What the Cowboys can learn from NFC East rivals' success
The Dallas Cowboys have endured the trials and tribulations of an outright disappointing season. They lack depth in key areas, are without a head coach, and are being criticized for their lack of a winning mindset.
Meanwhile, their NFC East rivals, the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles, both won their Wild Card round games and are moving on to the Divisional round.
Jerry Jones and the Cowboys organization need to take a hard look at what the Commanders and Eagles have accomplished, because "the Cowboys way"—or more accurately, Jerry Jones' way—has simply not gotten the team where they want to go.
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First, taking a look at the Commanders, they hired a head coach and gave him the freedom to choose his team, his coaching staff, and implement the culture around them.
They also signed multiple veteran free agents, including Bobby Wagner and Austin Ekeler, who have provided excellent leadership on the team.
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If the Cowboys can take one thing away from the Commanders' season, it’s this: when they do finally hire a new head coach, they must give him the autonomy to pursue his vision. Without that, they won’t get the most out of their coach or the team.
Taking a page from the Eagles' book, Philadelphia has consistently restructured the contracts of their star players to create cap space, allowing them to sign marquee free agents like Saquon Barkley, who has helped turn this team into Super Bowl contenders.
They also made a bold move by trading away locker room distraction Haason Reddick, securing more value than the Cowboys got in their trade for one of the best wide receivers of the last decade, Amari Cooper.
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Additionally, the Eagles traded for Washington's Jahan Dotson, who, despite an underwhelming season, stepped up in the Wild Card round by catching a touchdown.
If the Cowboys were to learn from the Eagles, it would be about taking calculated risks on well-established players and making tough decisions—like trading away players when they are hindering the team more than helping it.
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