Mailbag: Key Battles Up Front vs. Washington?

Yes! Legit excitement, and for good reason, heading into the new season. Wouldn't you say this might be the best offseason in recent memory? Given the George Pickens trade, don't you think we now have a roster that will contend in 2025?

I'll start off by saying I love the trade for George Pickens, and I think he'll be a great addition on the field. He doesn't necessarily have a reputation as a great locker-room guy or leader, though, and both of those seem to be big parts of the culture that Coach Schottenheimer is trying to build. Do you see any potential issues with that?

Surprised to see the news on Pickens. I know he's a good player but what will he add to this offense with Dak and CeeDee? 

Tyler Booker was selected four picks higher this year than Zack Martin was in 2014, but is it just me or was Martin actually more heralded coming into the draft? How would you compare the two at this point? 

Where do the Cowboys stand now after the draft? Is this a team ready to compete for the division title? What still needs to be addressed this offseason? 

Why did the Cowboys sign so many guards in free agency, and then use their first-round pick to draft another guard? Was that the best use of the pick?

We heard Jerry Jones talk about drafting Tyler Booker in part because of the defensive tackles the Cowboys will face in the NFC East. But should the Cowboys be building their roster and schemes around defeating their NFC East rivals? What about the Lions? 49ers? Isn't it better to focus on yourself and not worry about any particular team? After all, things change quickly in the NFL.

We heard a lot of talk leading up to the draft that three of the Cowboys' biggest needs were at running back, wide receiver and defensive tackle. Were you surprised that these were addressed so late in the draft, and in the case of receiver, not at all? How big a concern is this going to be?

With the draft now complete, who was your favorite pick and why? 

What realistic outcome for the Cowboys on draft weekend would you be most excited about if it came to fruition? What would be one outcome that you would be most disappointed about if it happened? 

Some seem to think the team should use one of their first three picks on an offensive tackle. But by doing so, wouldn't the Cowboys then be hampering the developmental progress of last year's first-round pick? I can see drafting another offensive tackle on Day 3, but with so many other needs, don't they need to find out what they have in Tyler Guyton before using a top-100 draft pick on another tackle? 

The Cowboys have certainly been more active in free agency than last year, but they still have glaring needs at receiver, cornerback, running back and defensive line. Do you think they can actually draft the best player available in the first three rounds or are they forced into drafting for need?