According to my sources, the Dallas Cowboys didn’t have a very good year in 2020. They enter this next offseason desperate to get back to being a competitive team and have some big decisions to make along the way. But as intriguing as 2021 will be for Dallas, it may just be the calm before a tempestuous 2022 offseason.
Dak Prescott’s free agency is certainly a dominant story for the Cowboys and the greater NFL news cycle. But while Dak’s future certainly has a colossal impact on the franchise, the rest of this 2021 offseason isn’t likely to see many massive changes to the roster.
Sure, previous starters like Chidobe Awuzie and Xavier Woods are entering free agency. You also have longtime Cowboys like Sean Lee and Tyrone Crawford whose futures are in question. And Dallas needs to decide on the 5th-year option for Leighton Vander Esch. But outside of Prescott, any potential departures and subsequent replacements in 2021 aren’t likely to move the needle significantly for the team on their own merit.
There has also been talk of potential salary cap casualties with players like Tyron Smith and Jaylon Smith. And while there’s no cap space to be gained, some have even suggested Dallas should dump Ezekiel Elliott on sheer principle after a down season.
If you’re someone looking for the Cowboys to blow it up after the frustrations of 2020 then you’re going to be disappointed. But if you’re patient, you may get your wish a year from now.
This upcoming season will be pivotal for several players and perhaps Head Coach Mike McCarthy as well. If Dallas doesn’t get back to playoff contention in 2021 then a major overhaul of this team is probably coming.
It’s reasonable that the Cowboys would give this current group one more shot. After all, McCarthy’s first offseason with Dallas was severely impacted by the pandemic and then injuries rocked the roster to its core.
Moving on from Jason Garrett to McCarthy last year was based on a belief that this was a good roster which needed a better coach. While 2020 didn’t speak well for McCarthy, it’s fair to say the jury is still out given all that he had to overcome.
Dallas is banking on better roster health and consistency at head coach, plus a change at defensive coordinator from Mike Nolan to Dan Quinn, to be the biggest solutions to 2020’s problems. But if 2021 is another down year, then Jerry Jones may push the big red button.
Next year, the cap savings on Tyron and Jaylon Smith’s contracts will be even greater with less dead money. Releasing Tyron outright in 2021 would create about $5.2 million in cap space while Jaylon would have to be a June-1st cut to get any cap relief.
In 2022, Dallas could gain about $10 million by cutting Tyron and $5 million from Jaylon. All of that money could then be used in the prime free agency period in March.
2022 is also the first year when releasing Ezekiel Elliott would be beneficial to the salary cap. Dallas could get back a little under $6 million if he’s released outright and then over $12 million as a June-1st cut.
At that point you could even start looking at other high-dollar players like Amari Cooper, Zack Martin, and DeMarcus Lawrence if their 2021 performances or other circumstances hurt their perceived value.
And if Dak Prescott does wind up playing next season on a second franchise tag, then his 2022 free agency would be the most dramatic topic of all.
Again, most of these will likely be topics for a year from now. While some are already wanting throw in the towel on players like Zeke, Tyron, and Jaylon, the conservative Cowboys front office will likely draw a few new cards in 2021 but keep most of their current hand.
It will be interesting to see how this upcoming season unfolds and how the team performs that decides if a major rebuild begins. Next year will be a much better opportunity for sweeping change based on where various key players will be in their contracts.
You can bet that simply winning the NFC East, especially if it only takes 6-7 wins again, isn’t going to be enough to satisfy the Joneses this time.
I hope you are right with your last sentence but it seems like the Joneses are pretty happy with being mediocre as long as someone will put a microphone in front of them been a long time since they didn’t have to buy a ticket to the NFC championship game and don’t even mention Superbowl
What this writer misses is that in 2021, EVERY SEASON is a rebuilding season. Sadly, Jerry misses this also. Jerry and media miss that the successful teams as to winning essentially see every season as a restart looking to upgrade or down cost at each position . Tampa Bay won the SB with a roster that hardly resembled the roster that ended the season before.
The Rams , the Seahawks, the Eagles , Washington and others are understanding that to win ongoing means not falling in love with players who used to be good. Jerry lives the opposite. Jerry gets pet players and keeps them.
Now, Jerry is right that as an entertainment business, the Boys succeed by keeping players that fans identify. As a sports team, that does not work, but as a fan business it has worked for 25 years.
After all, while Tampa Bay did win the SB, I challenge even big fans to name a TB player beyond Gronk and Brady.
But, even casual fans can name multiple Cowboys.
So, success does not always mean the same thing.
Jerry is the most sports business successful team owner in the world while being a truly unsuccessful sports game winning owner over the last 25 years.
Keep name players and build identity , fame , and the bottom line…or…cut players annually and win games. That is the choice.
I wish we had Jimmy Johnson!!!
Get a real GM that works at it full time like the winning organizations do. I also agree with don’t get married to certain players. Quit finding excuses and start finding solutions. Mc Carthy will prove to be a horrible hire, another poor Jerry decision. Plus he way overpaid DeMarcus Lawrence, almost a total waste of money. Common denominator here: Jerry’s poor decisions. Until Jerry goes it will be the same old results….mediocrity at best.
Zack Martin brother for are center texans just cut him .start thinking link jimmy johnson .I dont care cowboy fan over 30 years its starts up front
Interesting idea. Who knows if he’s even that good.
This writer has his head up his posterior. His snarky attitude is just dripping all over his article. The Cowboys will go far this coming season and I can see big things happening. Injuries killed the team this last season but don’t expect that to happen twice in a row.
Maybe they will. They still have a lot of work to do on the defensive side of the football to find a competent defense.
Whatever stop watching and going to the games if all y’all can do is cry and wine like a bunch of women
Was there whining in that post? Sorry if you have such a hard time reading an honest assessment of where this team is.
What do you expect to find when you come to a website dedicated to analyzing and talking about the Dallas Cowboys?
Huh?
What?
I can name quite a few Bucs , but I’m pretty good with remembering players names , geez though, Siempre dropping knowledge on ya , it’s real talk , the Rams ain’t talking like “remember when we went to SB with Goff ?” Nope they trade him for super cheap, and they looked to get better at QB , Eagles win SB with Dougy P and Foles , Wentz would’ve been MVP if he didn’t get hurt , they remember that when they deciding what they gonna ? Nope they get rid of Doug and Wentz
All that said , why we talking like Dak was doing better here of recent memory ? 8-8 2 seasons ago , 9-11 when you combine the last 2 seasons, and he ain’t got us to SB or won us one , why we hesitant to make a move for someone different ? What was so special about what we were doing with Dak ?
The best teams in the league rn are the one’s who make bold moves outside of Packers , why we always settling , not just on Dak but players in general
Now I will say this Siempre, I think the reason why Jerry like this , is cuz he’s the owner and he’s the GM , he’s trying to blend the 2 together and it isn’t working , why ? Cuz as a Owner he values his business very highly, as a GM though, you gotta value what is best for your team to win games
Ceedee sells more tickets and merch than Byron Jones , or a CB , Safety, but to win games , you need players there at DB who can make plays just to name a few positions Jerry disregards , the point is , he puts a higher value on flashy guys , guys who sell merch and tickets , when he should be as GM putting a higher value on guys who can play and help you win games ,
Till Jerry stops trying to play GM the Cowboys team will simply not be good enough to win a SB
Quarterback hasn’t been the reason this team isn’t more successful.
Quarterback was the reason the Rams didn’t win more. Or the Eagles.
First and foremost you shouldn’t even have a right to speak on the cowboys wrong or right as far as your analysis goes let alone your opinion. Point blank you haven’t been a true cowboy fan long enough to speak on them I on the other hand was born a cowboys fan since 1970 and know all the history on the past to the current so please keep your insight to yourself. A true blue cowboys fan.
Just because you’ve been a Cowboys fan since the 70’s doesn’t mean you know more about the team or football. Telling someone they can’t talk about this team because they haven’t been a fan as long you have is pretty immature.
I think Jones should call a press conference and finally admit that it was Jimmy Johnson who was responsible for the Cowboys last great teams – over 25 years ago. Then the entire Jones family should step away from the operation of the team. They can silently own the team and let qualified people run and coach it. Failing this, the Cowboys fans need to boycott the team until it does happen. Jones has ruined our beloved Cowboys but the fans have enabled him
Jerry pay the man and guit trying to be a G M let someone else be the G M and you will start winning football game again
It would be nice, but it seems as if Stephen is running this team now. The penny pinching is his philosophy.
Trade Dak for Russell Wilson for starters paying the money he wants is Ridiculous
And then in two years you’ll be saying that paying Russell Wilson what he wants is ridiculous.
We can talk all we want to however nothing comes to talkers but sound…words are good action is supreme.
Well, if Jerry would listen to us, we’d be more than happy to offer our thoughts
I agree.
Sign Nick Martin and move him to guard move Williams to tackle to help Smith get healthy
I’d be more than happy to sign Martin and let him compete with Biadasz. Let McGovern and Williams compete at guard. If McGovern wins the job and let Williams be your swing tackle.
I agree with Dave…..Bring Jimmy Johnson back and sign Russell Wilson
Get rid of coach and the 90 million guy who is useless. Notice how well the giants did with our last coach. Much better than cowboys and look at Washington. Cowboys owners need to wake up that the team dose not like the new coach.