The last time the Cowboys played, a slow start left no room for error. They led 27-0 at the end of the first half. Their offense needed to score. Their defense needed a stop. Any potential comeback required an improbable collective effort.
That was two months ago.
Nothing has changed.
More than two weeks into free agency, the Cowboys once again have little room for error after a slow start in transforming a hole-filled roster into one capable of competing in the Super Bowl. They also plan to acquire veterans at a lower cost. Navigating a shallow draft class with average pick capital comes first. The team, effectively trailing 27-0 once again, will need to make personnel decisions at an unusual pace to avoid another disappointment like the one on January 14th.
Drop a pin at this point during the off-season.
If the Cowboys are going to field a team better than the one the Green Bay Packers produced in Arlington, they need to get a huge return on their marginal financial investment.
Team decision-makers identified the run game and run defense as focal points to upgrade for next season. So far, the club has responded by losing top running back Tony Pollard and two starting offensive linemen: left tackle Tyron Smith and center Tyler Biadasz. The Cowboys will be the next outside free agent signing on offense, their first after cutting wide receiver Michael Gallup.
On the defensive line, Dorrance Armstrong and Jonathan Hankins were the most notable departures. Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch retired Monday in a move the Cowboys expected. Still, his absence last year created a clear void that won't be easily filled.
Eric Kendricks is here to help.
He signed a one-year deal with $2.5 million guaranteed and will start at Mike's linebacker. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer coached Kendricks, 32, with the Minnesota Vikings from 2015 to 2021. The Cowboys have 2023 third-round pick linebacker Demarvion Overshawn back from a preseason ACL tear. While excitement within the organization surrounds his future, it's too early to predict what his presence will mean for the run defense in 2024.
More linebacker help will be added in the coming weeks.
Perhaps more importantly, the Cowboys need to better anchor double teams and keep linebackers clean on the defensive line who can avoid reach blocks. With today's group composition, Dallas is relying heavily on nose tackle Maji Smith taking a leap forward in his second NFL season. The former first-round pick played four snaps in a 48-32 loss to Green Bay in the first round of the playoffs. Smith could make meaningful progress, and while he's currently bulking up and training toward that goal, expect a dramatic jump as Plan A for how the Cowboys become stronger on the inside line. It may be considered dangerous to do so.
Running back Rico Doodle returns on a one-year, $1.255 million contract. He is factoring in conversations with the committee, which will soon be joined by colleagues. At least one veteran backstand will join him in free agency. Dallas also expects to draft a running back, but the 2024 class is widely considered to be weaker than in years past, which is why many teams became more aggressive in signing veteran backs this month. .
After all, it's too early to judge the Cowboys' offseason, just as it was too early to call them a playoff loser at 27-0.
But don't get me wrong. The Cowboys are a worse team today than they were in mid-January. There are more roster holes now than there were back then. And while the club prepares for a salary cap storm in 2025 that will generate dead money from past restructurings and cash flow, it also has the potential for contract extensions for Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons over the next year or so. A tough checkbook won't change your personality because you're paving the way for that. Failed contracts coalesce.
This isn't an ideal environment for a coaching staff forced into one-year contracts to grow. It would be understandable if someone in that group saw the lack of resources being devoted to upgrading talent and felt they were set up to fail, or at least not set up to succeed. Like a few months ago, the odds are increasing.
The Cowboys didn't fight back enough then.
They need to do so now.
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