Upper management for the Dallas Cowboys has been telling anyone who will listen that they were disappointed with how the season ended without a deep playoff run.
Jerry and Stephen Jones haven’t been shy about expressing their feelings. The Cowboys braintrust is sure that the pieces were all there, but it just didn’t come together.
The frustration is understandable. The team got off to a hot start and seemingly did have the look of a Super Bowl contender. However, the slow descent in the second half put the 2021 squad in the same class as all of the other promising Cowboys teams that couldn’t cross the finish line during the last 25 years.
Even so, the melancholy tones from the Joneses have felt different since this particular season ended.
The mood might be coming from different places. They know a lot of changes occur from year-to-year in the NFL. The playoff turnover rate is roughly 50% and they aren’t out of the woods yet about losing key members of the coaching staff.
One concern was alleviated when defensive coordinator Dan Quinn chose to stay, rather than take a head coaching gig. The other shoe could drop at any minute, however, as offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is still a top candidate to win the head coaching job with the Miami Dolphins.
Aside from hoping to retain their coaches, there are other things that worry the Dallas brass.
Putting together a roster that has continuity but finds the missing puzzle pieces is always a harrowing task in the era of the salary cap in the NFL. The Cowboys are currently over the cap with 21 pending free agents to consider.
That’s a lot of work to do and difficult decisions must be made. The Joneses need to figure out how to get under the cap while keeping the core intact. There won’t be much time for mourning as strategy must be formulated quickly with the new league year approaching and free agency set to open next month.
The easiest ways to get under the cap, and to make room to sign impending free agents, is to release star players. For Dallas, the speculation has already begun that two of their best players might be on their way out. Wide receiver Amari Cooper and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence could become salary cap casualties.
If true, that is a tough sell for Cowboys fans. The team isn’t likely to be any better without their top defensive end or one of their best receivers, which makes it difficult to understand the motive. Dallas does need to find cap space but getting rid of two of the better players on the roster isn’t a way to improve in 2022.
The Cowboys will save a potential $24 million if they release Cooper and Lawrence, but the team would also need to find ways to replace them.
With fellow wide receivers Michael Gallup, Cedrick Wilson, Noah Brown, and Malik Turner all free agents, the offense would be very short-handed at a vital position.
Cooper had three straight 1,000-yard seasons with the Cowboys before coming up short this year, totaling 865 yards and eight scores. He missed two games with COVID-19 and made the decision to not get vaccinated, which was rumored to rub the team the wrong way.
Without Cooper, CeeDee Lamb would take over as the true No. 1 receiver in Dallas and the focal point of the passing attack for quarterback Dak Prescott. Lamb’s a very good receiver, but without help, the passing game could suffer.
If Lawrence is out in Dallas, defensive end becomes another position where the team could struggle. Lawrence was hurt and missed 10 games this season, but he is a difference maker when he’s on the field.
The Cowboys are also poised to lose free agent defensive ends Randy Gregory and Dorance Armstrong this offseason, leaving the position thin if Lawrence is cut. Perhaps the Cowboys will try to re-sign one of these players and the way to make room is by ridding themselves of Lawrence.
A dismissal of Lawrence could also signal that the Cowboys are willing to invest in Micah Parsons getting more play as an edge defender.
No matter what the Cowboys do to offset the production and leadership of Lawrence, the impact will be felt. The defense will not be the same without him.
If the Cowboys want to build on the momentum from this season, releasing two of their better veteran players doesn’t feel like the ideal way to go about it. For now, it’s just talk, and the Cowboys are likely still early in their planning phase for the offseason.
Dallas earned goodwill with a bounceback season as the organization appeared to be moving in the right direction. It’s now up to Jerry and Stephen Jones to keep the Cowboys on that trajectory and letting go of two of their stars feels like it would be taking a step back.
Do you think it’s time for the Cowboys to consider cutting some high-priced players? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.