3 moves Dallas Cowboys should make before 2023 NFL season to break Super Bowl drought

The Dallas Cowboys never tire of reminding fans of other NFL teams that they are the most valuable franchise in the league. Their opponents, of course, never miss the opportunity to remind them that they have not been close to the Super Bowl in this millennium.

It is an astonishing drought for a team that calls itself "America's Team." The situation has been grim for nearly three decades now. Cowboys fans would have scarce believed that they would have gone so long without lifting the Lombardi trophy.

The 1990s were a golden era for the team. They won three championships in four seasons between 1992 and 1995. Since that last victory, they have failed to even make it back to the NFC Championship game, never mind the Super Bowl.

In the last two seasons, they have looked like a team that can finally correct that record. In 2021, they were bundled out by the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card Round. In 2022, they fell to the same team but in the Divisional Round.

While that represents a modest improvement, it can in no way disguise the continued frustrations of the fanbase that sees their team unable to revive the glory years. So, if indeed the Super Bowl is the ultimate aim for them this season, the Dallas Cowboys must ensure to take some steps.

There are three components to every team: the offense, the defense and the special teams. Franchises that win the Super Bowl often get the balance right among the three. That has to be the aim for them this season.

They have taken some bold decisions on the coaching side by firing Kellen Moore, who made them a good offense for the past few seasons, and giving the play-calling to Mike McCarthy. Now, there is no place to hide and they must take concrete actions to ensure there are no near-misses again this term.

Here are three moves the Cowboys should make ahead of the 2023 season:

#1 - Dallas Cowboys moves on offense

The first area to focus on is the offense. The better the offense, the better a team's chances of winning. Last season, the Dallas Cowboys were dogged by interceptions from their starting quarterback, Dak Prescott. To that end, it has been reported that they want to run the ball more this season.

If that is indeed the case, the first move the franchise must make is to ensure that Tony Pollard is fully committed to the cause. Having him on the franchise tag and failing to agree on a long-term deal with him is hardly ideal. There is nothing the front office can do until next season in terms of offering him an extension.

But the coaching staff and team captains must make sure that Tony Pollard is reminded every time that he is a valued member and that they will do everything to retain him if he performs well this season. Having gotten rid of Ezekiel Elliott, the run game is dependent heavily on him.

The other thing they must do is to ensure that such perilous contract situations are not reached in the future. Losing Dalton Schultz was hardly ideal and the Dallas Cowboys need to get working on long-term contracts.

It might mean offering a new long-term contract to Dak Prescott to restructure current terms to free up cap space for giving contracts to other players.

Talking about Schultz, they must also decide pretty early who among Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot and Luke Schoonmaker is going to be the premier tight end.

They need to get the decision right and ensure that the chosen person develops a telepathic understanding with the quarterback. Otherwise, interceptions might remain a problem this season too.

#2 - Dallas Cowboys moves on defense

The Dallas Cowboys have a good defensive unit. It has Micah Parsons playing pass-rush, Trevon Diggs excelling at cornerback and now Stephon Gilmore joining him.

The only area of weakness for them is arguably the linebacker position. With Parsons becoming a full-time defensive end, they need somebody to strengthen that position. That could be fulfilled with a smart trade.

Devin White, for example, wants out of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Even though he has reported back to camp, there is an opportunity there to get a player of the right age and profile to make the defense stronger.

The Bucs are in a rebuilding phase now and should be amenable to a deal. The Dallas Cowboys should sniff out such opportunities to strengthen their defense.

#3 - Dallas Cowboys moves on special teams

Anyone remember Brett Maher and his struggles last season in the playoffs? Special teams can often hinder teams from progressing. Last season, in the divisional round to the San Francisco 49ers, there were times when it looked the offense had to force the issue because they were unsure about their kicker.

The Dallas Cowboys have not had a long-term kicker since Dan Bailey bailed in 2017. They must decide who their next franchise kicker would be so that they can eliminate the annual carousel of finding a kicker.

Tristan Vizcaino and Brandon Aubrey are both the right fits in the mold and the coaching staff must get the decision right before the season starts.