RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Any notice to Dak Prescott's surprising comment after the Dallas Cowboys' disappointing season came and went quickly, but maybe it shouldn't have.
The Cowboys finished 7-9-1 despite an offense that was among the NFL's best. Prescott had a tremendous season. And while he didn't say anything untrue on the podium after the final game, it's not the kind of comment you'll often see from any NFL quarterback.
In practical terms, he told the world that he played well enough and the defense let everyone down.
"One of the first seasons, if not the first of my career where I can't directly correlate my play to the wins, the loss, or the end of the season or overall success of the season," Prescott said, via the team's site . "So that makes it frustrating."
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Prescott has been held responsible for Cowboys losses throughout his career no matter how well he plays, so perhaps he was cutting off that inevitable and misguided criticism after a losing season. Or maybe he was sending a message: Get me some help. It wouldn't have been unjustified.
The Cowboys had the worst defense in the NFL last season and, statistically, the worst defense in franchise history. It was so bad, the Cowboys allowed Russell Wilson to put up 450 yards and three touchdowns against them in Week 2. Even if you won't often see a quarterback say he did his job and wash his hands of the team's final record, Prescott wasn't wrong.
It's not like the Cowboys needed to hear those words to know what the approach to the offseason had to be. And they went to work.
Matt Eberflus was fired after one horrendous season as Dallas' coordinator, and was replaced by Eagles passing game coordinator Christian Parker . Then came a personnel overhaul. There are six new additions who are expected to go right into the starting lineup, The big additions were at safety. Jalen Thompson was the team's most expensive free agent addition at $33 million over three years, and Dallas traded up one spot to take talented safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 overall .
The Cowboys added talent at each level of the defense. It was much needed.
The offense shouldn't be a problem. Prescott threw for 4,552 yards and 30 touchdowns last season. CeeDee Lamb is a star at receiver and the team hit big on a trade for George Pickens. It's hard to depend on Pickens not creating a distraction, especially with him getting the one-year franchise tag that is well below what he would have gotten on the open market as a free agent, but Pickens showed last season he's one of the NFL's most dangerous receivers.
Dak Prescott is hoping to get the Cowboys back to the playoffs after missing the postseason the past two seasons. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) Cooper Neill via Getty Images
Javonte Williams had a surprising season at running back ( which earned him a three-year, $24 million extension ) and the Cowboys offensive line is good enough to not be an issue. Let's also include kicker Brandon Aubrey, because it helps any team when reaching the 50-yard line is within field-goal range.
As long as the Cowboys offense plays as well as it did last season, the only thing keeping Dallas from a big season is the defense. And it has been completely overhauled, including a full season from trade deadline acquisition Quinnen Williams at defensive tackle.
The Cowboys haven't made the NFC championship game since 1995, the longest drought in the conference. Every Cowboys hater knows that fact by heart and recites it often. Dallas has teased everyone so often over the past three decades only to come up short in the playoffs so often that any optimism seems foolish.
But the Cowboys are in a spot to put all that to rest. Now they actually have to do it.
Offseason grade
There wasn't one move that will transform the defense, though that might have come last midseason when the Cowboys traded for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
This offseason there were a bunch of moves to turn over a defense that was miserable last season. The Cowboys traded with the Packers for edge rusher Rashan Gary, who has 39.5 sacks the past five seasons. He fills a big need. Safety Jalen Thompson was the big free-agent signing, at $33 million over three years. Nobody else got more than $4 million per season, but the Cowboys added cornerback Decobie Durant, safety P.J. Locke, defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia and edge defender Sam Williams in hopes of bolstering the depth.
Of the seven outside free agents the Cowboys signed to at least $2 million a season, six were on defense (backup QB Sam Howell was the one offensive player). Dallas also traded just a fifth-round pick to the 49ers to get linebacker Dee Winters, and he should step in right away as a starter. Dallas did trade away defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, who a year ago was good enough to get a four-year, $80 million deal from the team.
Defense was at the forefront of the draft too, as the Cowboys traded up one spot to get safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 overall. Downs could end up being the best pick of the draft . Central Florida edge rusher Malachi Lawrence was Dallas' other first-round pick, and versatile Michigan linebacker/edge Jaishawn Barham was a nice pick in the third round. The Cowboys understood the assignment, and did well to improve a bad defense.
Grade: A-
Quarterback report
While it wasn't quite to 2024 Joe Burrow levels , the Cowboys missing the playoffs with Dak Prescott playing as well as he did was embarrassing. And Prescott knows it. Prescott had 4,552 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and a 99.5 passer rating.
Prescott will be 33 years old this season, so while he still has some prime years left, there has to be some urgency for him to finally make a deep playoff run. And he knows that as well.
"That's the one thing I love about t...
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