Cowboys free agency leaves a lot of holes, but it’s not as bad as it looks

There are a lot of people questioning how the Dallas Cowboys are approaching free agency.

It’s business as usual for the Dallas Cowboys and that means it’s time to disappoint fans who are holding their breath for some new toys to admire as the team revamps their roster. Most are conditioned for this quiet period, but it’s still concerning because the Cowboys have lost several of their own free agents and signed only one new one. Not only that, but the team is without their regular fourth- and fifth-round draft picks so their draft resources are a little light this year. For those reasons, there is a concern that the team will have too many holes to fill and not enough players to fill them.

Today, we’re going to run through some of these more concerning positions and examine just how bad the Cowboys are sitting.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The hardest pill to swallow is the loss of Tyron Smith. Combine that with Tyler Biadasz also leaving and the Cowboys sit with two gaping holes along the offensive line. But is really that bad?

This team believes in Brock Hoffman and with what little we saw last year, it’s not inconceivable that he can play at a comparable level as Biadasz has in recent years. Biadasz wasn’t a superstar by any means and Hoffman actually possesses more power. He’s two years younger than Biadasz and still has room to grow. This center transition may not be as bad as we think.

As for replacing Tyron, that’s a different story. The good news is the Cowboys are fortunate that this year’s offensive tackle class is loaded with talent. The better news is the Cowboys are sharp at sniffing it out. Remember, just a couple of years ago, the took Tyler Smith who was the sixth offensive lineman taken in the draft. Here we are now and Smith is the only All-Pro lineman from his draft class and may very easily be the best of the best. If you are worried about this team missing out on a starting-caliber lineman in this draft, don’t be.

LINEBACKER

The Cowboys have parted ways with Leighton Vander Esch after six seasons. This didn’t come as a big surprise as neck issues continue to put his health in danger. While one linebacker is gone, another has been added as the team signed veteran free agent Eric Kendricks who should be a quality acquisition to a now-led Mike Zimmer defense.

The team will also get another linebacker added to the roster in the form of second-year player DeMarvion Overshown. A third-round pick last year, the rookie flashed in the preseason before suffering a knee injury. Damone Clark remains on the roster and shouldn’t be asked to do quite as much as he has over his first two years in the league. The Cowboys may also look to the draft to bolster up the linebacker position group even more.

Linebacker is a position some are worried about, but there’s a good chance this group just got smarter, stronger, and even faster than what they rolled out last season.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Defensive tackle is a position this team has battled to improve for years. Even with the first-round investment of Mazi Smith last year, they just can’t seem to turn a corner here. The good news is they aren’t losing anyone meaningful. Neville Gallimore is gone, but he’s not anyone who will be missed. What will things look like this upcoming season?

You’d think the team would add someone who could upgrade the nose tackle spot, but who knows? At the very least, they might bring Johnathan Hankins back. Smith will be in year two and fingers are crossed he’ll take a step forward. And let’s not forget Osa Odighizuwa who is a fringe breakout player.

RUNNING BACK

The Cowboys gave Ezekiel Elliott a big contract, but then soon learned that the wear and tear of heavy early-year usage caught up to him. He was averaging 3.8 yards per carry in his final year in Dallas. The team went from one overpriced back to another paying $10 million to Tony Pollard for the 2023 season. The once explosive 5.0+ yards per carry guy dropped to just 4.0 ypc last year as the team’s workhorse back. His longest run last year was 31 yards. Pollard’s new partner in crime in the backfield, Rico Dowdle, averaged just 4.1 yards per carry. His longest run last season was 21 yards.

It’s clear the team is hitting the reset button at running back. They may bring Dowdle back, Malik Davis is still under contract, and they drafted Deuce Vaughn last year. Neither of these guys bring out any excitement, but the team is still working to fix the running back group. A low-cost free agent signing should be on the horizon and the team should look to the draft for a fresh new rookie running back.

Fun fact: Over the last 20 years, the Cowboys have taken a running back between picks 70 and 150 four different times. Three of them have turned into Pro Bowlers (Marion Barber, DeMarco Murray, and Tony Pollard).

WIDE RECEIVER

CeeDee Lamb proved that he was a legit star receiver and he will soon be getting a long-term extension. The trade for Brandin Cooks was a success and the team has him under contract for another year. Sadly, Michael Gallup wasn’t able to improve and after two disappointing seasons, the team released him last week designating him a post-June 1st cut.

From a wide receiver group perspective, they only have to replace Gallup, and let’s face it, he didn’t contribute very much. Third-year receiver Jalen Tolbert could very easily step into a larger role and be equally if not better than Gallup. Last year’s late-round/undrafted guys Jalen Brooks and David Durden are also in the mix. And let’s not forget the upcoming draft features a rich wide receiver class, so there will be opportunities there as well.

It shouldn’t be too hard for the team to upgrade this position group and it’s something they should shoot for considering Cooks will be an unrestricted free agent next season.

CONCLUSION

When you break down each position, there isn’t any one spot where the Cowboys are in real trouble, and most of these offer chances to be even better. It’s okay to be concerned about certain areas considering the net gains and losses thus far, but it’s still way early. We should at least hold off our panic for later when some of this roster acquisition dust has settled.