Dallas Cowboys Needs and Wants: Can the Cowboys Have Both?
With a month left until the NFL Draft and the flurry of upcoming last minute mocks, let’s talk wants and needs, and assess if they can have both.
We’ve all seen the mock drafts. We all have an opinion on what the Dallas Cowboys should do in the draft. Will they pick a defensive end, safety, cornerback, or will it be best player available?
No one really knows until the draft actually happens, and Jerry Jones makes guessing even harder. While some of the Dallas Cowboys’ needs and wants can be agreed upon, getting both could prove challenging.
Needs
First the needs of the Dallas Cowboys are fairly well documented. NFL.COM, ESPN, Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, FanSided, SportDFW, Landry Hat, WalterFootball, and CBS all can agree on the top two needs of the Cowboys:
- cornerback
- defensive end
Before anything, the question that has to be answered is what will happen to Tony Romo.
It is hard to argue as just about every fan is saying the same thing. The next few are fairly consistent in defensive tackle, offensive lineman (guard and tackle are back and forth), tight end, wide receiver, and safety. It is hard to argue that those would be some needs for the Cowboys, but they do have players there they could play for a season or two if they don’t fill those holes.
The positions that are sporadic at best are linebacker, quarterback, and running back. Although depth at each is both somewhat needed and wanted. Again, it would be hard for many fans to see one of those last three being picked in the first or second round, and some might be upset if even the first four rounds saw one of those. So how exactly can the Cowboys solve this?
Tony Romo
Before anything, the question that has to be answered is what will happen to Tony Romo. If somehow the Dallas Cowboys keep Romo, then the depth at quarterback is no longer a question. If they can trade him then they can get either more picks in return or potentially some players. Of course the Cowboys would have to find a willing trade partner. Something easier said than done. A Romo trade will answer some of these questions.
After the Romo situation the Cowboys have a lot of “holes” and not a lot of picks. Of course there is always the undrafted free agents. For depth purposes, they most certainly can be considered. Even if the Cowboys draft for best player available with respect to need (I just don’t see them saying a quarterback in the first is higher ranked than a defensive end so they draft quarterback) they can only fill the needs with a small number of contributors right away.
The Draft
Let’s play the guessing game then. If the Cowboys go cornerback, defensive end, in the first two rounds they can effectively find contributing players right away to fill the needs. This leaves a third and fourth round pick to add depth or can contribute in smaller ways. Say they go wide receiver and safety or tight end and lineman. This will leave two needs a little thin unless they get lucky in the last few rounds. Of course, right now they don’t have a fifth round pick. That would mean in the sixth and seventh rounds you would need to look at the remaining needs and wants.
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So is it really possible for the Cowboys to fill needs? Well, that depends. A lot of what fans and experts alike are saying is that they hope the free agents brought in are actually better than the players who walked. While there is no agreeing if this is the case, the real answer should be no one knows until the games are played. There is also hope Jaylon Smith can play and play at a high level, Jeff Heath can be the good Heath and not the average Heath, and development and recovering players can be good or at least serviceable. That is a lot of ifs, but again no one knows until the games are played.
Sure, the Cowboys can theoretically fill their starting needs in the draft, but to fill the wants, it could take a little longer. Rod Marinelli has performed miracles with a bunch of cast-offs, no names, and incomplete players along the front line.
The Base to Build Upon
Jason Garrett has had the luxury of one of the best offensive lines in football, a lucky hit in the fourth round for quarterback, and perhaps the best running game in the league. For all of this there is still a lot of questions as to what this team will be in 2017.
It will take a little work and a little luck, but the starting crew for the Dallas Cowboys could be at the very least equal to last season and possibly better. However, they could take a step back and look toward 2018 for the pieces to fall into place. So can the Dallas Cowboys fill their wants and needs? Sure, but until training camp happens, preseason takes place, and the regular season games are played, the real answer is unknown.
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Now, bring on the draft so we can all argue over the picks, discuss if the Dallas Cowboys look better on paper, and gripe or celebrate about the perceived 2017 team. What we all know is there is some glaring needs on this team and some serious wants. No matter what happens however, the future looks bright.