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By Jon Machota
3h ago
7
The Cowboys have made it clear that they aren’t interested in attempting to replicate the blueprint the Los Angeles Rams used last season to win the Super Bowl.
Forbes reported Monday that not only are the Cowboys the most valuable franchise in sports, but they are the first to have an estimated worth of $8 billion. Combine that with going 26 years without reaching the conference championship game and that sounds exactly like a team that should be interested in the Rams’ approach of “going all in” with several aggressive roster moves.
Dallas, however, has gone in the opposite direction this offseason, moving on from expensive key veterans WR Amari Cooper, RT La’el Collins and DE Randy Gregory. According to OverTheCap.com, the Cowboys have the NFL’s third-most salary-cap space, just over $21 million. It’s been a while since the Cowboys were a major player in free agency, but they are now more committed than ever to their plan of drafting, developing and then paying their own.
Coach Mike McCarthy has spoken several times over the past month about how the draft-and-develop philosophy was used while he was coaching the Green Bay Packers. And that might just work if Dallas continues to pick players like Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott and Zack Martin. But it’s been a while since a team reached the Super Bowl with a roster that didn’t include at least one significant move in free agency or via trade. The Cowboys say that making a Super Bowl run is their goal for 2022, but NFL trends say they are likely at least one more move away.
As the roster is currently constructed, the most notable outside additions are lower-tier free agency investments such as safety Jayron Kearse, DE Dante Fowler, safety Malik Hooker, LB Anthony Barr, WR James Washington, DE Tarell Basham and punter Bryan Anger. None of those players are among the top 10 highest-paid on the roster this season. The Cowboys have had a player that fit those criteria on their past four teams to reach the playoffs (2021, 2018, 2016, 2014). Over the previous four seasons, it was Cooper, who they traded a first-round pick for in 2018. They didn’t have a player like that in 2017, but did from 2012 through 2016 with CB Brandon Carr, who they signed for five years, $50 million in 2012.
This might not seem like a big deal. It’s only one player, but every team to reach the Super Bowl over the past decade has had at least one of those players.
As much as McCarthy’s Packers teams were about drafting and developing, even his best years included one of those players. McCarthy led Green Bay to the NFC Championship Game four times in 13 seasons. The 2007 and 2010 teams had DB Charles Woodson, who signed with the Packers in 2006 for seven years, $53 million. The 2014 and 2016 teams had DE Julius Peppers, who signed with Green Bay in 2014 for three years, $30 million.
Even the last three Cowboys teams to win the Super Bowl had DE Charles Haley, who they traded a second- and third-round pick for in 1992, and then CB Deion Sanders, who signed for seven years, $35 million in 1995.
Drafting and developing is a smart way to go, but most current championship teams seem to need at least one major investment from outside of the building to put things over the top. The 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers are probably the last team to reach the Super Bowl without one. Former Cowboys offensive tackle Flozell Adams was that team’s biggest acquisition. The starting right tackle signed with Pittsburgh for two years, $7.5 million in 2010. Outside of him, most of the Steelers’ key pieces were homegrown. But that team is the outlier. Even going all the way back to 2000, most teams to reach the Super Bowl included at least one major contributor who was added through free agency or trade.
There aren’t a lot of great options remaining in free agency that would likely fill that need for the 2022 Cowboys. Wide receiver, offensive line and kicker are their three biggest areas of concern. Odell Beckham Jr., Will Fuller and T.Y. Hilton are some of the top free-agent wide receivers. None of the available offensive linemen or kickers would fall in that category of significant roster additions. The best way to bolster one of those areas is by doing exactly what the Cowboys did in 2018 when they traded for Cooper. They certainly have the cap space to take on a notable player from another team. Obviously parting with a high draft pick in a trade doesn’t exactly help the “draft-and-develop” process, but if the right veteran is acquired, history shows it could be the move that puts your team over the top.
To give you an idea of how previous championship contenders improved their rosters through trades and free agency signings, here’s a brief breakdown of every team to reach the Super Bowl since 2010.
2021
The Super Bowl champion Rams had a roster that included QB Matthew Stafford (traded multiple first-round picks in 2021), CB Jalen Ramsey (traded multiple first-round picks in 2019), DE Von Miller (traded second- and third-round picks in 2021), LB Leonard Floyd (free agent signing: one year, $10 million in 2020 and then four years, $64 million in 2021).
The runner-up Bengals had DE Trey Hendrickson (FA signing: four years, $60 million in 2021).
2020
The Super Bowl champion Buccaneers had QB Tom Brady (FA signing: two years, $50 million in 2020), DT Ndamukong Suh (FA signing: one year, 9.25 million in 2019, one year, $8 million in 2020), TE Rob Gronkowski (traded fourth-round pick and then signed him for one year, $9.25 million).
The runner-up Chiefs had safety Tyrann Mathieu (FA signing: three years, $42 million in 2019).
2019
The Super Bowl champion Chiefs had Mathieu.
The runner-up 49ers had CB Richard Sherman (FA signing: three years, $39 million in 2018).
2018
The Super Bowl champion Patriots had CB Stephon Gilmore (FA signing: five years, $65 million in 2017).
The runner-up Rams had Suh (FA signing: one year, $14 million in 2018).
2017
The Super Bowl champion Eagles had WR Alshon Jeffery (FA signing: one year, $14 million in 2017).
The runner-up Patriots had Gilmore.
2016
The Super Bowl champion Patriots had DE Jabaal Sheard (FA signing: two years, $11 million in 2015). He was the fifth-highest paid player on New England’s roster that season.
The runner-up Falcons had center Alex Mack (FA signing: five years, $45 million in 2016).
2015
The Super Bowl champion Broncos had DE DeMarcus Ware (FA signing: three years, $30 million in 2014).
The runner-up Panthers had TE Greg Olsen (traded a third-round pick and then signed him for five years, $23 million in 2011).
2014
The Super Bowl champion Patriots had CB Darrelle Revis (FA signing: one year, $12 million in 2014).
The runner-up Seahawks had RB Marshawn Lynch (traded fourth- and fifth-round picks for in 2010 and then signed for four years, $30 million in 2012), DE Cliff Avril (FA signing: two years, $13 million in 2013 and then four years, $28.5 million in 2014), DE Michael Bennett (FA signing: one year, $5 million in 2013 and then four years, $28.5 million in 2014).
2013
The Super Bowl champion Seahawks had Lynch, Avril and Bennett.
The runner-up Broncos had QB Peyton Manning (FA signing: five years, $96 million in 2012).
2012
The Super Bowl champion Ravens had WR Anquan Boldin (traded third- and fourth-round picks for in 2010 and then paid him three years, $22 million), center Matt Birk (FA signing: three years, $12 million in 2009 and then three years, $8.5 million in 2012), LT Bryant McKinnie (FA signing: two years, $7.5 million in 2011).
The runner-up 49ers had DE Justin Smith (FA signing: six years, $45 million in 2008), K David Akers (FA signing: three years, $9 million in 2011), WR Randy Moss (FA signing: one year, $2.5 million in 2012).
2011
The Super Bowl champion Giants had safety Antrel Rolle (FA signing: five years, $37 million in 2010), DL Chris Canty (FA signing: six years, $42 million in 2009).
The runner-up Patriots had WR Chad Johnson (traded fifth- and sixth-round picks for him and then signed him for three years, $12 million in 2011), DE Shaun Ellis (FA signing: one year, $4 million in 2011).