The Dallas Cowboys 2024 season has officially ended after finishing the regular season with a 7-10 record. As the Cowboys offseason begins to kick off, Jerry Jones will have his hands full. Between free agency, coaching decisions, contract extensions, and the NFL Draft the focus shifts to 2025.
Playoff football Cowboys being featured is something the fan base hasn’t had to deal with in recent years. As they look forward to returning to the postseason next year the biggest question is will they be able to bounce back in their 2025 campaign?
The Biggest Questions Surrounding The Cowboys Offseason
Will McCarthy Remain In Dallas?
Before the 2024 season, Jones decided not to extend Mike McCarthy but instead to let him prove why he should remain as the head coach. It is quite interesting a coach who has led a team to three consecutive 12-win seasons would be in the hot seat. Unfortunately for McCarthy, the season didn’t go as planned, and now his future hangs in the balance.
Since he joined the Cowboys in 2020, McCarthy has a 49-35 record but is 1-3 in the playoffs. They’ve missed the playoffs twice since 2020 but in both seasons, Dak Prescott suffered season-ending injuries. McCarthy’s contract will end on January 14th, which will make him a coaching-free agent this offseason. At this moment signs are slightly pointing towards him remaining in Dallas.
The Chicago Bears requested to interview him for their coaching vacancy but the request was denied. Jones hasn’t given a firm answer regarding McCarthy’s future but with Chicago being denied it seems he may be returning to his role in 2025. Jones and McCarthy have spent the last few days discussing the next direction but there is no timetable for an answer.
With the 12th pick…
The Cowboys will be drafting 12th in the 2025 NFL Draft, and there are two names they simply can’t pass up on. That’s Missouri’s Luther Burden III and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.
There’s no surprise that the majority of the Cowboys nation wants to see Jeanty as the leadback next season. He finished his collegiate career with the second-highest rushing total in FBS history and fell short 28 yards of beating Barry Sanders’ 2,628 yards. The Heisman Trophy runner-up has officially declared for the draft and wants to return to the Lone Star State. Jeanty played high school ball just eight miles away from the Cowboys practice facility in Frisco, Texas.
When asked if he could script the draft regarding his landing spot he said ” My family’s all in Texas. Family being there all the connections all the relationships I feel like that would be the perfect city to play in.” He then directly added, “You know what to do Jerry.”
If Jeanty isn’t available and they decide to go the wide receiver route, Burden at pick 12 would also hit home. According to PFF, he ranks as the second-best wide receiver prospect in the draft. The two-time First-Team All-SEC wide receiver finished his collegiate career with 2,263 receiving yards and 21 touchdown catches. For a Dallas team that’s lacking consistency and production outside of CeeDee Lamb, a player with Burden’s playmaking ability could be a win-win for both Prescott and Lamb.
Notable Free Agents
A point of emphasis for the front office is deciding which free agents to re-sign in early March. The Cowboys have a handful of free agents this upcoming offseason and have huge decisions to make. Here’s a list of a few impactful free agents:
·Right guard, Zack Martin
·Defensive end, DeMarcus Lawrence
·Wide receiver, Brandin Cooks
·Running back, Rico Dowdle
·Wide receiver/ Return specialist, KaVontae Turpin
·Cornerback, Jourdan Lewis
Dallas has 27 free agents they have to make decisions on this offseason. 22 of them are unrestricted free agents, two are restricted free agents, and three are exclusive rights free agents. The 22 UFA is where things get tricky for the front office. That’s the category where guys like Lewis and Dowdle fall under. As much as they would love to bring back everyone it’s simply not going to happen. There are a few positions that need more love than others such as running back, cornerback, and offensive line.
Not saying all the guys that play those positions will be re-signed but it surely does pave the way for them to return. The Cowboys also have the option to explore external free agents and hopefully bring in guys who can help win. In the 2024 offseason, they made the mistake of not doing their due diligence and signing one. Hopefully, they will learn from their mistakes and do it right this time.
2025 Expectations
Some believe success for the next season starts in September but truthfully it begins in January. The Cowboys’ offseason moves will be the determining factor for what they achieve in 2025. The 2024 season proved the lack of moves would be costly down the stretch. 2025 will be all about finding a way to bounce back. If done the right way, the Cowboys could bring back a much-improved roster and become the Superbowl contender they were the previous three seasons.
Main Image: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
