It was assumed that Dallas would go “all-in” this offseason, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones forgot.
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, the Cowboys have only reached a one-year contract with long snapper Trent Seig during the first two days of the NFL’s negotiation session. They also lost Tony Pollard, a former Pro Bowl running back who intends to join the Tennessee Titans for a $24 million, three-year contract.
Five teams have not yet signed a single outside free agent:
– Dallas Cowboys
– New Orleans Saints
– Seattle Seahawks
– Indianapolis Colts
– Tampa Bay Buccaneers pic.twitter.com/lNain35umu— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 12, 2024
Rivals in the NFC East improved their rosters in the interim. RB Saquon Barkley, a two-time Pro Bowler, and the Eagles reached an agreement. The Giants got two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns in a deal with the Panthers, while the Commanders want to add former NFL touchdown leader Austin Ekeler.
According to Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News, “Maybe the Cowboys’ problem these past three years, the reason they have cruised in the regular season and been bruised in the playoffs is they weren’t challenged enough in the NFC East.” “Well, the Cowboys were quite productive on Monday if that’s the case. The remainder of the division improved. Things grew worse.”
Dallas’s cap space shortage might be the cause of the lull. According to Spotrac, the Cowboys are worth $8.8 million. Nevertheless, in order to make space, they might have extended the contracts of wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott, who are both approaching their last years. New contracts for Prescott and Lamb would save $26.2 million and $13.4 million, respectively.
The Cowboys need to dominate the draft on April 25–27 if they want to bolster the roster and win their first Super Bowl in 29 years. If Jones and company don’t accomplish this, they’ll regret slack-jawedly wasting the early window of free agency.