Dallas Cowboys got the news they dreaded, but probably expected on Thursday with Zack Martin announcing his retirement. Martin was a staple in Dallas, spending all 11 of his NFL seasons with the Cowboys after the team selected him in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Martin was a nine-time Pro Bowler in his 11 seasons and he was a seven-time All-Pro as well. He was undoubtedly one of the best offensive linemen of his era, and arguably the best right guard of his era.
While he was excellent for much of his career, Martin was limited to just 10 games and was not very effective in the 2025 campaign. Now, instead of coming back, the 34-year-old opted to hang up the spikes. Martin is one of several Cowboys who won't be back with the team next season.
3. The Cowboys should pursue an upgrade over Brandin Cooks this offseason
The Cowboys bolstered their receiver room by acquiring Brandin Cooks in an offseason trade with the Houston Texans ahead of the 2023 campaign — or so we thought. Cooks wasn't bad in Dallas, but he very clearly did not live up to expectations.
The Oregon State product had eight receiving touchdowns in his first season in Dallas but totaled 657 yards in 16 games, the third-lowest of any season in his career at the time. The 31-year-old followed that up with a completely lost year in 2024 as he totaled 26 receptions for 259 yards and three touchdowns for Dallas.
Some of the lack of production in his Cowboys tenure had to do with CeeDee Lamb's presence, and part of his struggles from this past season had to do with his knee injury, but still - Cowboys fans expected more. The veteran had seven seasons of 1,000 or more yards in his first nine NFL years. He totaled less than 1,000 receiving yards in two seasons in Dallas.
The Cowboys need more talent around Lamb at the receiver position, and Cooks is clearly not the right fit. It should be an easy decision to let the impending free agent walk.
2. Dalvin Cook should have never been brought to Dallas to begin with
The 2024 Cowboys could not run the ball for much of the season. Dallas ranked 27th overall, averaging just 100.3 rushing yards per contest. That wasn't Dalvin Cook's fault, but he very clearly was never the solution in the backfield for Dallas.
The Cowboys brought him in as depth to their subpar running back room, and let's just say there was a reason he was available when he was signed. Cook was coming off a year to forget with the New York Jets and the Baltimore Ravens, and wound up barely getting used by the Cowboys even with their rushing woes. The 29-year-old appeared in two games and carried the ball eight times all year, rushing for a total of 20 yards.
In the 2025 season, it'd be nice if Jerry Jones took the running back position a bit more seriously, especially after watching what Saquon Barkley did with the Philadelphia Eagles. Doing so would mean not bringing back a 29-year-old who likely will not have a single interested suitor. Even with Jones' reluctance to take the running back position seriously, Cook is almost certainly not going to be back in Dallas.
1. Andrew Booth played his way out of Dallas in record time
The Cowboys acquired Andrew Booth in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings in a deal just before the regular season began, giving the team some extra cornerback depth. It's safe to say that the deal did not age well at all for the Cowboys.
Booth appeared in just seven games for the Cowboys and struggled mightily. Quarterbacks had a 158.3 passer rating when targeting him and two touchdowns. For reference, Booth did not allow a single touchdown in pass coverage in his two seasons with the Vikings.
PFF gave Booth a 35.6 overall grade for his performance which ranked 214th out of 223 cornerbacks. His 28.7 grade in coverage was good for 220th out of 223 cornerbacks. Simply put, when he was on the field, he was one of the worst cornerbacks in the sport, particularly against the pass.
The Cowboys could keep him around as he's under contract through the 2025 season, but why would they? They're better off simply having him play elsewhere and replacing him with virtually anybody else.