The Dallas Cowboys will face many questions regarding how they approach the offseason.
Not only do they need to see what they can purchase from the “bargain bin” of free agency, but throw in 11 of their own players on that list.
The salary cap increasing by $30 million this season will certainly aid the Cowboys, who are currently in the red for the 2024 season.
Today's article is the second of a three-part series where we examine the Cowboys' top three positional needs before free agency and the draft.
Yesterday we covered a sneaky top need, cornerback, and today we will remain on the same side of the ball.
The series continues with an analysis of the Cowboys' defensive end situation, a unit that could see some major turnover from the 2023 season.
For reference, here is the list of players that had their contracts expire once the 2023 season ended:
- LT Tyron Smith (starter)
- RB Tony Pollard (starter)
- CB Stephon Gilmore (starter)
- DE Dorance Armstong (rotational)
- S Jayron Kearse (starter)
- CB Jourdan Lewis (starter)
- DE Dante Fowler (rotational)
- DT Johnathan Hankins (starter)
- LS Trent Sieg (specialist)
- RB Rico Dowdle (rotational)
- C Tyler Biadasz (starter)
Current Outlook
As it stands right now, the Cowboys need to subtract veterans Dante Fowler Jr. and Dorance Armstrong from the equation.
That leaves the following players on the depth chart:
- DeMarcus Lawrence
- Sam Williams
- Viliami Junior Fehoko
- Tyrus Wheat
That's a short list that doesn't include defensive end tweeners Micah Parsons and Chauncey Golston, who double as linebacker and defensive tackle, respectively.
Even though Lawrence had an amazing 2023 season, particularly defending the run, he is at the tail end of his career and is due money the Cowboys may not want to pay.
Lawrence's salary cap hit for 2024 is over $20 million, and he is a player who is stout versus the run but has averaged less than 5.0 sacks over the past five seasons,
Defensive end is considered a premium position, but the premium price tag is reserved for ends who specialize in pass rush.
Lawrence has not been that since 2015.
Sam Williams is a player who will have to mature quickly on the field if he stands a chance to be an impact player on Mike Zimmer's defense.
Williams makes too many mental mistakes for Zimmer's liking, and I expect the pre-snap discipline will be cranked up to 100 across the board.
Fehoko and Wheat are from the 2023 draft class, and aside from special teams contributions from the latter, neither made a real impact.
Both of these guys also fall into the category of tweeners like Parsons and Golston mentioned above.
Wheat is more of a linebacker, and Fehoko will likely be more effective in a defensive tackle position.
Free Agency
Here is where it gets interesting for the Cowboys.
Will they be aggressive in free agency, or will they play it safe with former draft picks and veteran fill-ins on one-year deals?
Cowboys Nation is pushing for aggressiveness, but that would require a culture change from the front office.
Of the players in free agency who last played a snap for the Cowboys, you can make a case for each of them to come back.
Armstrong and Fowler have been solid contributors to the defense, but have not been superstars.
Fowler may already be ruled out because he was a “Dan Quinn guy”, and although effective in limited pass rush snaps, is a liability versus the run.
Armstrong was a solid player, but he may be another casualty of a new defensive coordinator wanting to bring in his own veterans he is familiar with.
As far as the rest of the free agency landscape, there are several names to choose from depending on how much Dallas wants to spend.
If they are willing to open up the checkbook, these higher-class players should at least be given a call:
- Marcus Davenport (formerly of New Orleans)
- Romeo Okwara (formerly of Detroit)
- Yannick Ngakoue (formerly of Chicago)
- Chase Young (formerly of San Francisco/Washington)
- Charles Harris (formerly of Detroit)
All of the players listed above may come at a premium price, but they either have already proven the type of player they can be or are on the rise.
Should Dallas seek the bargain bin, here are a few names they would not feel so financially sensitive to write a check for:
- Derek Barnett (formerly of Houston)
- Dawuane Smoot (formerly of Jacksonville)
- Jadeveon Clowney (formerly of Baltimore)
- Jordan Phillips (formerly of Buffalo)
Draft
When it comes to the draft, I believe that the draft strategy should include adding premium positions to the roster each year, regardless of roster construction.
Premium positions are too valuable (and too expensive) to have to resort to free agency often because teams didn't draft enough of them.
Several prospects have already been “linked” to the Cowboys in mock drafts and professional analyses of the top 100.
Here are a few of them that we could see in a Cowboys uniform in July:
- Jared Verse (Florida State)
- Chop Robinson (Penn State)
- Bralen Trice (Washington)
- Gabriel Murphy (UCLA)
The Dallas Cowboys have some work to do to get their defensive end situation in order this offseason, and it starts with free agency just a few weeks from now.
Changes are imminent, but it will take longer than we would like to see if those changes come to fruition.
