While it may seem exciting for fans, bloggers, and media to imagine they can lead an NFL front office, it can often be far from reality.
The Dallas Cowboys rely on building their team through the draft, minus a few value trades and thrift signings.
I can admit that Dallas has been very frugal and annoying, at times, with their draft resources.
Not long ago, I suggested that the Cowboys try to find new homes for veterans on the team to make room for younger talent. Jourdan Lewis led the list, and now he may be a vital part of securing the defensive backfield.
Just a little egg in my face and now we carry on.
Dallas has built a pipeline to some degree with players that they can call up and plug in to help this season.
Will it help them this year? Time will tell.
The Dallas Cowboys’ team building strategy will face an early test this season.
An injury to a player of this caliber last season could have crippled this team
Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys’ All-Pro cornerback, went down with an ACL tear that will keep him out the entire season.
Fortunately, Dallas isn’t scrambling, as they have much better depth than last year.
The front office has mainly focused on drafting and developing players, which I anticipate will pay dividends for this team.
Last season, this team played different mixes and matches in the defensive backfield, including but not limited to current free agents Xavier Rhodes and Trayvon Mullen.
It’s a good thought process, just with the wrong players.
Dallas has been doubling down at the position of late. They selected Diggs in the 2nd round of the 2020 NFL draft, followed by Kelvin Joseph, Nahshon Wright, and Israel Mukuamu the following season.
The 2022 draft saw DaRon Bland getting drafted and Eric Scott in 2023.
This Dallas team learned from past mistakes and focused on a balance of quantity and quality.
They drafted six corners in the past four seasons, not including undrafted players, with four still on the active roster (Wright is currently on IR).
The Cowboys identified the size, length, and, most importantly, the raw athleticism to mold into the defensive back they desire in this defense.
Dallas has reinforcements inside the building that is on the way
Give Head Coach Mike McCarthy some credit; he was a plug-and-play coach from a development standpoint.
In Green Bay, that team actively aimed their resources at collecting talent through the draft.
That’s not to say that Dallas wasn’t doing this already. However, it helps to have a coach with a track record that aligns with your team’s pillars.
Let’s take a walk down memory lane.
In Super Bowl 45, the Packers defensive ace Charles Woodson broke his collarbone, preventing him from re-entering that game.
What did Green Bay rely on to close the chapter on their fourth Lombardi trophy?
It’s simple – they deployed the players they had been developing to close that game. It included rookie Sam Shields, Brandon Underwood, Morgan Burnett, and Jarrett Bush.
Granted, Shields and Bush were undrafted free agents.
Green Bay didn’t sit there twiddling their fingers. They had younger players like Dallas ready to enter the spotlight.
Hopefully, we’ll get an opportunity to see if the development that Al Harris and Dan Quinn have put into these guys like Wright, Scott, Mukuamu, and Bland will finally pay off.
We will miss Trevon Diggs. There’s no doubt that.
Dallas does have the ‘next man up’ syndrome down to a science.
With that in mind, this team will be ready to adjust and have veterans and youngsters keen to make an impact. That can be a precious commodity in the DFW area.
