The Dallas Cowboys, one could say, have been "selectively aggressive" in free agency, just as COO Stephen Jones said they would be.
A host of solid players have walked through the doors, with Dante Fowler Jr., Jack Sanborn, Miles Sanders, Javonte Williams, and Kenneth Murray the pick of the bunch.
Then we look at the departures with Brandin Cooks, DeMarcus Lawrence, Zack Martin (retired), Jourdan Lewis, Rico Dowdle, and Chauncey Golston, and now it can be tough to see if Dallas has gotten better or not.
For ESPN's Mike Tannenbaum, he's named the Cowboys as a team that has gone backward this offseason.
"The Dallas Cowboys," Tannenbaum writes. "Though some of their signings will add depth and talent to their roster (running backs Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, in particular), they lost quality players -- Jourdan Lewis, DeMarcus Lawrence, Rico Dowdle and Zack Martin. However, the Cowboys' most fundamental mistake was not signing Micah Parsons sooner.
"Now that the defensive end market has been "reset" by $6 million more per year because of Myles Garrett's new contract, Dallas once again will pay a premium after waiting to commit to a star."
Is there merit to the thought that Dallas has gone backward? Not if we compare this year's work (with 20 deals done) to last year's (with 11 guys leaving and nothing gained.)
In Micah Parsons' case? Tannenbaum is trodding old ground here while adding no insight.
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And yes, the price for Micah continues to go up ... but what does that have to do with going "backward''?
The Micah deal cannot be labeled a "mistake" yet. And the guys lost (mentioned by Tannenbaum) can't be discussed fairly without mentioning the guys gained (Tannenbaum paints a lopsided picture by just mentioning two acquisitions.)
Has Dallas really gone backward this offseason? Or is saying so just part of a meme-driven parlor game being played by the national media?
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This story was originally published March 22, 2025 at 3:29 PM.