Cowboys: After the Super Bowl Cowboys Should Go Defensive
If the Super Bowl showed us anything, it is the Cowboys need to worry about the defense this offseason.
What was supposed to be a battle between two great quarterbacks, turned into a battle between two great defenses. It seems every year during the regular season there is a lot of focus on offensive power, and every year it seems defense is what wins the championship. There is a quote somewhere in there, I am sure.
Looking at the Cowboys this offseason, much of the talk has been which quarterback the Cowboys will select in the first round. After watching the Super Bowl, maybe the Cowboys should rethink their strategy. That isn’t to say the Cowboys should look for a quarterback of the future, it is saying that if the Cowboys want to win and win now, they must improve their defense.
With the possible departures of cornerbacks Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr, and the poor play from just about every safety the team has, the secondary is looking really weak heading into next season. Sure, cornerback Orlando Scandrick is healthy and there will be safety/cornerback Byron Jones, but after that, the secondary looks really bad. If they want to move Jones to safety it leaves really only one viable cornerback on the team, and not much at safety next to Jones.
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The defensive line is also looking like it needs upgrades as well. With the pending decision on defensive end Greg Hardy and the free agency of defensive ends Jeremy Mincey, Jack Crawford, and defensive tackle Nick Hayden the line needs help in a big way. There is some young talent, but not much in proven pass rushing. It has been a glaring need for a while now.
The linebackers aren’t looking much better. Sure, starter Sean Lee will be around next season, however, Rolando McClain and Kyle Wilber are both free agents. There is a hole right in the middle of the defense. At almost every level the defense has glaring needs and depending on who they retain there will still need to be holes filled.
The Super Bowl showed that the quarterback really didn’t matter. With a dominant defense, a quarterback like what Peyton Manning has become, can win over Cam Newton. Neither quarterback made much of a difference, in fact it could be argued that Cam Newton was the better quarterback of the two. Some fans I have talked to have said Brock Osweiler would have won that game had he had to play, and they love Peyton.
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So what do the Cowboys do where there are so many needs on both sides of the ball? Well, free agency is one area they can address some needs. Kansas City has two free agents that will be coveted, Eric Berry the safety and Sean Smith the cornerback. Both played at a high level this last year and would upgrade the defense immediately. While Von Miller is technically a free agent, I think there is about a .01% chance the Broncos even allow him to be exposed to free agency, that leaves a possible return of DeMarcus Ware, at the right price, it makes sense.
While there seems to be some other names in free agency like Broncos defensive tackle Malik Jackson and Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin, it would seem with a little over $14 million in cap space, that they could increase to $25 million with some restructures. Also, if I were to bet on Jerry Jones, I would think he would also look offense in free agency, maybe quarterback Robert Griffin III if he is available.
The draft then will be defined on what the Cowboys do in free agency. At this point grabbing a player like Ohio State’s defensive end Joey Bosa or UCLA’s linebacker Myles Jack would most likely be there at number 4. If the Cowboys decide to move down, then Ohio State’s cornerback Eli Apple or Ole’ Miss’ defensive end Robert Nkemdiche would be available in the later first round. Any one of those with a combination of smart free agent pickups would improve the defense to where it needs to be.
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Looking this far out, it is difficult to predict how the Cowboys will look after the draft. Quarterback, wide receiver, and running back are needed for both depth and output, but after watching the Super Bowl, defense will make the team instantly better, no matter who is playing quarterback, well maybe not anyone. Until March 7th everything will be speculation, but that is part of the fun of the off-season. Once the Super Bowl is over, hope begins again for the next season.