Cowboys: So Many Needs, So Little Free Agents
The Dallas Cowboys have re-signed several of their free agents, but there are still glaring needs that must be addressed.
The first week of free agency for the Dallas Cowboys has been fairly uneventful. Sure, many of the free agents signed by other teams went for much more than the Cowboys were willing to spend, but there are some concerns at this point.
There is still the question of defensive end Chris Long signing and who knows what will happen with defensive end Greg Hardy, but those two are not going to address some of the huge issues the Cowboys haven’t really addressed yet.
It is well documented the Cowboys have been looking for another quarterback to backup Tony Romo. The issue is many of the free agents will either want a starting position or more money than the Cowboys are willing to dole out. Does this mean the Cowboys will draft a quarterback?
I don’t think it makes a difference either way. I still don’t see the Cowboys drafting a QB at number four, but most likely there will be one picked up at some point in the draft. It is still a position the Cowboys should address, but who knows, they seem to love Kellen Moore.
The other position group that has fans scratching their heads is the secondary. With the resigning of cornerback Morris Claiborne, the whiff on safety Eric Weddle, and no release of cornerback Brandon Carr, many are worried the secondary will look similar to last year.
There is still a chance the Cowboys can and will land cornerback Nolan Carroll II, which to be honest wouldn’t be much of an upgrade. This is a huge glaring need of the Cowboys and there isn’t much left in free agency. Reggie Nelson the safety from Cincinnati is still available, but to date they haven’t contacted him.
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If the Cowboys are to upgrade the secondary it may have to be in the draft. While many have the Cowboys targeting cornerback Jalen Ramsey, I personally think his lack of creating turnovers means the Cowboys should look elsewhere, like Vernon Hargreaves. Either way, the Cowboys have needed to upgrade their secondary for a while, and with the market growing thin, the draft might have to be the only option.
Perhaps the largest need for the Cowboys is on the defensive line. Without knowing what will happen with Long or Hardy, right now the defensive line might be one of the biggest problem spots on the team.
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If Hardy is gone, and Long isn’t signed, the Cowboys have 56 career sacks on the defensive line. To put that into perspective, the average for Super Bowl teams in a season is 44 sacks – not exactly close to where they need to be.
Even if the Cowboys get Long and lose Hardy, they still might be well short to having a viable pass rush. While there are still some options in free agency there hasn’t been a lot of talk about the Cowboys, this is a need, no two ways about it.
The Cowboys are also in need of a running back. Before everyone says it, yes, Darren McFadden was a better running back than he has been in years last year, however, he is now 30 years old, and there is almost nothing behind him. Rod Smith, Robert Turbin, and Ben Malena are not exactly a murderers row of running backs, and without Lance Dunbar to create mismatches out of the backfield, running back might be right at the top of needs with pass rush.
Free agency hasn’t offered much for the Cowboys this offseason, which might lead to an Ezekiel Elliot drafting early in the draft. It would help quarterback Tony Romo, and if he were to go down again with injury, the offense as a whole.
The last position many feel the Cowboys need to upgrade is at wide receiver. First, Dez Bryant is one of the best in the NFL when healthy, it is everything behind him. Terrance Williams showed he has trouble with separation as a number one. The only weapon everyone seems to agree on is Cole Beasley, after that there isn’t a lot of hope from fans in the receiver corps. Receivers are fairly easy to grab in the draft in any round, but it is still a position many feel is an issue.
This is all a lot of needs and after the performance of the team last year, does not give a lot of people hope, when they resign the same players. Granted a healthy Tony Romo and all-world wide receiver Dez Bryant will help in a lot of ways, but there are still so much this team needs to get over the top.
Next: Cowboys: Ranking Moves In Free Agency So Far
While free agency isn’t over and the Cowboys love to value shop, there are still some glaring needs that are undeniable. While we all need to be patient, it is time for some answers to start coming.