The Cowboys have a lot of work to do over the offseason.
The Dallas Cowboys came into their Week 17 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles riding a ton of momentum, having won four of their previous five games. However, what happened in the game wasn’t that surprising at all as the Eagles showed their superiority in a 41-7 win, earning a rare sweep in the season series.
As the page turns to the final game of the season, it’s almost as if a bad nightmare is coming to an end in Dallas. The Cowboys have been riddled with injuries, and they happened to a lot of their most important players. It has simply been too much to bear for Dallas, and they need to start looking forward to 2025, seeing as they won’t be in the postseason.
It will be the Washington Commanders that roll into town to close out the 2024 campaign. While the Cowboys can’t play spoiler in terms of keeping them out of the playoffs, but a win could possibly drop the Commanders to the seventh seed in the NFC and force them to hit the road against the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round. With that being said, here’s what we have learned about the Cowboys heading into Week 18
Rico Dowdle has proven himself no matter what happens
Dowdle came into the 2024 season with the reputation of a guy who had some talent but couldn’t stay healthy enough to show it. Well, that particular narrative was put to bed, for now at least, as he will play in 16 games this season with 15 starts. Once the Cowboys finally decided that he was the unquestioned lead horse in the running back stable, Dowdle showed that while he’s not a game changer per se, he’s certainly a quality runner that can add value to any franchise. If you pair Dowdle with another quality guy at the position, it can produce a special tandem.
When free agency rolls around, Dowdle will be one of the in-house guys the Cowboys have to make a decision on. He’s earned a good payday, probably in the $3-5 million range annually. However, if the Cowboys do bring him back, they should still pursue an upgrade in the draft. Getting a top guy in the building and re-signing Dowdle should be the Cowboys plan.
Wide receiver should be high on the NFL Draft priority list
CeeDee or bust. That’s pretty where the Cowboys are right now at wide receiver. With him missing the final two games due to a shoulder issue, the game against the Eagles gave other guys the opportunity to step up. Predictably, it highlighted just how bad the position is in Dallas. Brandin Cooks still has some ability as an older guy, but the Cowboys don’t use him correctly, which pretty much makes him irrelevant at times. The same can be said for KaVontae Turpin in terms of proper usage. Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks keep having a flash here and there, but nothing has been consistent.
It’s simply too much on Lamb to have to carry the load every week, and it also limits the options of Dak Prescott, which ultimately slows down the entire offense. The Cowboys have other pressing needs like cornerback, running back, and defensive line, but wide receiver needs to be in heavy consideration during the first two days of the draft. Dallas needs more speed and another dynamic playmaker to pair with Lamb expeditiously.
Cornerback is also a position of need
The Cowboys have two of the better cornerbacks in the NFL in Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland. However, for the second consecutive year, Diggs has had to be shut down with an injury. Bland is back playing at the moment, but he missed 10 games this season with a stress fracture in his foot. Jourdan Lewis is having one of his best years ever, but he’s also a free agent in 2025, and a team could certainly make things hard for the Cowboys with their frugal spending ways. Caelen Carson has some promise, but he hit a rookie wall before being put on injured reserve with a shoulder issue.
Although Diggs will likely be ready for when the next season starts, and Bland will have a full offseason to get back to himself, there’s still quite a bit of uncertainty at the cornerback spot in Dallas, especially with the future of Lewis being uncertain. That makes drafting a cornerback a big-time priority for the Cowboys in April.
