The Dallas Cowboys have a critical offseason ahead of them. With the New York Giants going out and hiring John Harbaugh as their next head coach, the NFC East has three coaches leading their teams who have made a Super Bowl in their careers. The only one yet to make one is Brian Schottenheimer.
With the division looking a lot more competitive than it has in recent history, there’s a chance whoever finishes last in the NFC East has a winning record. Look at the NFC North. The Detroit Lions were fourth
in their division with a 9-8 record. They beat the Cowboys 44-30 this year.
Every team in the division will be looking to reload after disappointing seasons. The Washington Commanders let go of both coordinators and are looking to maximize their rookie window with Jayden Daniels at quarterback. Adam Peters, the team’s general manager, has not been shy about being aggressive in free agency or in the trade market to make the team better. That’s what got the Commanders to the NFC Championship game way ahead of schedule.
The Giants also have a rookie quarterback they are excited about, and the future of their organization. With a healthy Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, and Malik Nabers leading the team on offense and Dexter Lawrence, Abdul Carter, and Brian Burns on defense, New York has a ton of talent that was in desperate need of guidance and leadership. That’s why the team went after Harbaugh with everything they had and handed him the keys to the organization.
Of course, there’s also the Philadelphia Eagles, who are not afraid to counter their mistakes in a big way, making sure they don’t happen again the following year. They are also looking for a new offensive coordinator to help elevate the offense to pair it with their championship-level defense. The Eagles are determined to pursue the top options available on the market.
That’s why there is enormous pressure on the Cowboys to not only nail their hire at defensive coordinator, but sign quality free agents and add two starting, A-plus rookies with their two first-round picks. Jerry Jones needs to be aggressive. Dallas is still interested in talking with Jim Leonhard in person, but the Denver Broncos’ extended playoff stay has put it on hold.
Leonhard can become available on Monday, following championship weekend, regardless of the Broncos making it to the Super Bowl. If he’s truly their guy, Jerry Jones needs to send his private plane to pick Leonhard up, bring him back to Dallas, and make sure he doesn’t leave without a contract. The Green Bay Packers (Wisconsin connection) and Giants (reportedly have serious interest) could have Leonhard at the top of their lists, too.
As far as free agency and the draft, the team’s best options will come into focus the later we get in the offseason. That doesn’t mean the team can’t re-sign their own in George Pickens, Javonte Williams, Brandon Aubrey, and Jadeveon Clowney before we get to that point.
At the end-of-season press conference, Jerry Jones told the media that he believes Dallas “can do some things to maybe make as dramatic a difference as we could have in a long time.” He isn’t oblivious to what the other teams around him are doing. This is the offseason for action, considering the quarterback and Jones don’t have much sand left in the hourglass for a championship run for different reasons.
