WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – If he's antsy about the current state of his roster, Mike McCarthy isn't showing it.
That was the vibe coming from the Cowboys' third-year head coach on Tuesday, as this free agency and draft cycle rolls along.
It's not to say McCarthy isn't working toward improvement. As most of the league wraps up these annual owners' meetings in Florida, McCarthy was back in Texas prepping for a trip to Alabama's Pro Day. The Cowboys have made no bones about how much emphasis they're putting on this 2022 NFL Draft Class.
All of that said, there remains plenty of speculation about how the Cowboys might continue to address their roster in free agency. If one thing sounds clear from talking to McCarthy, it's that they don't plan to force anything.
"I think experience gives you the opportunity to be patient, and we've got to be patient and just make sure we're adding the right fit for our football team," McCarthy said.
That's probably a hard thing for a fan to hear. The Cowboys parted ways with key contributors like Amari Cooper, La'el Collins and Randy Gregory this spring, and most of their signings have been to bring back members of the 2021 team.
From the outsider's perspective, the Cowboys could likely use some more help at receiver – and they certainly could use some extra bodies on the offensive line, where left guard and swing tackle are obvious problem spots. And while McCarthy did acknowledge that, he said he's not sweating the issue.
"I don't want to throw the whole hand out there, but we're not opposed to it," he said of signing an offensive lineman. "I think the way it's been done in the past, my first two years here, is we're going to look at all those opportunities. We're open for business."
To his point, McCarthy said the team signed Andy Dalton to be their backup quarterback on May 2 two years ago – a full week after the 202 NFL Draft. He also noted the potential for promotion from within, as he mentioned both Josh Ball and Matt Farniok as names to remember in 2022.
Kicker might be another story. McCarthy allowed that the Cowboys were interested in bringing veteran Greg Zuerlein back on a reduced deal, but he opted to sign with the New York Jets this past weekend. As of right now, the team's only kicker is Chris Naggar, who has attempted one NFL field goal.
"We spent some time yesterday on kickers, so we'll probably be looking at a lot of different guys there," McCarthy said. "It'll be more of a volume opportunity that we go through with those guys. It's definitely a position that's of focus."
Again, though, there doesn't seem to be any rush. The Cowboys' draft meetings begin on April 4, as they look to make the most of a deep draft class. In the meantime, perhaps their patience in the free agent market will pay off.
