2023 NFL free agency team-by-team grades: Cowboys earn A-

[AsthmaField]

CBS really likes what Dallas has done so far since the start of the new league year:
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Key additions: CB Stephon Gilmore (Colts, via trade), WR Brandin Cooks (Texans, via trade). Key re-signings: S Donovan Wilson, LB Leighton Vander Esch, OT Tyron Smith, QB Cooper Rush

The Cowboys were relatively quiet on Day 1 of free agency but made some noise on Day 2 by re-signing two key defensive players and adding another via a trade with the Colts. They had previously put running back Tony Pollard on the non-exclusive franchise tag. Pollard is certainly a player Dallas needed to keep considering his 5.9 yards per touch led the entire NFL this season among players with 200 or more touches. Pollard's yards per touch figure was more than Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor'sleague-leading 5.8 yards per touch in 2021 when he was the NFL's rushing champ.

Tuesday was the day of the big acquisition, acquiring a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year in cornerback Stephon Gilmore by sending a fifth-round pick to the Indianapolis Colts. He'll be a rental at 33 years old, entering the last year of his contract, but Gilmore can be a strong CB2 opposite Trevon Diggs. That was a spot Dallas struggled to find continuity at between injuries and underperformance.

However, tying up nearly a quarter of their salary cap in their running back room between Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott isn't a winning formula, especially in 2023. Something Jerry Jones finally realized as he cut Zeke loose on Wednesday and freed up $10.9 million in cap space to address other roster needs. A shrewd move considering Elliott averaged 3.9 yards per touch in 2022, the lowest in the NFL among those with over 200 touches. Losing their second-most productive wide receiver after CeeDee Lamb, Noah Brown, to the Houston Texans on a one-year, $2.6 million deal hurts, but he could be replaced with a draft pick in April.
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Read about the rest of the teams below:

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...ile-bears-eagles-seahawks-also-among-winners/

 

[Risen Star]

An A-.

 

[Coogiguy03]

See if we get A Lombardi Trophy this season!!

 

[Cowboys93]

They’ve done a fantastic job. Let’s get some beef in the trenches and I’m feeling really good about sustained success next year

 

[AsthmaField]

An A-.

I copied and pasted their headline… don’t blame me.

 

[stiletto]

Solid B+ from me. Brought a couple heavy hitters in to improve the talent at very low costs (even if they are little long in the tooth) and that opened up the chance to take BPA's in the draft. That's ideal to me.

 

[Risen Star]

Solid B+ from me. Brought a couple heavy hitters in to improve the talent at very low costs (even if they are little long in the tooth) and that opened up the chance to take BPA's in the draft. That's ideal to me.

Ah, the old "since we did this in FA now we can draft properly" theory. I love to read it.

 

[stiletto]

Ah, the old "since we did this in FA now we can draft properly" theory. I love to read it.

OK Mr. Snark. What do you want exactly? What's your solution to all the problems buddy? Clifford Franklin? Carson Wentz? You are an easy kill when it gets down to semantics. You just generally shake cans of soda, open them and say "look at me!!" For likes.. Worthless..

 

[The Quest for Six]

When you get a starting corner and wide receiver for two fifth rounders and a sixth, you're doing pretty good in the offseason.... I give them an B+, if they got a monster run stuffing defensive tackle, it would be an A+

 

[Risen Star]

What do you want exactly? What's your solution to all the problems buddy? Clifford Franklin?

I don't know. I have a weird theory that you should approach the draft the right way regardless of what you did in free agency.

Screwing up your draft as a response to not doing enough in free agency doesn't seem smart. Seems like something a bad front office or a fan boy would say.

 

[stiletto]

I don't know. I have a weird theory that you should approach the draft the right way regardless of what you did in free agency.

Screwing up your draft as a response to not doing enough in free agency doesn't seem smart. Seems like something a bad front office or a fan boy would say.

LOL, so you are saying that no matter your holes, you should draft the BPA at all times? Real genius there buddy. No wonder you are a fan forum game-pad guru of likes. Good job! LOLOL!

 

[Carson]

When you get a starting corner and wide receiver for two fifth rounders and a sixth, you're doing pretty good in the offseason.... I give them an B+, if they got a monster run stuffing defensive tackle, it would be an A+

Best I can give you is Neville Gallimore. Here he’s going to have a “great camp” and the “lights will come on” or any typical mantra we hear about DTs every year lol

 

[Risen Star]

LOL, so you are saying that no matter your holes, you should draft the BPA at all times? Real genius there buddy. No wonder you are a fan forum game-pad guru of likes. Good job! LOLOL!

You're trying. I'll give you that.

I know you won't understand this but I'll say it one time. Whenever there's a true BPA on the board you should draft that player regardless of need.

You don't have a clue of what you're talking about. You're a fan boy who wants to treat the NFL Draft as merely an extension to free agency. The only thing on your mind is 2023 because that's all you're capable of.

 

[The Quest for Six]

Best I can give you is Neville Gallimore. Here he’s going to have a “great camp” and the “lights will come on” or any typical mantra we hear about DTs every year lol

Don't worry, Mickey Spagnola is working on those usual training camp puff pieces as we speak..lol

 

[Ranching]

LOL, so you are saying that no matter your holes, you should draft the BPA at all times? Real genius there buddy. No wonder you are a fan forum game-pad guru of likes. Good job! LOLOL!

I'm glad that I'm not the only one that sees through his act

 

[Risen Star]

Best I can give you is Neville Gallimore. Here he’s going to have a “great camp” and the “lights will come on” or any typical mantra we hear about DTs every year lol

Remember when Gallimore was new and improved last summer? Good times.

 

[stiletto]

You're trying. I'll give you that.

I know you won't understand this but I'll say it one time. Whenever there's a true BPA on the board you should draft that player regardless of need.

You don't have a clue of what you're talking about. You're a fan boy who wants to treat the NFL Draft as merely an extension to free agency. The only thing on your mind is 2023 because that's all you're capable of.

LOL, w/e makes you feel good brother. You are just a guy on a fan forum like me, so to pretend you are "better" is laughable. Get over yourself. Actually what you say at the core I agree with BUT in reality the team does so unbasic stuff we have to say SOMETHING about the holes before going into the draft.. Logic isn't a real incumbent trait of the Jones family. That's why we are still here I guess.

 

[Tangle_Foot]

I can't complain, we've gone from trading away players and getting fifth rd. compensation to acquiring players and paying no more than 5th or 6th round compensation. Much improved.

 

[XXLMike]

We still need two running backs, a guard, a defensive tackle and a linebacker, and those aren’t in the draft maybe one of the running backs is .

 

[Risen Star]

LOL, w/e makes you feel good brother. You are just a guy on a fan forum just like me so to pretend you are "better" is laughable. Get over yourself. Actually what you say at the core I agree with BUT in reality the team does so unbasic stuff we have to say SOMETHING about the holes before going into the draft.. Logic isn't a real incumbent trait of the Jones family. That's why were are still here I guess.

I don't care what you agree with. I seek no confirmation from you. I'm telling you that you should never handle the draft incorrectly because of anything that's happened in free agency. A short sighted boob would do that.

This notion that if we can just sign this player and that player we can approach the draft properly is idiotic.

Agree/Disagree. Don't care.