In what has become an annual tradition over nearly three decades, Jerry Jones spent the beginning of February this year talking about what his team needs to do differently next season instead of what it needs to do to lift the Lombardi Trophy. This year, speaking at the Senior Bowl, the Dallas Cowboys owner and GM made his objectives clear when speaking to reporters: The Cowboys needed to be better in the run game, both offensively and defensively.
With the bulk of free agency and the NFL Draft in the books, prime player acquisition time is in the rearview mirror. How have the Cowboys fared relative to those stated goals?
“Well, we got bigger in both,” Jones said. “And maybe the most important part of the run game, we got bigger on the offensive line. You could say that over on the defensive side of the ball but I think we all know that we need to adjust in those areas … we do want to have more big boys up front.”
It’s a convenient comment for Jones to make following the draft, in which half of the eight draft picks were in the trenches. The Cowboys drafted three offensive linemen, including two of their top three picks, and a defensive tackle in the sixth round. Second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland is also a boost to the defensive line. There’s no question that the Cowboys spent this offseason addressing the rush offense and the run defense. Even their two free-agent signings from the bargain bin (linebacker Eric Kendricks and running back Royce Freeman) fall under those categories.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones talking about their roster building going forward, mentioned the possibility of trading for veteran players. “This thing is a long way from being over.” pic.twitter.com/PRG3RcqnVD
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) April 27, 2024
But have the Cowboys gotten better in either category?
A full-picture view of personnel assessment would indicate that if there have been improvements based on player activity, it’s been marginal. Looking only at the player arrivals is painting half the picture. Those moves have to be evaluated in the context of the departures, too.
Offensively, the Cowboys added Tyler Guyton in the first round but it’s unfair to him to think that he would be an immediate upgrade from last season at left tackle, where Tyron Smith played 13 games and earned second-team All-Pro honors. Cooper Beebe is an exciting addition and will compete for the vacant starting center position but his predecessor, Tyler Biadasz, was a Pro Bowl player there in 2022 and was stellar last season. Tyler Smith, Zack Martin and Terence Steele each return to fill out the starting unit up front.
One can make an argument that the offensive line next season — on paper — is shaping up to be marginally better or marginally worse. Meanwhile, at running back, the Cowboys have downgraded after losing Tony Pollard in free agency. That’s not to criticize the Cowboys for letting Pollard walk (he signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Titans), but unlike the offensive line, where they made enough moves to make it a wash, at minimum, the Cowboys have ignored running back.
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If the offensive line isn’t substantially better, which it isn’t, then it’s fair to wonder why last year’s backup cast of Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn and Malik Davis will have more success in 2024. After abstaining from adding a running back in the draft, the Cowboys strongly indicated that Ezekiel Elliott could soon be added to the mix. Jones said he was encouraged by the way Elliott wrapped up the season last year in New England, and that gave Jones reason to believe that Elliott — he played his first seven seasons in Dallas — is still a starting running back in the NFL. If Pollard’s 4.0 yards per carry last season prompted Jones to comment that the run game needs to be improved, it’s hard to understand why Jones could look at Elliott’s 2.98 yards per carry in the final six games last season and feel that’s the solution.
The running back position, barring a trade, has been downgraded this offseason. That means, instead of improving, the rush offense has taken a step back despite the draft additions along the offensive line.
On the other side of the ball, things follow a similar script.
A heavy criticism of the run defense last season under Dan Quinn was the lack of true linebackers (ironically, Quinn added six linebackers through free agency and the draft as head coach of the Washington Commanders). The Cowboys’ lone free-agency signing on defense was Kendricks, which is a solid move for multiple reasons. Kendricks is a good player and has experience running defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s defense from their days together in Minnesota.
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Again, looking at the full picture, the Cowboys added Kendricks but lost Leighton Vander Esch to retirement. They drafted Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau in the third round but he may need to get his feet wet on special teams before making a significant defensive impact. The Cowboys have praised linebacker DeMarvion Overshown all offseason, but Overshown is coming off a torn ACL and has yet to play a meaningful NFL down. Once again, the Cowboys appear to be one injury away from needing to get creative at an injury-laden position.
The approach to the run defense this offseason — in some ways — is the inverse of the rush offense. Whereas the Cowboys made sure they were solid up front offensively and ignored the guy who should be running through the holes, they’ve focused defensively on guys shooting the gaps and ignored the guys working up front. Osa Odighizuwa is a solid defensive tackle but there are a lot of questions behind him with none bigger than last year’s first-round pick, Mazi Smith.
“I’m going to let (head coach) Mike (McCarthy) do that one,” Jones said at the news conference, “but I can speak to you from 5,000 feet up, yeah, Mazi’s got to do a lot better than he did last year. And I think he certainly will.”
Added McCarthy: “I think Mazi’s an example of a young man going through the first year and every rookie season is different. There are lessons to be learned. We’re all counting on it, for Mazi to take that next step. Most importantly, he believes it. He’s doing the things necessary right now to get himself ready. … We see big things for Mazi.”
Similar to the case with Overshown, the Cowboys are in a position of hope when it comes to Smith. If things do progress and Smith breaks through in Year 2, a lot of the cries for help at defensive tackle will simmer down. If not, the Cowboys will be in a similar place as last season, with the defensive tackles not capable of doing much to work in concert with the linebackers to stop the run.
The big wild card is the change at defensive coordinator from Quinn to Zimmer and the anticipation that a scheme change can help patch the holes that existed on the ground last season. That’s probably the most concrete change the Cowboys have made in advancing toward different results in stopping the run.
As Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones repeated multiple times Saturday, player acquisition is a 365-day thing. The Cowboys can still add free agents and work the phones to make trades. Games aren’t won or lost in March and April, and especially not playoff games — the Cowboys’ sole focus and big-picture goal.
But it was Jones who stated the offseason goals in February. Nearly three months later, it’s hard to say the Cowboys have done enough to accomplish what they set out to do.
(Photo of Tyler Guyton and Jerry Jones: Gareth Patterson / Associated Press)
