Cowboys sign Phil Costa to two-year deal

Dallas owner Jerry Jones sees center Phil Costa being a Cowboy for several years. (USATSI)

The Dallas Cowboys have signed center Phil Costa to a two-year contract, Costa was set to be a restricted free agent before the deal. Terms were undisclosed, but according to the team site, the new deal will lower Costa's cap charge for the 2013 season.

As a restricted free agent, the Cowboys would have been required to offer Costa a restricted tender of $1.323 million. Instead, the team will save money on the 2013 salary cap by signing Costa to a deal that runs through 2014.

The Cowboys have been reworking contracts this week in an attempt to get under the 2013 cap, a number that was recently set at $123 million. On Thursday, the team restructured the contracts of DeMarcus Ware, Jason Witten, Miles Austin, Brandon Carr and Ryan Cook. The five moves cleared up more than $20 million in cap space for the once cap-crunched Cowboys.

Costa has been with Dallas since signing as an undrafted free agent out of Maryland in 2010. He quickly moved up the depth chart and started all 16 games in 2011. Last season, Costa battled back from ankle injuries that limited him to three games.

But Costa's injuries don't seem to be a concern. Dallas owner Jerry Jones told ESPN.com at the NFL Combine that he envisions Costa being with the Cowboys for awhile. "I can see going with Costa at center for several years," Jones said.

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