Roster Holes Cowboys Must Fill Before Training Camp

The 2024 NFL offseason is coming to a close, and the next two months will be critical for the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas suffered an embarrassing home loss in the wild-card round this past season, then lost key players like Tyron Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Tony Pollard and Dorance Armstrong in free agency.

The hope is that rookies like Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe will help the Cowboys reload quickly. Even if they do, though, there are holes that need to be addressed ahead of Week 1.

The task of filling them will ramp up when training camp opens on July 24, but Dallas has $10.1 million in cap space and should consider using it to fill needs before then. One way or another, the following roster spots must be addressed, ideally before the start of camp.

Running Back

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Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle

This is probably the most obvious need on the Cowboys' roster as training camp approaches. Dallas struggled to run the ball consistently in 2023—ranking 20th in yards per carry—and with Pollard out, the ground game is even more of a question mark.

Dallas didn't address its backfield in the draft and only added Royce Freeman and Ezekiel Elliott in free agency. It is now eying a full-on backfield committee for the 2024 season.

"Two or three [backs], whatever it takes," coach Mike McCarthy said, per ESPN's Todd Archer.

Elliott and Freeman join Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn as Dallas' top options. Unfortunately, there isn't a quality start among the bunch. Elliott is the closest thing to being one, and he hasn't been an efficient runner in 2021—the last time he averaged over 4.0 yards per carry.

Last season with the New England Patriots, Elliott averaged a mere 35 yards per carry.

The problem here is that there aren't any high-end starters left on the free-agent market. Dallas could take a flier on Dalvin Cook or look to Kareem Hunt as a short-yardage/goal-line back, but its options are largely limited to role players.

Adding a role player could help, though, because the Cowboys' backfield, as constructed, is likely to yield a lot of offensive imbalance in 2024.

Backup Receiver

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Cowboys WR Brandin Cooks

The Cowboys have their No. 1 receiver in CeeDee Lamb, but the depth behind him is extremely questionable.

Brandin Cooks ranked second among Dallas wideouts last season with a mere 657 receiving yards. The Cowboys don't have a dependable third receiver on their roster. Third-year receiver Jalen Tolbert is widely expected to fill that role, but with only 280 career receiving yards. he's a huge question mark.

Dallas' other receivers include Jalen Brooks, KaVontae Turpin and rookie sixth-round pick Ryan Flournoy. It's an underwhelming group overall and it leaves a lot riding on Lamb's health and availability for a full 17-game slate.

That's a dicey proposition, considering Lamb could hold out during training camp barring a contract extension, according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.

The free-agent receiver market isn't strong, but Dallas could take a flier on Michael Thomas or Hunter Renfrow—both former Pro Bowlers. The list of available receivers also includes Russell Gage, Marquise Goodwin, Richie James and former Cowboys practice-squad member Martavis Bryant.

Trading for a receiver could also make sense, though Dallas doesn't exactly have the cap flexibility needed to target a star like Brandon Aiyuk or Tee Higgins. Still, the Cowboys should look to upgrade their receiver room one way or another before camp because they're currently looking at Lamb and a lot of uncertainty in 2024.

Off-Ball Linebacker

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Cowboys LB Damone Clark

Dallas' "marquee" free-agent signing was that of linebacker Erick Kendricks .The 32-year-old does a little bit of everything well and should help boost a defense that ranked 16th against the run last season.

However, it would behoove the Cowboys to add another off-ball linebacker to the mix ahead of camp. Kendricks isn't a tremendous coverage linebacker at this point in his career—he allowed an opposing passer rating of 101.8 last season—and Dallas doesn't have one on its roster.

2023 starter Damone Clark allowed an opposing passer rating of 104.2 in coverage last season.

It's a potential problem because the Cowboys have a loaded secondary, and opponents are likely to attack them at the second level. Rookie third-round pick Marist Liufau may become an early factor, but the need for a coverage 'backer is a concern.

Kwon Alexander might be the top free-agent option here, as he allowed an opposing passer rating of just 76.3 with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. Zach Cunningham wasn't as effective in coverage but did allow opposing passer ratings below 100.0 in each of the past two seasons.

Dallas could also consider bringing back hybrid safety/linebacker Jayron Kearse or take a look at safety Jamal Adams,who is also more of a hybrid player at this stage in his career.

One way or another, though, the Cowboys need to strengthen the second level of their defense, arguably their only question mark on that side of the ball.

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*Cap information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.