Dallas Cowboys are said to be 'one or two moves away' by NFL insider, these are the most impactful ones they could make
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott says the team is close to winning the Super Bowl, just like the Philadelphia Eagles did last Sunday. But are they really? It depends on how you look at it. Many teams dream of a core of players formed by Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons. But those who […]
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott says the team is close to winning the Super Bowl, just like the Philadelphia Eagles did last Sunday. But are they really?
It depends on how you look at it. Many teams dream of a core of players formed by Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons. But those who follow the Cowboys closely know of the team’s lack of proactiveness when building the roster. Having those stars doesn’t mean they’ll complement them as Dallas has had problems rounding out what’s become a top heavy roster.
If you ask ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Cowboys fall one on the “one or two moves away” bucket of NFL teams. The insider put together an article diving teams on several overhaul tiers, ranging from “major contenders” to “on the cusp," all the way down to "in quarterback purgatory,” and "yup, still rebuilding."
Below is what Fowler wrote about the Cowboys, who he classified as a team "stuck in the middle… but a move or two away":
The Cowboys need to get their edge back in a hurry. The NFC East won't wait for them. The Eagles are atop the NFL, and the Commanders aren't going anywhere. The major decision this offseason is whether to pay Micah Parsons a market-setting deal. Re-signing defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa should be a priority. And while Dallas will likely be strapped for cash once again due to top-heavy deals, it will need to get creative to address needs, including adding a No. 2 receiver, a running back and offensive line reinforcements. If Dallas wants to remodel its secondary, releasing safeties Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker would save more than $9 million in cap.
– Jeremy Fowler, ESPN
What moves do the Cowboys absolutely need to make?
So off of Fowler's premise that the Cowboys are a move or two away, I asked myself, what are those exactly? I'd argue Dallas has a longer list of needs than people realize but they're likely going to avoid spending big dollars in free agency.
Below is a list of the three moves I'd categorize as "absolutely must happen."
- WR2: The Cowboys can't keep treating WR2 as a small need. When they could've had Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb together, they took the cheap route and got rid of Cooper before signing Michael Gallup to a deal that aged poorly. After landing Brandin Cooks on a late-round pick trade, they stopped trying to upgrade the receiving core. Now, Cooks is a pending free agent and it's time for improvement to help out an offense that needs better talent, period.
- Re-sign Osa Odighizuwa: Specially with Matt Eberflus taking over the defense, the Cowboys will need a strong front four on their defensive line. If they lose Osa, a dominant three-technique defensive tackle, it won't be pretty. The position is arguably one of the most important ones on Eberflus' scheme, which makes Odighizuwa a franchise tag candidate.
- More defensive line reinforcements: I might be in the minority here but the Cowboys need a deeper defensive line. DeMarcus Lawrence and Chauncey Golston are pending free agents in addition to Osa and this one-gap scheme might not favor Mazi Smith, whose get-off speed is a weakness. For a defense that might not blitz all that much, they've got to find a way to help out Parsons. If they lose Osa, this becomes even more important.
Again, this is a short list of moves and not enough when considering what the Cowboys need. But if we're talking about the franchise being one or two moves away, these are the most impactful they could make.
