3 Cowboys lessons from Mike McCarthy's comments at NFL owner meetings

Last week, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy talked to reporters for over 40 minutes at the annual NFL meetings in Orlando, Florida, and discussed many topics pertaining to the team. 

Among those, McCarthy discussed the team's top needs, the NFL Draft, and much more. But as usual, sometimes coaches say a lot without really saying much of value.

However, after navigating through his answers, I've found three tangible lessons we can take away from the Cowboys head coach's comments. Let's dive in. 

1. Preliminary plans for offensive line

When discussing the offensive line, McCarthy revealed the working plan is for Tyler Smith to remain at guard, which could change depending on how the rest of the offseason works out for the Cowboys. Renowned OL coach Duke Manyweather recently sent Dallas a warning claiming they shouldn't even entertain moving Smith to tackle.

Additionally, though, McCarthy seemed to name the front runner to replace Tyler Biadasz at center.

"(Brock Hoffman) has been here, and no one was as close to Tyler Biadasz as he was," McCarthy told reporters. "I think that's a natural step for him to step in there and we'll continue to grow. But we definitely do want to continue to add talent and depth to that room."

McCarthy also admitted T.J. Bass was a legit candidate to play center but him calling Brock the "natural" guy to step in seems noteworthy. Whatever the plan ends up being, what seems clear is that the Cowboys view offensive line as a priority this offseason. 

2. Mike Zimmer's biggest strength will be flexibility 

One of the biggest challenges for the Cowboys in 2024 will be adapting to a new defensive coordinator in Mike Zimmer. It seems like one keyword has emerged as the theme for Zimmer's defense: Flexibility.

"We've got to play the run first and be more situational conscious with that, it can't be all about sacks," McCarthy said in what many had interpreted as a jab to Quinn.

"You've got to have flexibility," he concluded. "The most important thing about this system is to have the flexibility to accommodate all the players that you bring into your building. I think you've got to watch on how stringent and structured you are."

Zimmer's style of defense will be much more maleable than Quinn's as he's more willing to change up the coverages and play more two-high, middle of the field open looks like Cover 2 and quarters coverage. 

3. Running back by committee 

As the Cowboys navigate the Tony Pollard loss at running back, it's clear they still need help at the position, which McCarthy admitted during the interview while saying the team isn't done building the room.

After re-signing Rico Dowdle, reports have already emerged on the team's interest on Ezekiel Elliott and other veterans. There's also a growing feeling the team is hoping to draft a running back in Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

Whatever route they end up taking, don't expect a true RB1 to emerge on the rotation but rather a running back by committee.

"I think we all recognize that, fair or not fair, (the reality) is a running back committee is probably the safest and smartest way to go," McCarthy revealed. "But when you have that guy that demands 20-25 touches a game, then you're in a fortunate position. But the reality is, there's a lot of wear and tear on what those guys have to do to go through a season."