Cowboys Rumors: 'Feeling Around League' DAL Blew 'Best Chance' at Super Bowl Win

The Dallas Cowboys' 23-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Round may have been more impactful than it seemed in the moment.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, there is a "feeling around the league" that the Cowboys blew their best chance to win a Super Bowl in this current window of contention.

There are significant roster questions for Dallas to answer this offseason. The team is currently $21.2 million over the cap with Randy Gregory, Dalton Schultz, Cedrick Wilson and Michael Gallup among their key free agents.

Some of the recent moves made by Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones have put the team in a position where it may need to make some drastic moves to get under the cap.

Aaron Wilson of the Pro Football Network reported last month that Dallas is expected to retain Amari Cooper. The team could save $16 million by releasing him, and the four-time Pro Bowler is coming off his least productive season with the Cowboys (865 receiving yards in 15 games).

The biggest albatross for the Cowboys is Ezekiel Elliott's contract. He has the largest cap hit among running backs in 2022 ($18.22 million) and a $30.08 million dead cap figure. 

Per ESPN's Todd Archer, the "easiest" way for the Cowboys to create flexibility is by restructuring Dak Prescott's contract, as he is currently set to count $34.45 million against the 2022 cap.

Micah Parsons had an outstanding debut season, but the Cowboys could use another edge-rusher to ease the burden on him. He was the only player on the team with more than six sacks during the regular season.

Gregory, meanwhile, could get the first significant contract of his career as a free agent. The 29-year-old set a career high with 17 quarterback hits and tied his career high with six sacks during the regular season. 

Dallas' once-vaunted offensive line also showed plenty of cracks in 2021.

Playing in the NFC East could once again help out the Cowboys next season, as each of the other three teams in the division still has a significant question at quarterback.

Dallas looks like the on-paper favorite to win the division again, but making the Super Bowl could be a bigger challenge given all of the roster questions facing the front office.