NFL analyst has refreshing take on panned Cowboys offseason move

For the most part, NFL writers and the media have given the Dallas Cowboys offseason glowing reviews. How could they not?

Securing low-risk, high-reward trades for established veterans in Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore brings needed winning pedigrees to the locker room.

Additionally, the Cowboys re-signed some of their most important defenders in free agency, including Donovan Wilson, Leighton Vander Esch and Johnathan Hankins. They supplemented that by drafting interior behemoth Mazi Smith in the first round and taking other players who should make an immediate impact.

While the Cowboys' draft received mixed reviews, the most polarizing move they endorsed this offseason was appointing Mike McCarthy as offensive play-caller in place of Kellen Moore, who was suprisingly let go.

Several writers and media members hate the decision to give McCarthy more control, but NFL.com's Eric Edholm doesn't see it that way. In fact, the move made one of Edholm's five storylines league-wide that are being overblown.

Cowboys' decision to fire Kellen Moore, give McCarthy more control is being overblown

In Edholm's eyes, it should have been anticipated that McCarthy would eventually want to call the shots on offense. While McCarthy has always had an offensive coordinator and multiple assistants by his side, he famously called plays during his 13 years as Packers head coach.

Many thought McCarthy focusing solely on being a head coach -- devoting more time to game and clock management -- would benefit the Cowboys. While it's translated to consecutive 12-win seasons, the offense turned in embarrassing offensive performances in each of their last two playoff losses to the 49ers.

Here's what Edholm said of the move.

"But on the day McCarthy was hired in Dallas in 2020, would it have been a shock then to suggest he might want to call plays eventually? Even with Moore considered a rising star in the business, that possibility always seemed like one to not completely rule out."

"Could this be a bigger story if the Cowboys struggle offensively? Of course. And it's completely fair to have a dash of suspicion at the rebranded "Texas Coast" offense. But if Dak and CeeDee Lamb continue thriving, Tony Polalrd continues his ascension and, most importantly, the Cowboys win more games, all the offseason bluster will be rendered pretty moot."

This is the correct take, folks. Unless Dallas' offense regress beyond belief under McCarthy's tutelage, it's hard to envision the experiment failing.

The Cowboys' offensive flourished with Moore calling plays, but his situational play-calling drew the ire of fans and the media, and the team seemingly (or clearly) was overmatched against the league's premier defenses -- the 49ers chief among them -- and fell short when it mattered most.

For whatever reason, the media has insisted on evaluating Moore's tenure based on the number of points and yards the Cowboys posted per game when he was OC as opposed to how anemic and helpless it looked for large stretches.

Let's see what McCarthy has to offer before jumping to conclusions.

More Cowboys news and analysis: