The Dallas Cowboys have already started to make some changes to their team during the offseason, and that will only continue with the draft and free agency approaching next. Last season, the Cowboys had one of the better offenses in the league, but it was their defense that held them back for the most part.
Looking ahead to next season, if they're able to get the right pieces, ESPN's Dan Orlovsky thinks that the Cowboys have a chance to put themselves in the contender conversation.
“The NFC is wide open… If you're Dallas and you know you have a championship-caliber offense, you're not as bad as your defense was last year,” Orlovsky said. “You're not that far away on defense. You get two or three impactful players on the edges of your defense, and at linebacker, I think you have the chance to contend right away.”
"The NFC is wide open. … As bad as your defense was last year, you're not that far away on defense."@danorlovsky7 on how far the Cowboys are from contending for a championship 🏆 pic.twitter.com/XtJQlT4mt0
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 2, 2026
Orlovsky mentioned the fact that the Seattle Seahawks probably won't look like the same team next season, as other teams will try to poach their players during free agency. There are also other teams that could be contenders, but more often than not, some of them have a lot of question marks.
That means the Cowboys have a real shot of being in the mix, and it shouldn't be a surprise if they do find themselves in the playoffs.
One of the first things they did after this past season was bring in Christian Parker as the defensive coordinator, and the hope is that he can help get that side of the ball to where it needs to be.
The offense should continue to be good, as they've made sure to place the franchise tag on George Pickens so he doesn't go anywhere.
Stephen A. Smith may not like the idea of it, but he may have to start relishing the idea that the Cowboys could be a good football team.
