- To retain the NFC East title, the Cowboys will have to replenish their defensive personnel considerably.
- Combined, they lost close to 4,000 defensive snaps, almost as many as the three other teams in their division combined.
- The team lost three quarters of their starting secondary, including CB Morris Claiborne (406 snaps), CB Brandon Carr (1,013) and S Barry Church (674). Role player J.J. Wilcox (552) also left in free agency.
- At least the 2017 class is deep in the secondary; 22 of the first 64 picks were used on players in the defensive backfield in PFF's seven-round analyst mock.
- Other departed Dallas defenders include Jack Crawford (525) and Terrell McClain (468).