Two predictions see the Dallas Cowboys taking wildly different paths to address a void in the secondary.
With the Dallas Cowboys now solidifying the captain of their defensive mission moving forward in new coordinator Christian Parker, it's soon time to begin fostering an idea of where the team might address its disastrous defense first.
The interior defensive line figures to be covered. A trio of Pro Bowl-caliber tackles in Osa Odighizuwa, Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark fill a room that doesn't need remodeling ... but many of the rest of them do.
At linebacker, the Cowboys whiffed on multiple trade or signings this past offseason (we're not sold on Logan Wilson, yet, either). There's certainly ideas floating around here, but Dallas might benefit most immediately from getting DeMarvion Overshown to play close to a full season.
The secondary is expected to be the area that sees the most attention. DaRon Bland is locked in long-term, but Trevon Diggs is off the books (and searching for a new home) and there is a ton of uncertainty with young players yet to prove themselves at cornerback.
In the deep secondary, Malik Hooker is entering the final year of his deal and Donovan Wilson will become a free agent when the new league year opens on March 11. Both are already over 30 years old and may not be preferred in Parker's scheme.
How do the Cowboys address this?
Early gossip, as you might expect, has owner Jerry Jones making a splash, either in the trade market or NFL Draft.
First, Bleacher Report pins polarizing defensive back Jalen Ramsey, currently of the Pittsburgh Steelers, as a top trade target for Dallas this offseason.
"The Steelers moved Ramsey to safety this season," Alex Ballentine says. "If he wants to try and move back to corner, the Cowboys have a need at both positions. Either way, Ramsey will be able to help out the secondary even if he's starting to slow down."
That point might be fair, but in the same argument, any player could end up producing more than the Cowboys' secondary did last year under one-and-done coordinator Matt Eberflus, especially with a ex passing-game coordinator like Parker coming in.
It's also not hard to remember Ramsey's public distain for Jones and the Cowboys organization since his infamous draft-day scandal involving Ezekiel Elliott.
Back in 2016, Dallas had given Ramsey its word that he'd be the team's first-round selection, but days later Jones went with the running back Elliott, who would ultimately lead the league in rushing twice before the end of his rookie contract.
CowboysWire unearthed the time two years into his career when Ramsey said he "will never play for them," unless, of course, "the Joneses leave."
The latter won't be happening, so it's easy to forget about Ramsey as an option.
A more viable choice relates to this year's draft and the player many argue is the best overall player available in Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
The Cowboys have two first-round selections in April, and while the No. 12 slot can very well land a blue-chip prospect, there remains a possibility Dallas falls in love with a player like Downs and moves up to get him.
As tantalizing as the vision of a rebuilt secondary featuring a budding young star like Downs looks, it's likelihood remains low given how the Cowboys typically conduct themselves at this spot in the draft, and at that position.
A stick-and-pick method more often is the play here, with Dallas picking any of their top grades available after combine scouting. After all, there's a wide variety of needs on the roster to draft for.
In the end, the secondary will get addressed one way or another, but we'll likely have to wait until we learn more about Parker's intentions and the Cowboys do their homework on which way to go.