Heading into the season, the Dallas Cowboys were receiving ample praise and notable elevation to contender status for the way the franchise had overhauled its defense and at least gave the unit–now led by coordinator Christian Parker, the fourth DC in Dallas in four years–a fighting chance to keep up with the high-powered offense. To use the parlance of the day, many in the media told us repeatedly that these Cowboys were “moving different.”
Indeed, there were moves. The Cowboys brought in six new starters on the defense, and spent most of its draft capital plucking young defenders. But while there were recognizable names added to the Cowboys, a quick reconsideration of the team’s transactions shows that maybe, no, this bunch was not “moving different.” In fact, it moved much the way it always has done–overpromising and underspending.
Cowboys Did Not Spend
The big Cowboys move this winter was the signing of safety Jalen Thompson, who got a free-agent contract worth $33 million over three seasons. Thompson has been fine, though he is hitting the IR now. But generally, a layout of $11 million AAV does not constitute a massive spending spree.
The two big moves the Cowboys made via trade–getting Rashan Gary from the Packers and Dee Winters from the 49ers–have similarities to the Thompson move: They looked splashy, but weren’t, actually. And the Cowboys probably should have guessed that would be the case, because of the compensation that they had to give up to land those two players.
The Cowboys got Gary, who was set to be cut by the Packers, for just a fourth-round pick. The 49ers were given a fifth-rounder for Winters.
That should have been a pair of red flags.
Dee Winters, Rashan Gary Underwhelming
Speaking on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday, team reporter Bobby Belt said, “It is not good right now for Dee Winters. He’s not playing as well as he did with San Francisco, which, boy it is a stunner. Like, you get away from playing next to certain guys in San Francisco, you don’t look as good. But Dee Winters is not the Kenneth Murray level.
Fellow host RJ Choppy added, “This is a reminder to everyone, in this room as well. When they go and get Dee Winters and they go and get Rashan Gary, we have to stop ignoring and glossing over what the compensation was for them. We do it, we’re guilty of it, we hype it up, everyone is guilty of it. But we need to go back and be like, ‘Oh they got Dee Winters for that, they got Rashan Gary for this.’
“Because then we act like it is magically going to click and come together.”
Cowboys Called Out for Trades Amid ‘Stunner’ Season