Without a lot of salary-cap space, the Cowboys will be prudent buyers as they look to fill holes on a team that finished 9-7 and out of the playoffs in 2008.

"We need to improve, obviously," executive vice president Stephen Jones said. "We didn't accomplish what we wanted last year."

The NFL informed teams of a $4 million bump in the cap to $127 million, giving the Cowboys around $10 million of space, but not enough for the club to change its top priority in the off-season - re-signing All-Pro linebacker DeMarcus Ware, who is entering the last year of his contract.

"That helps," Jones said of the increase. "Obviously, we've got a situation with DeMarcus, and our cap is very tight. It helps us in terms of being able to solve key situations where we're not counting exclusively on the draft."

The Cowboys can create more cap room by trading or releasing players and did so Thursday by cutting veteran quarterback Brad Johnson, who went 1-2 in three starts for an injured Tony Romo. The Cowboys created roughly $1.6 million in cap room with the move and could create close to $2 million if they cut or trade safety Roy Williams.

Jones said the team would have a few cuts coming but wasn't in any rush to make a move.

Earlier in the week, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said finding a backup for Romo is near the top of the team's list. There are several candidates in Free Agency, including UT-ex Chris Simms, whom they had mild interest in last summer. Free agent Brooks Bollinger, who spent most of last season as the No. 3 quarterback, is also under consideration.

Jones would like a younger veteran than what the Cowboys had with Johnson, 40.

"A veteran may be too much of a veteran," Jones said. "You say, 'Well, you roll the dice a little bit and get by on two or three games.' You can make a case that [if you lose] a game you should have [won], it might have meant the Super Bowl. It could have meant that much to us to have won one of those games ... when we didn't have Tony."

Due in part to their limited cap room, the Cowboys also have needs at inside linebacker, safety and defensive line.

In all likelihood, defensive end Chris Canty will cash in on a deal larger than what the Cowboys can pay. Dallas will also let linebackers Kevin Burnett, Zach Thomas and safety Keith Davis test the market.

Canty started 50 straight games for the Cowboys but would not close the door on a return after the sides were unable to come together on an extension in limited talks over the last year.

"It was tremendous playing with guys like DeMarcus Ware, Marcus Spears, Kevin Burnett, Jay Ratliff, Marion Barber," Canty said. "Those are my guys. But they understand the business. They're kind of looking for me to stay, but at the same time, they know you have to do what's right for you and your family."

Last weekend, the Cowboys made an offer to Burnett's agent, Ricky Lefft. Burnett, who excelled in the sub packages in 2008, is looking for a starting job. That could come with the Cowboys, considering the only inside linebackers signed for 2009 are Bradie James and Bobby Carpenter.

"It was not lucrative enough to not go into Free Agency," Lefft said of the Cowboys' offer. "We've got five to six teams I'm pretty confident in we will talk to."

Briefly: In addition to four restricted free agents, the Cowboys tendered their two exclusive-rights free agents - tight end Rodney Hannah ($310,000) and running back Alonzo Coleman ($385,000). Punter Sam Paulescu was not tendered, allowing him to sign elsewhere.