5 moves Dallas Cowboys should make after hiring Brian Schottenheimer

The Dallas Cowboys made arguably the oddest decision in this year’s hiring cycle by ousting Mike McCarthy and hiring Brian Schottenheimer. Now they need to justify their moves by making roster upgrades.

Under team owner Jerry Jones, the Cowboys always have playoff expectations. That’s not going to change under coach Schottenheimer, but after missing the playoffs last year, the Cowboys have some work to do. Here are five offseason moves the Cowboys should consider next.

Draft defensive lineman Walter Nolen in the second round

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One area Micah Parsons has wanted help in is along the defensive line. Walter Nolen of Ole Miss can be that penetrating defensive tackle the Cowboys have been looking for. Nolen racked up 13 sacks across the past two seasons, climbing to an elite pass-rush win rate of 10.9% per Pro Football Focus. His run-stop rate was even higher at 11.9%. Nolen can help the Cowboys on all three downs.

Sign Mike Hilton

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Barring major contract adjustments and/or restructures, the Cowboys don’t have much cap space to work with. This means they’ll have to stick to second—and third-tier players in NFL free agency. Yet, that doesn’t mean they can’t still find some upgrades. Mike Hilton is an ace at covering the slot, which makes him an ideal fit in Dallas, complementing outside corners Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland.

Sign Haason Reddick

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Haason Reddick is coming off an odd season that saw him limited to just 10 games. The year before, the two-time Pro Bowler had an 11-sack season. Still just 31 next season, Reddick and Parsons could form one of the NFL’s most dynamic duos on defense.

Sign Stefon Diggs

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Adding another pass-catching weapon is a must for the Cowboys this offseason. There may be no better short-term solution than signing Trevon Diggs’ brother, Stefon Diggs. He’s coming off a torn ACL, but Diggs was still on pace for a 1,000-yard season in his first season in Houston. We wouldn’t doubt he returns in 2025 with a big chip on his shoulder and the Cowboys could be the team that benefits from it.

Draft running back Ashton Jeanty

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Rico Dowdle performed well down the stretch, topping 1,000 rushing yards. Yet, the Cowboys need to add an electric playmaker, and Ashton Jeanty is the most attainable option they’ll find. There’s no guarantee the potential superstar running back slips to the 12th overall pick, but if he does, the Cowboys should pounce on the Boise State standout.