The Dallas Cowboys’ newfound talent in losing games by double digits has a silver lining, of sorts. With a tough way to go when it comes to salary cap issues and the pending second-straight franchise tag for quarterback Dak Prescott, it’s going to be mighty difficult for the club to go out and sign free agents in the 2021 offseason. The COVID-19 pandemic has done a number on revenue as team’s aren’t able to host fans anywhere near stadium capacity if at all. That projects to a shrinking cap that will wreak havoc for many teams, but Dallas especially.
Being they likely won’t be major players in free agency, it’s imperative the team has a quality draft, and while steals like WR CeeDee Lamb come along every so often, a team’s chances of finding impact talent is increased by having the ability to select from a larger pool. So as Dallas continues to lose and their draft slot continues to improve, the chances of turning around from this miserable season increase. With Sunday night’s 23-9 loss to Philadelphia, and combined with other results, the Cowboys moved up to No. 5 in the projected draft order through eight weeks.
As our handy Rooting Guide outlined, there were a series of games for teams ahead of Dallas in the draft order which, if the underdog pulled off an upset, could move the Cowboys from their previous slot of 8th overall.
First, Atlanta took out Carolina on Thursday Night Football. Then, the Cincinnati Bengals pulled off the upset over the Tennessee Titans while the Minnesota Vikings bubbled up to take out the Green Bay Packers. Those three results, combined with the Cowboys’ loss on SNF, slid Dallas up.
Even better for the Cowboys’ slot possibilities, two of the three teams between them and the winless New York Jets (0-8), all have already gone through their bye.
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans (whose pick is owned by Miami) are both 1-6. If they were to win the “extra” game, because of strength of schedule, they would then move behind Dallas in the draft order with similar records. All hail playing in the moribund NFC East.
The New York Giants (1-6) play Monday night against the Tampa Bay Bucs. If they were to pull off the upset of Tom Brady, Dallas would move up to No. 4. Head to head results only matter in playoff tiebreakers, not draft order.
So while the Cowboys are piling up losses with an inability to score touchdowns any longer, they are at least improving their chances of getting higher picks in 2021.
Drafting is an artform, and the majority of success comes from being able to identify traits in players who will fit the scheme and plans of the coaching staff. Teams that draft well do so because of the talent of the front office, not where they finish each seasons. Still, being able to choose from a wider pool is helpful.
More to the point, with the Cowboys likely tagging Prescott in an effort to keep him long-term, having a higher draft pick could result in a team wanting to trade up in order to draft one of this year’s prized QBs. Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Trey Lance are all considered Top 5 prospects.
If the Cowboys (smartly) aren’t in the QB market come April, then they should be able to move away from the slot and get back a bounty of draft picks which could certainly boost the team’s talent base moving forward.
—COWBOYS WIRE