NFC foe throws painful wrench into Cowboys' free agency plans with defensive signing

The Dallas Cowboys wanted Johnathan Hankins back and the veteran nose tackle wanted to stick around.

But the franchise wasn't up for the bidding war with the Seattle Seahawks, leading to Hankins leaving the Cowboys after spending 2023 and part of 2022 with the franchise. 

The news, reported by Mike Garafolo from NFL Network, is an unexpected development due to Hankins' projected low cost as well as the Cowboys' painfully evident need for defensive line depth. 

It's a truly tough pill to swallow since Hankins' deal is likely going to be a very manageable one for Seattle, although the official numbers have yet to come out. Yet, the Cowboys were unwilling to make a bigger effort for the guy who was their best option at nose tackle and instead will seemingly bet on Mazi Smith's development, who struggled as a rookie and will need to regain weight to live up to the task after the team asked him to lose weight in 2023.

While losing Tyron Smith to the New York Jets was a painful development and something I disagree with how they handled it, at least the front office had the argument of Smith signing a relatively expensive deal worth up to $20 million with incentives.

But not signing Hankins feels like a kick in the groin. If they're not taking care of such an "easy" transaction at a position of significant need, what exactly is their plan? It's no secret the Cowboys are no big spenders in March but in a year Jerry Jones claimed they were going all in and "not build it for the future," they've lost multiple starters already. 

And heck, I'm not betting on a Stephon Gilmore return at this point. Not even a single dollar.

At the end of the season, the Cowboys claimed their priority was to improve the run game, offensive and defensively. Yet they've taken multiple hits on the offensive line, they've lost their No. 3 and No. 4 edge rushers, their linebacker retired and now, they didn't pay a veteran nose tackle that isn't even breaking the bank for his new team. 

Call it a rebuild, if you like. But even then, the plan doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.