FRISCO – To the Dallas Cowboys credit, they recognize that while they have two of the best playmaking cornerbacks in the NFL on their roster in DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs, Diggs is in rehab and Bland can’t do it alone.

So, with slot corner Jourdan Lewis using free agency to leave for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas has cornerback on the top of its wish list.

The Cowboys traded for Buffalo Bills former first-round Kaiir Elam this week, a reclamation project here though at this moment he might be penciled in as a starter.

And they almost made another move, as ESPN is first to report that Dallas took a shot at Baltimore Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens. Ultimately, Stephens opted to join the New York Jets, and he got a three-year, $36 million deal, $23 million of which was guaranteed.

We can’t be certain just how close Dallas came in its bidding. But we can gather a few things from this news item.

For one thing, it seems clear the Cowboys might not be done looking for cornerback help. And for another?

Stephens continues a definitive Cowboys pattern in this first week of NFL free agency as – if you read CowboysCountry.com, you already know where we’re going – guess what? He’s from DFW. That’s right.

This week’s “outside” signings include a trio of guys – Solomon Thomas, Payton Turner and Kenneth Murray who are “local” guys. Those three, along with Elam, also happen to have been first-round picks. In the case of Stephens?

He’s from Plano and was a third-round pick. What’s next?

There are also some other corners available on the open market as well, including Raul Douglas, Jeff Okudah, Kendall Fuller, Shaquill Griffin, Ronald Darby, Tre’Davious While, Mike Hilton, ex-Cowboy Stephon Gilmore and more.

How can a Cowboys fan rank ’em? Given the patterns, if there is a Texas connection, there might be a Cowboys connection.