DALLAS — A week into the NFL’s official offseason and the Dallas Cowboys don’t look like the same team that won the NFC East in 2023 or the one that won 12 games for the third consecutive year. With their salary cap situation and how they manage those dollars, it always meant that there would be significant turnover because of their 16 free agents.
However, it was difficult to watch just how quickly those players exited the organization when legal tampering began. Perhaps it’s because of how slowly and methodically the Cowboys go about upgrading their roster, but it felt like the team was losing free agents every day without gaining anyone to help offset the losses.
That isn’t the reality, of course. What has occurred, though, has left the Cowboys with a roster that isn’t nearly as strong or deep as it was last season. There are several holes left to fill and the task of replacing what they’ve lost isn’t easy. Dallas faces the challenge of finding suitable options to get the team to improve on last year’s results, despite not having the finances to do so at the moment.
Of course, help could come at any moment. Restructuring contracts or working out extensions with quarterback Dak Prescott or wide receiver CeeDee Lamb are easiest ways to find cap space and the players to get better. However, things are never that simple with Jerry and Stephen Jones.
The team has dragged their feet on both extensions for their All-Pros, and not getting deals done early this offseason has already proven to be a losing strategy. Many of the best free agents are already off the market, and Dallas’ options to help improve are dwindling.
By waiting and not sorting out their cap issues, the team watched as future Hall of Fame left tackle Tyron Smith signed with the New York Jets over the weekend. Any hope that was building for a return was squashed when the Jets offered Smith a contract that could be worth up to $20 million with incentives.
The Cowboys were never going to come near that total but could’ve gotten to the $6.5 million in base salary that Smith received. Whether or not Smith is worth the money can be disputed, but what isn’t up for debate is how the Joneses have fumbled this offseason so far, and how it’s going to make it difficult to match the past few years of success in 2024.
Smith wasn’t the only veteran that wasn’t retained over the weekend, either. Gone too are linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and wide receiver Michael Gallup. Vander Esch missed the last 12 games in 2023 with a neck injury and is headed for retirement. In the six years since he entered the league, the veteran LB has taken a beating and suffered multiple neck injuries, which he took as a sign that his time in the league is up.
Gallup’s release was expected. The team allowed the veteran WR to seek a trade, but with the incoming group of WRs in the draft, Gallup never found a suitor. The Cowboys cut Gallup before his roster bonus was due and with a post-June 1 designation to spread the cap hit over two seasons.
The $9.5 million saved in 2024 will mostly be used to pay for the rookie draft class and the Cowboys won’t see the cap benefits until June 1, so they don’t have that extra money to use in free agency.
So that is where the Cowboys currently stand just over a week into the new league year. They haven’t gotten extensions signed for their two priorities, they have lost five starters in free agency, have added only one outside free agent who is expected to play most of the snaps, all while still having the least amount of cap space in the league.
The positions that are in dire need of help haven’t been addressed; Dallas has no starting running back, LT, center, quality third WR – which is essentially a starter on offense – and they are short at least two LBs and a defensive tackle. There is also little depth at defensive end and cornerback.
Things look underwhelming for the Cowboys right now, and the football world is wondering what is going on in Dallas. However, there is time to turn things around and this is usually the point in the offseason where the Cowboys finally get to work.
The team has acknowledged that they need to be more active in free agency and they opened up some money to do so by converting some of Prescott’s contract into a roster bonus.
The first order of business after the conversion was to re-sign running back Rico Dowdle to a one-year deal. Dowdle was the second-leading rusher for the Cowboys in 2023 and proved to be a solid backup. His signing strengthens a position that was nearly out of options after the departure of 2023 starter Tony Pollard.
Free agency rolls on for the Cowboys, and while there aren’t many top choices left, there are solid players who can help. The organization can’t be done adding to the roster and they’ll need to continue to explore the open market, and perhaps through trades. Last offseason the team found two good veteran players – WR Brandin Cooks and CB Stephon Gilmore – who were big contributors via trades after the first wave of free agency.
It doesn’t matter how it happens, but the Cowboys need to fill in the gaps on the roster with talent. They have lost more than they’ve added since free agency began, they have holes to fill, and they don’t have the draft capital to fix them all.
Time isn’t up, yet, but the Cowboys must jump into the offseason fray. Week 2 of free agency is usually when they thrive, and they need to make that the case again this year.
Do you think the Cowboys will make impactful roster enhancements in free agency? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
