Cowboys' Biggest Keys To Having Successful NFL Offseason
With the 2022-23 NFL season now officially over, the league has turned its focus to free agency and the 2023 draft. The Dallas Cowboys will be looking to use their offseason to improve a team that fell short in the divisional round.
It won't be easy. Free agency, which kicks off on March 15, will be a competitive affair. The Cowboys have several key players scheduled to hit the market—and several more they may look to target—that will be coveted by other teams.
The issue is that Dallas is projected to be $7.6 million over the salary cap.
This doesn't mean that the Cowboys can't have a successful offseason. Armed with the 27th pick in the first round, the Cowboys will have a chance to land a rookie difference-maker, and they can always get creative in free agency.
With all of this in mind, let's examine three keys to a successful Dallas offseason.
Create Some Cap Space
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Dallas' free-agency challenge is a two-pronged problem. It starts with the fact that notable contributors like running back Tony Pollard, tight end Dalton Schultz, cornerback Anthony Brown, wideout Noah Brown, pass-rusher Dante Fowler Jr. linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and backup quarterback Cooper Rush are all slated to become free agents.
Re-signing or replacing Dallas' impending free agents simply isn't going to happen with a cap deficit. As was the case last offseason, the Cowboys need to find some cap space to have a successful offseason.
Last year, Dallas found room by trading star wide receiver Amari Cooper. This offseason, the Cowboys may have to consider releasing running back Ezekiel Elliott.
Elliott—who averaged just 3.8 yards per carry this season—seems to have lost a step. He's also set to carry a cap hit of $16.7 million, and Dallas can save $10.9 million by releasing him with a post-June 1 designation.
Elliott, for what it's worth, appears to be bracing for the possibility that he'll be released or asked to take a pay cut. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Elliott's agents will "figure out his value at the combine" before he decides whether or not to accept a restructured offer from the Cowboys.
Whether it's by parting with Elliott or not, Dallas must create some considerable cap room or face the task of reloading the roster with unproven rookies and league-minimum free agents.
Add a Top-Tier Run Defender or Two
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Even if the Cowboys are able to bring back most of their own, they'll want to find a way to upgrade their run defense.
Dallas had a good overall defense in 2022, one that ranked 12th overall as well as fifth in points allowed. However, the Cowboys struggled to defend the run consistently, finishing ranked 17th in yards per carry allowed (4.4) and 22nd in rushing yards surrendered (129.3).
If the Cowboys can create the cap room, targeting a standout defensive lineman like Dre'Mont Jones or Daron Payne in free agency could make some sense. However, with Vander Esch set to depart, a run-stopping linebacker could be a bigger need.
Veterans like Lavonte David and Tremaine Edmunds are slated to be available. Dallas could also target a linebacker like Clemson's Trenton Simpson—the 31st-ranked prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's big board—in the draft.
"Simpson has always played with his hair on fire and has been physical at the point of attack against the run," Matt Holder of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "Wide receivers and tight ends working to the second level had trouble blocking him, and the added strength helped him hold his ground and get some extension versus offensive linemen."
If Dallas hopes to field a complete and truly elite defense in 2023, throwing multiple darts at their run defense would be advisable.
Get the New Offense Installed Quickly
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Not every offseason goal will involve the roster itself. Dallas lost offensive coordinator Kellen Moore when he took the OC job with the Los Angeles Chargers. The Cowboys replaced him with Brian Schottenheimer, who served as a coaching consultant this past season.
Head coach Mike McCarthy is expected to call the plays, and the focus appears to be on supporting quarterback Dak Prescott.
"This whole thing reflects the upside that I feel in Dak," franchise owner Jerry Jones said, per Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "The fact that we're doing this, Mike's calling the plays, this has everything to do with the positives around Dak. It's building around Dak."
While many of the concepts may remain the same, offensive changes are likely coming. It will behoove the Cowboys to get those changes implemented well ahead of training camp. Dallas ranked fourth in scoring in 2022, but there is room for improvement—Prescott, for example, tossed 15 interceptions in 12 games.
The Cowboys cannot expect to start the season hot offensively if they're still learning on the fly in the fall. McCarthy handling play-call duties while also making head-coaching decisions will take some getting used to, and the learning process could be compounded by the potential losses of players like Pollard and Schultz.
*Cap and contract information via Spotrac.
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