Could this go down as the worst offseason in recent memory? How would you rate it? – H. Melvin/Ocean City, NJ
Nick Eatman: I'll answer a question with a question: what is the current worst offseason in team history? What about the top 3? Better yet, is there a hands-down favorite for the best offseason? I guess my point is that I don't ever really rate an entire offseason and if we do, it never really a carries over in memory. I do recall the 2020 season when they added a bunch of veterans such as Gerald McCoy, Greg Zuerlein, Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix, Andy Dalton, Aldon Smith and Dontari Poe. What was the rating of that free agent class a day before training camp? Sometimes the good offseasons becomes the worst. And maybe it can go both ways. Right now, I'd say it was a quiet offseason because this team knows it must pay three mega-stars and they're also counting on about 10 second, third and fourth-year players to shine this year. That's the free agent plan. And with that, there's no way to evaluate it yet.
Kurt: Has this offseason been good? No. Is it the worst? That's hard to say here and now. Looking back over the last few years, how about 2019? The rookie class combined to make one start, and Trysten Hill, the Cowboys' first-round pick, was a non-factor during his tenure here. Their second-rounder, Connor McGovern, was largely a backup. The star running back, Ezekiel Elliott, held out of training camp in an effort to get a new deal, and only one of the three free agents signed, Randall Cobb, made much of an impact. Or there's 2017, when just one of the five free agents they picked up played more than four games with their first-round pick also a bust, Taco Charlton. At least Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis and Xavier Woods had solid debuts. Heck, was the 2023 offseason all that great? The draft class has been subpar thus far and they only signed two free agents, one of whom didn't make the team. They also let Zeke walk and then were unable to work out a deal with Tony Pollard, who essentially was overpaid on the franchise tag. The point is, things look pretty dire right now, but maybe they get a deal or two done with the big guys, maybe this rookie class shines, maybe Eric Kendricks is the steadying force this defense needs and maybe Elliot finds some of that old magic. And maybe they return to the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
