NFL Mailbag: Are Cowboys Close to Contention? Will Shedeur Sanders Be Browns' QB1?

Spring is a time filled with hope for most NFL fans. Their teams are spending money on new players that will surely help them win. Some are bringing in better coaches. And the draft is right around the corner and will surely bring even more good news.

At least that’s how it seems. But I’m here to splash cold water on your face, and to remind you that no Super Bowls are ever won in March. So you want to know how your team has really done this offseason? I have the answers you are seeking in my latest mailbag.

Jerry Jones said things are going great, so that’s good enough for me!

Actually, the problem with rating how the Cowboys did in free agency is that every year Jones sets the level of expectations high. Two years ago, he promised to be "all-in" and then wasn’t. This year he promised to "spend more money" than he has in the past, and then he really didn’t do that, either.

I think the trade for edge rusher Rashan Gary was OK, and safety Jalen Thompson was a nice signing, but was that enough to fix one of the worst defenses in the league and adequately replace Micah Parsons? Not even close. That was their clear offseason objective and it was a failure. So my rating for them wouldn’t be very high.

And in case my point wasn’t strong enough, the defense is still not good, so they should use their draft picks to fix that. I’d recommend an edge rusher and a cornerback with their first two picks.

The Cowboys improved their pass rush by adding Rashan Gary, but they still clearly miss Micah Parsons. Defense will have to be a priority for them early in the draft if they're going to be a playoff team in 2026. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough answering the question above. Their defense