The Dallas Cowboys have just announced another unexpected great signing, more than the other signings.
More than the previous signings, the Dallas Cowboys have just revealed the addition of another fantastic surprise.
The Dallas Cowboys had a difficult start to their free agency season, but surprise!, the team recovered just in time for the second wave. The Cowboys responded to a sluggish start by, as usual, re-signing key players and closing a sizable hole in the roster.
The first deal was to retain long snapper Trent Sieg, a valuable member of the special teams, for an additional season. By making the change, the team was able to retain punter Bryan Anger and kicker Brandon Aubrey, in addition to their core special teams personnel from their kicking units.
Not only did devoted Cowboys supporters, whose club was the last to play as the NFL new year got underway, criticize the signing when it was announced, but it was also the sole signing made by the team in the first two days of the season.
However, things started to get better once a few of the big players signed deals elsewhere. After it was anticipated that he would sign elsewhere, the organization was able to secure the commitment of an outside free agent. The Cowboys hold the dubious distinction of being the last team in the NFL to sign a free agent who wasn’t with the team the previous season after linebacker Eric Kendricks rejected the San Francisco 49ers in favor of a one-year contract with Dallas.
By adding Kendricks, the defense gains a much-needed boost at linebacker. Additionally, Kendricks reunites with Mike Zimmer, his former coach in Minnesota, who joined Dallas again to take Dan Quinn’s place as defensive coordinator. It was crucial that Zimmer enlisted the aid of one of his people to carry out his plan and approach, as they can be challenging to adapt to at first.
Nine interceptions, 18.5 career sacks, and eight seasons of 100+ tackles are all brought by the experienced LB. Despite his age of 32, Kendricks still possesses natural instincts for the position and a nose for the ball, which assists.
The following movement resulted from two additions who are more in line with the team’s strategy that we have grown accustomed to, as well as a few more free agency departures. Dallas lost their third player, experienced edge rusher Dante Fowler, to Quinn and the rival Washington Commanders. Nevill Gallimore, a defensive tackle, defected to the Miami Dolphins in the meanwhile.
Quinn, who assisted Fowler in revitalizing his career with the Cowboys, will see him play on. In his final two seasons with Dallas, the seasoned pass rusher recorded ten sacks. The Cowboys will now need to find a replacement for Gallimore, a third-round choice who never developed into the player they had hoped for but who did provide reliable backup work at a position that is already viewed as weak.
The Cowboys re-signed nickel cornerback Jourdan Lewis and special teams star C.J. Goodwin to halt the departure. Lewis made his own announcement that he was returning when Dallas managed to keep one of their own defenders.
Lewis’s one-year contract extension mirrors Kendrick’s and runs concurrent with that of his head coach and defensive coordinator. It took the seasoned CB some time to get back into shape after suffering a catastrophic foot injury the previous season, but by the end of 2023, Lewis was one of the top defenders on that side of the ball.
Former corner C.J. Goodwin, one of the Cowboys’ top special teams players, helped the club maintain momentum. Goodwin has traditionally been Dallas’ greatest special teams player, and his return will strengthen the Cowboys’ now-essential special teams unit. He was limited to just five games by a pectoral injury sustained in Week 5 that lost him the entire season.
Dallas is limited in how much it can do due to the salary cap until it extends wide receiver CeeDee Lamb or quarterback Dak Prescott’s current deal to change their cap numbers. To the dismay of a transaction-hungry crowd that was sold “all-in” expectations, the Cowboys will continue to pick and choose their upgrades at a slow pace while those conversations drag on.
However, as the team finally started to turn things around late in the first week of free agency, some changes are still better than none at all. Furthermore, their past indicates that more is to come. Although it might not be the most thrilling approach, the Cowboys are committed to their goal.
