ESPN NFL experts claim Dallas Cowboys took step backward in NFL free agency

Cowboys fans grumbled throughout the start of free agency about how their favorite team made no moves. Instead, they lost too many players. As it turns out, NFL experts agreed with everyone else.

ESPN did an overhead view of all of free agency, picking winners and losers and biggest surprises. The Cowboys kept coming up in conversation.

One of the questions was which team took a step back.

“Cowboys,” answered Mike Tannenbaum, an ESPN NFL front office insider. “They still have needs at left tackle, center, running back, defensive tackle and receiver. While a lot of their resources will be tied up in extensions for Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons, it was surprising not to see them make a move on Derrick Henry or AJ Dillon. They deserve credit for outstanding drafting and patience in the past, but they’re going to need an almost perfect draft to fill all of their needs.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Prescott already have started restructuring the quarterback’s contract. Earlier this month, sides agreed to convert a $5 million roster bonus into a signing bonus. The move cleared $4 million in cap space. Both sides are still working on a contract extension.

Jordan Reid, a draft analyst for ESPN, also voted the Cowboys as the most disappointing.

“They have lost key players and have failed to replace them so far. Not re-signing Tyron Smith creates a huge void at left tackle, and allowing Tony Pollard to hit the open market without a succession plan was also questionable. The draft is still yet to happen, but it places a lot of pressure on hitting on those draft picks to replace players that were an integral part of the team’s success.”

Dallas did sign Rico Dowdle, the No. 2 running back, to a new contract. The Cowboys may be looking at the draft to restock at RB.

Stephania Bell, an ESPN fantasy football analyst, mentioned the Cowboys as the team that took the biggest step back. “There’s a saying about addition by subtraction … but it doesn’t apply here. The Cowboys appear to have subtracted lead talent during free agency. The backfield now seems lackluster with no free agency move to replace RB Tony Pollard, despite several available experienced options. The loss of OT Tyron Smith complicates matters up front, and while Smith dealt with health issues in recent years, when he was on the field there was no better friend to QB Dak Prescott. Even if the Cowboys consider moving tackle Tyler Smith — and it’s not clear that they will or should — their draft strategy has to prioritize the O-line.”

Wait, there’s more piling on the Cowboys.

“They have multiple positions that need to be addressed — and there are also legitimate questions surrounding Prescott’s ability to lead them to a Super Bowl,” said Eric Moody, an ESPN fantasy football writer. “With Prescott’s contract expiring after the 2024 season, uncertainty looms over the team. As the NFL offseason progresses, more questions than answers remain about the Cowboys’ future. Dallas should sign Calais Campbell, who would immediately improve the defensive line and rotation. The locker room would also benefit from his leadership.”

And Cowboys fans, this should sting a little bit. The network experts named the Houston Texans as one of the biggest victors of free agency. You can read the entire story here.