With free agency and the NFL draft in the rearview mirror, there’s still time for the Dallas Cowboys to fine-tune the roster before training camp.
DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys made the big move that they had been signaling this offseason when they traded for wide receiver George Pickens. In doing so, the team filled their biggest remaining roster hole.
Who was going to team up opposite CeeDee Lamb as a complementary target for Dak Prescott had become one of the major question marks with the Cowboys. The team bypassed adding a quality option in free agency, then elected not to draft one when their top target, Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan, was off the board before they picked at 12th overall.
Jerry and Stephen Jones did not seem deterred, however. The Cowboys’ decision makers spoke about having a trade in the works to address the No. 2 WR spot, and they finally executed that plan with the deal for Pickens. Trading a third-round pick and swapping a fifth-round selection for a sixth in the 2027 draft feels like a steep price to pay for a player who has only one year left on his deal, but there aren’t many better fits for the Cowboys than Pickens.
As perhaps the best deep ball receiver in the league, who lines up exclusively on the outside, Pickens’ game matches well with how the Cowboys use Lamb and gives the offense the vertical threat that they’ve been missing since Michael Gallup’s heyday. Pickens also has great hands and his ability to make contested catches is among the best in the game.
Finally getting quarterback Prescott a weapon for what he does well – throwing the ball down the field – is something that is no longer missing in Dallas’ offense.
With that gaping hole on the roster now gone, Lamb and Prescott now have a new bestie to help take the offense back to near the top of the league, where they resided for three straight years before last season’s drop-off.
Adding Pickens gives the offense the balance that it needs in the passing game, a home run threat, and opens up the middle of the field. Lamb and tight end Jake Ferguson can operate in the intermediate areas of the field, and double covering Lamb now doesn’t mean the passing game gets bogged down.
Pickens thrives when single-covered, so paying extra attention to the receivers should mean fewer defenders in the box, which could benefit the ground game. As we’ve heard all offseason, running the ball stands to be a focus in new head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s offense.
The fit for the offense is impeccable. The potential pitfalls, and why Pickens was available in trade, have been a lack of maturity from the mercurial fourth-year receiver. The hope is that a change of scenery can help prevent Pickens from becoming the distraction in Dallas that he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s a different conversation, but if things go smoothly, the Cowboys have found the potential downfield threat that they lacked in the passing game.
The Cowboys are now in good shape, they’ve addressed most of their needs this offseason with quality options to improve for the upcoming campaign. While WR was the last of the obvious positions that needed an upgrade, there are still areas where the Cowboys could use a bump in talent, and there are some veteran free agents still available.
While the team added two defensive tackles – one in free agency, and another in the draft – they could still use another big body for the middle of the defensive line. Solomon Thomas signed near the beginning of free agency, but he isn’t solely a DT by trade, as he can move along the defensive line from end to tackle.
That’s good versatility, but there’s no word on whether the Cowboys plan to keep him inside or not, so the search should continue for another DT with only Jay Toia as the other new option. As a seventh-round selection, Toia isn’t guaranteed to make the roster, leaving the defense still short at DT.
John Jenkins is a solid option that’s available, and although he’ll be 36 in July, he can still play. As a rotational option, Jenkins would fit the bill as a run stopper who would help in the trenches.
There isn’t much else out there, though, but the Cowboys should be interested in any veteran DT who can hold up against the run. With only Osa Odighizuwa, Mazi Smith, Thomas, and three seventh-round picks in Toia, Justin Rogers, and Tommy Akingbesote, as well as undrafted free agent Denzel Daxon on the roster, the defense could use another DT.
Another place where the Cowboys could use some help is at cornerback. After trading for Kaiir Elam and drafting Shavon Revel, the team has covered some of their bases for the depth issues, but that doesn’t mean they should be done adding to the position.
The lack of options at CB is something that the Cowboys have acknowledged. By signing three defensive backs as undrafted free agents, the team appears to be filling in the depth at the position. Still, Dallas should be trying to add a veteran CB, especially if they need someone who can fill in as a starter.
Stephon Gilmore, who played with the team in 2023, was at the facility a few weeks ago and could be a target. However, cold water was thrown over that possibility recently.
A no to Gilmore shouldn’t be a “no” for all CBs, however. Mike Hilton, who’s been a good slot corner for a long time in the NFL, should also be an option.
The Cowboys do have a good CB group when everyone is healthy, but with the recoveries from serious injuries suffered by Trevon Diggs, Josh Butler, and Revel (a rookie), there are some question marks. Caelen Carson is expected to be a bigger piece of the CB puzzle in his second season, but he missed a lot of time in his rookie year and might still need time to get acclimated.
Currently, the only sure things at the position are DaRon Bland and Kaiir Elam, and Elam hasn’t lived up to his first-round status from his days with the Buffalo Bills. When healthy, it’s a deep group at CB, but there’s a lot of uncertainty at the position heading into the summer. A safe way to cover themselves is to add another veteran CB.
Safety isn’t a spot where most would see a need for the Cowboys, but two-time All-Pro Justin Simmons is still available. The former standout with the Denver Broncos could step in and be the best safety on the roster. Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson are the starters, but Simmons feels like an upgrade to both, and at worst, would become the best third safety in the league.
Simmons is also a much better option than Juanyeh Thomas, Markquese Bell, or Israel Mukuamu, and would give the defense one of the best trios at the position in the NFL. There’s an upgrade available, and the Cowboys should take advantage.
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