Dallas Cowboys being haunted by last offseason’s poor decisions

We dive into last offseason’s terrible decisions and how they are negatively impacting the Dallas Cowboys this offseason.

The Dallas Cowboys made some lousy decisions last offseason. Some in Cowboys Nation say there’s no use dwelling on the past. What’s done is done. And for the most part they are right…but not entirely. Retrospect is an important step in learning. Assessing the past allows us to grow and keeps us from repeating the same mistakes.

In Dallas Cowboys matters, we can’t go back in time and change things, but we can assess what was done and why it was done so we can avoid doing it again. And what was done last season needs at be recognized and learned from because they are mistakes that cannot be repeated…

By most accounts, the Dallas Cowboys had a pretty darn terrible offseason last year. And the effects of that terrible offseason are hurting them today. They now enter free agency with their starting QB, top receiver, leading sacker, top cornerback, and best interior pressure player all unsigned. And their actions last offseason are pretty much to blame.

Poor Decisions of 2019

Instead of re-signing their starting QB last offseason, they opted for hardball. Now, we don’t know specifics of the negotiations between the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott but it’s safe to say he was always in their long-term plans.

They basically procrastinated doing what they knew they were eventually going to do anyway.

Even if he had a poor 2019 season, Dallas was probably committed to No. 4 for the foreseeable future. QBs are hard to find and Dak had a track record of success. It really didn’t make any sense delaying a decision we knew they already made. But alas they did, and now the market value has risen again. Like it does EVERY offseason.

Amari Cooper is another missed opportunity from last season. We saw what the Dallas Cowboys offense looked like before Cooper. And we saw what it was after Cooper. Again, it’s safe to say Cooper exceeded all expectations that were placed on him when the Dallas Cowboys traded for him. They KNEW they wanted to re-sign him at this time last year. They just didn’t.

Like Prescott, it takes two to tango and Cooper’s camp may have been difficult to deal with. But even if he was asking to set the market at WR, it’s a cheaper proposition than we’re faced with today.

Now Dallas faces losing better players at more important positions simply because they screwed up their priorities.

They basically procrastinated doing what they knew they were eventually going to do anyway. What did they do instead? About the dumbest thing possible. They signed their off ball linebacker and their running back to enormous deals TWO YEARS BEFORE THEY NEEDED TO!

Giving Ezekiel Elliott and Jaylon Smith extensions is questionable by itself. But doing so two years in advance when so many more important players are about to hit free agency is almost inexcusable.

Sure, Zeke was holding out and Jaylon offered a below market deal, but it doesn’t change the priority of things. Not only are the QB, CB, WR, and DE more important than RB and LB, but their contracts expire first too! Now Dallas faces losing better players at more important positions simply because they screwed up their priorities.