What a wild first week of the National Football League Free Agency. Players are being released, traded, and signed all over the place.
The Dallas Cowboys have lost a few players but have made GREAT moves so far. I can’t tell you how surprised and happy I am, and this has been one of the better off-seasons they have had in a while.
They did lose Connor McGovern to the Buffalo Bills Monday and Luke Gifford Tuesday morning to the Tennessee Titans. Gifford was a role player with the team, so let him walk. McGovern had a bigger role with the Cowboys, starting 15 games a season ago at guard.
Noah Brown also signed with the Houston Texans. A wide receiver room that was already thin got even thinner.
With McGovern’s departure, the team has zero depth on the offensive line. I am sure they will add someone for cheap or draft a player, but as of now, they are banking on Tyron Smith playing 17 games. Good luck.
The good news is they re-signed safety Donovan Wilson and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. Wilson signed a three-year deal worth up to $24 million, while LVE re-signed with the team on a two-year deal worth $11 million, and the team finally made a splash.
Late Tuesday afternoon, the Cowboys sent the 176th pick of the 2023 draft to the Indianapolis Colts for five-time Pro Bowl corner Stephon Gilmore. Finally, a move we have been waiting for. Outside of wide receiver, the other corner spot opposite Trevon Diggs was the other bigger need of this team.
#Cowboys moves today:
– Trade for CB Stephon Gilmore.
– Re-sign S Donovan Wilson to 3-year, $24M deal.
– Re-sign LB Leighton Vander Esch to 2-year, $11M deal.
A good day for DC Dan Quinn.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 14, 2023
Trading for Gilmore and retaining Dan Quinn and the biggest key players on that side could put this defense over the top.
On Wednesday, the news broke that the team also released Ezekiel Elliott. Over the last eight years, a crucial part of many Cowboys’ offensive is gone. Elliott left the team with 8,262 rushing yards, 68 rushing touchdowns, and 80 total touchdowns.
All three rank him third in franchise history, and only trailing Hall of Fame members Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett—pretty good company.
The future of Dalton Schultz has yet to come to the forefront. With the franchise tag going to Tony Pollard and the team re-signing Wilson and LVE, they will probably roll with Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot at tight end.
They get two for the price of one. Both guys are cheaper and will give them most, if not all, of the production they got from Schultz.
I don’t know what the next move Dallas will be, but I hope it’s on the offensive side of the football. Adam Theilen and DJ Chark are my top two free-agent wide receivers left.
Odell Beckman wants to much money, and the likely hood they trade for DeAndre Hopkins is HIGHLY unlikely.
I am really impressed at the off-season the Jones are having. It FEELS like they may want to win something for the first time in a long time. If they add the one other offensive piece and add some depth in the draft, I think they can.
