While the Dallas Cowboys are historically the winningest team in the NFC East, they have had a great deal of trouble remaining consistent over the past 25 years. It’s been since the mid 90s when they built a certified dynasty — winning three Super Bowls (1992,1993,1995) over four seasons — that they have won back-to-back division championships. They won five in a row from 1992-96, and have yet to reemerge as repeat champs since.
A number of arguments can be made to explain the Cowboys‘ rut in the 21st century, but the most prominent is simply that the divisional competition has continued to keep up with Dallas. Often referenced as the worst division in football, the NFC East somehow manages to produce intense matchups on nearly every single rivalry week.
The Cowboys reclaiming the title of America’s Team could be done far more swiftly if they could do just one thing: steal a player from each of their divisional rivals.
Dallas Cowboys: Stealing 1 player from each NFC East rival
From the Philadelphia Eagles: Jason Kelce (center)
One of the biggest projects of the Cowboys’ offseason was reinforcing the offensive line and, more specifically, the interior. Tyron Smith is one of the most handsomely paid left tackles in the league, and 2020 undrafted free agent Terence Steele emerged as an efficient full-time starter at right tackle in 2021.
The interior linemen, however, outside of Zack Martin — whose recent contract extension reset the premium for the guard position — were a point of concern heading into the offseason. Left guard Connor Williams walked in free agency and Tyler Biadasz had three fumbles last year at center.
With Tyler Smith (Tulsa) drafted to take over duties at left guard in 2022, the center position is still up in the air. Right there within the NFC East lies the best in the league over the last half-decade: Jason Kelce.
He has been selected as the first-team All-Pro center in four of the past five years and has been voted into the Pro Bowl in each season as well. While he is reaching the end of his career — playing in his age-35 season in 2022 — stealing him away from the Eagles for the upcoming season would lock the Cowboys into a certain top-five offensive line group.
Additionally, removing Kelce from the Philadelphia offensive line would force a rookie, Cam Jurgens, to step up immediately and fill the shoes of a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Fame player. That is just the kind of pressure that would tilt things even further in the Cowboys’ favor.