NFC East 2024 offseason roster rankings: Commanders rising from the ashes?
By Seth Jones
2. Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones did the opposite of going all-in like he said his Dallas Cowboys would in the offseason. Nonetheless, this team is still easily a top-two roster in the NFC East on paper.
After the embarrassing blowout loss to the young Green Bay Packers team in the 2023 wild card, Mike McCarthy must lead Dallas on a deep playoff run if he still wants his job in 2025.
Several key figures jumped ship over to the Washington Commanders. Dallas lost their defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, along with secondary/passing game coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. Mike Zimmer was named their new defensive coordinator.
Established players to the Cowboys' success last season also moved. Edge rusher Dorance Armstrong, center Tyler Biadasz, and defensive end Dante Fowler all reunited with Quinn instantly in the nation's capital.
Running back Tony Pollard also left in free agency. To replace him, veteran Ezekiel Elliot was brought back. He is now a shell of his former self. A veteran presence in Eric Kendricks was added to their linebacker group.
Free agency didn’t bode well for the Cowboys, but they did very well in the draft. In traditional Cowboys style, they took developmental offensive tackle Tyler Guyton out of Oklahoma. He likely won’t help right away, but this is a similar situation to when Tyler Smith was taken by Dallas in 2022.
In the second round, their selection was Marshawn Kneeland, the edge rusher out of Western Michigan. He is the perfect replacement for Armstrong. The rookie is a high-motor performer who can develop into a real stud.
The Cowboys ended Day 2 of the draft by selecting Cooper Beebe, a guard out of Kansas State, and Marist Liufau, a linebacker out of Notre Dame. Both have solid shots to make an impact early.
Even though Dallas is more or less the same team as last year, they still went 12-5 and won the division for a reason. This locks Dallas into a top-two spot in these divisional power rankings.