Dallas Cowboys Coach Mike McCarthy Hinting at More Free Agency Moves? 'A Lot Left!'

Despite a confusing offseason where the Dallas Cowboys have only made one addition in free agency, coach Mike McCarthy is still a "believer" in the roster.

October 8, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

It is hard to imagine that Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy would feel confident about the season heading into the final year of his contract following an offseason in which his roster has lost several key contributors. Big names like multi-time All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith and running back Tony Pollard have departed for other teams in free agency. At the same time, inside linebacker Leighton Vander-Esch was forced to retire. 

Meanwhile, the Cowboys have only added veteran inside linebacker Eric Kendricks so far in free agency. It doesn’t appear the Cowboys are “all in” on winning a Super Bowl this season, but instead preparing for a rebuild.

However, that hasn’t stopped McCarthy from professing his belief in the roster he has, even with it being, on paper, less talented than last season.

"I'm a big believer in the second to third-year jump, you know we have some young players, we got some guys coming back off of IR that are young players that we're excited about, so we are definitely improving,” McCarthy said in recent ESPN interview with Adam Schefter. "We're just not part of the free agent market right now."

Mar 26, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy speaks to the media during / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

It is not unusual for the Cowboys to be one of the most inactive teams in the first week of free agency. It has been common for the Cowboys to bargain shop in free agency, signing veterans on cheap deals to fill holes temporarily while they primarily focus on re-signing their own free agents. 

However, that is where the big difference has been this offseason in Dallas. The Cowboys have lost several key contributors and don’t seem to have ready-made replacements. However according to McCarthy, the Cowboys' plan is to have some of their younger players, who are entering their second or third year in the league, step up. 

Some of these players that McCarthy is likely looking to step up include defensive end Sam Williams and nose tackle Mazi Smith after the loss of Dante Fowler, Dorance Armstong, and Johnathan Hankins. Meanwhile, offensively, it certainly looks like the Cowboys will be turning to Jalen Tolbert to replace Michael Gallup, while they’ll likely use the draft for help at running back and left tackle. 

However, despite his belief in the current roster, McCarthy didn’t rule out the Cowboys' entering free agency for reinforcements later.

"Also there's a lot left," McCarthy said. "You'll probably have a market right before the draft or post draft, and then you got your June 1 market and obviously we'll have another draft class. So I have great confidence in our roster."