Every year, it seems like the Dallas Cowboys are always trying to play catch-up. With each new season, there is always a new team that is the benchmark, and somehow, the Cowboys organization is a few steps behind them. Right now, that team is the Philadelphia Eagles, as their creative spending has provided them with a loaded roster.
But in the NFC, it’s not just the Eagles. Teams like Detroit and San Francisco are poised for a strong season. In fact, the Cowboys are ranked 10th in the NFC in terms of Super Bowl odds for the upcoming season. Tenth! There are only 16 total teams in the NFC. People aren’t putting a lot of faith in America’s Team this season.
One might think that such a “desperate” time calls for desperate measures. Should this trigger the front office to go on a spending frenzy to reload the fridge with groceries? Well, not quite. As we all should be aware by now, that is not the Cowboys' way. The front office takes on a more patient approach, putting faith in their ability to build through the draft.
Currently, the Cowboys only have five players who are making at least $10 million annually. When you add Micah Parsons' inevitable contract to the mix, the team’s top-paid players go as follows:
POSITION PLAYER YEARS ANNUAL COST
QB Dak Prescott 4 $60 million
WR Micah Parsons 5 $40 million
WR CeeDee Lamb 4 $34 million
DT Osa Odighizuwa 4 $20 million
CB Trevon Diggs 4 $19.4 million
RT Terence Steele 4 $16.5 million
A couple of weeks ago, we mentioned that the Cowboys must consider being bigger spenders if they want to catch up with the other top teams in the league. On the surface, it may have appeared to be a reactionary response to what other organizations are doing. Monkey see, monkey do. The cymbal-clanging monkey that is Jerry Jones needs to adapt if they want to stay in the arms race for talent.
However, the motivation to spend a little more shouldn’t come from simply copying what others are doing, but rather from benefiting from what they have already accomplished. The Cowboys have quietly made some sacrifices in recent years that have set them up nicely. What are those sacrifices?
The team did not properly devise an exit strategy for Tony Pollard and has been left inadequate at running back. They have not taken a running back within the first four rounds since Pollard was drafted in 2019.
The team continues to pass up wide receivers early in the draft despite great concerns about having a viable WR2 since the departure of Amari Cooper.
The team relies on late-round selections to fill out their cornerback room, putting a lot of faith in hitting on those picks.
The team doesn’t have a good enough backup quarterback who gives them a fighting chance when Dak Prescott goes down.
All of these things have caused the Cowboys problems in recent years. While those decisions have made things difficult, there are some good things that have come out of it. The team’s willingness to trust their draft process has allowed them to draft purely, rather than using premium picks to address needs. Between draft picks and a few trades to address certain needs, look at the list of young players they have on the roster who play key positions on the team and who are under team control for at least the next two years.
POSITION PLAYER YEARS
QB Joe Milton III 3
RB Jaydon Blue 4
WR Jonathan Mingo 2
G Tyler Booker 4
LT Tyler Guyton 3
C Cooper Beebe 3
DE Marshawn Kneeland 3
DE Donovan Ezeiruaku 4
LB Marist Liufau 3
CB Shavon Revel Jr. 4
There are ten players on that list. Of this group, several are expected to be a big part of this team’s future. With so many low-cost players on the books for a while, the Cowboys have an opportunity to spend a little more to add some key components to their roster. Maybe that comes in a George Pickens extension. Maybe they can finesse themselves an upgrade at nose tackle before the trade deadline by taking over someone’s contract in exchange for some late-round draft capital.
All of this to say, the Cowboys have options. What they choose to do is a great mystery, but the choices they’ve made in the past have set them up nicely to be a little more aggressive. As long as they can count on these young players to contribute, the Cowboys will be afforded the financial flexibility to make small upgrades here and there.