Cowboys Loss at Buffalo Guarantees Top 10 Pick

With their Week 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Dallas Cowboys have earned themselves a top 10 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

The Dallas Cowboys lost their 11th game of the 2015 season in Orchard Park, NY on Sunday as the fell 16-6 to the Buffalo Bills. The Cowboys, now 4-11 on the year, wasted another very solid effort by the defense. Once again the Dallas offense was unable to score touchdowns and settled for two Dan Bailey field goals. There is some good news for the Cowboys and their fans however, with this latest defeat Dallas has secured a top 10 pick in this spring’s NFL Draft.

Dallas currently sits fourth in the NFL’s draft order and a loss next Sunday against the NFC East champion Washington Redskins will lock them into that spot. In fact, even if the Cowboys were to defeat Washington in the finale at AT&T Stadium, the worst case scenario would see Dallas picking seventh. Any team that suffers double digit losses has several areas of need, and those needs were on full display Sunday against the Bills.

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The Cowboys biggest need might be in the defensive secondary. On Sunday the defensive backs gave up several big third down conversions to wide open receivers. This has been a trend for quite some time now and the team will be looking to improve the depth and overall talent, particularly at corner, this off-season. Dallas will be getting top cover man Orlando Scandrick back from a torn ACL next season, and the front office will no doubt be looking to pair him with a shiny new addition. The big name in free agency will be Josh Norman of the Carolina Panthers, if the Cowboys use their first rounder here look for Florid State’s Jalen Ramsey to be the pick.

Dallas should also be looking to make several upgrades at wide receiver. The Cowboys for too long have been a one man show on the outside, and the loss of Dez Bryant for a large portion of the season has illustrated that. With Bryant absent against the Bills, the offense struggled to find a consistent passing game. Terrance Williams, Devin Street, and Brice Butler have not been up to the task of replacing Bryant’s considerable production. Chicago Bears pass catcher Alshon Jeffery would be an intriguing name to line up opposite Dez. Laquon Treadwell of Ole Miss would be a possibility should Dallas slip back a few spots in the final draft order.

Finally, the most obvious need for Dallas is at quarterback. The Cowboys have been woeful at the position in 2015 due to the extended absence of starter Tony Romo. Romo is expected to be fully healthy in time to participate in the entire off-season program, but the front office must begin preparing now for life after Romo. There will be some amount of intrigue in what the Cowboys do here. Current starter Kellen Moore will be brought back in the spring and will be given the opportunity to compete for the primary back-up spot, but the team will likely add another young veteran and may even use their first rounder on a signal caller if the draft unfolds that way. A lot of what Dallas does will be determined by the Cleveland Browns who will pick ahead of Dallas.

It is no secret that the Browns are frustrated with their young quarterback Johnny Manziel. Cleveland used a first round pick on Manziel in 2014 and when he’s played he has shown a fair amount of ability. The problem of course is Johnny Football’s off-field behavior. If Cleveland decides they have had enough of Manziel and release him, Jerry Jones and the Dallas front office may sign him and forgo picking a passer in this draft. If the Browns keep him they will pass on top rated Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch who would then be available for the Cowboys.

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The 2015 season is almost over. The Dallas Cowboys have endured both insult and injury this year, but sometimes it is necessary to lose the battle in order to win the war. The Dallas front office has put together solid drafts on a regular basis over the past few off-seasons. Now the team will have a high draft pick to work with. If the Cowboys come away with a shutdown corner, a 1A receiver, or a franchise quarterback, the agony of the lost 2015 season will have been worth it.

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