How much can one move really fix?

In this episode of Just Wondering, Norm Hitzges walks through the cold math of the Cowboys’ offseason and arrives at an uncomfortable conclusion: Dallas likely has enough money to make one meaningful defensive free-agent signing — and that’s it. Even with difficult decisions looming around George Pickens and the franchise tag, the Cowboys’ financial flexibility is minimal, forcing them to be precise instead of hopeful.

Norm lays out five realistic defensive targets who could fit Dallas’ needs and budget, including Jacksonville linebacker Devin Lloyd, Seattle safety Kobe Bryant, edge rusher Boye Mafe, and the high-risk, high-reward possibility of injured linebacker Nakobe Dean. It’s a conversation rooted in value, age, availability, and the reality that the Cowboys can’t afford to miss — not financially and not competitively.

The episode then zooms out to the bigger picture: a 30-year playoff drought that looks worse the deeper you dig. Norm breaks down just how rarely the Cowboys have even reached the quarterfinals — and how consistently they’ve lost once they got there. Add in bad luck on the draft front, with quarterback Dante Moore choosing to stay in college and shrinking the pool of players who might slide to pick No. 12, and the margin for error grows even thinner.

Norm closes with a look at an unusual NFL playoff weekend, where home-field advantage barely matters and parity reigns — a reminder of how far Dallas still is from being part of the real conversation.

It’s not angry. It’s not dramatic. It’s just honest.

Chapters

00:00:00 – Free agency reality: the Cowboys can afford one move

00:01:29 – The George Pickens franchise-tag dilemma

00:02:12 – Why elite free agents are out of Dallas’ price range

00:02:50 – Focusing on defense and realistic targets

00:03:30 – Devin Lloyd: breakout year, real value

00:04:03 – Can Lloyd blitz and cover? Yes

00:04:53 – Kobe Bryant and fixing safety coverage

00:05:44 – Boye Mafe: affordable edge-rush upside

00:06:27 – Nakobe Dean: talent vs. availability

00:07:59 – Nayshaun Wright and why change matters

00:08:41 – Bob’s Steak & Chop House sponsor break

00:09:27 – Full Moon Healing Balm and personal fixes

00:10:04 – Cowboys playoff history nobody likes to revisit

00:10:46 – Seven quarterfinals, seven losses, thirty years

00:11:42 – Draft hopes hinge on players sliding

00:12:25 – Dante Moore stays in school — and that hurts

00:13:06 – Why the Cowboys’ draft board just got tighter

00:13:54 – An unusual NFL quarterfinal weekend

00:14:54 – Betting lines reveal league parity

00:15:59 – Final thoughts and sign-off

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