The next few months will be all speculation about what the Cowboys can or will do to put themselves in a better spot next season. Even though they did plenty of winning in the 2022 campaign, the Cowboys have several weaknesses to address in the offseason. The future is clouded in Dallas for several key contributors from last year’s team like Leighton Vander Esch, Donovan Wilson, Dalton Schultz and many others.
However the Cowboys address those free agents, they’ll have to do it with a plan in mind to retain some higher profile players with contract years coming up in the next few seasons like Trevon Diggs, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons.
With that said, here are four predictions for what the Dallas Cowboys might do in a complicated 2023 offseason to try and set themselves up for success next season.
4. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott gets a contract restructure or extension
Dak Prescott
A restructure for Dak Prescott this offseason isn’t much of a bold prediction. In fact, it’s probably more likely than not that the Cowboys do rework Prescott’s deal if they don’t extend him. An extension is more far-fetched, but Dallas needs to free up cap space to pay some of their own players and contend for this offseason’s class of free agents. Reducing the cap hit of the largest deal on the roster by restructuring or extending it is one of the ways the team can do that.
Technically the Cowboys can free up a maximum of $22,376,250 in cap space by restructuring Prescott’s contract according to overthecap.com. Restructuring the maximum amount would shift a pile of dead money over to the 2025 budget when Prescott’s contract expires, but that’s the most money Dallas can save in 2023 without adding years to Prescott’s deal. The other option to reduce Prescott’s cap hit is by signing him to an extension. The Cowboys could then spread out Prescott’s pay over a longer period of time, reducing the annual cap hit.
Prescott didn’t have his best season in 2022. It’s hard to know if his career-worst interception numbers or a shoddy performance in the NFC Divisional game in San Francisco put an extension out of reach for Prescott this offseason as far as Dallas’ front office is concerned. One thing is for sure though: the Jones family should be flipping over couch cushions and pinching pennies this offseason to try and create as much cap space as possible. There won’t be $22 million in cap room to free up from any other player the Cowboys currently have under roster. One of the most important decisions the Jones’ have to make this offseason will be not if, but how to reduce Prescott’s cap hit. That conversation could lead them to an extension.
3. Cowboys trade in the first three rounds of the 2023 draft
Historically inactive in free agency, the Cowboys have always looked at the draft to try and improve their roster. Perhaps unfortunately for the fanbase, the front office is pretty decent at it too. They don’t always hit, trying to replace Amari Cooper’s production and an injured Michael Gallup with wide receiver in the third round last year was an example of that, but Day 2 value picks like Sam Williams, Osa Odighizuwa and Trevon Diggs in recent seasons show that the Cowboys are capable of picking up impact players in the first few rounds of the draft.
It’s definitely possible that the Cowboys take a big swing in free agency this offseason. The last time the Cowboys brought in an elite free agent in the prime of his career was in 2006 when Terrell Owens came to Dallas, but each offseason is different. There is a chance that the Cowboys find a way to target Javon Hargrave, Jamel Dean, Lavonte David or one of the other top free agents in the 2023 class, but history tells us there is a much higher probability that the Jones family looks to the early rounds of the draft to try and find a defensive tackle, cornerback, or linebacker to help the team next season.
With a chance to contend next year, the Cowboys will be looking for extra opportunities to find players during the first two days to the draft. Whether that means trading up in the first round to go get a player the front office really likes, trading down out of the first round to get more picks on day two, or even taking a page out of the Philadelphia Eagles’ book by swinging a big trade for an impact player like Philly did in 2022 to get A.J. Brown, look for the Cowboys to try and manipulate their position in the draft to bring in players to make an immediate impact in 2023.
2. A notable free agent wide receiver joins the Dallas Cowboys
One position group where the Cowboys do stand a good chance of landing at least somebody in free agency is at wide receiver. There are a handful of second-tier wideouts set to be available this summer. Players like JuJu Smith-Schuster, D.J. Chark, Marvin Jones, Jakobi Meyers, Sterling Shepard and others. These are good targets, some of them have even been Pro Bowlers at times in their careers, but none of them should command elite compensation in the open market for pass catchers.
Dallas arguably needs more help at wide receiver than any other position and if there’s one thing the Cowboys front office loves it’s a low-cost player with upside. This year’s class of free agent wide receivers offers plenty of those kinds of opportunities. Expect the Cowboys to try to take advantage of one of those opportunities.
1. The Ezekiel Elliott era ends in Dallas
When Ezekiel Elliott was putting up video game numbers in the first few years of his career, it was hard to imagine what the Cowboys might look like without him. Elliott was so good at first that he caused people to question Dak Prescott’s importance to the offense next to such a productive running back. Now those days are long past and Elliott hasn’t even been the most talented running back on the team in the last two seasons.
Ezekiel Elliott
Elliott embraced his role as a third down battering ram last season and he played the part well, but the Cowboys can’t continue paying him as much as they are to be that kind of player. Rumors have already swirled this offseason about whether or not Elliott would be willing to take a pay cut in 2023, but it would have to be a very significant cut to make his worth match his current level of production. It was a good run for Elliott in Dallas, but it’s over. The Cowboys move on to greener pastures at RB1 in 2023.