DALLAS — No team is perfect, which is why free agency and the draft exist in the NFL. Like all teams in the league, the first chance that the Dallas Cowboys will have to address their needs from outside the organization begins on March 13.
However, the Cowboys can legally tamper with free agents and agree to deals as early as March 11, but nothing becomes official until two days later.
Cowboys fans have grown accustomed to the front office’s long term strategy of waiting out the first few days when all the high-priced, top talent goes off the market, before they dip their toes in the free agent waters. Jerry Jones’ franchise spends on extending their own talent and then addresses the biggest holes on the roster by signing second and third wave veterans for a cheaper price so that they can enter the draft without any major needs.
Before that happens, Dallas needs to figure out where they need help and then find the right fits in free agency. As it stands now, without re-signing any of their own free agents, here are the five biggest needs for the Cowboys to address this offseason:
Running back
While it’s intriguing for Dallas to not be paying near the top of the market value for a running back for the first time in a long while, that doesn’t mean they don’t need a good one. The Cowboys currently don’t have a starting caliber runner. Last year’s top two options are free agents – the team can match offers for 2023 backup Rico Dowdle, however – and the reports are that Dallas is willing to push the reset button on the position.
After a down year, Tony Pollard won’t be receiving the franchise tag again as the bellwether running back, and although he could be brought back, the Cowboys aren’t going to pay big money to re-sign him. It’s unlikely that Pollard is back unless it’s via a cheap deal.
The team has a history of having big name running backs, though, so they’ll be linked to a host of free agent runners, something that’s already begun. Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, and Saquon Barkley are all free agent backs who have been mentioned to be a fit for Dallas.
Currently, the team only has undrafted free agent Malik Davis and sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn as options, and that isn’t good enough. Expect the Cowboys to be in play for a free agent running back, even if it isn’t one of the big names.
Left tackle
The Cowboys could go a few ways with their left tackle position. They could re-sign veteran left tackle Tyron Smith and continue with their in-season plan to rarely have him practice in a bid to keep him healthy for Sundays. That worked well for Smith, who played in 13 games in 2023.
However, even if they do bring Smith back, they need another option in case the injury-plagued veteran can’t make it through the season. The in-house candidates include second-year tackle Asim Richards, who had some nice moments as a fifth-round rookie who still needs some work, or Matt Waletzko, a fifth-round pick from 2022 who hasn’t seen the field much in two years due to injuries.
The upcoming draft is full of tackle options, so the team could wait until April to address the position, but free agency could also be a place where the Cowboys add a better left tackle option to hopefully pair with Smith.
Linebacker
There’s no other way to slice it, the Cowboys are woefully thin at linebacker and were forced to play a safety as a full-time linebacker in the middle of the year and needed to find veterans off the scrap heap to help last season. As a result, the defense was rundown in the run game too much late in the year.
That won’t happen again under new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who will require bigger bodies who are actual linebackers to play in his defense.
Dallas’ top linebacker options heading into the offseason are Damone Clark, who started 17 games and led the team in tackles last year, and DeMarvion Overshown, who missed his rookie year with a torn ACL. Safety Markquese Bell was a great find last year, but he could be moved back to his natural position under Zimmer.
Leighton Vander Esch missed almost the entire 2023 season with a neck injury and it’s anyone’s guess if he will return to the Cowboys, or football, at all.
That leaves a large void at linebacker and free agency has some solid options for the Cowboys. The top-of-the-line linebackers won’t come cheap, so the team will have to decide if they want to spend money at the position.
Expect the team to add a veteran or two to beef up the position before the draft comes along.
Center
Another place on the offensive line that could use an upgrade is center. The starter for the last few years has been Tyler Biadasz, who will be a free agent if the team doesn’t re-sign him. Behind him are two young, unproven, yet intriguing possibilities in Brock Hoffman and T.J. Bass. Both Bass and Hoffman entered the league as undrafted free agents but had some nice moments for the Cowboys during the 2023 season.
However, neither is likely to be trusted as the starting center going forward and Dallas needs to find a better option. The 2024 draft has a plethora of centers who could intrigue the team inside the first few rounds if they go that route.
Free agency also offers a few veterans who could step in and do the job for the Cowboys. The question is, where will the team turn if they choose not to bring back Biadasz? This seems like a good year to need a solid option at center, and the Cowboys should have no problem finding a replacement.
Wide receiver
The Cowboys have one of the league’s top wide receivers in CeeDee Lamb, who is coming off his second straight All-Pro season. They also have veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who became one of quarterback Dak Prescott’s most trusted targets, especially in the red zone. Steadily improving Jalen Tolbert also heads into his pivotal third year.
With the expectation that the Cowboys will release veteran wideout Michael Gallup, those are the top three wide receivers. It’s a nice group, but not good enough, and more playmakers are necessary.
The good news is that this is a deep free agent class for receivers. The bad news is that they’ll cost a pretty penny if the Cowboys are interested in adding a quality wide receiver. The better news is the draft is loaded with high end wide receiver talent and that could be where the team looks to upgrade the position.
Pairing Lamb with another young wide receiver makes a lot of sense for the Cowboys. The team can fill that void this offseason with a top wide receiver in March or April, and they’ll have plenty of options to choose from.
Which position do you hope to see the Cowboys spend money on in free agency? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
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