Fans hoping the Cowboys would tank need to come to grips with obvious and intimidating reality they seem to be ignoring
There's a large portion of the Dallas Cowboys' fanbase that's upset about Sunday's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Listen, I get it. They're mathematically eliminated and every win is factually worsening their draft position. Once expected to pick in the Top 10, the Cowboys are currently projected to go on the clock at 15th […]
There's a large portion of the Dallas Cowboys' fanbase that's upset about Sunday's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Listen, I get it. They're mathematically eliminated and every win is factually worsening their draft position. Once expected to pick in the Top 10, the Cowboys are currently projected to go on the clock at 15th overall next April.
And while it's fair to wish for a better pick in hopes of a better player when it's time to turn their card in, I believe those in Cowboys Nation hoping the team would tank need to come to grips with an obvious, albeit intimidating, reality.
And that is that the Cowboys' place in the 2025 NFL Draft won't be the biggest, nor the second biggest, nor the third biggest factor in turning things around moving forward. That's the reality this team is facing. Sure, there are foundational players on the roster such as Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons. There are exciting young players that will only improve with more playing time under their belt.
And yet, this is a team that will feature many holes and needs ahead of the 2025 season. They're looking like one of those NFL teams that will have "everything" listed as their team needs when it's draft season.
As such, I believe the Cowboys' reality is that there are at least three more important things than moving up or down a handful of slots in the draft order. Let's dive in.
1. Get the coaching decision right
Let's not go down the rabbit hole of whether or not the Cowboys should bring back Mike McCarthy. That's a deeper discussion we can save for another day. But whatever the front office decides regarding the future of the coaching staff will be much bigger than a first-round selection.
Right now, the Cowboys could opt for a "run it back" year with McCarthy, a completely new start with a revamped staff in place, or even find a new head coach to pair with defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, whose job is looking increasingly safer as we close out the year.
2. Re-signing key players
Whoever you draft in April is unlikely to have as big an impact as the following players as far as 2025 goes:
- DE DeMarcus Lawrence
- DT Osa Odighizuwa
- CB Jourdan Lewis
- RB Rico Dowdle
- DE Chauncey Golston
- RG Brock Hoffman
- LB Eric Kendricks (specially with DeMarvion Overshown out and specially if Zimmer returns)
The Cowboys won't be able to keep them all but re-signing a big chunk of the above players will be important for the short-term future of the franchise. If they can't achieve that, who cares if they pick five spots lower?
3. Attack free agency
With as many needs as the Cowboys have this year, they simply can't use the same gameplan they had in place for the 2024 offseason. The front office simply can't go into April believing they can fill every need through drafted rookies.
That's why being closer to "all in" in March will be crucial. The Cowboys will need to be active spenders instead of crossing their arms en route to ranking 32nd in free agency spending. Among the Cowboys' top needs will be offensive and defensive linemen, wide receivers, running back depth, cornerback, and more.
So sure, the Cowboys might benefit from today's losses to get a better draft choice tomorrow. But it'll be a small variable in a long equation that will mostly hinge on other variables. My pro tip?
Don't let your favorite team winning a ballgame ruin the holidays for you. It won't matter as much as you think it will.
