Cowboys 5 'To-Do List' Moves (Easier Said Than Done)
FRISCO - Five moves to get the Dallas Cowboys back to the Super Bowl? That would be nice. But we're not that clever.
Five moves that top Dallas' "To-Do List'' in order to simply stay afloat as a potential contender in the NFC East? For a team that just finished 6-10, that'll have to do.
The Cowboys' Five "To-Do List'' Moves ... Let' get the owls to quit fraternizing with the chickens, and let's get on 'em ...
1) Decide if you are in love with Dak Prescott. Our Matthew Postins put is sharply: Is Dallas "ride-or-die'' with Dak as the Joneses once were with Troy Aikman and Tony Romo?
READ MORE: Are Cowboys 'Ride-Or-Die' With Dak?
Tuesday is the tag deadline. The NFL Draft is seven weeks away. The last day of negotiating with Prescott on a long-term deal is July 15 ... and at this moment, the Cowboys do not possess the cap space to do anything.
READ MORE: Dak Worth $40 Million? NFL Execs Offer Stunning Answers On Cowboys QB
Decide, Cowboys. Either way. Do you love Dak? Do you like him? Are you ride-or-die?
2) Get clarity on Tyron Smith. The Cowboys believe he's coming back. But the whispers persist. He's 30, he's going to the Hall of Fame, and maybe his neck, post-surgery, feels better than ever. He's been guided into understanding that right now, for him to keep healthy and keep winning at left tackle, flexibility is more important than strength.
READ MORE: Dallas Cowboys Injury Update: Tyron Smith & La'el Collins
We know he's in the gym. The Cowboys need to be right about "knowing'' he's coming back for 2021, in part because of how it can influence what they do with pick No. 10 in the NFL Draft.
3) Make a determination on which of the three premium cornerbacks is the right one with the 10th pick.
Some scouting minds favor Jaycee Horn. Others favor Patrick Surtain. We're betting Dallas will end up leaning toward Caleb Farley, who - pending further testing - can "out-dawg'' most of the competition and can also out-run them. That latter trait is important in Dallas; with Trevon Diggs on one side, new defensive bosses Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt are going to pound the table for speed at the other corner.
READ MORE: NFL Draft Tracker: Cowboys 3 Rounds, 4 Picks, New-Look Defense
At this early stage, we bet they pound the table for Farley.
4) Find the right dollar figure for Aldon Smith. We have reported that Smith may not be as enamored with the idea of staying as many think. He's turned himself around as a person, and now he's a free agent, with a chance to be courted - maybe by a team that plays a 3-4, which Dallas is now going away from.
After a half-decade away from the game, the former All-Pro faded late; he had four sacks in the first three games but only one sack in the final 13. But there is a "right price'' for him to be retained to rotate behind DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory. Let's see if they can find it.
5) Make hard calls at linebacker. Who is the WILL? Who is the MIKE? Who should get paid? Who is healthy? Who should retire?
READ MORE: Jaylon Smith EXCLUSIVE: Cowboys Contract & Cap Move Talk
The Cowboys employ three "big names'' at linebacker yet have nothing close to solid answers here - odd, because Jaylon Smith, Leighton Vander Esch and Sean Lee were all premium picks, are all accomplished football players and are quality guys.
The challenge at linebacker - along with the total of five "To-Do List'' items, and countless others? The Cowboys can't just make the decisions; they need to be right about them.
