The 2024 offseason was one of the worst in franchise history for the Dallas Cowboys as they lost several key starters and did not replace any of them in free agency. They waited too long to sign Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, costing them millions in future cap space.
It was a bad offseason and it obviously had a big impact on their ability to field a competitive team during the season.
But things feel different this season. Outside of just the coaching changes, the Cowboys had a change in philosophy during the offseason. They weren’t major players in free agency, but they did bring back Dante Fowler and signed a number of low-cost veterans. They executed three trades for veterans, including a George Pickens trade after the draft to solve their No. 2 wide receiver need.
The Cowboys were much more active overall during the offseason, and the sheer number of outside players brought in over the last three months is quite astonishing. But did they get better? That’s up for debate.
In a recent article by Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus, he graded every team’s offseason moves following the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft. Sikkema liked the overall moves of the offseason, but Dallas received a middling C+ grade.
Cowboys hit with depressing offseason grade despite uptick in aggression
Here is a snippet of what Sikkema had to say about all of the action by the Cowboys:
"Dallas' draft was a home run, though, especially the team's first three picks. I remain worried about how their offensive and defensive lines will come together in 2025, with Zack Martin retiring on offense and the duo of Mazi Smith and Osa Odighizuwa, who earned PFF run-defense grades of 35.9 and 50.8, respectively, slated to start again."
Trevor Sikkema, Pro Football Focus
Sikkema is right to be concerned about the run defense of the Dallas Cowboys as the only veteran defensive tackle they’ve added in Solomon Thomas, who is not known for his run-stopping abilities. They did not select a defensive tackle inside the first five round and are really relying on Smith and Odighizuwa to stay healthy and improve as run defenders.
But this is the type of offseason we’ve learned to expect from the Cowboys. They aren’t going to be major players in free agency and they are relying on the draft and trading mid-to-late round picks for talented players looking to revitalize their careers in Dallas.
However, it sure feels different from last year, and it’s hard to imagine the Cowboys being worse than they were a year ago. They still have areas of need, but the overall roster appears to be in much better shape thanks to a more aggressive offseason approach.