Two weeks into 2025 NFL free agency, it's clear the Dallas Cowboys have made most of the moves they will make prior to April's Draft.
They've added 11 players but volume is only a part of the equation when determining if a team did well or not. The real question is how much impact will the new faces make on the Cowboys' 2025 NFL season?
That's why we're diving into the good, the bad, and the ugly from this year's free agency in Dallas.
The Good: Defensive line depth bolstered
The Cowboys might not have added any no-doubt, slam-dunk starters in free agency this year but they sure added depth across the defensive line. Starting with defensive end Dante Fowler Jr., Dallas got someone who could line up on the other side of Micah Parsons in case Marshawn Kneeland or Sam Williams don't graduate to a starting role before the start of the regular season. Payton Turner was a very inexpensive addition that has some high upside thanks to his traits.
Additionally, the Cowboys added Solomon Thomas to complement Osa Odighizuwa at three-technique. Having legit depth at defensive tackle will be refreshing in Dallas. Though nose tackle remains a serious issue, the front office did a decent job bolstering the depth of Matt Eberflus' new defensive line.
The Bad: No wide receiver help
The Cowboys' wide receiver room is in a dire situation. Behind CeeDee Lamb, the offense has no real threat. Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin would likely start today if they had to play a game. This year's free agency class offered solid options and still does. But the team has only added Parris Campbell, who isn't even guaranteed to be on the 53-man roster.
Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, and Stephon Diggs are still available and could be low-cost, high-reward options for the team. However, if the Cowboys don't target a free agent in the coming weeks, they'll head into the 2025 NFL Draft with little choice but to pick a receiver in the first two rounds.
The Ugly: Losing Jourdan Lewis and Rico Dowdle for simple miscalculation
It seems to me the Cowboys lost two of their most important pending free agents because of a simple miscalculation: They thought they were going to get more money in the market and ultimately didn't.
That's the only reasonable explanation to Dallas not retaining Rico Dowdle, who signed for a lower base salary than they did Javonte Williams, an objectively worse player. The same could go for Lewis, who ended up signing a very manageable deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars that set him up for a $5.8 million cap hit this year.
