The Rangers began their defense of the World Series trophy, and the Stars rose through the competition to move into first place in the Western Conference. And with Luka Doncic playing with MVP credentials, the Mavericks have won 11 of their last 12 games to move into fifth place. We want to avoid play-in games.
The Dallas Cowboys also remain open.
It's hard for the Jones Boys, who have been around for 35 years, to do or say anything that would surprise us. But (embarrassingly) I really thought this offseason would be different. Early in the fourth quarter on the afternoon of January 14, when the giant scoreboard shows the rankings Packers 48 and Cowboys 16, many of the toys are old or broken, so it's time for some serious cleaning. I thought it would send the message that we needed something.
He must have lost his mind. A day of reckoning for Jerry Jones will come when a young quarterback named Jordan Love clearly outperforms Dak Prescott, and when a young coach named Matt LaFleur makes it clear that the Cowboys have sent Mike McCarthy to the woodshed. Not when they took him, but when Forbes magazine praised another NFL franchise. There are 10 minutes left in the wild card game and fans are streaming toward the exits.
I've been typing in this same city since the summer of 1989, and I knew something had to change. The Philadelphia Eagles, a year removed from leading the Chiefs in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, underwent a major cleanup after last season's playoff loss to Tampa Bay that included assistant coaches on both coordinators. An alarm bell rang in the house where the Liberty Bell was located.
There is no such warning here. The only changes to the coaching staff were with the departure of Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. to the Washington Commanders. Long time favorite Mike Zimmer returns as defensive coordinator at age 67. You could only call this an upgrade if you were foolish enough to blame Quinn entirely for the defensive collapse against Green Bay. Of course it's not an overhaul.
After that, the Jones family always treated free agency as a battle waiting to be lost. The Cowboys suffered more casualties than usual. The carnage included Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz from the offensive line, four rotation players from the defensive line including tackles Jonathan Hankins and Dorrance Armstrong, and Tony Pollard. Leighton Vander Esch also retired due to injury.
As a result, today's depth chart, three weeks before the draft, where Dallas likely won't be able to fill all the holes, shows: Rico Doodle in place of Pollard. Brock Hoffman and TJ Bass for Smith and Biadasz. Damone Clark and Demarvion Overshawn will start at linebacker. Daron Brand will replace Stephon Gilmore, who is not scheduled to return.
Will the Cowboys make any free agent acquisitions? Eric Kendricks. that's it. The longtime Minnesota linebacker criticized Zimmer's lack of communication as head coach when he was fired, but decided to give Zimmer a try as coordinator. Most believe Kendricks, who turns 33 next month, can still play, but he doesn't represent the future of this team.
And that brings us to the only saving grace, a possible sign of hope that I don't really believe exists but must acknowledge from this dormant offseason. Mr. Jones now takes control of virtually the entire organization (minus his family) on one year's notice. It starts with McCarthy and continues across several key spots on the roster, with Zimmer also included in the new deal. And while no major extension has been announced for Prescott, and there are no money moves that would significantly lower his 2024 cap number, the fact that he will likely extend his stay here before being waived is most likely Interesting.
The Joneses still talk about Dak as if he were a quarterback about to play in the Super Bowl. Never mind the fact that no one goes eight years with one team without reaching the conference title game and then starts playing in the Super Bowl. It is a tenet of ownership. To be fair, Dak was very good last year, finishing second to Baltimore's Lamar Jackson in MVP voting. This is not important information to consider when considering the future of the roster.
How do you explain a terrible first half against Green Bay and a 2-4 record in the playoffs? If it's not his fault, and McCarthy's 1-3 record here (the only wins were against a retired Tom Brady and a mediocre Tampa Bay team), it's not the coach's fault, then the post Who is to blame for the annual early exit of the season?
As long as money flows, of course no one has the answer. But at least there are hints floating around that Jerry Jones will be in the spotlight in 2024. His idea of going “all in” wasn't about handing him a big check during free agency or making a move like acquiring a veteran wide receiver, which is exactly what Houston did. Stefon Diggs will be paired with last year's talented rookie CJ Stroud.
A year after acquiring the No. 2 pick in the draft, the Texans are a better team than Dallas, made even more strides in the playoffs last year, and are an even more interesting team going forward.
That doesn't matter as long as the Texans' popularity wanes in the shadow of the ratings-gobbling Cowboys. It remains the only real change for Jerry.
Coaches and some players could hope for these one-time deals, but that's not the way to bet in Dallas.
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