Dallas Cowboys: Grading each aspect of the 2019 offseason
By Randy Gurzi
Free Agency
Things started out slow for the Cowboys in free agency, which is to be expected with this regime. Will McClay and Stephen Jones have taken over the reins from Jerry Jones and the big-spending days are now a distant memory.
At first, this seemed to infuriate fans as Dallas didn’t land safety Earl Thomas — even though he was asking the team to come and sign him in free agency. While it was hard to see the dream of ET in their secondary die, the Cowboys were right to not to get in the market for his services. He ended up with the Baltimore Ravens on a four-year $55 million deal which could have crippled the cap in Big D.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
Instead, Dallas went a much more affordable route with George Iloka, who signed for less than $1 million. He’s not going to be the same impactful player Thomas would have been, but the difference in pay helped them afford Robert Quinn.
In addition to losing out on Thomas, Dallas saw fan-favorite Cole Beasley head to the Buffalo Bills. He had some parting shots for them but again they seem to have made the right move.
After showing some patience, they landed Randall Cobb as his replacement on a cheaper, and shorter, deal. Cobb, if healthy, could be an upgrade and his short contract allows them some flexibility with so many extensions around the corner.
Other signings include adding some defensive line help such as Kerry Hyder, Jr. and Christian Covington, which were both underrated moves.
As for their prized move of the offseason, Dallas was able to lock up DeMarcus Lawrence on a contract that worked incredibly well for both sides. They took a tough approach with him, but it worked and they have their defensive leader back in the mix for the foreseeable future.
Grade: A