The Dallas Cowboys were expected to have a monumental offseason with so many potentially franchise-changing moves to make.
Owner Jerry Jones has made it clear the Cowboys are going “all-in” for 2024 and decided to retain Mike McCarthy for one more season to see if he can get the talented roster past the first round in the playoffs and possibly reach the Super Bowl expectations Jones expects.
But instead of making any significant free agent moves to replace the talent the team lost from last year’s squad, Jones and the Cowboys brass made only a few modest moves. The most notable was bringing back RB Ezekiel Elliott as the team’s running back room looks concerning to say the least.
The Dallas Cowboys have yet to reach a contract extension with CeeDee Lamb, who is expected to hold out of any team activities until he inks a new deal. In another odd move, Dallas opted not to give Dak Prescott a contract extension which would have freed up cap space to add new talent to the roster. Instead, Jones said he and Prescott have a mutual agreement to let the Cowboys’ franchise QB to play out the final year of his current contract, leaving room for a real possibility he leaves after the 2024 season.
Prescott was in the discussion for NFL MVP this season and closed out arguably the best regular season of his career. The Dallas Cowboys entered the wildcard round matchup as two-score favorites over the Green. Bay Packers, who have a first-year starting QB and the youngest roster in the NFL.
Prescott closed out the 2023 regular season ranked in the top five in several major categories for NFL QB. He came into Sunday’s playoff matchup against the Green Bay Packers with 4,516 yards (3rd), 36 touchdowns (1st), 9 interceptions and a QB rating of 72.5 (2nd).
Finally, Prescott and CeeDee Lamb found the perfect chemistry and emerged as arguably the top QB/WR tandem in the league.
Beyond Dak Prescott and the explosive offense that averaged 389 yards and 30 points per game and finished with 77 touchdowns in the regular season, the Dallas Cowboys had a defense that finished the season ranked 5th in the NFL.
Now, the Cowboys will enter 2024 with more pressure than ever and it feels like they need to add another major piece if they are going to truly contend this season.
Dallas Cowboys Predicted To Trade For Steelers RB Najee Harris
Najee Harris was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft with their 24th overall pick after a stellar season with the Alabam Crimson Tide, during which he rushed for 1,466 yards and 26 touchdowns in 13 games.
He’s had four-straight 1,000 yard seasons in Pittsburgh and been one of the most reliable ball-carriers in the AFC.
The Dallas Cowboys have recently signed now-veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott for a second stint with the team. This was after Tony Pollard signed with the Tennessee Titans after rushing for over 1,000 yards, leaving the Cowboys’ running back room in shambles.
Rumors have been swirling that the Cowboys may be willing to give up future assets in a trade for the younger running back in Harris after they didn’t pick up a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft, which shocked many fans.
FanSided’s John Buhler tossed out the idea that, maybe, Harris could be an option for the Dallas Cowboys, who’s current starter is newly-signed (and returning) Ezekiell Elliott
“With the 2024 NFL Draft firmly in the rearview mirror, all it may take for the dollars to make sense is a fourth-round pick next year going the Steelers’ way to get Harris,” Buhler writes. “It would be a slight premium on the side of the Cowboys to make the deal, but we are only talking about a $300,000 discrepancy in APY. I get that Jaylen Warren might replace Harris long-term, but the Steelers have me questioning things.
It will be interesting to see if Dallas pulls the trigger and makes a move for Harris.
