Dallas Cowboys Off-Season Primer

2023 Record- (12-5)

In 2023, the Dallas Cowboys finished with 12 wins for the third consecutive season and won the NFC East title for the second time in 3 seasons. They ended in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC with San Francisco and Detroit. 

However, Dallas was outmatched in the playoffs once again and suffered a 48-32 loss at home to the 7th seeded Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys are the first team in NFL history to have won at least 12 games, 3 years in a row and failed to make it to the conference championship game. 

Quarterback Dak Prescott was the runner up to Lamar Jackson in the MVP race, and had unquestionably his most consistent season as a Cowboys signal caller. Prescott had the highest completion percentage of his career (69.5), and threw for 4,516 yards and 36 touchdowns. However, he did not answer the bell come playoff time, leading to some of the same questions on whether he or the team will ever get over the proverbial hump.

Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn left to become the Head Coach of the divisional rival Washington Commanders, while Mike Zimmer was brought in as the new DC. Head Coach Mike McCarthy will return for another season at the helm, although there were many whispers that the loss to Green Bay could end his tenure in Dallas. One thing is for certain—McCarthy is on a short leash and the Cowboys must get to the next level in 2024 or he will be looking for another job. 

Draft Picks

• Round 1 - (24)
• Round 2- (56)
• Round 3- (87)
• Round 7- (230)
• Round 7- (241)

Free Agents

Projected Cap Space - Approximately negative $19,700,000MM

• CB- Stephon Gilmore
• OT- Tyron Smith
• Edge- Dorance Armstrong, Jr.
• C- Tyler Biadasz
• S- Jayron Kearse
• RB- Tony Pollard
• CB- Jourdan Lewis
• OT- Chuma Edoga
• DT- Johnathan Hankins
• LS- Trent Sieg
• DT- Neville Gallimore
• Edge- Dante Fowler, Jr.
• TE- Sean McKeon
• CB- Noah Igbinoghene
• CB- C.J. Goodwin
• RB- Rico Dowdle

The Cowboys are another team who are going to have to cut players and restructure contracts to have cap flexibility. For starters, the club must do something about the Dak Prescott contract as soon as they can. They have 3 options—do nothing, add voidable years to his deal, or sign him to a massive contract extension. Running back Tony Pollard presents another question mark for management. Do they bring him back and will they have the money to pay him? 

Depending on how much money they can free up, their defense may take a big hit with the loss of cornerback Stephon Gilmore and safety Jayron Kearse.

Look for Dallas to make cap room early on and attemopt to re-sign some of their free agents before they hit the open market. Dallas has plenty of work to do to try and match their success of the past 3 seasons.

Biggest Needs 

• DT
• C
• OT
• RB
• LB
• CB

The Cowboys defense struggled up the middle last year and even though they drafted Michigan’s stud defensive tackle/nos guard Mazi Smith in the first round last year, they are about to lose Johnathan Hankins to free agency. Last year, teams attacked the Cowboys up the middle and had a lot of success, including Green Bay in the playoffs. The Cowboys will need to be aggressive in the secondary as well, especially if they lose Gilmore and Kearse. 

On the offensive side of the ball, If the Cowboys lose Pollard, that will leave the running back room bare and they will need to try and upgrade that position in free agency and the draft. Their third round pick should be a nice area to find one that could come in and possibly start for Dallas.