5 points: Things the Cowboys can learn from the Eagles

The Cowboys could learn a few things from their division rivals.

Rest assured, this article won’t be solely a love letter about the Philadelphia Eagles, but there’s no denying they are playing better than the Dallas Cowboys right now.

The Eagles have a 6-2 record and are currently second in their division, where many hoped the Cowboys would be sitting at this point in the season. Unfortunately for Dallas, injuries have plagued their roster, leaving them with a 3-5 record as they prepare to face their division rivals from Philadelphia under less-than-ideal circumstances.

Head-to-head matchups are always intriguing because they provide valuable insights into each team’s strengths and weaknesses. For instance, when the New York Giants‘ defensive line dominated the Dallas Cowboys in 2011 and 2012, the Cowboys responded by overhauling their offensive line, drafting players like Travis Frederick and Zack Martin to form a stronger unit. These matchups can prompt teams to make reactionary decisions during the offseason.

When Philadelphia approached the 2024 offseason, they faced questions all across their roster. Despite this, they have managed to compile a winning record through the first nine weeks and are setting their sights on another playoff run. How did they do that? Here are five lessons the Cowboys can learn from how the 2024 Eagles were constructed.

First Point: It’s okay to invest something in the running back position

One of the marque moves of the offseason was when the Eagles managed to land running back Saquon Barkley. They signed one of the league’s best backs and took him away from a division rival, which probably felt like icing on the cake to that point.

Since joining the Eagles, Barkley has looked like his old self, rushing for 925 yards (second in the NFL) and six rushing touchdowns. Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman recognized the value of adding a back like Barkley and decided the financial investment was worth the risk in a devalued position.

Now, should the Cowboys make a similar financial investment into the running back position next year like the Eagles? Probably not. But to take the complete opposite approach this offseason and decide to spend very little at the position seems like malpractice roster construction.

Rico Dowdle looks like a decent NFL back, but he’s on an expiring contract and could sign somewhere else this offseason. Behind him sits an aging Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook mixed in with Deuce Vaughn and Hunter Luepke. It’s not a running back room that inspires much confidence.

Dallas has struggled to run the football this season, something Mike McCarthy wants to have as a major part of his offense. Part of that is on the inexperienced play at the offensive line, but having a talented running back helps a great deal, as you can see from Barkley’s success in Philadelphia.

Dallas should re-sign Dowdle to a two-year contract this offseason and pair him with a highly invested draft pick at running back to give them a potent one-two punch heading into 2025.

Second Point: If the coordinators are struggling, cut the ties and pivot

The Eagles started last season going 10-1 and looked to be heading back to the Super Bowl in back-to-back years. Then the wheels came off, and the defense looked like Swiss cheese, leading to many losses and a change at coordinator mid-season.

Then, defensive coordinator Sean Desai was a disciple of the Vic Fangio tree, whom the Eagles tried to hire to start that season. Having some branch connected to that system appealed to the team. However, when it quickly unraveled, the team pivoted in 2024 and switched to hiring Fangio directly as their current DC.

Even on offense, the Eagles did not wait for their young offensive and defensive coordinators to develop during their Super Bowl window. The front office hired Fangio and Kellen Moore to help stabilize a sinking ship. To their credit, things have looked better than last year.

After losing Dan Quinn to the Washington Commanders, Jerry Jones felt the right move would be to hire Mike Zimmer as their defensive coordinator to stay competitive. So far, that experiment has not worked, and Dallas is one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Whether Mike McCarthy stays or goes at the end of the season, the team should sit down and examine if Zimmer is the best coordinator for the job.

His ties with the Jones family and prior history could keep him around if they decide to hire a first-time head coach in 2025, but things have looked bad enough to think Zimmer’s return could be a one-and-done. Sometimes, tough decisions have to be made despite prior relationships. Philadelphia showed the ability to pivot. Dallas should adopt a similar approach.

Third Point: The Eagles pairing two top wide receivers together solves a lot of problems

When the Cowboys had CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper leading their passing attack, things were going well on offense. 2021 was a big year for Prescott, as he had two reliable No. 1 weapons on the outside that solved many issues in coverage.

Lamb was elevated to the top wideout when Cooper was traded to Cleveland. While he’s continued to ascend into an elite receiver, Lamb should not be asked to shoulder all the weight himself, especially without a solid running game.

The Cowboys traded for Brandin Cooks in 2023 to complement Lamb as a talented No. 2. However, Cooks was not involved in the offense until the end of the season. He has been out of the lineup for weeks and is still trying to work his way back from his knee injury.

Seeing how A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith help elevate the play of Jalen Hurts and give him the answers when he’s put in a challenging situation is something Dallas should focus on this offseason. Drafting another wideout in the first round could be a reach, but there’s no reason why the Cowboys cannot draft one in the second round how high they could be picking if the season does not improve.

A wide receiver core of Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, and Jonathan Mingo doesn’t inspire much confidence for 2025. A core of Lamb, a top-50 pick, Tolbert, and Mingo sounds way more appealing.

Fourth Point: Find the third-best offensive line coach in the NFL and go after them

The Eagles have the best offensive line coach in Jeff Stoutland, so there is no way he would leave his position in Philadelphia to come to Dallas. The second-best o-line coach is in Tennessee with the Titans in Bill Callahan. His son is the head coach, so unless he wants to make the holidays awkward, Callahan should stay in Tennessee in 2025.

So, who is the third-best offensive line coach in the league? That’s up to the Cowboys front office to figure out. Dallas’ young offensive line has flashed in limited moments but overall has not looked like the same dominant unit fans have gotten accustomed to.

Mike Solari has coached offensive linemen since the Tom Landry days (1987), but it may be time for Dallas to change. Stoutland has helped crank out Pro Bowler after Pro Bowler along the o-line for the Eagles. Jason Peters, Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce, Landon Dickerson, Brandon Brooks, and Evan Mathis made the Pro Bowl during Stoutland’s time with Philadelphia. That’s an impressive résumé. Not to mention, everyone wrote off Mekhi Becton, and since Week 7, he is the second-best graded (90.9) offensive lineman in the NFL.

Stoutland seems to have magic with every lineman he coaches. The Cowboys could use his magic touch with Tyler Guyton, Cooper Beebe, and Terence Steele. Developing quality depth behind the five starting linemen has also been a struggle in Dallas recently. Matt Waletzko and Josh Ball are misses, and the jury is still out on Asim Richards and T.J. Bass, with arrows still pointing up.

Getting the right coach in that room could turn things around for Dallas in 2025 and help a position group that has typically been the backbone of the Cowboys roster.

Fifth Point: If the NFL draft is Dallas’ strength, Jerry Jones needs to show a similar aggression to Howie Roseman

Jerry Jones doesn’t have to make a Morris Claiborne-level trade-up in the NFL draft, but if a good player falls past where they should be selected, why not go “all in” on what works best for this franchise and draft the best players?

The last time the Cowboys traded up in the draft was for Eric Scott Jr, who is no longer on the team. Moves like that don’t move the needle like a trade-up in the second or third rounds. When Dallas traded up to select DeMarcus Lawrence in the second round of the 2014 draft, he became a franchise leader for almost a decade. Those are the risks worth taking.

In the 2024 draft, the Eagles traded ten spots in the second round for cornerback Cooper DeJean. They had to give up a second-, third-, and fifth-round pick for DeJean, but a player of his caliber should have gone in the top 35 picks.

DeJean did not start for the Eagles immediately but was named the team’s nickel corner in Week 6. Since his first start, DeJean has had an 85.7 coverage grade via Pro Football Focus, seventh best among all cornerbacks over that stretch. Pair him with fellow rookie corner Quinyon Mitchell, and Philadelphia remade their secondary overnight despite having quality veterans on the roster.

The Cowboys are optimistic that pairing Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe on the offensive line will yield positive results. However, in the upcoming draft, Jerry Jones should consider moving up to select a great player rather than simply picking the best one available. There is a difference between the two approaches.