The Dallas Cowboys have a trench problem. Not only has their offensive line suffered losses to their once dominant group, but the defensive line is staring at more attrition and turnover. The 2025 offseason is underway and the need to identify how this team will move forward under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Schottenheimer has gone to great lengths to fill his staff with capable assistants. On offense, the focus will return to the OL creating lanes while the defense focuses on the big guys up front getting to the quarterback while allowing the back seven to play coverage. At least, that’s what the coaching hires indicate the plan will be. Whether or not the front office complies on getting the talent necessary to execute this plan is another matter.
At least in this mock world, everything is possible.
The Cowboys do not currently have any cap space, but easily can create $67 million in room to do whatever they like to present Schottenheimer with the tools for an immediate turnaround.
Their two biggest offensive stars, Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, have triggers that will not impact their take-home pay but can create $56 million in space. They can also complete a new deal for Micah Parsons, their top defender, and shave another $11 million of space.
There are also other moves that can add up to $15 million, for a total of $82 million of space. For details on how, read here.
Taking a look at the Cowboys’ offseason roster, it’s clear that running back, defensive tackle, wide receiver and linebacker are the most crucial needs. The team could also use help at safety, defensive end and offensive tackle, along with depth at multiple positions.
The first wave of fixes will come via free agency, and the hope is the front office loosen’s the purse strings to help Schottenheimer. Here, we recommend 21 free agents for the Cowboys to sign, and will work this mock draft under the direction that this is the roster they’d have come April.
Oct 29, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; A view of a Bengals helmet on the sidelines in the game of the Indianapolis Colts against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
We executed two trades to gain more Day 2 picks, seeing that as a strong point in this draft.
Trade 1: Send 1.12, 3.76, 5.170 to Cincinnati for 1.17, 2.49, 3.81
Trade 2: Send 1.17, 5.150 to Green Bay for 1.23, 3.87, 5.160
Nov 23, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive tackle Walter Nolen (2) sacks Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Oct 5, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Jihaad Campbell (11) sneaks a peek into the back field against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Nov 30, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers tight end Mason Taylor (86) looks on against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first quarter at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Haul through Day 1 and Day 2:
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Trade No. 3: Cowboys send 3.87 to Buffalo for 4.107, 4.130, 5.171
4.107: DT Joshua Farmer, Florida State
4.130: DT Aeneas Peebles, Va Tech
5.160: OT Emery Jones, Jr., LSU
5.171: OG Tyler Cooper, Minnesota
5.172: OT Jack Nelson, Wisconsin
5.175: LB Cody Simon, Ohio State
6.188: HB Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
6.211: QB Tyler Shough, Louisville
7.228: WR Kyren Lacy, LSU
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Creating Cap Space
Free Agency Haul
2 Trades to start
1.23 DT Walter Nolen, Mississippi
2.44: LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama and 2.49: RB Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
3.81: TE Mason Taylor, LSU
Another Trade Back
Day 3 Haul
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The Cowboys have some tough decisions to make at cornerback
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The Cowboys cornerback room could see a bit of a shakeup this offseason.
It was an interesting year for the defense of the Dallas Cowboys. With a new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and a slew of injuries, there were plenty of highs and lows. At times during the season, the defense was a hot mess, but things improved as the year progressed.
When you look at the season as a whole, there were some good things…
And there were some bad things…
The injuries took a toll, and no other unit faced more adversity than the cornerback position. The Cowboys’ top six cornerbacks all missed time dealing with different injuries. Top six guys! That’s crazy unlucky.
The Cowboys were fortunate to have such a deep group and for most of the season, they weren’t the liability they could have been. It didn’t get messy until they were forced to rely on CB#7 Andrew Booth.
Entering the new season, the Cowboys cornerback group situation is a little murky. They have some good players, but each has its own situation and brings uncertainty for the future. The front office has some tough decisions to make to ensure they are going down the right path as one wrong move can create some real problems later.
It’s weird to say this, but Lewis might have been the Cowboys’ top-performing cornerback last season. A fan favorite who plays with great intensity, Lewis has had an interesting career thus far. Multiple coaching staffs have pushed him a bit down the depth chart, but in recent years he’s established himself as a reliable slot corner. The team values his contribution and re-upped him twice as his services haven’t been too expensive (three-year, $13.5 million, and then one-year, $2.82 million).
With Lewis coming off his best season as a pro, he should command a raise this offseason. He did a great job staying in the hip pocket of his receiver and played with a high level of physicality. He showed that he is an asset any defense would love to have. Even with a pay bump coming, the Cowboys should strongly consider giving Lewis his fourth contract as he’s proven a reliable player and a much-needed piece to the cornerback group.
After Carson’s Week 1 performance against the Cleveland Browns, it looked like the Cowboys had an embarrassment of riches at the cornerback position. They had two young All-Pros in Trevon Diggs and Daron Bland, a seasoned veteran in Lewis, and this fifth-round rookie that made people feel like the team landed a gem on Day 3 of the draft.
Unfortunately, those feelings didn’t last long. Carson dealt with a variety of problems, one of which was a shoulder injury that put him out of action for most of the season. In fact, we never saw him in action again after Week 11. In the time he did play, Carson showed some potential. He’s physical, has good speed, and great closing burst. But he also shows a lot of inconsistent footwork and can often be seen getting his body turned around causing him to be late to defend the pass.
There is something to work with for sure, but can he take a nice step forward and be someone the team can rely on as a starting outside cornerback, or will they need to go back to the well and draft another guy to develop? How they feel about him could be an important domino affecting other decisions, bringing us to the most important decision.
When one of their young corners intercepts 11 passes in a season and the other one has an NFL record five pick-sixes, it became clear that a time would come when the Cowboys had to pick one or the other. Well, that time is approaching. This topic runs deep, so it warrants a separate discussion. For that reason, we’ve broken this article into two parts. Join us tomorrow as we’ll dive into which All-Pro cornerback the Cowboys should ride-or-die with.
Stay tuned…
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DECISION #1 – Re-sign Jourdan Lewis
DECISION #2 – How good do you feel about Caelen Carson?
DECISION #3 – Picking between Trevon Diggs or DaRon Bland
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| PLAYER | INJURY |
| Trevon Diggs | groin, knee, cartilage |
| DaRon Bland | foot, setback |
| Jourdan Lewis | neck |
| Caelen Carson | shoulder |
| Amani Oruwariye | foot |
| Josh Butler | knee |
