Marcus Mariota drove the Washington Commanders down the field, carving up the Dallas defense and Dallas trying desperately to hold on to a 19-16 win. As the ball landed into the hands of Terry McLaurin, the 2024 campaign mercifully came to an end for the Dallas Cowboys Fan Base.
7-10, the final record for a team that entered the season with Playoff hopes and to some... The possibility of a Super Bowl.
Prior to this season and following the Green Bay Packers drubbing of the Dallas Cowboys to end the 2023 season, Jerry Jones took to the media and said the Dallas Cowboys were "All In" and there were planted the seeds of hope.
Would Dallas sign Derick Henry? Would they address the defense that lost a multitude players in free agency? How would the Dallas Cowboys bounce back after losing Dan Quinn and a handful of players to the Washington Commanders?
The hope? They're "All In"!
Free Agency came and went and the big signings that were expected with the Cowboys didn't happen. Day one, the need for Dallas was Running Back and names like Henry, Aaron Jones, Josh Jacobs, Dallas' own Tony Pollard all found new homes while Dallas was content without making a splash signing.
The jokes were writing themselves. Was Dallas really "All In"?
LIST OF 2024 DALLAS COWBOYS FREE AGENTS
Player | Team | Player | Team |
Rico Dowdel | Dallas - Reached Terms | Tyron Smith | Signed w/ Jets |
Trent Sieg | Dallas - Reached Terms | Dorance Armstrong | Signed w/ WASH |
Jourdan Lewis | Dallas - Reached Terms | Tyler Biadasz | Signed w/ WASH |
C.J. Goodwin | Dallas - Reached Terms | Dante Fowler | Signed w/ WASH |
Eric Kendricks | Dallas from MIN | Noah Igbinoghene | Signed w/ WASH |
Royce Freeman | Dallas from TB | Neville Gallimore | Signed w/ MIA |
Jonathan Hankins | Signed w/ SEA | ||
Tony Pollard | Signed w/ TEN | ||
Stephon Gilmore | Signed w/ MIN |
The season started with the hopes of the Dallas Cowboys defense welcoming the return of DB Trevon Diggs who would team up with DB Daron Bland, who led the NFL in interceptions and set an NFL record with 5 Pick Sixes, teaming the last two interceptions leaders in the Dallas Backfield... However, Bland suffered an injury to his foot and would miss the majority of the season.
The start of the season was nothing special. Dallas beat Cleveland, handily, got routed by New Orleans, who seemed like an amazing team at the start. Close games against Pittsburgh, Baltimore and the Giants, where Dallas won two of those three saw Dallas sitting with a 3-2 record. Then the wheels fell off.
Detroit, San Fransisco, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Houston all beat the Cowboys by a combined 172-70. 0-5 during that run and sitting at 3-8 on the season. Dak Prescott was done for the season, Micah Parsons was on the sidelines injured, Diggs was off and on, Bland was coming back and the Offensive Line's Anchor, Zack Martin, was shut down for the season.
People like myself were begging the Cowboys to finish the tank and end the season with the Number 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Hope Runs Eternal
Following that 0-5 embarrassing run, the one thing they did the one thing they shouldn't have done... in the eyes of many. They won. The Dallas Cowboys won 4 of their last 5 games, the only loss coming to the Cincinnati Bengals who also had a disappointing season of their own and tried to salvage it with a win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Those four wins, took Dallas out of the coveted top 5 draft position and moved them up to 12. A position that most Dallas Cowboys fans have come accustomed to as they have been mired in mediocrity for the better part of 30 years.
There are much more questions than answers with the Dallas Cowboys. Did Mike McCarthy do enough to save his job? What do you do with the 21 potential free agents that are currently on the roster, highlighted by names like Dowdel, Rush, Martin and Lawrence?
Looking Forward
The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2025 offseason with $19.3 million in available salary cap space (24th in the NFL) and $9.2 million in dead cap space (9th in the NFL)
In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cowboys urgent needs are along the offensive and defensive lines and at the wide receiver position. Brandin Cooks is a free agent and has had a rather underwhelming tenure in Dallas. Secondary priorities are in the defensive back field and backup QB as both Cooper Rush and Trey Lance.
Rico Dowdel's late season surge has solidified his spot as the starting running back for the 2025 season, but no one would complain if Ashton Jeanty fell his way down to Dallas. In the last 4 NFL Drafts, Dallas has selected two offensive linemen and 2 players that play along the defensive line (Micah Parsons was labeled as an ILB... he is not)
Who should Dallas Resign? Eric Kendricks and Demarcus Lawrence lead the highlights for the defensive side of the ball for Dallas. While on offense they should look to resign Dowdel and Rush.
Navigating through the salary cap constraints, pending free agents and a possible coachign change, will make for an interesting off season for the Dallas Cowboys as they look to get the taste of an underwhelming 2024 Season, out of their mouth.
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