Stephon Gilmore was a key part of the 12-4 Cowboys last season. The former NFL Defensive Player of the Year paired with DaRon Bland to form one of the better cornerback duos in the league in 2023. Acquired in an offseason trade, Gillmore was well worth the price of admission. But as the Cowboys prepared to break the bank for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb in 2024, Gillmore faced the same fate many of the Cowboys other free agents faced, a handshake and a goodbye. Instead of re-signing Gilmore, Dallas inked the seven-year veteran Jourdan Lewis to a new deal. He was of very few who were asked to come back, and as arguably the best performing CB on the Cowboys this season, it’s been money well spent. With Trevon Diggs also coming back in 2024 and DaRon Bland coming off a breakout All-Pro season, Gilmore was on the outside looking in. Despite sitting unsigned in free agency for a brutally long period of time, the Cowboys didn’t bite. Eventually Gilmore signed with the Vikings for one year, $7,000,000 million, fully guaranteed. It’s a decision he’s likely pleased he made with Minnesota at 5-0 and in first place in the NFC. How he performed with the Cowboys Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports Gilmore wasn’t the All-Pro he used to be in 2023, but he was a solid, starting-quality CB who provided both dependable play and veteran leadership. Pro Football Focus graded him 35th out of 127 graded CBs last season, giving Dallas two CBs in the league’s top 35. How he’s performing in 2024 Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports Even at age 34, Gilmore is still clear value-added to his team. PFF ranks the veteran 30th in 2024. His 8.5 yards/reception allowed is a career best. His 69.7 passer rating when targeted is his best since 2019. He’s logged two pass deflections, one interception and allowed zero touchdowns. It’s safe to say he’s an absolute steal at $7 million. How he’d fit had he been re-signed (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) On paper he would have never displaced Bland or Diggs. The Cowboys could have moved Bland back inside but given his success outside in 2023, that would be hard to believe. Gilmore would have fit well as an outside replacement, which based on the Cowboys history, would have been a significant role. As luck would have it, Bland was injured before the season began and the second outside CB spot became of revolving door of low-level options. We know now Gilmore would have played a significant role early in 2024 and given his high-end play against the run, he would have helped the Cowboys considerably. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Was it a mistake not re-signing him? Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports For the Cowboys, yes. For Gilmore, no. If Gilmore would have accepted $7 million to play a reserve role, retrospect says that’s a great deal to make for Dallas. Diggs started the 2024 campaign strong but isn’t playing with the same effort or precision as before. He could have used a veteran presence like Gilmore playing across from him and prodding him to play better. With Bland coming back after the bye, the need isn’t as significant for Gilmore going forward. Assuming the Cowboys can stay relatively healthy at CB, they may not need an extra boundary CB again this season. Regardless, having that veteran stability on the roster and given the injury-filled nature of the position in Dallas, Gilmore would have been well worth re-signing for $7 million had he been willing to accept it. Related articles Saturday, July 29, 2023.

There are now two weeks remaining before the NFL trade deadline expires and the Cowboys are in a precarious situation. Sitting at 3-3 on the season and coming off a bye week, the club is in danger of facing a lost season. Dallas is going to travel to two mediocre teams over the next 12 days, the 3-4 San Francisco 49ers and 4-3 Atlanta Falcons. If they survive the trips with one or two wins, they may feel they are in a position to strengthen themselves over the second half of the season. If they fall in both, however, dropping to 3-5, it will probably be time to admit the rebuild has to be fully embraced instead of straddling the tear-it-down dence. In that scenario, the front office would be doing themselves a disservice by holding on to veterans on expiring contracts. Trading away a veteran doesn’t come without caution; players who are projected to sign substantial deals will provide their former teams with an opportunity to earn a compensatory pick aligned with their next contract amount. That creates an interesting situation for several players with Pro Bowls and All-Pros on their resumes. Here’s a look at five players who could bring back interesting draft capital for the Cowboys. QB Trey Lance LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 17: Trey Lance #19 of the Dallas Cowboys warms up prior to a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on August 17, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images) Lance has done nothing in the league, yet his athleticism and draft pedigree keep him in the public’s mind as a potential fix. Seeing players who have struggled to begin their careers eventually work it out (Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith, Ryan Tannehill, etc) will give some team the hope of discovering a diamond in the rough. With recent injuries to Deshaun Watson and Aidan O’Connell, there may be an opportunity for Dallas to recoup some level of compensation after spending a fourth round pick to acquire Lance from the 49ers last summer. DE DeMarcus Lawrence Wednesday: DNP | Thursday: — | Friday: — Lawrence has made two straight, and four overall, Pro Bowls. He’s currently leading the team in sacks with three, despite missing the last two games as he’s on IR. He’s a two-way player who is normally one of the league’s best at setting the edge. The issue is that Lawrence is dealing with a lisfranc sprain in his foot and may not be healthy enough to pass a physical for his new club. OG Zack Martin Wednesday: Limited | Thursday: — | Friday: — Martin is not the same player who has been considered the best in the league for the majority of his career. He’s a first ballot Hall of Famer who has set the standard for interior line play for his generation. At this point, he’s still well above replacement level and there’s a very strong chance his decline is related to the scheme he’s being asked to play under Mike Solari. A fresh start could easily see a career rejuvenation. Which creates a conundrum. With a new staff almost all but guaranteed for 2025, does Dallas try to convince Martin to retire a Cowboy? Is he close to retirement anyway? These are conversations that need to be had with the star over the next two weeks. WR Brandin Cooks CLEVELAND, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 08: Brandin Cooks #3 of the Dallas Cowboys catches the ball for a touchdown in the first quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on September 08, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) Cooks hasn’t been impactful this season, but perhaps that has more to do with the knee injury that has him on IR. Set to be available for activation following the Atlanta game, there’s been no word on whether or not that’s a reasonable expectation, but if so, he could be an interesting player to deal. Dallas hasn’t been very explosive on offense, but after Week 9, would there be any point in keeping him on board? He’d be more progress stopper than solution and if a team is offering some level of Day 3 compensation it might make sense to move him and save $3 million or so in salary. DL Chauncey Golston MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – NOVEMBER 20: Chauncey Golston #99 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on against the Minnesota Vikings during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 20, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) Golston is an interesting case as he’s been rather nondescript as a Cowboy and is set to see his rookie contract run out. The 2021 third-round pick has played reasonably well as the depth chart has disintegrated ahead of him and might be looked at as a contributing piece by a team that’s in need of rotation help.

Jerry Jones addresses radio rant, justifies Derrick Henry non-pursuit, shares his lone regret as Cowboys owner Todd Brock Jerry Jones called in Tuesday morning- as scheduled- for his weekly radio appearance on flagship station 105.3 The Fan. And the first question he got, naturally, was about last week’s headline-making tirade, when he awkwardly went after the hosts and even seemed to threaten their jobs, all for their prodding regarding the lack of personnel moves made by the front office over the offseason. “I don’t have anything to say about last week,” the Cowboys owner said… …And then he went for another seven minutes on the topic. “I must tell you, I’m surprised that last week got the attention it got.” The tl;dr version is that Jones isn’t holding a grudge, the hosts aren’t getting fired, and everyone in the long-term relationship understands and expects that there will be tough questions and emotional answers from time to time, because it comes part and parcel with the unique inside exposure that Jones regularly gives to the Dallas media when it comes to the most valuable and recognized sports franchise on the planet. Yet Jones talked a good bit about some of the controversial decisions he’s made, and why, and which one he might do over if he could. The 82-year-old billionaire wandered into his past and brought up a few of his greatest-hit stories, like the coin flip that helped determine the final price he’d pay for the team back in 1989. Oddly, he rehashed that one while trying to explain for the umpteenth time why the Cowboys didn’t pursue free agent running back Derick Henry in the spring. (Jones mentioned Henry twice without ever being prompted; it’s clearly top of mind at the moment.) “In my mind, we’re not playing very good football right now, at all,” Jones said. “And it’s beyond whether or not we have Derrick Henry or not. Derrick Henry is having a career year. I don’t know if he’d be having that career year in our situation. And that’s really something you really do have to look at, because if he had not had as many carries as our running backs have had, then he certainly probably wouldn’t have attained the level of impact he’s had.” For what it’s worth, Henry has 134 rushing attempts so far this season for Baltimore. He’s amassed 873 yards through seven games, averaging 6.5 yards per carry. The entire Cowboys team has 133 carries for 463 yards (over six games), a 3.5 per-attempt clip. “He’s a real good complement to the type of offense they run,” Jones continued of Henry. “We don’t run that type of offense, at all.” No, they sure don’t. Baltimore has a 5-2 mark, having scored a league-high 31.1 points per outing, while 3-3 Dallas is scoring 21 points per game, worse than all but one other club. But the offensive approaches aren’t that dissimilar: the Ravens are currently averaging 28.4 passing attempts and 250.6 passing yards per game; the Cowboys are at 39.7 attempts and 259.3 yards. Baltimore is, in fact, running more than the Cowboys- 34.1 attempts per game as opposed to 22.2- but it’s worth noting that many of the Ravens’ “rushes” are scrambles or designed runs by quarterback Lamar Jackson (about 10 per game). It’s also safe to assume that if Henry were wearing a star on his helmet, there would be a few more runs being called. Be all of that as it may, Jones claims he has no regrets about not pursuing Henry- because of money, because of fit, because of whatever. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] With the team reeling and on the precipice of a complete crash-and-burn, though, Jones spent a lot of his time justifying other past decisions. Over the course of the Q&A, he defended trading wide receiver Amari Cooper for only a fifth-round pick in 2022, despite the fact that Cleveland turned him for a third-rounder just last week. “We went for the dollars,” Jones explained. “We saved almost $20 million for our cap and the future. We took a lesser draft pick to get that savings. When he made this move the other day, Cleveland went for more draft pick and less savings. It was very simple.” Cooper has played in 39 games since leaving Dallas. He’s totaled 178 catches for 2,726 yards and 17 touchdowns and made a Pro Bowl. The Cowboys used that fifth-round selection on offensive lineman Matt Waletzko, who- in two and a half pro seasons- has played all of 19 snaps, mostly on special teams. Yeah, but they did get that cap savings, too. Jones was willing to admit there was at least one thing he’s gotten wrong over his tenure as owner. He told 105.3 The Fan that he regrets firing head coach Wade Phillips midway through the 2010 season. The Cowboys were just 1-7 when Phillips got the axe and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was named interim head coach. The move turned the season for Dallas; the Cowboys went 5-3 the rest of the way, and Garrett stayed on in the position for another nine seasons. But Jones pointed out that things worked out for Phillips, too. Just a few years later, Phillips won a Super Bowl ring with the Broncos, a title that, according to many, likely would not have happened without him as Denver’s defensive coordinator. It was the only time Jones has ever fired a head coach during a season. He’s said he won’t do it again, despite rumors swirling that Mike McCarthy- coaching without a contract beyond 2024- is on borrowed time. Jones seems more than willing to lie in the bed he’s made- with a lame-duck head coach that he won’t dismiss now because of a 14-year-old regret, with a benchwarming lineman that he won’t admit was too little payment for a Pro Bowl receiver he wanted gone, with a broken running game that he insists is fine because he wants the fanbase to believe the

The Dallas Cowboys still have at least 11 games left in their 2024 season. The mood, however, is pretty grim as the club exits their bye week. Sitting at 3-3, the club will return to the safety of the road for their next contest, a remarkable turnabout from how things have been the last two seasons. Somehow, the pressure of being at home has become too much for the organization, falling woefully behind in four contests (dating back to the wild-card game) and only making one of them competitive. This is the mark of a team without leadership, and the most likely result with the way things are trending is that head coach Mike McCarthy will not earn a new contract and will be cleaning out his office in early January. That will likely set off an intriguing search that if the front office is worth anything (debatable at this point), they are already doing the leg work to form a list of candidates. We’ll do similar work, putting together a watch list of potential replacements; checking in periodically throughout the rest of the regular season. The rankings are obviously subjective, so reader’s shouldn’t get to adjusting their drawers just yet. Honorable Mentions: Dan Pritchard, Cincinnati Bengals OC Ryan Grubb, Seattle Seahawks OC Adam Stenovich, Green Bay Packers OC Ejiro Evero, Carolina Panthers, DC 13 USC HC Lincoln Riley Dec 27, 2023; San Diego, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts in the second half against the Louisville Cardinals during the Holiday Bowl at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports The luster may be off Riley as USC is struggling mightily so far in 2024 at 3-4, after regressing in 2023. The Oklahoma run is goated, the initial year in 2022 with the Trojans was magical, but nothing recently has gone according to plan 12 University of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart Dec 30, 2023; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; rGeorgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart reacts after the 2023 Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports The best collegiate head coach since Nick Saban.. he likely makes way too much ($13 million per year) coaching at his alma mater to move, but there’s no process that is sane without at least kicking the tires on the possibility. 11 Saints OC Klint Kubiak Sep 8, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak reacts against the Carolina Panthers during the pregame at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images The Saints started the season ridiculously hot, with back-to-back 40-point outbursts. Things have fallen off badly since then, with five straight losses including three consecutive blowouts. Losing Derek Carr at QB has hurt, but Kubiak’s system is certainly something to keep an eye on, especially if the Saints can recapture some magic. 10 Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith Nov 2, 2023; Frankfurt, Germany; Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith at press conference at the PSD Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Grabbing from a fruitful tree is always a wise idea, and snatching Smith from under Mike McDaniel as part of the Kyle Shanahan limb system seems like a wise call. Dallas rarely uses motion at the snap and isn’t particularly good at it; and that’s literally the forte of Smith. Doesn’t currently have play-calling duties though, which could be seen as a knock. 9 Former NFL head coach Mike Vrabel Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel reacts to a Titans penalty against the Seattle Seahawks during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. Vrabel was fired by owner Amy Adams Strunk Monday after having two losing seasons back-to-back. Vrabel is a defensive-minded head coach who was able to achieve strong levels of success in Tennessee with a veteran QB who wasn’t well regarded (Ryan Tannehill) prior to their time together. Known as a disciplinarian, pairing him with Dak Prescott would require finding the next big thing as offensive coordinator. 8 Former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick Sep 30, 2018; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watches from the sideline as they take on the Miami Dolphins in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports For better or worse, the clubhouse leader. Belichick is a huge Prescott fan, Jerry Jones is a huge supporter of retreads and it would be interesting to see if given a competent front office… oh wait. 7 Lions DC Aaron Glenn Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn watches practice during OTAs at Detroit Lions headquarters and practice facility in Allen Park on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. Glenn obviously has ties to Dallas, playing two of his 15 seasons with the organization, but the growth of the Lions’ defense under his tutelage has been impressive on its own. In 2020 they ranked 32nd in defensive DVOA. Since Glenn joined they moved to 29th, 27th, 13th and ranked 4th going into Week 7’s action. He’s consistently being highlighted by their players as a phenomenal leader of men. 6 Comanders OC Kliff Kingsbury Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images It appears that Kingsbury’s time away after the disaster in Arizona has done him a ton of good. The offense he’s put together in DC for rookie Jayden Daniels is quite impressive and a stark contrast to what he was doing with Kyler Murray in the desert. That transformation should lead to him having a second opportunity not always afforded. 5 Colorado HC Deion Sanders Nov 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders (right) talks with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports After great success at Jackson State with back-to-back SWAC championships, Sanders has quickly brought Colorado from obscurity to

Cleveland Browns ( 1-6 ) | Last Week: 32 Nov 12, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports Carolina Panthers ( 1-6 ) | Last Week: 30 Sep 24, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton (14) passes before being hit by Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports New England Patriots ( 1-6 ) | Last Week: 29 Sep 19, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) gets sacked hard by New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood (44) in the 4th quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images Tennesee Titans ( 1-5 ) | Last Week: 28 Dec 31, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA;Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (8) under center motions against the Houston Texans in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports Jacksonville Jaguars ( 2-5 ) | Last Week: 31 Dec 11, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) throws the ball during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean-USA TODAY Sports New York Giants ( 2-5 ) | Last Week: 27 New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8), is shown on the ground after being sacked by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (not shown) in the first quarter. Sunday, September 10, 2023 Las Vegas Raiders ( 2-5 ) | Last Week: 26 November 5, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce signals against the New York Giants during the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports New York Jets ( 2-5 ) | Last Week: 21 New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) throws against the Tennessee Titans during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. Arizona Cardinals ( 2-4 ) Pending MNF | Last Week: 23 Oct 11, 2020; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) warms up before his game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports Dallas Cowboys ( 3-3 ) | Last Week: 22 CLEVELAND, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 08: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys looks to pass the ball in the first quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on September 08, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) New Orleans Saints ( 2-5 ) | Last Week: 18 Sep 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) takes a pitch from quarterback Derek Carr (4) in the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Los Angeles Rams ( 2-4 ) | Last Week: 25 Sep 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks to pass in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images Miami Dolphins ( 2-4 ) | Last Week: 20 Dec 25, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) stands on the field during the second half against the Green Bay Packers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports Cincinnati Bengals ( 3-4 ) | Last Week: 19 Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) takes the field for warm ups prior to a Week 2 NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. Denver Broncos ( 4-3 ) | Last Week: 24 Sep 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) prepares to pass in the second half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Indianapolis Colts ( 4-3 ) | Last Week: 17 Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) rushes in for a touchdown Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, during a game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston Atlanta Falcons ( 4-3 ) | Last Week: 8 Sep 16, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images San Francisco 49ers ( 3-4 ) | Last Week: 12 Jan 22, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) throws during the first quarter of a NFC divisional round game against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports Philadelphia Eagles ( 4-2 ) | Last Week: 16 Nov 5, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) reacts after a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports Seattle Seahawks ( 4-3 ) | Last Week: 15 Jan 14, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) makes a throw in the second quarter of a wild card game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports Tampa Bay Buccaneers ( 4-2 ) Pending MNF | Last Week: 9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) at the end of the Detroit Lions game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. Buccaneers won 20-16. Los Angeles Chargers ( 3-2 ) Pending MNF | Last Week: 14 Sep 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) behind center Bradley Bozeman (75) during the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Pittsburgh Steelers ( 5-2 ) | Last Week: 13 Sep 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Chicago Bears ( 5-2 )

Bye Week Fix: Is Cowboys’ secret weapon on offense wasting away on shelf? K.D. Drummond The Dallas Cowboys have the opportunity to do something to fix their stumbling offense, but they won’t. They didn’t have the foresight to prepare for it, because they lack imagination. The organization, as a whole, has become timid and scared to think outside of the box. It’s seen in how they approach free agency, never taking a financial risk anymore, much less rolling the dice on a situation that could blow up. And it seems to be part of the fabric of their coaching staff; with their inability to think outside the box. Dallas spent the offseason seeing if they could potentially let Dak Prescott walk, by gauging what Trey Lance could provide under center. In the end, they inked Prescott to the richest deal in NFL history, and because of their straight-line thinking, may have missed the chance to turn Trey Lance into their version of Taysom Hill. Hill, the 6-foot-2, 221-pound offensive weapon in New Orleans, came into the league as a quarterback but has morphed into so much more than that. He plays tight end, wideout, running back and quarterback, and he’s been used to great effect over the years as someone who is capable of taking the pounding. The Saints have never truly given Hill a starting opportunity at QB, though he has several starts under his belt. And the truth is, with Prescott locked in and Lance a free agent at the end of the season, there’s no starting job waiting for Lance at any point in his career. At least not in Dallas. So why weren’t the coaching staff prepared to use his considerable gifts in ways that could diversify the Cowboys’ offense? Let Lance run. Let Lance play some read option snaps. Let Lance run a few patterns. The window has certainly been missed in giving him real opportunity to learn those roles for 2024, but that doesn’t mean that after his disastrous final preseason performance that shouldn’t have immediately clicked in the heads of the coaching staff. Perhaps it did. Perhaps starting with Week 8’s post-bye date with the San Francisco 49ers there will be some level of usage for a player the club spent a fourth-round pick on and is paying $5.3 million as inactive insurance insurance every week. But the Cowboys have a supreme athlete who could cause defensive coordinators to spend some time preparing for and aren’t using him. That seems like malpractice. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Where are Cowboys leaders that will save the 2024 season? Do they exist? K.D. Drummond The Dallas Cowboys are at a crossroads. Sitting with a record of 3-3, the idea the season is already a lost cause shouldn’t be realistic. Yet based on the club’s performances in their three home games to date, there’s a ton of ingredients missing from a team that has the requisite star power to be championship contenders. Despite never dipping into free agency in a realistic way, the Cowboys have assembled some of the best talent in the NFL. The roster might be top heavy, but that top is certainly on par with what other teams can boast. Dallas has a myriad of All-Pro and Pro Bowl players, all deserving of their accolades, yet they’re being blown out on a regular basis. Why? The question might come down to leadership. Teams with lame duck coaches, like the Cowboys have in Mike McCarthy, are not destined for doom. The Cowboys themselves thrived under a lame-duck Jason Garrett in 2014, tying for the NFL’s best record that season. They also floundered the next time they entered the fray with a coach at the crossroads, in 2019 again with Garrett. And now with McCarthy and his entire staff on the final year’s of their deals, the situation has arisen yet again. And thus far, it does not look like the team has the necessary leadership in the locker room to overcome their current difficulties. NFL seasons are funny things. History is littered with both underachievers and overachievers, and the common denominator is often whether or not the team is putting in the work necessary to maximize the talents of all 70 players on the roster and practice squad. Is the work being done in between games enough to elicit top performances on Sundays? So far the answer has been a resounding no when it comes to the 3-3 Cowboys. There’s plenty of blame to go around. It starts at the top of the organization, where Jerry Jones’ all-in decree early in the offseason certainly soured his roster, who were looking for their organization to show confidence by investing in filling weaknesses with proven NFL talent. It continues to the coaching staff, who Jones gambled would go above and beyond in order to convince him they deserved to stay in what he considers the coup de grace of NFL franchises. Instead, they returned with lackluster offensive and defensive schemes and a failure to inspire top performances from the roster. And it ends with said roster. A team watched the organization spend the entire summer allowing contract disputes with their top three stars, not give a vote of confidence to the coaching staff, and then internalized that lack of belief and are giving out some of their worst on-field performances in some time. Dak Prescott’s completion percentage is six points lower than 2023 and has thrown for the lowest amount of TDs through six games since his rookie season. The passing offense is in disarray and the team hasn’t scored over 20 points in three weeks. Zack Martin is a shell of himself after admitting to contemplating retirement last season, for the first time ever he’s not among the best linemen in the league and he’s unable to lead a young offensive line to any semblance of continuity. Ezekiel Elliott was brought back to be a locker room leader despite diminshing rushing performances each of the last four years, but that doesn’t seem to have had any tangible impact. CeeDee Lamb couldn’t lead the young wideouts over the offseason because Jones refused to pay him market value until mid-August, and he’s certainly not played the role of a leader with his in-season pouting, bad body language and inconsistent route-running. On defense, Micah Parsons chose to make his contract a thing, sitting out the spring despite having two years left, and is suffering the worst of his four-year career seasons thus far. Linebacker Eric Kendricks was brought in to teach Mike Zimmer’s defense and seems to have had a positive impact on the youth in that group, but as has been said many times on these pages, linebackers don’t matter unless the defensive line is a strength. The Cowboys interior DL is abhorrent. In the secondary, Zimmer’s difficult-to-learn scheme has led to down years from virtually everyone, with veterans Trevon Diggs and Malik Hooker unable to inspire confidence as they struggle in their own rights. It’s all led to a lackluster season where it’s difficult to even identify a top 30 ranking at this point. Where are the leaders of this Dallas Cowboys’ season and will they step up and get things in order over the bye week? Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Cowboys might not be playing, but there is still plenty for fans to look forward to Mike Crum The Dallas Cowboys have plenty to do during the bye week. Players can heal up, coaches can prepare new plans for upcoming games, and the front office can look for possible roster upgrades, but what should the Cowboys’ Nation do during a week without Dallas to watch? It all starts in division with the current leader, the Washington Commanders. They are coming off a competitive loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and the Carolina Panthers are coming to town. This will be their first game, with the expectations as a clear favorite to beat their opponent. However, as has often been seen in the NFL, underestimating a team can lead to unexpected outcomes. Despite their current standing, Carolina could prove to be a formidable opponent, and it will be interesting to see if Washington can rise to the challenge of complacency. The Philadelphia Eagles came out of a bye week and continued to play below their talent level. They barely survived a home game against the Cleveland Browns. They are headed to play the New York Giants, who beat them to end the regular season last year, but the Eagles are the team that has Saquon Barkley this time. At least one division team will be picking up a loss this weekend, which is a positive for Dallas. After the bye week, the Cowboys will face the San Francisco 49ers, so watching them play the Kansas City Chiefs will be informative. How well are they playing? Do they have any returns from injury, or are there any new health issues? Will they be coming off a huge win or off a disappointing loss? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are another interesting team to watch. Baker Mayfield is playing like an MVP candidate, and if they can beat the Ravens, who are on a four-game winning streak, they could be a bigger threat than fans might have assumed to start the season. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.