SPORTS: OPINION: Dallas Cowboys all in?

By Vicente Mendoza
Sports Editor
Published Tuesday, April 23, 2024

After a horrendous exit from the playoffs this past season, the Cowboys are once again back to square one. After the horrible loss, Cowboys owner and General Manager Jerry Jones said the team would be “all in” following this season.

Since the start of the off-season, the Cowboys have not shown this “all in” mentality, but have shown they might be headed to a necessary rebuild next season.

On the first day, they lost several key free agents to free agency. The first to go was running back Tony Pollard, who was the main Dallas back in 2023. Though his first year as a starter fell flat, he showed a lot of promise in his final games with them. Pollard left the Cowboys for the Tennessee Titans and a nice big payday.

Another significant piece they lost to free agency was left tackle Tyron Smith, who has been a pivotal part on the offensive line in the 2010s and is a future hall of fame contender. The Cowboys could not afford Smith next season, so they decided to let him walk. He was quickly scooped up by the New York Jets to protect quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ blind side.

This move will quickly haunt the Cowboys and Dak Prescott if they are unable to properly replace him.

In addition to losing key free agents during the off-season, the Cowboys also lost out on several players including running back Derrick Henry who could have replaced Pollard. Another free agent they lost was offensive lineman Arik Armstead, a great player who could have replaced Smith on the line.

The lack of moves comes down to one person, and that is Prescott. After starting the final year of his Cowboys contract, he hit the cap at roughly $55 million. With a cap this high, it is only certain the Cowboys will be unable to afford anyone this year if they let Prescott continue his current contract.

The only way to get out from under this ceiling is to extend Prescott for another long-term deal, but it seems like the Cowboys’ front office does not want to extend him due to his failed postseason success.

While the goal was to be “all in” this season, there really is no way for them to go all in when they have little-to-no money to spend on retaining players or signing new players to put them over the top. While it may not sit right with the fans, it is probably in the organization’s best interest to start over, because I believe their Superbowl window has closed. It is time for another rebuild for the Dallas Cowboys and their fan base.