The Dallas Cowboys had a clear primary goal going into the offseason and they reached it.The goal was to overhaul the defense, which started from the top down with the firing of Matt Eberflus and the hiring of Christian Parker.Dallas then went on to make several additions to the defense that made the Cowboys' unit better on paper, which is all fans can ask for before actual regular games allow Dallas' group to show if it is actually better or not.Because of the Cowboys' emphasis on changing the defense, and with the team retaining George Pickens, The Athletic's Mike Jones labeled Dallas as one of the biggest winners of the offseason."Then this offseason, the Cowboys continued to reshape their defense by trading for pass rusher Rashan Gary and adding free-agent defensive backs Cobie Durant, Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke," Jones said. "Then they drafted safety Caleb Downs and edge rusher Malachi Lawrence in the first round and promising linebacker Jaishawn Barham in the third round. That should help improve a defense that surrendered a league-high 30.1 points per game last season and 377 yards (third most) per outing.""Retaining George Pickens on the franchise tag also ensures the Cowboys have a potent pass-catching duo for Dak Prescott to lean on," Jones added.Dallas' overhaul strikes the right balanceDallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker and safety PJ Locke. | Chris Jones-Imagn ImagesDallas didn't just add a bunch of guys to the defense in its overhaul, it added a nice mix of youth and veteran help.Gary, Durant, Thompson, Locke and Dee Winters all offer some immediate help, and Downs, Lawrence and the rest of the draft class build a foundation for the future and could also help the Cowboys right away.Downs is by far the most likely to make an immediate impact. Even if guys like Lawrence, Barham, Devin Moore, LT Overton and Drew Shelton don't contribute early in the season, all provide depth at positions where the Cowboys needed some.We didn't forget about seventh-round pick Anthony Smith, but he'll be fortunate to make the roster.Pickens and the tagDallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens. | Chris Jones-Imagn ImagesWe still believe the Cowboys should've tagged and traded Pickens this offseason, but the keeping him on the tag was the next best thing, as Dallas simply couldn't let him walk in free agency for nothing after giving up a third-round pick..That means tagging Pickens and not signing him to a long-term deal was the best approach, as Dallas simply couldn't let him walk in free agency for nothing after giving up a third-round pick and swapping a fifth-rounder for a sixth-round selection.Now, the Cowboys will hope Pickens can at least approach what he did in 2025 while staying on his best behavior in order to ensure they can trade him in 2027 after they inevitably tag Pickens.At this point, if the Cowboys can get two good years out of him and recoup the third-round pick they spent on Pickens in 2025, that should be considered a win.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow