The Dallas Cowboys have had an odd offseason to say the least.
After finishing last season with an incredible record during the regular season — and having many experts convinced they were a Super Bowl squad — the Cowboys reached the playoffs and did what they always do.
In the first round, they fell to a young Green Bay Packers squad at home, marking their first home loss of the year. Season after season, Dallas delivers from September to December but chokes in January. Many believed Jerry Jones might make a drastic decision after last year’s playoff collapse, but he opted to keep both Dak Prescott and head coach Mike McCarthy.
The problem? Prescott is entering the final year of his contract and it’s structured so he’s responsible for a massive cap hit in 2024, so the logical decision would to have been to extend him after the season to free up cap space and add new talent around him to make another run at the Lombardi Trophy.
Instead, the Dallas Cowboys have sat on their hands and done absolutely nothing this offseason. Now, the QB market has skyrocketed with Trevor Lawrence inking a deal paying him Joe Burrow money, so Prescott’s price tag has only gone up.
From Prescott’s perspective, he has no real motivation to sign a deal with the Cowboys heading into the final year of his deal. Regardless of how he plays in 2024, he will have a line of suitors after this season willing to make him the highest paid player in the NFL.
Beyond Prescott, the Cowboys have yet to extend CeeDee Lamb, their best offensive playmaker. Justin Jefferson reset the wide receiver market inking a new deal with the Minnesota Vikings, so now Jerry Jones and the Dallas brass will have to come close to, or beat that number on a new contract for Lamb.
The Dallas Cowboys lost key playmakers on both sides of the ball and brought in almost no new talent in the offseason. They did bring back Ezekiel Elliott, who will share carries with a few unproven young ball-carriers on the squad this season.
Dan Quinn is now the head coach in Washington and he brought a few key players from last year’s Cowboys team with him. Jones claims he is “all in” for 2024, but the lack of moves makes it hard to see Dallas seriously competing for a Super Bowl this season.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported earlier this week that former Cowboys and Miami Dolphins center Connor Williams should be ready for the start of the season, and that his plan is to sign with a new team ahead of training camp.
Former Cowboys and Dolphins free-agent center Connor Williams, who is coming off season-ending knee surgery, expects to be ready for the start of the season and is in discussions with multiple teams about where to play in 2024. He plans to pick his new team before training camp…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 18, 2024
Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports dove into possible landing spots for the veteran offensive lineman. DeArdo made the case for the Bears to sign the 27-year-old and bolster the o-line in front of Caleb Williams:
“Similarly to the Jets, it’s largely assumed that the Bears’ top goal for 2024 is getting No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams to the finish line healthy. Adding a player of Williams’ caliber would do that while also giving some much-needed depth and versatility to Chicago’s front.”
Williams was having an excellent season for Miami in 2023 before requiring his season-ending procedure. In nine games, he allowed just one sack and earned a superb 86.5 grade at Pro Football Focus.
The former Dallas Cowboys center still has a lot of juice in the tank and would be an instant upgrade for the Bears.
Chicago’s offensive line has been an issue for a while, and that certainly played a role in Justin Fields’ inconsistent play. Adding Williams to anchor the middle of the o-line would certainly bolster Caleb Williams’ chances of succeeding immediately.
The Bears will open their season with a home tilt against Will Levis’ Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field on Sept. 8.
