Where do the Dallas Cowboys go from here?

The Dallas Cowboys were soundly defeated at home on Wild Card Weekend, which was a result few expected after their strong regular season. This puts the Cowboys in a precarious position this offseason. They fell short of their goals, and will need to make honest assessments about their organization heading into next year. We’ll suggest ways they should handle the offseason.

Many clamored for Tony Pollard to get more carries ahead of the 2023 season considering his notable efficiency in previous seasons. That did not work out quite the way fans expected, as his yards per carry metrics this year set a new career low. Dallas should look to bring in a more physical player at the position to lighten Pollard’s workload next season.

It’s hard to move on from a coach who has won 12 games in the last three regular seasons, but Mike McCarthy hasn’t been able to get Dallas over the hump when it matters most. Granted, most NFL teams would love to win that many games each year, but the Cowboys have bigger dreams, and McCarthy may not be the person to achieve them.

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There seems to be a decent possibility than defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will leave Dallas for a head coaching position this offseason. The Cowboys need to be ready for this by having a contingency plan. This could take the form of promoting someone in the building, or plucking a savvy defensive mind away from another staff.

Dallas’ complimentary players were fine in 2023, as Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup and Jake Ferguson were also serviceable pass catchers. However, none of those individuals scares a defense opposite the greatness of CeeDee Lamb. It might be tricky to pull off with the salary cap, but the Cowboys should look for another playmaker outside.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Micah Parsons is one of the most talented defensive players of his generation. The Cowboys have historically done a great job of moving him around the formation to confuse opposing offenses. They will need to continue to do this to maximize the effect Parsons has on a game moving forward.

It’ll be tempting to bring Trevon Diggs back for Week 1 next year considering how badly the Packers sliced up Dallas’ secondary in the playoffs. However, the Cowboys should take a patient approach, and only activate him when he’s completely healthy. If the cornerback misses the first four weeks of the 2024 season, but comes back at an All-Pro level thereafter, it would be worth it.

Dak Prescott had one of his best seasons in 2023, but could not get it done in the postseason. Clearly Prescott’s talent and physical ability are not impediments to him playing well, so Dallas might be best served getting inside his head, in a good way. Perhaps there are ways the franchise can help him become more comfortable heading into postseason play in the future.

While the end of the campaign isn’t what Dallas fans were hoping for, they still got to see CeeDee Lamb take a step up into an elite group of wide receivers this season. The Cowboys will make Lamb’s contract a priority moving forward, and should also funnel targets his way as he heads into the prime of his career.