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The Cowboys have some interest in free-agent tackles Eric Winston and Tyson Clabo but haven't entered into any contract talks or planned any visits to Valley Ranch.

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But in our what seems like a daily update of the Cowboys' desire to find a new right tackle, there's a report in the Baltimore Sun saying the Cowboys made an inquiry regarding Bryant McKinnie.

A source told ESPNDallas.com the team doesn't have interest in McKinnie at this time. He played 16 games in the 2012 regular season but didn't register any starts. McKinnie, however, started at left tackle in the postseason.

UPDATE: The Baltimore Ravens announced Thursday they have reached an agreement in principle with left tackle Bryant McKinnie on a two-year contract.

The Cowboys' current right tackle, Doug Free, is still on the roster and multiple sources indicate nothing new has occurred with his status. The Cowboys would like Free to take a pay cut or he could be released. If Free is cut, the Cowboys would save $7 million, but they wouldn't have that money available until after June 1.

During the NFL draft weekend, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said the Cowboys want to keep Free.

I get the sense that Dallas Cowboys fans would feel better about the team if it signed one of these free-agent offensive tackles. Tyson Clabo and Eric Winston are the names you're hearing, and it's pretty obvious either would be an upgrade over Doug Free. Neither has yet signed elsewhere, so there's no real reason to panic. But with all of the salary cap problems the Cowboys have had this offseason it's understandable to worry whether they can afford to sign one of these guys.

Calvin Watkins reports, however, that the Cowboys have more than $5 million in cap room at the present time, not counting the $2 million they'll get in June when the release of Marcus Spears takes effect and not counting the $7 million (post-June 1) they could save by cutting Free. This would seem to indicate that they can sign someone like Clabo and still sign their draft picks (especially since their first-rounder ended up being No. 31 and not No. 18, a distinction likely to save them somewhere around $300,000 against this year's cap). The picks don't need to be under contract prior to June 1, so the Cowboys can wait until then to take care of that even if they sign Clabo in the meantime.

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The issue appears to be Free, and how they handle his contract situation. It's easy for us to sit here and say they should cut him based on the way he's played since they signed him two offseasons ago. But the Cowboys don't like to give up on their guys, and it's likely they'd prefer to keep Free at a much lower salary and as a backup tackle. If Free would agree to the pay cut now, they'd add to their cap room and could make a move on a Clabo with more clarity about their overall 2013 cap situation. But if Free won't agree to the pay cut the Cowboys have in mind, then they're a month away from being able to cut him and things could get held up.

As you know, I like the move the Cowboys made to take center/guard Travis Frederick in the first round last week. Along with fellow first-rounder Tyron Smith, he'll give the Cowboys at least two offensive line starters about whom they can feel good. Adding a veteran such as Clabo, whom they appear to like, would up that number to three, and then they could throw a bunch of Phil Costa/Mackenzy Bernadeau/Nate Livings types into the mix for the other two spots and hope that competition pushes two of them to play better.

The Cowboys have enough talent on their roster to be a playoff team in 2013, but they have to get better offensive line play in order to cash in on that. Step 1 was the first round of the draft. Step 2 remains up in the air. But it appears they do have the resources to pull it off.

IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys have not addressed the offensive tackle spot with their first four selections and have not reached out to the agents for veterans Tyson Clabo or Eric Winston.

While executive vice president Stephen Jones said Doug Free’s situation is “to be determined,” he was also emphatic that he wants Free to remain with the team.

The Cowboys have made a pay-cut offer to Free, who is scheduled to earn $7 million this season. Jones said they have not heard from Free or the player’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, about whether they would accept a lower salary yet.

“We want him back, how’s that?” Jones said. “We’d love to have him here. I think he’d love to be here. Now the question is, it’s got to work for him and it’s got to work for us. I have all the respect in the world for Doug. He works his ass off. He wants to play better. He knows he needs to play better. He’d be the first to tell you that.”

Free split time over the last month of the season with Jermey Parnell and performed better. The Cowboys have had some conversations with the representatives of Clabo and Winston, but they have not ventured into any negotiations.

With the draft ending Saturday, the competition in the free-agent market figures to heat up quickly.

Jones said the team would like to get something resolved sooner rather than later.

“We’ve got a little bit of money to figure out what to do with Free and you don’t have to worry about us in free agency,” Jones said.

IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys will have 10 unrestricted free agents whenever football returns, and two made the top-50 list created by Pete Prisco of CBS Sports: Doug Free and Stephen Bowen.

Free checked in at No. 14, while Bowen was No. 27. I was a little surprised Prisco did not have safety Gerald Sensabaugh on his list because I know he believes he is a decent player. Free, Bowen and Sensabaugh would be the top-three the Cowboys have to keep.

Free was the fourth tackle on the list behind Atlanta’s Tyson Clabo and Baltimore’s Jared Gaither and Marshal Yanda. I was a little surprised to see him fourth because he plays the pre-eminent position and is only 27. Gaither did not play last year because of a back injury that has since healed apparently. Clabo is a right tackle only and Prisco said Yanda might be a better guard.

Here’s what Prisco wrote about Free:

“He took over as the starter at left tackle last season and was the Cowboys best lineman. Was it a one-year thing or a sign of things to come? The Cowboys want him back.”

To me, Bowen is going to get bigger offers than many believe. Teams know how good he can be and how he has improved each year. Prisco seems to agree:

“He is an aggressive up-field end who is coming of his best season at the right time. Look for the 3-4 teams to bid his price up. He's a real free-agent sleeper.”