Dallas Cowboys: 5 Moves the Cowboys Front Office Must Make This Offseason

The Dallas Cowboys have made a few good moves in free agency as the time comes closer to the NFL draft. But is the job done? Is the front office content with the moves they have made? 

Maybe they should reconsider their strategy. Here are a few moves I would recommend the Cowboys make in order to have a great 2012 season. 

Draft One of the 'Bama Guys

According to recent reports from the Cowboys blog on espn.com, The team is hosting Alabama's defensive stars Dre Kirkpatrick, Courtney Upshaw and Mark Barron for a visit with the staff and front office at Jerry's World. 

Personally, I think Dallas couldn't go wrong drafting any of these players. They were all stars on the best collegiate defense in the country, and played in a similar 3-4 scheme that Rob Ryan runs. All three of the former Crimson Tide stars could fit in on the Cowboys defense seamlessly. 

If the front office decides to go with the defensive side of the ball in the first round, they might as well choose a player who is accustomed to winning and playing hard-nosed football. 

Get Rid of Anthony Spencer

The Cowboys have franchise tagged Anthony Spencer this offseason, and are apparently in no rush to sign him to a long-term deal. 

Spencer has, in most part of his tenure in Dallas, been a disappointment at the outside linebacker spot. Maybe it is because DeMarcus Ware steals all the thunder, but the front office shouldn't settle for mediocrity. 

The best bet would be to deal Spencer (possibly by draft day) for some compensation and avoid paying him the franchise-tag tender. The Cowboys should probably start off fresh at the outside linebacker spot that would be vacated by Spencer.

Pick Up a Receiver in the Late Rounds

As highly touted as the Cowboys receiving corps are, the production hasn't quite been there recently, in terms of reliability. Sure, Miles Austin and Dez Bryant are some of the more talented receivers in the NFL, but durability isn't a strong suit among them. 

They lost their most durable (and most valuable) receiver from last season, Laurent Robinson, to free agency, and are now left with not much else to pick up the slack if Austin or Bryant were to get hurt. 

The Cowboys might as well pick up a receiver in the draft at some point, and they could find some good value in a guy like Arkansas' Jarius Wright or Ohio State's DeVier Posey. 

Why not, right?

Look for Another Tight End

The Cowboys have made hardly any free-agent moves to help out the offense, and lost tight end Martellus Bennett to the New York Giants. John Phillips has shown potential that he can be the second tight end behind Jason Witten, but has had a hard time staying healthy.

Phillips is almost a carbon copy of Witten, and the Cowboys would love to see him have a big year. But it's not good business to put all the eggs in an injured basket. 

Maybe the Cowboys would be better off signing a tight end through free agency. There are a few good ones left, including the former Viking Visanthe Shiancoe or (dare I say it) Jeremy Shockey that the 'Boys could go after.

Many teams are using two tight end schemes now, and the Cowboys could take advantage of some of the better tight ends on the market.  

Avoid Quinton Coples

If the Cowboys find the need to pick a defensive lineman, and find that some of the best like Michael Brockers or Dontari Poe are gone, they should probably avoid picking Quinton Coples.

Coples comes with a few red flags about maturity issues or that he 'takes plays off'. The front office should avoid him at all costs. The last thing a team like the Cowboys needs is to have another physically gifted player that doesn't give 100 percent. 

The 'Boys would be much better off with going another direction if Coples is still on the board.