Club officials will tell you the Cowboys fall from grace to the bottom of the NFC standings was driven by more than injuries.
Their actions to open free agency say otherwise.
Dallas has signed seven players since the starting gun sounded Wednesday afternoon. Six of them were on the roster to finish last season. Defensive tackle Cedric Thornton is the only outside addition for a team that finished 4-12.
The Cowboys will add another two or three free agents from other teams in the coming days and weeks. But the early emphasis on keeping their own is telling.