FRISCO — The Dallas Cowboys had a moderately successful free agency period. While they did not overexert themselves in the spring they still managed position their roster to draft talent over fit in April.
They did just that when the draft rolled around though veering from what many expected to be a wide receiver pick in the first round. Instead, they started with an offensive lineman pick, getting Tyler Booker at No. 12 overall.
But this was not the typical Cowboys’ seeking out a lineman that fans have gotten accustomed to in recent years. This pick was done specifically to complement the talent, more specifically the star power on the roster.
“We got them all running mates,” Stephen Jones said via the team’s website. “Tyler Smith was out there and I said ‘We added Booker for you,’ Micah Parsons was there and I said ‘We brought Dono[van Ezeiruaku] for him,’ everybody’s got some running mates to go with them that they didn’t have last year. It’s exciting to see all these guys come together.”
One could argue that same mindset applied outside the draft when they traded for George Pickens, a natural fit alongside CeeDee Lamb at receiver.
Nonetheless, the Cowboys have made their roster-building strategy perfectly clear, exhibiting an understanding of a key concept that was not present a year ago.
It is one thing to have the stars. But to build a championship contender, the ancillary pieces, or in this case the “running-mates,” must provide a lift as well.
Booker is an immediate plug-and-play starter that matches Tyler Smith’s ability on the other side of the Cowboys’ offensive interior. Ezeiruaku brings his own adept pass rushing instincts to give Parsons some relief of the edge.
The draft picks going further down the line may not have as direct of a comparison, but this pattern of decisions lately evidences that focus on the Cowboys’ part.
The next step will be getting these new “running-mates” to mesh with their counterpart and the remainder of the team at-large. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer and his staff undertake that responsibility over the next few months.
Based on the crop of talent coming in though, they will have a head start.
