Dallas Cowboys: Three moves that should be made this offseason
The Dallas Cowboys have ways to go in order to truly be considered Super Bowl contenders. From securing the most important position in the sport to improving the defense, Dallas should be busy this offseason. Fortunately for Dallas, the rest of the NFC East has ways to go in improving as well. Assuming that Dak […]
The Dallas Cowboys have ways to go in order to truly be considered Super Bowl contenders. From securing the most important position in the sport to improving the defense, Dallas should be busy this offseason.
Fortunately for Dallas, the rest of the NFC East has ways to go in improving as well. Assuming that Dak Prescott is back for at least one more season, the Cowboys will inarguably have the best quarterback and best offense in the division. That should help the Cowboys win the NFC East for the third time in Prescott's career.
Dallas should have much larger goals than just winning the NFC East in 2021, though. Here are three moves that could help the Cowboys not only compete for more next season but also in the foreseeable future.
Sign Dak Prescott to a long-term extension.
Priority number one for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason: sign Dak Prescott.
Nothing else really matters. The Dallas Cowboys have one of the five-to-seven best quarterbacks in football in his prime on the roster. Prescott played for relative pennies during his rookie contract, now it is time to pay him market rate.
The Cowboys have lucked into two very good quarterbacks since the time Troy Aikman called it a career. Tony Romo was an undrafted free agent, while Prescott is the rare fourth-round starting quarterback. Aside from those two, the Cowboys have been in a world of trouble at the most important position in sports.
Signing Prescott to a contract extension would not only help the Cowboys' chances of competing in 2021, it would establish them as the team to beat in the NFC East for the foreseeable future. No other team in the division has a comparable quarterback, and the Cowboys offense should be among the elite in the league.
It is time to reward the face of the franchise, and the Cowboys would be able to spread the money over multiple years instead of just one massive hit with the franchise tag. This deal needs to get done this offseason.
Don't wait until the draft to add defensive help.
We all love the draft. We all love the draft even more when the Dallas Cowboys have a top-10 draft pick to play around with. That makes the process that much more entertaining, while also giving the Cowboys a shot to add a blue-chip player.
While all of that is true, the Dallas Cowboys should not wait around until April to address the defense. Dan Quinn's side of the ball is in immediate need of upgrades at all three levels. There is a chance the Cowboys could get a day-one contributor through the draft — like Patrick Surtain II, for instance — but that is much more of a gamble.
The smarter route would be for the Cowboys to add a quality free agent or two to improve the defense. Players such as safeties Justin Simmons and Marcus Maye will be on the market, as will defensive tackles Dalvin Tomlinson and Mike Pennel.
Corners Richard Sherman and Patrick Peterson also offer interesting veteran options that would help this defense as soon as week one. The point is: there is talent to be had in the free agency if the Cowboys back off their dumpster-diving approach.
Adding a quality defender or two during free agency would upgrade the defense and give the Cowboys more flexibility come draft time.
Move on from Jaylon Smith.
Jaylon Smith is probably the most polarizing player on the Cowboys roster. He was near the league-leaders in tackles last season, but very few of those were very impactful. He struggles in coverage and is often criticized for celebrating after a bad play or down multiple scores.
Smith isn't as bad as most of Cowboys Twitter will have you believe, but he isn't as talented as his numbers suggest, either. The 2016 second-rounder struggles against offenses that use motion and creativity, is a liability in coverage, and does not move as well as he did during his career-best season in 2018.
Some of the blame can be directed towards Mike Nolan's scheme and the lack of the talent on the defensive line. Still, it is hard to not be frustrated when watching 54 play.
The biggest reason why there is a possibility that the Cowboys could cut Smith this offseason is money. Dallas would save $7 million by designating Smith as a post-June 1st cut. They could use that money to add a defender in free agency and even draft his replacement in April.
It is still unlikely the Cowboys move on from Smith this year, but it may be in the best interest of both parties to do so. Dallas could add a better fit, while Smith could get a fresh start with a new team.
These three moves would improve the Cowboys in 2021 and beyond.
Featured image via Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
