5 positions the Cowboys need to consider adding talent to before Week 1
The offseason is nearing its conclusion for the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the NFL. The team has had four months to shape their roster and improve their chances of winning a Super Bowl and now training camp is less than a week away. Whether the Cowboys are better than last year’s version is debatable, but they’re about to get some answers as camp opens.
What is clear is the Cowboys are hardly a finished product. Despite months of free agency and a draft to help their needs, Dallas still has some holes that could use fixing before the regular season.
With camps opening, here are the teams with the most cap space left …
1) Browns $48.02M
2) Cowboys $21.90M
3) Panthers $20.61M
4) Bears $17.93M
5) Packers $16.84M
6) Raiders $16.51M
7) Seahawks $15.88M
8) Vikings $15.64M
9) Bengals $15.03M
10) Steelers $14.05M— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) July 20, 2022
It’s been well documented how tight executive VP Stephen Jones is with the organization’s finances as well as his unwillingness to spend the salary cap money the Cowboys have accrued with their offseason moves. That extra cap space the team has could be used to upgrade some questionable positions, and that might still happen, but shouldn’t be counted on.
If Dallas did loosen the purse strings though, here are five positions that can still use help.
Swing tackle
(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
This might be the biggest blunder from the Cowboys this offseason. The team chose to do a slight rebuild on the offensive line, but failed to adequately cover their bases.
Terence Steele takes over as the starter at right tackle, but when Dallas decided to move on from former RT La’el Collins and make Steele the starter, it left a crater-sized hole at swing tackle.
The health of tackle Tyron Smith is anything but given each year. Smith hasn’t played a complete season since 2015 and this year was an interesting choice to bet on the veteran LT playing a full slate.
With unproven tackles competing for the swing tackle role, the Cowboys could use that veteran presence they usually employ. Young tackles Josh Ball and Matt Waletzko are the options right now, while rookie Tyler Smith is a possible answer, but he only fits on the left side.
The Cowboys have put themselves in a precarious position at backup.
Wide receiver
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
The Cowboys’ current crop of receivers is solid, but not spectacular. With CeeDee Lamb ready to ascend as the true No. 1 WR in Dallas and Michael Gallup a capable second option, the offense is in good shape on paper. Rookie receiver Jalen Tolbert and veteran wide out James Washington round out the top four at the position.
Gallup is expected to miss time however and shouldn’t be expected to be 100% even when he does return. Tolbert has a steep learning curve and leaning on Washington to emerge for the first time in his career feels like a recipe for disaster.
There are some young receivers who could step up, like last year’s undrafted free agent T.J. Vasher, who’s been generating some buzz, but the Cowboys are gambling that everything will remain close to perfect to maximize their situation at WR.
It’s difficult to understand why Dallas wouldn’t bring in a veteran presence to help, especially early in the season. There are some solid WRs available who could show up and instantly make the Cowboys’ receiver room a deeper group. Wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders, Will Fuller, or T.Y. Hilton would make sense. More expensive options exist in Julio Jones or Odell Beckham Jr, but those are much more unlikely.
Either way, the Cowboys need another veteran WR.
Linebacker
(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
This is the position with the least amount of depth on the roster. There’s some good talent overall, but the defense cannot sustain a high level of play if any of their top guys miss time.
After the top three of Micah Parsons, Jabril Cox, and Leighton Vander Esch, there isn’t much quality. With Cox coming off a major knee injury and Vander Esch’s history of injuries, the Cowboys are playing with fire. Additionally, considering how defensive coordinator Dan Quinn likes to move Parsons around the defense, it feels like the Cowboys need another good LB.
The positive news is Quinn uses safety Jayron Kearse as a versatile piece that plays some LB, but the Cowboys don’t have dedicated strong depth. An upgrade, like veteran linebacker Anthony Barr, would make perfect sense to bring into the fold.
Defensive tackle
(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
The Cowboys have some young talent at the spot, but they are missing someone with veteran leadership. DTs Neville Gallimore, Osa Odighizuwa, Chauncey Golston, and Trysten Hill all have ability, but they still need to prove they can play well consistently. Gallimore and Odighizuwa look like the top of the group, and have shown they can be good players at collapsing the pocket.
But it’s an interior defensive line that has trouble slowing the down the running game. The Cowboys have two DTs who specialize in run stuffing with second-year DT Quinton Bohanna and rookie John Ridgeway.
However, most of what the Cowboys lineup is just potential right now. If none of their options work out, the defense will have the same problems they’ve had for years on the inside. Decent players, but no difference makers on a defense that struggles to make opponents one dimensional.
A way of improving and changing their fortunes would be to bring in a veteran who can lead the way. DT Ndamukong Suh would be a perfect fit, he can stop the run and still provide a pass rush.
Suh isn’t the only option that remains unemployed, there are other veterans who can provide depth and help. The Cowboys would be wise to find one to lead a young group.
Tight end
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Dalton Schultz got the franchise tag and will play for just under $11 million this season, but the team and Schultz weren’t able to agree on a long-term deal. Without Blake Jarwin on the roster, Schultz is the unquestioned leader at the position.
However, after Schultz, there isn’t a proven TE on the roster. Undrafted free agent from the 2020 draft TE Sean McKeon is one of the top backups, but has just four catches and veteran TE Jeremy Sprinkle is more of a blocker than a receiver.
The team did draft Wisconsin’s Jake Ferguson in the fourth-round of the draft, but it’s difficult for a rookie tight end to make an impact right away. Even if Ferguson shows potential, the Cowboys need a better veteran option behind Schultz.
Things get dicey if the team has to play anyone other than Schultz for extended snaps. Adding a veteran to the mix would be a smart move from the Cowboys.
