So how much has this roster improved? I’m not going to spend this whole thread on the upgrades. But…Well, just look at the WR position for example, a real need we had going into 2022 after the trade of Amari Cooper. Just look at who we started at WR last year to open the season vs what we will have to start in 2023:
- 2022 WRs who started for the Cowboys on opening night, Sept. 11, 2022:
- Cedee Lamb, Noah Brown and Dennis Houston (OMG)
- 2023 starting WRs projected for opening day, 2023:
- Cedee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup
Now THAT is an upgrade!
And with the additions of Stephon Gilmore at corner, the re-signings of some other key players, and the additions of former 2nd rd RB Ronald Jones, OL Chuma Odoga, and other, it reduces the number of big needs for the draft.
But most importantly IMO- what this off-season work so far gives us is a much bigger opportunity to draft the best available players at several positions and not be trapped by NEED. When you go into a draft with a ton of need, you are at a disadvantage.
We still have needs of course. Like a big run stuffing interior DL. Probably need another RB, would love to see us draft a quality OL, maybe even a receiver or TE. But we aren’t trapped in the draft by having too many needs. We can truly draft the best players on our board. We are no longer SOLELY dependent on building through the draft alone.
Turns out if you have a good off-season free agency plan, the draft becomes even better.
