Dallas Cowboys: Outlining Blueprint for Successful Offseason
With just five games left in the 2017 season, the Dallas Cowboys' offseason is quickly approaching.
After a 13-3 season in 2016, Dallas took a major step backward in 2017. In order for the Cowboys to get back on top of the NFC East, they will need to have a much better offseason than they did in the previous season.
What should be the Cowboys' biggest goals this offseason? What do they have to accomplish to ensure they field a more competitive team next season?
Here is a blueprint for the Cowboys' 2018 offseason plans.
Keep Ezekiel Elliott out of Trouble
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As strange as it might sound, one of the most important things the Cowboys have to do this offseason is keep running back Ezekiel Elliott out of trouble.
After being suspended for six games this year, the Cowboys are painfully learning just how much he means to their offense and their team. Without him on the field, the rest of the roster crumbles; they are now 0-4 in the games he hasn't played in and 18-5 when he's been on the field.
With the national spotlight on him, everyone will be watching Elliott's every move this offseason. That should make Cowboys fans nervous this offseason.
After his rookie season, the 22-year-old was involved in a number of off-field "situations," including being in a possible bar fight and an incident in which he pulled down a woman's top in a parade.
Keeping him out of trouble and in shape for the 2018 season should be the Cowboys' top goal this offseason. As long as he is on the field, they have a chance to win any game against any opponent.
As Elliott heads into his third season in the NFL, expect him to handle the spotlight better, and he should be as motivated as ever to dominate next season.
Re-Sign Defensive End DeMarcus Lawrence
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After a huge breakout season in 2017, one of the top goals the Cowboys must accomplish this offseason is getting a long-term contract done with defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.
After 11 weeks, Lawrence has 11.5 sacks, just a half a sack away from leading the league (Everson Griffen and Chandler Jones each have 12).
It's been a while since the Cowboys have had a player record more than 11 sacks in a season. The last one to do so was DeMarcus Ware in 2012 (he also did it five other times in his career, per Pro Football Reference) and before him was Greg Ellis in 2007. In total, just seven other Cowboys' rushers have accomplished that feat in a single season.
However, it's not going to be easy to re-sign Lawrence. Pass-rushers are highly coveted in today's NFL and the Cowboys don't have a ton of excess cap space.
According to Spotrac, Dallas is projected to have just $13 million of cap space this offseason. That's not a lot of wiggle room when you consider they will need to re-sign Zack Martin, David Irving and Lawrence.
Lawrence's market value could be all over the place this offseason, depending on how he finishes the season and how healthy his back is. If he continues to play at this pace, he should be looking a deal that pays him somewhere between $12 million-$16 million per season.
Lawrence is a budding superstar who doesn't turn 26 until April. One way or another, the Cowboys have to find a way to pay their best defensive linemen since DeMarcus Ware.
Sign Zack Martin to a Long-Term Extension
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Much like DeMarcus Lawrence, the Cowboys will need to find a way to get Zack Martin signed.
Heading into his fifth season in 2018, he will be playing in the final year of his rookie contract after the team picked up his fifth-year option during the 2017 offseason.
At the age of 27, Martin is one of the best and most decorated guards in the NFL. He's made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons in the league and is well on his way to doing it again this season.
The Cowboys know their entire roster is built on the backs of their offensive line, so locking up one of the league's best should be an easy decision. However, finding the funds to do so could be tough given the team's limited cap room and the ever-rising price of interior offensive linemen.
But of all the moves the Cowboys will make this offseason, this one seems by far the most likely to happen. Martin is one of the best, and the team will likely reward him with a contract that keeps him in Dallas for the remainder of his career.
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Get Randy Gregory Reinstated
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For the most part, expect the Cowboys' pass rush to look the same next season.
Dallas will likely re-sign or franchise tag DeMarcus Lawrence and give David Irving a first- or second-round tender in restricted free agency, ensuring he will be back on the roster for at least the 2018 season.
And they are unlikely to spend a "high" pick on the defensive line, with Tyrone Crawford, Taco Charlton, Benson Mayowa and Charles Tapper still on the roster.
One way the Cowboys can improve the depth of their defensive line is by getting Randy Gregory back on the field. The 25-year-old is eligible to apply for reinstatement at any time, but he is expected to do so in the offseason, according to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk.
By all accounts, it sounds like Gregory is in a much better place mentally and is trying everything possible to get back on to the field in 2018.
If Gregory can return and play at the level we saw in his last two games in 2016, he can be an asset to the Cowboys' defensive line. He is the one player on the roster who has the ability to bend the edge and be a true right defensive end in Rod Marinelli's defense.
If the Cowboys can find some way to get Gregory back for the 2018 season, it will be one of the best moves they could make all offseason.
Find Another Starting Cornerback
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Assuming Byron Jones stays at safety, the Cowboys will be in the market for another cornerback this offseason.
Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown and Chidobe Awuzie will all be back in 2018, but the team could use another reliable outside cornerback so Brown can shift inside to the slot.
Ideally, Awuzie would win that job in the offseason, allowing the Cowboys to "save" a draft pick. But with the limited amount of snaps the 22-year-old has played this season and the fact his best position in the NFL might be as a safety, Dallas might want to spend a pick here anyways.
Awuzie will be given every opportunity to win this role, but it's hard to imagine he will grab hold of it before the draft.
What is more likely is the team will spend another top-100 pick on a secondary player. Dallas wants to continue to bring in young talent at this spot, and by spending premium picks every year at cornerback, it saves them from shelling out massive amounts of free-agent dollars on one spot.
This is a young secondary, but assuming they will all improve next season may not be wise. As we saw with Brown, sophomore slumps are real.
Somehow, the Cowboys have to find another reliable option on the side. If they can, you could see the defense take a big step forward in 2018; if they can't, it may be more of the same next year.
Find a True 1-Technique
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If Gregory does get reinstated, the Cowboys' defensive line is nearly set.
They would have four to five reliable defensive ends who can generate pressure, including two stars in Lawrence and Irving. They also would have some young, developmental pieces such as Taco Charlton, Charles Tapper and possibly Gregory for the future.
But the one piece the Cowboys' defensive line lacks is a true 1-technique. After Terrell McClain left via free agency and once Dallas realized the Cedric Thornton signing wasn't going to work out, the team was left with just Stephen Paea as their only interior run defender. He eventually retired, and the Cowboys were forced to move Maliek Collins inside—a spot he clearly doesn't belong at.
If the Cowboys want to dramatically improve their defense in 2018, they could look to draft a space-eating 1-technique who can hold up against double teams in the running game and create some pressure on passing downs.
Brian Price and Richard Ash will likely be back again in 2018, but both are more reserve players than starters. Dallas needs to find their version of Damon Harrison or Timmy Jernigan if they want to get back to being a dominant defense.
Get Rico Gathers Involved in the Offense
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Unfortunately for the Cowboys, Jason Witten is no longer the player we have grown accustomed to watching. What hurts even more is he is now hurting the Cowboys' offense.
According to Pro Football Reference, there are 32 tight ends in the league this season who have caught at least 20 passes and only three are averaging few yards per reception than Witten (8.58 yards per catch).
Witten will turn 36 this offseason, and the Cowboys can't continue to rely on him to be the dynamic receiving threat he once was. Instead, they need to figure out a way to get the ultra-athletic Rico Gathers involved in the offense.
Gathers showed in the preseason he belongs in the NFL. Heading into Year 3, the Cowboys need him to start making plays in the regular season. He has the size and athleticism the Cowboys' offense needs in the middle field. He can stretch the seam and draw the attention of safeties, something Witten hasn't been able to do for years in Dallas.
This offseason, the Cowboys need to make it a priority to speed up Gathers' development and find him a role. He doesn't need to play 60 snaps a game, but they have to figure out a way get him on the field. He's just too talented not to be a part of the offense.
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