The Dallas Cowboys finished the 2016 NFL season with the best record in the NFC and were the most improved team in the entire NFL. However, they fell to the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs partially because they couldn't put pressure on Aaron Rodgers and sack him enough in the NFC Divisional Championship.
The idea is that the Dallas Cowboys could take that next step if they improve their pash rush through the NFL Draft, by signing a big-name free agent, or by making a blockbuster trade. The Cowboys just restructured the contracts of Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick and that frees up $17 million and more money is coming when Tony Romo leaves the team.
Here is a look at three blockbuster moves that could send the Cowboys to the Super Bowl.
Dallas Cowboys trade for J.J. Watt
This move seems very unlikely. J.J. Watt is the best defensive player in the NFL and the only player in NFL history to record 20 sacks in two different seasons. He is a multi-time defensive MVP and was almost the NFL MVP two years ago. However, Watt missed all of 2016 and the Houston Texans still made the playoffs with the top defense.
J.J. Watt could make the Texans' defense amazing in 2017 but they have no quarterback that can lead them to the Super Bowl. Tony Romo is a quarterback that would make Houston an immediate Super Bowl contender -- even without J.J. Watt -- and trading the two salaries could help both teams improve in 2017.
Dallas Cowboys sign Jason Pierre-Paul
Jason Pierre-Paul has been a thorn in the side of the Dallas Cowboys for years as the New York Giants best pass rusher. Bringing him to Big D could be a big move to help improve the Cowboys' pass rush while also hurting their division rivals. However, the Giants had Pierre-Paul in 2016 and the Cowboys still finished with one more sack than New York.
It is a nice thought but how much does Jason have left in the tank?
Another option is Nick Perry. He has 23.5 sacks in five seasons but picked up 11 of those in 2016. Once again, signing him would help Dallas and hurt the Green Bay Packers, so it is a nice thought.
Dallas Cowboys wait for the 2017 NFL Draft
In three of four NFL Drafts, the Dallas Cowboys took offensive linemen in the first round, and not all of them were high draft picks.
Now, they have the best offensive line in the NFL. Now, it is time to focus on defense. They drafted a safety two years ago in Byron Jones and then went ahead and took a running back last year in Ezekiel Elliott -- which paid off big time.
The Dallas Cowboys great has them picking low but there are still possibilities out there to help them in the draft. Names like Derek Barnett (Tennessee), Takkarist McKinley (UCLA), Taco Charlton (Michigan), and Charles Harris (Missouri) could fall to Dallas at the end of the first round and maybe into the second round.
Who do you want the Dallas Cowboys to reach for as a pass rusher for 2017? Let us know in the comments below.
