Cowboys' Early Report Card for Most Impactful Offseason Decisions

After a 2020 season in which very little went right for the Dallas Cowboys, there has been a lot of pressure put on the 2021 offseason to correct the ship next season. 

From Dak Prescott's contract situation to a falling salary cap, Jerry Jones and Co. have had to make really important decisions this offseason. 

With the first wave of free agency over, Prescott's contract situation resolved and preparation for the draft taking over as the biggest storyline, it's a good time to look back at the most important decisions the front office has made to this point. 

Have each of these decisions maximized the Cowboys' opportunity to compete for the playoffs and build something special in Dallas?

Let's take a look. 

Dak Prescott's New Contract

Ron Jenkins/Associated Press

This was the most important thing the Cowboys had to get done.

Dak Prescott might be a divisive quarterback among fans. There has been a lack of playoff success under Prescott, but that is an oversimplification of his role on the team. 

In 2019, Prescott's last healthy season, he was a top-five quarterback in yards, touchdowns and QBR. Teams don't just allow quarterbacks capable of that kind of production who are in their 20s hit the open market. 

At first glance, the numbers on Prescott's contract seem astronomical. With a $40 million annual average value, it's the second-largest contract for a quarterback in the league. Only Patrick Mahomes' deal is bigger.

But there's a few things to consider here. One, contracts in the NFL, and cap space in general, are malleable. The Chiefs have already restructured Mahomes' deal he signed last summer. 

Second, a massive amount of money now could be the new norm in just a year or two. The Cowboys happen to be making this deal when the salary cap is depressed from the financial impact of COVID-19. The Athletic's Lindsay Jones reported the cap could be back over $200 million in 2022 and up to $230 million by 2023. 

As the cap goes up, the percentage of that cap Prescott takes up will obviously go down. All future quarterback contracts are going to be negotiated in that market, and Prescott's deal will become normalized. 

The alternative was burning a bridge with their franchise quarterback, essentially forcing a rebuild. There are still hurdles to building a successful roster, but Prescott is the foundation to that, not an impediment. 

Grade: A 

Firing Mike Nolan, Hiring Dan Quinn as Defensive Coordinator

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Based on the financial restrictions with the lowered cap, the Cowboys were never going to be able to completely restructure the defense. To some degree, they are going to have to rely on improvement from 2020 to come from development and a better organizational game plan. 

That could not be left up to Mike Nolan after last season. The Cowboys finished 28th in scoring defense, surrendering 29.6 points per game. 

To Nolan's credit, the defense did improve by the end of the season, but it took weeks of poor defense to convince him to change things up. DeMarcus Lawrence spoke to the team's website about the changes Nolan made, also mentioning they needed to simplify things for the younger guys. 

"I respect Mike as a man because he looked himself in the mirror and he changed some things to make us play faster and helped us play better. I mean, it was later in the season, but we started to see improvements, and I think it really shined a light on the type of players we are," the veteran defensive end said. 

The Cowboys made the right choice moving on from Nolan and turned to another coach with head coaching experience to take the reigns in Dan Quinn. 

Quinn may not have been the most successful head coach in Atlanta, but his track record with the Seattle Seahawks defenses he coordinated in 2013 and 2014 should bring hope he can do the same in Dallas. Then again, Quinn's defenses in Atlanta weren't anything to brag about. 

This was a needed change, and it isn't uncommon for a coach to become an even better coordinator after they've tried their hand at being a head coach. 

Grade: B

Signing Keanu Neal

Danny Karnik/Associated Press

With a reduced budget in free agency, the Cowboys weren't able to make many splashy signings, so Keanu Neal is as big as it gets in terms of players they are bringing in from other organizations. 

As previously mentioned, this is a signing that makes a ton of sense. For Quinn to take over the defense and have success, he needs players to buy-in. With Neal, there's already immediate buy-in. When he's been healthy, he's a great fit in Quinn's system. 

He posted 100 tackles or more in each of the three full seasons he has played under Quinn. He has always excelled as a box safety but will provide even more versatility on the defense this year. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Cowboys are planning on moving Neal to linebacker. 

It makes sense the 6'1", 216-pound former safety could make that move. He has played better closer to the line of scrimmage, and the Cowboys need help at both linebacker and safety. On a one-year, $4 million deal, the Cowboys are taking a minimal risk on a player who could be a key contributor this year. 

The signing doesn't come without risk, though. Neal has missed the bulk of the season in two of his five years in the league thus far. Once with a torn ACL and again with a torn Achilles. Dallas is already going to be thin at both linebacker and safety. 

Another Neal injury could make this signing backfire. 

Grade: B+