3 Moves Mike McCarthy Must Make Immediately to Change Cowboys Culture

The Dallas Cowboys went for an unusual hire after getting rid of Jason Garrett, bringing in former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy after a loaded roster ended up going 9-7 and missing the playoffs.

There's no getting around the fact that something was rotten around the Cowboys at the tail end of Garrett's reign, so McCarthy has plenty of work to do to get this team back into contention. These three moves won't fix everything, but they'll get Dallas pointed in a stable direction.

3. Refuse to Bring Back Jason Witten

Witten is a Cowboys legend who will be in the Hall of Fame when his time comes, but he more than started to show his age last year. The 37-year-old former announcer looked every bit of it, as drops became more frequent, and big plays less so. Getting rid of holdovers from the Garrett era, especially one as treasured as Witten, will show the team that there's a new sheriff in town.

2. Go After Defense in the Draft

The Cowboys, who had one of the most explosive offenses in the league in Kellen Moore's first year on the job, need to bolster the defense, in particular the back end. Robert Quinn, Maliek Collins, Byron Jones, and Michael Bennett will all be free agents this offseason, and McCarthy needs to get some young, cheap replacements. This is a defensive back-rich draft, so that should be right at the top of the list of priorities for McCarthy and Dallas.

1. Pay Dak Prescott and End the QB Uncertainty

Prescott was second in the league in passing yards, and set a career high in touchdown passes, which set him up for a nice payday. Still, there are some doubters who somehow aren't convinced that Dak possesses the ability to lead a team to the promised land, despite him giving every indication that he is a franchise quarterback. Finally getting Prescott paid is a good way for McCarthy to show everyone that Dak is his guy, and the Cowboys will live and die by him.