Dallas Cowboys: Where do they go from here?
With the Dallas Cowboys season over, there are some questions that need to be answered. The biggest of which is, “what’s next?”
The Dallas Cowboys are coming off one of the most successful regular seasons in team history, yet the postseason left much to be desired. The Cowboys have a solid foundation in place to dominate next season, but there’s more to be done in the offseason.
Lock Rod Marinelli in longer
Without question, defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli was the most pivotal member of the coaching staff this season. With a squad that most overlooked and projected to finish near the bottom of the league, he turned them into a formidable group. They managed to force some turnovers here and there and personified the “bend but don’t break” mentality and kept Dallas competitive in every game.
Marinelli will be 68 by the time next season begins, but he’s in solid health and still has some coaching ability left in the tank. With a few more pieces in place around his defense next season, he could field a top-notch unit in 2017.
Acquire a pass rusher or two
Despite the ingenuity of Marinelli, the Cowboys lacked a consistent pass rush. They need help at defensive end to get regular pressure on opposing quarterbacks. While they’ve found good results blitzing and sending defensive backs in, a fierce three-to-four man rush could be a huge tool.
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Obviously the draft is the first option. A guy like Taco Charlton from Michigan could be the type of guy Dallas is looking for and may be available when they select late in the first round. Missouri defensive end Charles Harris is another possibility.
They could also find someone via free agency. There are a couple of big names available this offseason that the Cowboys should make a big play for.
New York Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul or Arizona Cardinals DE Calais Campbell would provide an immediate upgrade. Of course, there’s no reason they couldn’t sign a DE via free agency and draft one as well. Imagine the possibilities if they did.
Trade quarterback Tony Romo
There’s no doubt that Dak Prescott is the man at QB for Dallas, now. This is his team and he’s the future. Sadly, that leaves no room for Tony Romo. Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones is paying him too much to ride the pine, so naturally he will be moving on this offseason. Why not get something in return?
Trading him could potentially yield another draft pick in the mid-rounds or maybe even a defensive role player. While he is valuable enough to bring in a higher-profile player, his contract situation may devalue him just a bit. So, the quality of return Dallas gets could be where that value is made up.
Bolster the secondary
According to Pro Football Focus, the Cowboys had one of the league’s top secondaries this season. But, there is always room to improve and cornerback is one of those places.
Morris Claiborne and Orlando Scandrick had great seasons, but bringing in a free agent like Trumaine Johnson or Captain Munnerlyn would provide shutdown quality.
There’s also plenty of defensive back talent this year in the NFL draft and someone like Tennessee’s Cameron Sutton could bring in some great young talent from the second round. His numbers dipped a bit in 2016, but that’s because opponents simply didn’t throw his way. They knew what he is capable of and stayed far away.
At safety, Iowa’s Desmond King is a playmaker that should be lurking in the second to third round. He plays the run instinctively but can pick off passes, too. Scouts also list him as one of the drafts best open-field tacklers.
Next: Cowboys gave fans what they needed
While the Conference Championships haven’t even been played yet, it’s never too early to think about the next step. The nucleus is there for future Cowboys success. But there’s still plenty of work to do in order to move them from great to elite. If they can make some changes to defensive end and secondary, this team will return much stronger in 2017.