Cowboys offseason 2023: Daniel Jeremiah lists offseason priorities

Dallas has a lot to care for with a brand new season on the horizon. Right here is the place they need to begin.

• By
  
  Brandon_Loree
  
• on February 27, 2023 9:30 am

The Dallas Cowboys have a minimal of 21 choices to make this offseason. That’s what number of free brokers Dallas has to determine on their future and the place it stands with the franchise.

From there, the decision-making can go all over—does Dallas apply the franchise tag to Tony Pollard? Do they launch veterans like operating again Ezekiel Elliott and left deal with Tyron Smith? The place are their priorities within the upcoming draft?

According to Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network, Jerry Jones and the entrance workplace ought to begin by including some assistance on offense underneath a brand new play-caller in Mike McCarthy.

“Properly, he’s [Jerry Jones] bought a head coach that’s taking up the offense and often when that occurs, ya get one other weapon to play with,” Jeremiah stated on NFL Whole Entry. “If you have a look at free company, you simply talked about Dalton Schultz, to me one other playmaker I’d love that for this offense. I do know the numbers had been nice final 12 months, Dak [Prescott] turned it over a bunch—I believe anyone that may get him some straightforward completions on the surface to enhance what they’ve there in CeeDee Lamb would make some sense.”

Some huge names already linked to the Cowboys have been Odell Beckham Jr., Brandin Cooks, and doubtlessly a first-round receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba. All three could be a welcomed improve to a Cowboys offense needing extra playmakers. Beckham and Cooks had been two targets Dallas reportedly went after across the commerce deadline, however couldn’t finalize a deal.

Tight finish Dalton Schultz is about to hit free company for the second time in as many seasons and will value himself out of Dallas to a different group. Second-year tight ends Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot confirmed glimpses of what they might be however is that sufficient confidence for the entrance workplace to not go after one other veteran free agent like Hayden Hurst?

Jeremiah’s different precedence for Dallas is addressing a place that fell aside within the again half of the season resulting from accidents.

“I additionally suppose nook is an space they’ll go and simply be a little bit bit extra positive on the again finish and attempt to positive that spot up.”

It regarded nice when the Cowboys’ protection had cornerbacks Trevon Diggs, Anthony Brown, and Jourdan Lewis on the sphere for the primary a part of the season. Soccer Outsiders had Dallas as the top-ranked DVOA pass defense from Week 1 to Week 7 at -43.3 %.

It’s no coincidence when Lewis and Brown had been gone for the season by Week 14, Dallas dropped to 30th in DVOA for pass defense at +37.9 percent. Rookie nook DaRon Bland was nice within the slot by the top of 2022, however it appeared like Dan Quinn was placing in a brand new outdoors nook reverse Diggs weekly. Kelvin Joseph, Nahshon Wright, Trayvon Mullen, Xavier Rhodes, and Israel Mukuamu all bought their probability come the playoff recreation towards San Francisco.

Tony Catalina has the Cowboys drafting cornerback Eli Ricks from Alabama with their second-round decide in his newest mock draft. Different corners within the draft Dallas might goal within the first spherical embrace Deonte Banks from Maryland and Joey Porter Jr. of Penn State.

The entrance workplace might additionally resign Anthony Brown, a free agent, to a one-year veteran minimal deal that gives depth as he recovers from his Achilles harm.

Jeremiah was an NFL scout for a long-time, so if he says extensive receiver and cornerback are of concern, his analysis might be spot-on. Given the Cowboys’ struggles at each positions in 2022, it’s onerous to argue towards him, and hopefully the entrance workplace can tackle these wants earlier than touring to Oxnard, CA, in July.

Learn extra