By Jamal Baker
NDG Contributing Writer
The Dallas Cowboys stuck with their usual theme of not making a splash in NFL free agency. However, it is hard to argue that the team did not improve with smart and team friendly signings. Losing key contributors on the defensive side of the ball certainly left voids on the team, but the Cowboys replaced players like Chauncey Golston, Demarcus Lawrence, and Jourdan Lewis with serviceable athletes. Lawrence and Lewis’s impact goes beyond the gridiron and their leadership off the field will allow current players on the roster to step up—Micah Parsons and Daron Bland, it is your turn to lead.
Let’s get into the signings the Cowboys made, starting on the offensive side of the ball. Dallas agreed to deals with running backs Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. Before suffering a devastating knee injury in 2022, Williams put together a respectable 903-yard rookie season. At just 24 years old Williams will look to have a bounce back year with the Cowboys after not being the most ideal fit in Sean Payton’s offense with the Denver Broncos last year.
“I’ve been watching Miles since he was at Penn State, and then with the Eagles and a little with Carolina,” Williams said, via the team’s official website. “I’ve always respected his game, and I’m ready to get in here and compete with him and grind.”
Sanders made the Pro Bowl in 2022 with the Philadelphia Eagles before signing with the Carolina Panthers. Sanders never could find his footing during the two seasons he spent with Carolina but is ready for a fresh start in Dallas.
“I feel like I made the right decision,” Sanders said. “This is a fit for me, and I like what coach [Brian Schottenheimer] is doing — as far as identity. I came from stuff like that. I’m just ready to ball out and contribute to the team.”
Dallas also inked wide receiver Parris Campbell and offensive linemen Robert Jones and Dakoda Shepley to new deals providing much needed depth to both position groups.
The Cowboys have been very impressive with their defensive signings, headlined by potential starters Kenneth Murray Jr., Kaiir Elam, and Dante Fowler Jr. Murray Jr. is an athletic freak from the middle linebacker position and was named a team captain with the Tennessee Titans last year.
Defensive Coordinator Matt Eberflus is known for getting the best out of linebackers and will have a fast and violent unit at his disposal. Elam steps in to be Lewis’s replacement at the cornerback position with a chip on his shoulder. The former first-round pick is a great athlete and the ideal fit in Eberflus’s scheme. Fowler Jr. returns to Dallas after producing 10.5 sacks for the Washington Commanders last season.
Other notable defensive signings include linebacker Jack Sanborn, defensive end Payton Turner, and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas.
The Dallas Cowboys have set themselves up to select the best player available in the upcoming draft instead being forced to pick for need. Dallas has gotten better so far this offseason and will look to carry that momentum by nailing their picks in the draft.
