All three Ohio State defensive stars visit Dallas. Jerry Jones signals a major defensive overhaul, hinting at strategic player acquisitions and scheme changes.
Make no mistake about it, the Dallas Cowboys have bucked the trend when it comes to spending in free agency.
No, there hasn't been any busting of the budget, although not for a lack of trying, but Dallas has been proactive.
Still, there is a sense of missed opportunity as the Cowboys struck out on Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, and Maxx Crosby.
But again, the intent was there. Dallas just couldn't get it over the line.
However, have the Cowboys done enough to give new coordinator Christian Parker enough weapons to fully build the defense he wants? That is a conversation starter.
And if you thought the Cowboys were done looking to improve the roster ahead of the draft, well, owner Jerry Jones thinks otherwise.
"We've been aggressive, relatively speaking, we've stepped up the financial requirements for what we have done," Jerry said. "We may have exceeded, busted, whatever you want to call it, but we got some more, we're not through."
But for those who are scoffing at what Dallas has done, you have to take a deeper look into what has transpired over the last month or so.
The latest news there? Look at Dallas' 30 Visit list, which now includes all three Ohio State defensive superstars, Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles.
All three are top-10 projected players. ... and the Cowboys first pick is at No. 12.
That speaks to "emphasis.''
Indeed, we can trace this back a few months, starting with the coaching search.
It was a concerted effort to interview as many candidates as possible, and when the team landed on Parker, they went about securing the right players for him.
Not big names, but players that serve a specific purpose for Parker.
And for Jerry, he's made quite the statement about how the defense as a whole has been addressed this offseason.
"I think we've made a tangible restructuring of our defense and we not only have done it with the direct coaching, we're going to have done it with the players, and we're going to have done it with the schemes," Jerry added.
"I don't look at what we need to be addressing and getting better at as just a last year issue. It's one that some of the things have been lingering around in our defense for several years.
"Every defense has its holes, but some of the areas that have really been accentuated over the last year, we've addressed some of them strong. Those are real departures from where we've been over the last 15, 20 years."
For me, this is telling.
The Cowboys aren't just looking to address the deficiencies in the defense last year, but over the past handful of years.
That includes players and coaches. That's a big shift in how Dallas usually conducts itself.
Now, will that translate into on-field success? Who knows.
But what we do know is that Dallas has seen where it has gone wrong and has made an effort to ensure the lingering issues that have plagued the defense over the years are fixed.
Time will tell if the franchise has done that. ... with the 30 Visits offering some clues.