Cowboys' Biggest Keys To Having Successful NFL Offseason
With the 2023-24 NFL season officially over, teams have turned the page to the 2024 offseason, free agency and the draft. Once again, the Dallas Cowboys will be working to improve a team that bowed out early in the postseason.
Getting better will be a challenge. Dallas has already been forced to replace defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who took the head coaching job with the rival Washington Commanders.
Dallas is also facing a $14.3 million cap deficit, which makes being a market player difficult.
However, this doesn't mean that the Cowboys can't have a successful offseason. It's just going to require work.
With this in mind, let's dive into the biggest keys for Dallas in 2024.
Sort out Contract for Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb
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Wideout CeeDee Lamb is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is deserving of a pay increase. He was extension-eligible last offseason but never pressed the issue.
"When it's right, just come let me know something. Other than that, I'm just going to keep working," Lamb told reporters last July.
The timing is right now, as Lamb is set to carry a cap hit of $18 million on the fifth-year option. Giving him a new deal could allow Dallas to save significant cap space.
Quarterback Dak Prescott, meanwhile, is set to carry a cap hit of $59.5 million on the final year of his deal. An extension for the QB could also save Dallas cap space, but the Cowboys must first determine what sort of deal to offer.
While Prescott is clearly an above-average quarterback, he's failed to take Dallas beyond the divisional round. He'll turn 31 in July and could be staring down his last truly lucrative payday, and the Cowboys must decide whether they trust Prescott to get them to the proverbial mountaintop over the next half-decade.
Prescott will probably want a deal that pushes into his mid-30s—and he has few reasons to turn down $60 million this year and a shot at free agency in 2025.
A shorter deal could allow the Cowboys to hedge but would also make it harder to push money into future years. Something must be done, though, because barring an extension, this could be Prescott's last run with Dallas.
Find a Running Back
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Assuming the Cowboys can sort things out with both Lamb and Prescott, their next offensive goal must be finding a new every-down running back. Dallas franchise-tagged Tony Pollard last offseason, but the 2022 Pro Bowler struggled in that role.
Pollard amassed 1,316 scrimmage yards but averaged just 4.0 yards per carry. As a team, the Cowboys averaged 4.1 yards per carry, 20th in the NFL. The lack of offensive balance was a problem against playoff-caliber opponents and in the postseason.
The Cowboys should be willing to move off of Pollard, who will be a free agent next month. Finding a dependable replacement, though, will be a challenge.
The 2024 draft class isn't expected to be loaded with top-end RB talent. Florida State's Trey Benson is the top-ranked running back, according to the Bleacher Report Scouting Department, and he's ranked as the 49th overall prospect.
It would make sense to target a player like Benson or Notre Dame's Audric Estimé, but the Cowboys should find some veteran insurance too. Fortunately, the free-agent class is deep at the position, with players like Saquon Barkley, D'Andre Swift, Devin Singletary and Gus Edwards scheduled to hit the market.
While Prescott and Lamb are an incredible combination, they can't be expected to carry the offense every single week. Rebuilding the backfield is a necessity.
Improve the Run Defense
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Defensively, the Cowboys have to consider re-signing cornerbacks Jourdan Lewis and Stephon Gilmore. They also need to dramatically improve their run defense.
Dallas ranked 15th in yards per carry allowed last season, and while that didn't often cost them in the regular season, their run defense was a problem in the playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers.
The Cowboys lack off-ball linebacker depth, and they may consider moving on from Leighton Vander Esch, who suffered another neck injury in 2023. With Jonathan Hankins, Dorance Armstrong and Neville Gallimore scheduled to be free agents, Dallas will also need to reload its defensive front.
If the Cowboys can create the cap space, they'll have to heavily consider free agents like linebacker Patrick Queen, linebacker Bobby Wagner and defensive tackle. D.J. Reader in free agency. They'll also need to consider prospects like Illinois defensive lineman Jer'Zhan Newton and Clemson linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. early in the draft.
What the Cowboys can't afford to do is head into another season with an underwhelming run defense. The NFC's top contenders—Green Bay, the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions—can and will lead with the running game.
*Cap and contract information via Spotrac.
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