OPINION - The Dallas Cowboys have a lot of work to do in the offseason as they continue their quest to once again become Super Bowl champions.

As Americas team continues its quest to win it all, the Cowboys have made the playoffs four times in the past 11 years since 2011.

But this last playoff loss hurts and cuts deep, as number three seed Dallas lost to a ferocious San Francisco team at Jerry’s world 17-23.

The 49ers seem to get stronger and stronger as the game went on running it all over the Cowboys defense which came in as the number seven defense in the league and led all teams in turnovers caused.

The Cowboys must address the offensive line, a weakened linebacker core, wide receiver depth, and staying disciplined creating fewer penalties in the offseason.

If anyone has paid attention, throughout the year the Cowboys dominated, scoring and scoring often, leading the NFL, averaging 24.7 points a game.

And just as quickly as the Cowboys excited you with dazzling play calling, they often frustrated you and made you scratch your head and saying to yourself “this team leads the league in scoring? Really?”

The Offensive line

The Cowboys O-line is far from its once dominant self with Tyron Smith, La’el Collins, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin striking fear into defenses across the league. With Smith facing consistent injuries, Fredrick retired, and Collins not living up to the hype and his contract, Dallas must face the facts, its offensive line now is mediocre at best.

One of the first issues the Cowboys must address is the inevitable replacement of left tackle and future hall of famer Tyron Smith.

Smith drafted number one by the Cowboys in 2011 has been one of the most dominant offensive tackles in the league, but has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, with his most recent being an ankle injury that sidelined him for five games.

Collins has not played to his contract and has had off the field issues, allegedly bribing league drug testing officials, Connor Williams struggling with penalties as the most penalized player in the NFL and Terrance Steele who seems to be a solid starter could possibly help Dallas next season if he stays consistent.

Linebackers

The Cowboys need to address the linebacker position and who can replace Jaylon Smith. Smith was released from the team four games into the season due to breakdown in trade talks, Smith not wanting to give up the injury clause in his contract, Smiths production slowed and ultimately halting progression of other players who would surpass him.

 Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn believes with the return of linebacker Keanu Neal, he can step up and become a force to be reckon with in his continued development and sees progress with linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and rookie phenom Micah Parsons continuing his dominance mimicking defensive greats such as Michael Strahan and Lawrence Taylor. Releasing smith will cost Dallas $7 million against the cap

Receivers – Rumors are swirling that Amari Cooper could be released any day now and would save the Cowboys a potential $22 million cap hit in 2022. Cooper tied 38th in receptions in the league finishing with 68 receptions for 865 yards for 34th place and eight touchdowns tying for 16th place.

Without Cooper the Cowboys still have receiver Michael Gallup who suffered a torn ACL catching a touchdown against Arizona, Noah Brown, Cedrick Wilson who made some key plays this year and rookie star CeeDee Lamb who’s on track to have an even better season next year. The Cowboys will look to strengthen the wideout position if and when they loose Cooper.

Conclusion – In order for the Cowboys to get back to having success in the post season, Dallas must draft to keep Prescott protected and to give Ezekiel Elliott a whole to run through. While the Cowboys led the league in total offensive yards, Elliot narrowly gained a thousand yards this past season. Everything starts with the offensive and defensive line and the Cowboys will need to address the offensive line situation in order to progress to a higher level of play. The Cowboys should focus on drafting an all around tackle that can potentially be the next Tyron Smith or even like the great Larry Allen. The 2022 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings can be found here 2022 NFL Draft Prospect - Position Rankings - CBSSports.com