It’s odd to think that a team that has won 12 games in three consecutive years is beginning to see their chances at a Super Bowl vanish but that may be the case for the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones said the Cowboys would be “All-In” for a Super Bowl in 2024.
Free agency was the start of Jones sticking to his word but as day one wrapped up, he’s yet to prove his words had true meaning. Free agency kicked off early on March 11th and there’s been some major names moved around the map and a lot of familiar faces will be in new uniforms next season.
Kirk Cousins is now a member of the Atlanta Falcons, D’Andre Swift joined the Chicago Bears in the Windy City, Christian Wilkins will be joining Maxx Crosby and the Las Vegas Raiders and many more moves have been made league-wide. A bunch of teams are starting to turn up the heat meanwhile the Cowboys have been dormant. While the list of big-name free agents starts to get thin, if the Cowboys don’t make a move soon, their championship window will continue to close.
Is The Championship Window Closing For The Cowboys?
NFC Least to NFC Beast?
Three teams in the NFC East have made major moves to improve their rosters. The Washington Commanders started early when they made Dan Quinn their head coach. Quinn has been aggressive so far by snagging two players from their NFC foe, adding Tyler Biadasz and Dorance Armstrong. They’ve added two more by signing Austin Ekeler and Frankie Luvu.
The Philadelphia Eagles made a huge splash by bringing Saquon Barkley back to the state he played his college ball in with a three-year $37.75 million deal. They also added an edge rusher with the signing of Bryce Huff. The New York Giants may have lost Barkley but they went defensively focused by giving Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux a much-needed boost by acquiring Brian Burns.
That was just the beginning for each of these teams and they still have to draft in their back pocket. The Commanders have the second overall pick, if it seems they’re acquiring the talent and production to surround a possible rookie quarterback in Drake Maye. As far as the Giants, they still have a lot of work to do. With the sixth pick, they may take a quarterback as well, while some believe J.J. McCarthy could be Daniel Jones’ successor.
All Hope Isn’t Lost
There’s still time for the Cowboys to make moves and they have multiple positions they need to address. Tony Pollard is a member of the Tennessee Titans making running back the first position they should look to plug. While the running backs did fly fast, names like Derrick Henry and Aaron Jones are still available. They still need a left tackle, a center, and more defensive line depth as well.
While the Cowboys have given Michael Gallup permission to seek a trade it seems as if his time in Dallas may be done. If Gallup doesn’t find a suitor, the Cowboys would have $9.5 million in cap space if he’s a post-June 1st designated release. It wouldn’t be an ideal situation to wait around for his release, so they should shop the wide receiver market right now. Names like Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd, and Curtis Samuel would be a boost to the offense but also take pressure off CeeDee Lamb. The draft is still a possibility to add some wide receiver depth as well, but they should target a few names in free agency first before relying on a rookie to make an immediate impact.
A Look At 2024
Their 2024 schedule is no cake walk and their lack of aggressiveness could lead to an ugly season for the Cowboys. Eight of their 14 opponents were playoff teams last season. Three of those opponents played in their conference championship games, and one played in the Super Bowl. The majority of those teams have also made moves on day one of free agency that instantly made them a tougher opponent.
Free agency is just getting started and Cowboys fans shouldn’t be in panic mode quite yet. However, after Jones’ recent “All-In” comments it can be a bit frustrating as names that could boost their championship opportunities continue to sign elsewhere. While the division and teams around the NFL continue to improve if the Cowboys want a shot to break the 29-year curse, they’ll need the Joneses to stand on their “All-In” comments.
Main Image: Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK
