services.

12. Mark Sanchez: He has more experience than Moore, but he does not have the same wealth of knowledge in the scheme. What he does have is the trust of starter Dak Prescott, which is something, but again, the price should be in the Cowboys' favor. There's nothing preventing the Cowboys from re-signing Sanchez and Moore.

13. Lance Dunbar: As with Williams, the coaches value him more than those outside the building. But if McFadden is more of a priority, then adding a fourth running back is down the list. He might find a better chance elsewhere.

14. J.J Wilcox: He has shown signs of improvement, but if Church is a top priority, then there won't be enough money in the till to keep Wilcox. The Cowboys drafted Kavon Frazier in the sixth round last year and need to see what he can do.

15. Andrew Gachkar: He was signed as a special-teams ace two years ago and performed well in his role. Last year the Cowboys signed Kyle Wilber, Jeff Heath and James Hanna to be special-teams aces. Can the Cowboys afford another one?

16. Justin Durant: He contemplated retirement last year and could do the same this offseason. He played well in his role as a subpackage linebacker, but the Cowboys believe Jaylon Smith will be on the field in 2017, so that should make Durant expendable. If the need arises before camp, as it did in 2016, Durant could be available then.

17. Gavin Escobar: The 2013 second-round pick hasn't had more than nine catches in a season. It's not entirely his fault. The coaches never really found a role for him. Jason Witten's age and the health of Hanna and Geoff Swaim make tight end a need, but Escobar would benefit from a change of scenery.

18. Ryan Davis: He had knee surgery after the season and was signed as something of an emergency fill-in, playing in just four games.