Despite being the most valuable franchise in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys have spent the least amount of money of all 32 teams. The front office has blamed the penny-pinching on the salary cap and that Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons will make up nearly 80% of the cap once they sign new deals.
However, simple crunching of the numbers shows that Prescott, Lamb and Parsons won't even account for 50% of the Cowboys' cap. It's more evidence that Jerry and Stephen Jones are in over their heads.
Try as they might to brainwash Cowboys fans, there is no defending the lack of spending entering a potentially franchise-altering season. The team's free agency class is arguably the most uninspiring in the league and it managed to get worse after one of its most recent additions abruptly retired from the NFL.
Cowboys' free-agent signing Gareon Conley abruptly retires from NFL
The Cowboys released Conley on Sunday, but they were forced into the move after the veteran cornerback decided to call it a career.
Coming off a strong season in the UFL with the D.C. Defenders, Conley inked a one-year contract with the Cowboys in June. He wasn't considered a lock to make the 53-man roster -- far from it -- but there was hope that he would push for a spot in an otherwise inexperienced arsenal of cornerbacks.
Though Conley last played in the NFL in 2021, his retirement is a complete shock. He caught the attention of Dallas' scouts, who have identified former spring league standouts Brandon Aubrey and KaVontae Turpin as potential signings. Aubrey (kicker) and Turpin (kick/punt returner) have become two of the most dangerous special teams weapons in football.
At the end of the day, Conley's departure isn't devastating. The Cowboys' cornerbacks have made some incredible plays in training camp. Rookie fifth-round pick Caelen Carson has shined and the coaching staff wants 2023 fourth-rounder Eric Scott Jr. to play a bigger role in year two.
However, Carson is still a rookie and Scott Jr. didn't play a single snap last season. Former third-rounder Nahshon Wright is firmly on the roster bubble, too.
There was a realistic path for Conley to make the final roster if he performed well in camp and preseason. The fact he retired three days into camp suggests his body wasn't up for it or he no longer has the requisite motivation. His retirement is far from baneful, but it underlines the thinness of the CB room and that Dallas hasn't done nearly enough to replace Stephon Gilmore.
