Here is the Dallas Cowboys absolute biggest draft need
By Tyrone Starr
As the NFL season gets closer to an end, here is a surface level look at just what exactly is the Dallas Cowboys most pressing need heading into 2018.
When your favorite team is officially out of the running for a Super Bowl, the natural focus becomes the offseason.
For some teams, that process starts earlier than others. For the Dallas Cowboys, that process started the day before Christmas.
Looking at the Dallas Cowboys impending free agents, it’s clear that this team will have some players to replace.
It’s unlikely that cornerback Bene Benwikere will return given that he barely saw the field in 2017. It’s all but a guarantee wide receiver Brice Butler will wear a new uniform in 2018. Will L.P. Ladouceur come back at age 37 to reclaim his long snapping duties?
Veterans like linebacker Kyle Wilber and running back Alfred Morris are likely to play elsewhere next season as well.
Beyond that, there is the depth on the offensive line. Starting guard Jonathan Cooper, along with reserves Byron Bell and Joe Looney are all free agents. Will the Dallas Cowboys have any interest in re-signing any of them?
That leaves defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and starting linebacker Anthony Hitchens. Lawrence is a guarantee to return, either via long-term deal or franchise tag. Hitchens, meanwhile, could leave solely due to how much money he will likely command on the open market.
So, if you’re keeping track, Dallas will need to replace at least one wide receiver and running back, not to mention an offensive lineman or two. Two linebackers could be elsewhere as well as a cornerback. How will they replace those who leave, either by their own choice or the team’s indifference to their absence?
Well, when it comes to the Cowboys, you can almost skip the free agency period altogether and go straight to the draft. Yes, Dallas will sign a couple of free agents to make up for the losses. The truth is, however, they will lose more from the pool above than they will sign from other teams.
Using the draft as the primary tool to retool this team, it would appear that the biggest draft needs are at linebacker, receiver and offensive line.
A lot of social media general managers seem to think you could throw in a run-stuffing defensive tackle into that mix as well.
For me, the positions are semi-irrelevant. Yes, all of those positions need to be addressed in some capacity. For my money, however, the Dallas Cowboys biggest draft need is speed.
It’s my opinion that this team suffers from a severe lack of speed. What’s odd about that is how young this team is. There will be just four guys, who are a lock for a roster spot next season, age 30 or older. A fifth, cornerback Orlando Scandrick, may not return.
On the flip side, there are 12 players that will play significant roles in 2018 who are under the age of 24.
Yet, somehow, the Cowboys are not a team that flies around the field making plays. Dallas is dominating opponents with speed. Even though this defense has been largely given an influx of youth, speed seems to be a missing component.
On offense, there are no players like the Saints’ Alvin Kamara or burners on the outside to take the top off of a defense. The Cowboys have a few guys that are quick or shifty but no one who would be considered a speed demon.
If you go back to those dominant 90’s teams, the Dallas Cowboys were built on speed. Especially on the defensive side of the ball, the speed was evident.
Dallas has chosen to pass on players in recent drafts, despite my hopes, that could have filled these needs. In 2014, linebacker Telvin Smith fell all the way to round five. Ironically, Dallas chose Hitchens in round four of that draft, passing on Smith.
Both have played in 60 games. Hitchens has 199 career tackles, one interception and 3.5 sacks. Smith has 345 tackles, seven interceptions and 6.5 sacks.
The following year, the Cowboys swung for the fences in round two, taking a shot on Randy Gregory. Gregory has participated in a total of 14 games, producing one single sack. Three spots later, the Seahawks went for a troubled, but talented defensive end as well in Frank Clark. Clark, a player with a significantly higher motor, has 22 sacks in 46 games.
Next: Cowboys 2018 NFL Draft - Positions off limits in 1st round
All in all, the Dallas Cowboys need to focus on upgrading the overall team speed. As you move along with this team this offseason, pay less attention to position and more attention to speed. Hopefully your favorite team will do the same exact thing.