Well, unlike last year when the Dallas Cowboys used most of March to improve their team with trades for Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks as well as re-signing key players, they lost five starters and have only signed one free agent.
A complete 180 from a year ago, so much for being “all-in,” Jerry Jones.
With the NFL draft on the horizon, the league announced the offseason workout dates for the Cowboys and other teams this week.
Those dates include the start of their offseason program, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp.
Dallas Cowboys official off-season workout dates:
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 21-23, May 29-31
Mandatory Minicamp: June 4-6#DallasCowboys— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) March 29, 2024
First Day: April 15.
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 21-23, May 29, May 30, May 31.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 4-6.
Now that these dates have been officially announced, I’m sure everyone knows what they mean, but here is my early preview.
First Day
This is about as simple as it gets for those who need clarification on what the first day means.
On April 15, teams with returning head coaches, like the Cowboys, may begin their workout programs.
Franchises with new head coaches can start their offseason programs on April 10.
April 19: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.
April 24: Deadline for teams to exercise their right of refusal to restricted free agents who signed offer sheets elsewhere.
OTA offseason workouts
OTAs (Organized Team Activities) for the Cowboys are slated to occur May 21-23, May 29, May 30 & 31st.
OTAs are 10-day off-season programs designed to help players improve through in-person meetings and classroom instruction.
These are geared more toward younger players and rookies, but some veterans still show up.
Once the draft is over, we will see what groups of players show up.
Some vets like Dak Prescott and maybe CeeDee Lamb and others might show up, but if I were them, I wouldn’t.
Not until this team gets better and by the sounds of things, Jerry is once again happy with doing absolutely nothing to get better.
Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy spoke about Dallas' lack of free agency signings with @AdamSchefter 👀 pic.twitter.com/vfqwrJ8HGq
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 25, 2024
Mandatory Minicamp
The Cowboys will hold their mandatory minicamp from June 4-6, which will be the final organized set of practices before training camp in late July.
The mandatory minicamp allows most players to dive fully into their preparation for the upcoming season.
At times we have seen players skip these, but unlike the earlier workouts, coaches can work with the players on the field.
I can’t think of any players who may skip this for the Cowboys, but if their absence isn’t excused, they are subject to a fine.
For most teams, including the Cowboys, the media is allowed limited access to minicamp sessions, unlike the OTA workouts.
Minicamps are shorter, three-day workouts.
Both OTAs and minicamps do not have live contact during the on-field workouts.
- Phase One only consists of meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation.
- Phase Two consists of the next three weeks of the program. On-field workouts may include individual or group instruction and drills.
- Phase three allows teams to conduct 10 days of organized team practice activities without live contact.
Hard To Get Excited
A year ago at this time after the team traded for Cooks and Gilmore, it was fun, it was easy to get pumped up.
The energy this season is gone.
This team has gotten worse, they claim they are doing whatever they can to be ready for the 2024 season, and that’s just not true.
We will see who this team drafts in the first couple of rounds this season, but outside of that, we have had nothing else to cheer for this offseason.
With what players are signing for this offseason, this team very well could have very well made more moves than just signing Eric Kendricks.
I have a feeling it is going to be a long 2024, Cowboys fans.
