With the draft over and the offseason moving into somewhat of a lull before training camp, it’s time to assess rosters league-wide. Not every team will have been able to address every single need on their depth chart but they’ll have given it a good go. Holes will still remain, though. So for the next couple of weeks, we’ll go around the league and look at every team’s most significant remaining need, starting with the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East.
Dallas Cowboys: Slot cornerback
For all of the jokes directed toward Jerry Jones and the Cowboys’ front office over the last few seasons, you can’t knock their team-building process and overall roster construction. There just aren’t too many glaring needs.
They needed a field-stretching receiver: they went out and traded for Brandin Cooks. Another big run-stuffing presence on the interior defensive line would have been nice: they drafted Mazi Smith in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
It wasn’t the best draft class in the world for the Cowboys, but they’re probably heading into the summer happier with the roster as a whole. But they could still use another nickel back.
Jourdan Lewis is the Cowboys’ usual starter in the slot, but he missed the second half of the 2022 season with a Lisfranc injury, so DaRon Bland stepped in to deputize. Bland was okay, and we’re probably nitpicking, but with Nickel becoming the team’s de facto base personnel, your slot corner can’t be a weak spot. The Cowboys utilized plenty of three safety packages with Malik Hooker, Jayron Kearse, and Donovan Wilson, but adding another slot corner into the mix – even just to provide depth – would be smart.
New York Giants: A true No. 1 receiver
The Giants did well to improve their roster this offseason. Paying Daniel Jones big money might have hamstrung the team long-term, but the Giants made shrewd moves regardless, adding Parris Campbell, Darren Waller, and Jalin Hyatt through free agency, trading, and the draft. All three give the Giants a little something extra in the receiving department, but you could argue that Jones is still lacking a true No. 1 receiver.
Waller is the best catcher on the team right now and he gives your offense wrinkles that normal tight ends can’t offer. He can line up out wide, as an X, in the slot, or whatever you need. But he’s not a true No. 1 receiver. He can’t run every route in the route tree, he’s not as explosive off the line, and he’s also dealt with significant injuries for the last couple of seasons.
Adding another receiver, in the mould of DeAndre Hopkins or Mike Evans, would unlock something more in a Giants offense that seemed desperate for that X-factor last season.
Philadelphia Eagles: Safety
How do you critique this Eagles roster? Howie Roseman has done an incredible job of retooling the team this offseason after losing some key names in free agency, and the core of the roster has been exceptional for the last few years. The offensive line is the best unit in the NFL, and the defensive line isn’t very far behind. The Eagles have weapons, they have the quarterback, and they have an elite pair of cornerbacks. The list goes on. The fact they walked out of the draft with Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, and Kelee Ringo is devastating for the rest of the league.
There are still question marks about what the Eagles will do at off-ball linebacker. The expectation is that Nakobe Dean – another former Bulldog – will start as the Mike linebacker this season, but how he’ll translate to a full-time role is interesting. However, we’re picking safety. The Eagles lost C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps to free agency, leaving Reed Blankenship pegged to take the job at free safety while Roseman brought in Terrell Edmunds to play strong safety.
The Eagles did draft Syndey Brown in the third round, and he could play a decent role in his rookie season. Considering how great the Eagles’ roster is, this isn’t a huge need, but safety makes the most sense.
Washington Commanders: Offensive tackle
The Commanders badly need some direction at quarterback, and the hope is Sam Howell or Jacoby Brissett can provide it this season. Admittedly, this writer would prefer to see the Commanders roll with Brissett in 2023 – he proved that he can step up to the plate in 2022 and was excellent with the Browns. He deserves the opportunity to lead another team.
This article is based on non-quarterback needs, though, and while the Commanders could probably be in contention to draft a quarterback next year – meaning it definitely still remains a need – we’re going in another direction.
A position that’s still closely linked to the quarterback: offensive tackle. The Commanders signed Andrew Wylie in the offseason to play right tackle, and Charles Leno is still a replacement-level left tackle, but they could do with an upgrade. They drafted Braeden Daniels in the fourth round, and he could contribute down the line but isn’t a likely starter moving into the future.
Wylie signed a three-year deal with the Commanders, while Leno is a free agent after 2024. Both are serviceable starters but Leno feels replaceable at 32 years old.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.