The NFC East was an interesting division in 2013. Washington was the favorite after winning it last year, but they couldn't gain any traction all year long. The Giants got behind the eight ball quickly, though a late-season push allowed them to still finish 7-9.
Perhaps the biggest story within the division was the Philadelphia Eagles and Chip Kelly's offense. While the team also started slow, they finished the year winning four of their last five games.
But they weren't alone in the NFC East title hunt. Despite some losses towards the end of the season, the Cowboys had positioned themselves to win the division as well.
It came down to a Week 17 clash between the Eagles and Cowboys for all the marbles. The Cowboys were in a familiar situation - it was the third year in a row they had a chance to win the division in Week 17. However, the Eagles held on to win a close game (against a Kyle Orton-led team, mind you) and took home the division crown.
Before we close the book on the 2013 season though, let's remember the good and the bad of the Cowboys' season and discuss what they should do during the offseason.
The Good
Though the Cowboys finished 8-8 on the season, one win shy of qualifying for the postseason, their quarterback wasn't to blame. Here’s a quick snapshot at how the offense performed according to our dispelled that myth back in December.
Romo has been reliable, leading the offense to the 15th-best one in the league when adjusting for strength of schedule this year. Overall, that makes for a middle of the road offensive unit, but it's not as bad as some in the mainstream media would have you believe.
Tony Romo is not as replaceable you might think either, contributing 70.70 Pass NEP to the Cowboys this year, eighth-best in the league. He’s wasn’t Peyton Manning, but he wasn’t Over the Cap's Salary Calculator, the team has many options for salary cap relief. Guys such as Jermey Parnell and Phil Costa are seldom used backups and could be the first to go. Receiver Miles Austin is likely a June 1st cut candidate. He has done little in the past few years and there are other emerging receivers that could take place. Kyle Orton could be gone as well, though not much would be saved with their cuts. Just between jettisoning Parnell, Costa, and Austin, the Cowboys could save over $8 million.
Staying on the offensive side of the ball, the Cowboys should look at Jason Witten's contract as well. He could be the first of the restructuring candidates. As an 11-year veteran, he still is a key piece of the offense, but he should be willing to take a pay cut to help the team build for a run as well as the future, especially with a young Gavin Escobar on the depth chart.
In order to get younger on defense, the Cowboys will have to continue to get creative with their cap. While they don’t want to start from scratch on defense, they can’t afford to pay a couple free agents very much. In order to have some wiggle room though, they can try to convince some of their veterans to restructure their contract in order to build while competing for the playoffs.
I mentioned DeMarcus Ware earlier - he's in danger of being cut if he doesn't restructure. There are three others that could restructure their contract: cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Orlando Scandrick and linebacker Sean Lee. Carr and Scandrick were a part of one of the worst secondaries in the league, but were also among the team leaders in tackles. If they both restructure, they’ll be around to mentor Morris Claiborne for the next couple of years.
Carr and Lee could both be cut outright as well to save a little more money. If Witten and these four defensive players are convinced to restructure their contracts, the Cowboys would have $8.5 million in their favor to re-sign a couple veterans as well as have room to sign their draft picks.
It might be unlikely to get that many players to restructure their contract, but if Jerry Jones wants another shot at a title, he's going to have to do some sweet talking. If not, next year will probably be just another mediocre season.