One main goal of free agency for NFL clubs is to plug obvious holes, allowing them to enter the draft with flexibility rather than being pigeonholed into a specific position early in the selection process.
Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer believes his club did just that with its offseason additions.
"I think we did a really good job of setting ourselves up to be able to draft natural and draft pure, which is what you want to do," he said Tuesday from the University of Texas pro day, . "You don't want to have to be forced to reach for a player, that's when you make mistakes."
On offense, the Cowboys franchise tagged George Pickens, re-signed Javonte Williams and added some depth to the offensive line. The defense underwent significant, needed changes with the trade for Rashan Gary and the signings of defensive backs Cobie Durant, Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke, among other moves.
The defensive side of the ball remains the focus heading into the draft.
"We've added some really good pieces, we've got some good depth," Schottenheimer said. "There's still a few positions that we need to address, that's all part of the process. Like I say all the time, not my line, I think it's Stephen's or Jerry's, but [player acquisition] is 24/7, 365 and it never stops. We're never stopping to look, we're always open for business."
The key to turning around a woeful defense is not only upgrading the talent but also ensuring the players fit in new defensive coordinator Christian Parker's system. Schottenheimer said he and the new DC share a vision of what that looks like.
"I think he knows exactly what he's looking for," Schottenheimer said of Parker. "I think that's very evident, that has been evident from the time we sat down at the start of the interview process, is he knows exactly what he's looking for at each spot. It's not a cookie-cutter league. You're going to have guys with long arms, short arms, things like that. The vision is very clear, and I love that. The way he sees football, the way I see football is very similar."
Upgrading the defense, one of the worst units in football last season, should remain the goal in Dallas as the Cowboys own two first-round picks (Nos. 12 and 20) in April's draft.
