- NFL. Tom Brady puts himself at risk with AJ Brown gift that has fans wondering if his Eagles exit is imminent
- NFL. New NFL rule could alter course of Chiefs dynasty if theory is to be believed
It's not always easy to tell what the Dallas Cowboys' plan is under Jerry Jones and his front office. Sure, sometimes it's obvious what they're about to do, like when they drafted Ezekiel Elliott fourth overall. But this offseason, Jones has operated in a bit of an odd way. He got off to a quick start by re-g Osa Odighizuwa as fast as possible before free agency, but he is now taking his sweet time with Micah Parsons' new contract.
In the meantime, the front office has clearly made an effort to bring in more defensive talent. They have signed a litany of new defenders, although none of them are game-changers. With a renewed focus on that side of the ball, the offense has kind of gone by the wayside. While that's been true for free agency, that sets the Cowboys up to go after offensive players in the 2025 NFL Draft, and everyone knows it.
Brian Schottenheimer stunned by amount of defensive free agency moves
The Athletic's Jon Machota spoke to Brian Schottenheimer on Tuesday, and the new Cowboys head coach practically itted they need to focus on offense going forward.
I told Matt Eberflus the other day, 'Damn, you look at free agency, you'd think I'm a defensive head coach'. I mean, you look at what we did, I got Klayton Adams looking at me going, 'Hey man, I thought you were an offensive coach.' But, at the end of the day, we've got to build the most competitive roster we can build.
As Machota points out, barring any last-minute moves within the next three weeks, "it's a good bet that the offensive holes will be filled [in the draft], and as early as the first round". He singles out running back and wide receiver as the positions that "will certainly be on their radar".
Everyone has linked the Cowboys to Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty in the first round, but they may not get the chance to draft him, as the Las Vegas Raiders appear very interested in him. There isn't really another running back that is projected to go as high as No. 12 overall.
Is Matthew Golden the perfect fit for Cowboys offense?
That leaves wide receiver as the likely selection for the Cowboys in the first round. Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan and Texas' Matthew Golden are the top two wideouts on most teams' boards.
They are very different players, as Golden is a speedster and McMillan is a big-bodied above-the-rim player.
Cowboys GM Stephen Jones said on Monday that losing Brandin Cooks now gives them the chance to look for a "really explosive No. 2" wide receiver. Golden and his 4.29 speed would certainly qualify. Missouri's Luther Burden III could be an option as well.