We witnessed an unexpected departure of free agents from the Dallas Cowboys this offseason.
The Cowboys “like their guys” so when over a dozen players became free agents this offseason, it signals there may be a change coming.
Not only did the Cowboys lose several free agents this season, but the way contracts are structured right now, they could be in worse trouble next season.
It might seem early to be thinking of the 2025 season, but the alarming amount of one-year deals on the Cowboys’ roster means the upcoming draft is important for the future.
In an offseason where we all want immediate impact players, it’s important to also draft players to shape your roster for the coming years.
An underwhelming 2023 draft compounds this issue and creates a scenario in which we could see an incredibly different team in 2025.
I think the Cowboys are in a position where if they can’t come to an agreement on a certain player in the War Room, future concerns can help break the tie.
According to Spotrac.com, the Cowboys have 21 players set to hit the open market at the conclusion of the 2024 season.
Notable players include QB Dak Prescott, WR CeeDee Lamb, WR Brandin Cooks, RG Zack Martin, DE DeMarcus Lawrence, DT Osa Odighizuwa, and DE Chauncey Golston.
Star players like Prescott and Lamb are likely to be signed to extensions, but what if the sheer amount of one-year deals really means the Cowboys are preparing for a roster reset?
For analysis’s sake, let’s assume the worst-case scenario here and examine the top three positions the Cowboys need to address in the draft to help prepare for 2025.
Quarterback
It sounds crazy to say that the Cowboys could have a completely new quarterback room in 2025, but it’s a real possibility.
Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush are in the final year of their deals, and Dallas has already stated they would not exercise the 5th-year option on Trey Lance’s contract.
The Cowboys don’t even have a quarterback on the practice squad so 2025 free agency could deplete their quarterback room completely.
It makes for a difficult situation in this draft because you don’t want to upset contract negotiations with Prescott by drafting a quarterback earlier than a late-round pick.
At the same time, it’s difficult to justify taking a quarterback at all after essentially drafting Lance with this year’s 4th-round pick.
Rush certainly isn’t the answer so drafting a quarterback in the 2024 draft almost seems like a critical need to avoid a 2025 season with a rookie starting quarterback.
Wide Receiver
Like Prescott, star WR CeeDee Lamb is also in a contract year after the Cowboys picked up his 5th-year option.
Lamb is set to count just over $17 million against the salary cap this season but could cost less if the Cowboys could get him to agree to an extension before Justin Jefferson and Jamarr Chase.
On top of the stress of Lamb being on a one-year deal, there is very little security behind him on the depth chart.
Brandin Cooks is also in the final year of his contract, and behind him is a still-developing Jalen Tolbert followed by several developmental prospects.
Jalen Brooks is among those prospects, and he even got playing time in 2023 in mop-up duty after several Cowboys blowout games.
Although they don’t share the same agent, I feel like Prescott and Lamb’s contracts are somewhat contingent on one another so failed negotiations with one could mean double failure.
In preparation for disaster, the Cowboys need to address wide receiver in this draft with an earlier pick than most think is necessary.
Running Back
Tony Pollard departed for greener and more familiar pastures in Tennessee to play for his home-state Titans.
This left only Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn on the roster along with Malik Davis on the practice squad.
Royce Freeman was a late addition to the room, but both he and Dowdle will see their contracts expire after the 2024 season.
Vaughn is not a lead back due to his size and a change-of-pace running back shouldn’t be number one on the depth chart.
It is imperative that the Cowboys address the running back position in this draft to complement Dowdle, but also make sure the player has the potential to be a workhorse back for 2025.