The latest Dallas Cowboys offseason news.
LVE pens emotional retirement letter to Cowboys – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
Leighton Vander Esch played all six of his NFL seasons with the Cowboys as their 2018 first-round pick.
Vander Esch, lovingly dubbed “Wolf Hunter” by the Cowboys’ fandom who enjoyed letting out the occasional howl whenever the former Boise State linebacker would make a highlight play, penned a heartfelt letter to the team, fans and the league that gave him a chance in 2018.
It’s one that’s been months in the making.
“Today is a difficult day for me, but it is also a day of reflection and gratitude. Playing for the Jones Family, Coach Garrett, McCarthy, Marinelli, Richard, DQ, Bloom, George, AD, and Scotty have been the best days of my life. My dream of playing for the Dallas Cowboys came to reality on April 26, 2018. That night will forever be a night I’ll never forget. During my six years as a Cowboys player, I’ve always pursued success and winning football games, while preparing and training with the highest standards of competition, passion and perseverance. It has been an honor to represent my family, my teammates and the people of Dallas.
“I realize that I am no longer able to adhere to the unwavering standard of excellence that professional football demands. I say this with a heavy heart: I am medically retiring from the NFL. I love the game of football so much, but my body won’t cooperate any longer. I cherished every moment of my NFL career, and it has been such a blessing to play the game for as long as I have played. This year, things may look a little different for me, but the sole focus is being a great husband and father for my loving family.
“Reflecting on my six years in the NFL, and all that was required to reach my current situation, reminded me of the many people I owe humble, sincere gratitude to.
Cowboys free agents: Team agrees to terms to bring back Rico Dowdle – Tom Ryle, Blogging the Boys
The Cowboys at least have some experience returning to the backfield with Rico Dowdle re-signing on Monday.
The departure of Tony Pollard in free agency left the Dallas Cowboys with a question mark at running back. Now they have come up with a solution, and while it is not the kind of splashy move that fans keep yearning for, it is a smart one. It was announced on Monday the Cowboys are re-signing Rico Dowdle.
After fighting injuries early in his time with Dallas, Dowdle finally was able to contribute in 2023 when Ezekiel Elliott was no longer with the team. He moved to the RB2 role behind Pollard, and while he only amassed 361 yards in the 16 games he played, he had a respectable 4.1 yards per carry average. He also chipped in 144 yards on 17 catches, for a rather nice 8.5 yards per reception.
This is shaping up to be another year when the Cowboys are going the, um, frugal route in free agency, and while the terms have not been released, Dowdle seems sure to fit that profile.
Every NFL team’s biggest move (yes, even the Cowboys) to start free agency – K.D. Drummond, The Cowboys Wire
Having Jourdan Lewis back in the fold makes the Cowboys outlook at cornerback a lot better prior to the draft.
Dallas Cowboys: Re-signing CB Jourdan Lewis
The Cowboys clearly aren’t interested in making big splashes and it would be easy to choose letting Tyron Smith walk in free agency. And while picking bringing back the long snapper here, just to prove how frustrating the offseason has been for fans, this comes down to two choices. Linebacker Eric Kendricks is going to help teach that group the intricacies of Mike Zimmer’s defense, but far more important will be the slot corner responsible for the myriad of coverage calls Zimmer will make. Lewis is an underrated player who will coordinate a group of All-Pros and higher pedigree guys such as Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland and Malik Hooker. — K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire
New York Giants: Trading for EDGE Brian Burns
Philadelphia Eagles: Signing RB Saquon Barkley
Washington Commanders: Everything
The Commanders went into free agency with over 20 unrestricted free agents and a ton of needs. Fortunately, Washington had the NFL’s most cap room and went to work. GM Adam Peters quickly went to work during the early tampering period, agreeing to terms with six players on Monday. That continued Tuesday and Wednesday. The Commanders completely revamped the LB position, signing the underrated Frankie Luvu and future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner. They addressed the center position by signing Tyler Biadasz away from the Cowboys and left guard, signing Nick Allegretti of the Chiefs. Washington added three edge rushers, most notably Dorance Armstrong from Dallas.
NFL Division-by-Division Rankings After First Week of 2024 Free Agency – Alex Kay, Bleacher Report
Every offseason there is talk about Dallas falling behind their division rivals, but they seemingly always find a way to be in the picture.
6. NFC East
The NFC East is one of the NFL’s more polarizing divisions right now. It features a pair of arguable top-10 teams in the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, as well as two teams that are likely to be downright terrible in the New York Giants and Washington Commanders.
While Dallas’ sustained regular season success under head coach Mike McCarthy lifts this unit, the team can’t seem to find meaningful playoff victories during his reign. Three consecutive 12-5 campaigns has resulted in zero Super Bowl appearances and the club is now going on nearly three decades since it last went beyond the Divisional round. The lack of any truly notable free-agent pickups only further hurts the Cowboys’ chances of finally getting over the hump.
Philadelphia went from a juggernaut in the NFC to a laughingstock following a collapse in the back half of the 2023 season. The team must recover from an embarrassing Wild Card round exit without both Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox, a pair of foundational pieces in the trenches who retired this offseason. The team did make waves on the open market, however, by signing a playmaker in Saquon Barkley to reinforce the offense and adding Devin White, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Bryce Huff to shore up the defense, moves that will surely help the Eagles right the ship in 2024.
The rest of the NFC East will be hard-pressed to win many games this year.
The Giants took a major step back by letting Barkley walk and replacing him with Devin Singletary. Even after shoring up the offensive line by signing Jon Runyan Jr. and Jermaine Eluemunor, the offense will struggle mightily to put points on the board, offsetting the massive defensive improvement the front office made by trading for Brian Burns.
Washington is a leading candidate to have the NFL’s worst record in 2024. The team may have brought in some veterans like Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner to bolster the defense and added Austin Ekeler to the backfield, but there’s not enough here to win consistently. The team has no proven quarterback after trading Sam Howell and the rookie that the Commanders are likely to draft at No. 2 overall will be thrust into a bad situation with little support around him.
If this is the Cowboys “All-In”, should we be “All-Out”? – Richard Paolinelli, Inside The Star
The Cowboys have certainly not backed up their “all-in” approach in any sort of conventional way.
Every year for over a decade the Cowboys have basically sat out the first two days of free agency. Then they go diving into the bargain bin.
This system hasn’t worked.
This system will never work.
Yet, the front office in Dallas does it again and again. And Cowboys Nation is on its last nerve about it.
It’s especially maddening when you see the Eagles’ effortlessly adding pieces repeatedly.
Even the Giants and Commanders managed to load up.
But in Dallas? Crickets.
I’ve seen it mentioned on social media that the Cowboys today are a worse team than the one that got crushed by the Packers two months ago.
I can’t argue the point. In fact, as it stands now, I’d put Dallas as staring at a fourth place finish in the NFC East if the season started tomorrow.
And I’m not seeing any help coming in the form of the free agent crumbs or draft picks – at least not enough to hope for anything better than finishing ahead of Washington.
Surprise free agency signing opens door for dream Cowboys draft scenario – Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat
Is center the biggest need remaining for the Cowboys to address in the first round of April’s draft?
While Jerry Jones is asleep at the wheel, signings and trades could have a domino effect on the Cowboys. Obviously, the Eagles signing Saquon Barkley and Bryce Huff directly impacts Dallas. As does the Giants trading for Brian Burns and Dan Quinn’s Commanders spending crazy money to improve their roster.
Always thinking outside the box, Nick Harris of DallasCowboys.com took note of the Dolphins splashing on center Aaron Brewer. It’s a three-year deal worth $21 million for Brewer, so he’s without question Miami’s new starting center.
Why is that significant? It increases the odds of star center prospect Jackson Powers-Johnson falling to the Cowboys in the first round.
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