Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says hes all-in for 2024. Heres what that could look l

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Editor's note: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters on Tuesday that he expects to go "all-in" for the 2024 season. He added: "I would say that you will see us this coming year not building for the future. That's the best way I know how to say it. That ought to answer a lot of questions."The day before, we wrote about what an all-in Cowboys offseason would look like. Here is a thorough look at how Dallas could do so.The are headed for a cro sroads. It's time for bold decisions.That's the prevailing conversation around the team these days, anyway. Call it a byproduct of ma sive playoff disappointment  not to mention fan frustration at the news that the Cowboys are running it back for the fifth and final year of head coach Mike McCarthy's contract.ADVERTISEMENT  It's a logical place to be. Retaining McCarthy sends a me sage that three straight years of playoff disappointments are acceptable to the decision-makers. But declining to extend the coach's deal implies that things will have to improve in 2024.You're forgiven if you remain unconvinced by that case. The Cowboys have stood firm by their team-building philosophy for a decade.But if ever there was a year to go big, this may be it. McCarthy needs results, and this window of opportunity is closing  if it hasn't closed already. Patience is a virtue, but not when you're heading into Year 29 without a Super Bowl, much le s an NFC Championship Game appearance.None of this is to say they will go all-in, but for the sake of conversation, let's do some research. What might happen if the Cowboys push their chips in for 2024?ChallengesLet's start with the salary cap. The Cowboys are currently projected to be about $20 million above the salary cap for the coming year, but they can Lonzo Ball Jersey  easily improve their immediate books.The Cowboys can shave roughly $25 million off their cap by flipping a few levers on their contracts with , , , and . They can designate a post-June 1 cut, saving $9.5 million in 2024 in the proce s. If they've got the stomach to trust such an unproven player, they can also save $2  Derrick Favors Jersey million by cutting and rolling with as their backup quarterback.That would put them roughly $20 million above the cap in time for the new league year, depending on the final cap figures.Yes, it's worth noting that Dallas could save some cap space by reaching an extension with . However, due to the size of that deal and the fact that fellow superstar Justin Jefferson is also angling for top dollar, I'm not sure Lamb's deal is going to get done by mid-March. The same could be said about ' upcoming mega-extension. So let's put a pin in those for now.But that does bring us to the biggest item on the to-do list.Mike McCarthy on Cowboys: We've established a championship program'      The Dak deal dilemmaAs we have thoroughly discu sed, Dak Prescott will cost the Cowboys $59 million against the cap if they don't take action.What action? All part of the fun of being at this organizational cro sroads. But a $59 million cap hit simply isn't going to work for a team that's trying to improve on 12-5 and a division title.We're about to find out if Cowboys executives are serious about their statements that they want Prescott to be their quarterback for a long time. With a 2-5 playoff record, bumping him back to the top of the quarterback pay scale probably wouldn't go over well with many. But that's the likely cost.With a no-trade clause protecting him from being shipped off and a no-tag clause guaranteeing that he can hit the open market in 2025 if he wants to, Prescott's next deal likely starts  Sindarius Thornwell Jersey at a league-best $56 million per year salary, along with all the fun guarantees and bonuses that go along with that.It'll be a long-term commitment and a hefty price tag, but depending on the exact details of the deal, it would also save the Cowboys tens of millions of dollars against the 2024 cap.That said, if the 48-32 lo s to Green Bay has changed minds within the building, they could still get relief on Prescott's deal. If he's willing to add more void years to his existing contract, the Cowboys could restructure it and save roughly $22 million this year. The problem here is those pesky no-trade and no-tag clauses. They guarantee that if he's restructured, rather than extended, he's free to leave in 2025 while costing the Cowboys $50 million in dead money.Fun times, right?That's a problem for the future, though. Right now, all we need to know is that the Cowboys are bound to reduce Prescott's cap hit by a healthy sum of money.Where does that leave them? Sitting on $40 million of cap space, give or take, with some obvious needs if they're going to improve on last year's team.Cowboys' first-round exit raises questions about Dak Prescott       If we are to believe this year will be different, it's going to require spending more of that money than we've seen in previous years.In this hypothetical world where I'm calling the shots, let's make a list of how the Cowboys should spend it. I'm going to ballpark the financial aspect of this with .Retention:Tyron SmithStephon GilmoreDante Fowler Jr.Rico DowdleJohnathan HankinsI am being oh-so-serious when I say re-signing Tyron Smith should be one of the Cowboys' top priorities. Yes, he is going to come with injury baggage. That's unavoidable. But the guy just showed us he still has All-Pro football left in the tank at age 33, and the Dallas offensive line is better off with him there.It would be wise to draft an offensive tackle for the future early this spring, but that shouldn't make Smith any le s of a priority. If the Cowboys can get him to sign back on for a year or two at $10 million or even $12 million per year, it's a steal.My only concern is that, in his first-ever crack at free agency, Smith might want to sign on with a squad that gives him a better chance to win a Super Bowl. But it also wouldn't surprise me if he wants to finish his NFL career where he started it  for the right price, of course.You can copy and paste the same paragraph for Stephon Gilmore, who played at a high level when healthy. Bringing him back to a group that gets Trevon Diggs back from injury sounds plenty appealing.The rest of the re-signings are bargains. With 16 sacks Eric Bledsoe Jersey  in his last two seasons, I think has priced himself out of Dallas' comfort zone  and kudos to him for doing so. Fowler has carved out a nice role at a much more affordable price, and it may be up to him and Sam Williams to fill Armstrong's shoes behind Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence.I think has also played his last game with Dallas, if he's going to command the PFF estimate of $8 million per year. If he can be brought back at a much lower price, consider me intrigued. In the meantime, I enjoyed the burst and physicality that Rico Dowdle displayed in 2023, and he's a restricted free agent. If the Cowboys can retain him by offering a $2.8 million tender, they should.Hankins has played a vital role at defensive tackle since the Cowboys traded for him in 2022. At this point in his career, he can be retained relatively cheaply to provide depth and insurance at a problem spot.All of that in-house work can be accomplished with plenty of money left over to spend in free agency, so let's toy with that.Additionsloyd Cushenberry IIIGrover StewartLavonte DavidGabe DavisI said we were going "all-in," but I still think Ike Anigbogu Jersey  you should strive for realism. I don't think there's a universe where the Dallas Cowboys are in the market for Chris Jones at $30 million per year, as much fun as it would be to add him.Despite that, there are plenty of big-ticket additions available for a team willing to spend the money. Chief among them is Lloyd Cushenberry, who had a career year in Denver. Cushenberry is credited with just one sack and four QB hits allowed in 2023, and pa s protection is his specialty. My gue s is there will be competition for his services, but I don't think it's a coincidence that Dallas' offensive line has taken a step back since Travis Frederick's retirement. Having a top-of-the-line center to keep Prescott's pocket clean could be invaluable.Acro s the way, Grover Stewart provides what the Cowboys are hoping to see from  except he can do it right now. He's been a run-stuffing and block-eating specialist for years now, and he'd make life much easier on Parsons and Lawrence, not to mention the next signing.The Cowboys desperately need linebackers, and Lavonte David feels like the perfect cro s between talent and cost. There's no doubt he's lost a step since his prime, when he was one of the best linebackers in football. But he just turned in a phenomenal season at the age of 34, and his age should limit his market compared to a younger star like Patrick Queen.The big i sue with David is that he's a franchise legend in Tampa, whe