Cowboys 2022 offseason tracker Free agen
It has arrived, so batten down the hatches. Every single thing you'll need to keep up with America's Team is now at your fingertips, and in what has already become one of the most
Tytus Howard Jersey pivotal offseasons in recent memory for the Dallas Cowboys. Only two years removed from parting ways with head coach Jason Garrett and many members of his staff, the team finds themselves again drowning in question marks atop their coaching pyramid -- with the future of Garrett's replacement, Mike McCarthy taking center stage in the same offseason that has now seen Sean Payton step away from football for 2022.Additionally, given recent comments by owner Jerry Jones that can be viewed as nothing short of awkward, McCarthy addre sing them recently by both showing common ground with Jones of coaching the Cowboys, it goes without saying that if the Cowboys don't make a deep playoff run next season, there might be another major shakeup that also throws Kellen Moore and Dan Quinn into the cauldron of questions.And you can add the to the Cleveland Browns to that list, along with speculation on the (the ended in a three-year, fully guaranteed $30 million contract) and starting right tackle La'El Collins -- as the Cowboys field offers to potentially send him packing.From free agency to come to the 2022 and lots in-between, there's a ton to unpack from the mercurial offseason -- -- but it's all here for you; and it will be updated regularly with news, analysis and insight. Bookmark this and prosper accordingly.Top needs (unranked) in 2022: OL, S, LB, TE, EDGE, K2022 NFL DraftThe Cowboys have six traditional draft picks and one projected compensatory pick in this year's draft, and it's key to remember compensatory picks can be traded away. The league has yet to officially announce its 2022 list of comp picks but, based upon the existing formula, we have a good idea of how many the Cowboys will be awarded (1), for whom (Andy Dalton) and where it will land on draft weekend (see below).This is all plenty of draft capital if the Cowboys find themselves in a not-so-friendly position following the first several waves of free agency, and they've shown they're also not afraid to move around in the draft, having done so last April as well, when they traded the 10th-overall pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for 12th- and 84th-overall -- turning those into Pro Bowler/All-Pro/NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons
Marlon Mack Jersey and talented rookie defensive lineman Chauncey Golston. But it's also true the Cowboys squandered a shot at making a deep playoff run with a roster that was absolutely loaded on both offense and defense, but seeing both and Dan Quinn stay put, the team enters the offseason , and they can't keep them all. They didn't make the mistake of creating a need at the EDGE by moving on from All-Pro pa s rusher and were able to retain (before then losing in a contract debacle for the ages), but they'll have to focus on the biggest need in Dallas: fixing the offensive line.It's a unit that wildly underperformed in 2021, notwithstanding, and the experiment at left guard (i.e., versus ) only revealed new i sues, along with the uneven play of center . To s in the durability i sues of and, well, there's not going to if can't get time in the pocket. An upgrade is needed at LG, and also at center, as well as adding depth at tackle (yes, a complete rework is needed).And while you're looking at the offensive side of the ball, keep in mind that with durability now in question and as backup still works to prove himself so, yes, there's a need at tight end as well, and that's beginning to feel like a familiar need for the Cowboys in the post-Jason Witten era. Flip to the defensive side of the ball, and it's to-be-determined what former fourth-round pick will be after suffering a
Houston Texans Home Office torn ACL as a rookie (being one I deemed one of the top steals of the 2021 NFL Draft), so launch the contingency plan to find a dynamic tandem at LB for all-world phenom and, worst-case, you end up with that much more young LB talent to solidify the position for years to come. Things get a bit
Vincent Taylor Jersey easier this time around at safety, with the Cowboys able to retain both and before touching the position again in the draft, but let's also not forget there were games that could've been won by the kicker, but weren't. , it needs to be someone who can truly challenge for the role longterm, and not just as a veiled threat after a season that saw him help cost the team wins. The Cowboys haven't drafted a kicker since David Buehler in 2009, out of Dallas by the end of 2011 (Buehler? Buehler??) and, prior to that, it was Nick Folk getting the draft nod in 2007 before being in a New York Jets uniform in 2010. The only two kickers ever drafted in the Jerry Jones era both flamed out quickly, which explains why he hasn't gone swimming in those waters since but, having still not identified a true succe sor to Dan Bailey, it might be time to task scouting and personnel guru Will McClay with finding one in the draft; considering McClay was responsible for neither Buehler nor Folk.Here's the Cowboys draft order (and selections) after winning the division but failing to advance in the playoffs: Round 1: 24th-overall - Tyler Smith, OL (Tulsa)Round 2: 56th-overall - Sam Williams, EDGE (Ole Mi s)Round 3: 88th-overall - Jalen Tolbert, WR (South Alabama)Round 4: 129th-overall - Jake Ferguson, TE (Wisconsin)Round 5: 155th-overall*** - Matt Waletzko, OT (North Dakota)Round 5: 167th-overall - DaRon Bland, CB (Fresno State)Round 5: 176th-overall* - Damone Clark, LB (LSU)Round 5: 178th-overall* - John Ridgeway, DL (Arkansas)Round 6: 193rd-overall** - Devin Harper, LB (Oklahoma State)Five first-round prospects to watchTyler Linderbaum, OL (Iowa)Evan Neal, OL (Alabama
Houston Texans Hats )Nakobe Dean, LB (Georgia)Jordan Davis, DT (Georgia)Travon Walker, DL (Georgia)Needle s to say, this five of a group of palatable targets for the Cowboys in the first round of the coming draft, and I'll dive deeper into each of them -- along with others you'll want to keep an eye on regarding Dallas -- between now and the draft.2022 undrafted free agent signings:Markquese Bell, S - Florida AMJuanyeh Thomas, S - Georgia TechLa'Kendrick Van Zandt, S - TCUIsaac Taylor-Stuart, CB - USCBig Kat Bryant, EDGE - UCFPeyton Hendershot, TE - IndianaTy Fryfogle, WR - IndianaDennis Houston, WR - Western IllinoisJaQuarii Roberson, WR - Wake ForestAaron Shampklin, RB - HarvardMalik Davis, RB - FloridaAmon Simon, OL - Texas AM CommerceAlec Lindstrom, OL - Boston CollegeJames Empey, OL - BYUDontario Drummond, WR - Ole Mi sJonathan Garibay, K - Texas TechAaron Hansford, LB - Texas AMMika Tafua, LB - UtahStorey Jackson, LB - LibertyKey offseason datesThere are a slew of dates you'll need to circle on your calendar as you keep track of the C