Building a competitive roster is a year-round process. The most common ways to find productive players that can elevate a playoff contender into a championship contender are often through trade, free agency, or the early rounds of the draft.
Dallas made a move to acquire Amari Cooper through a trade during the 2018 season, and that move helped propel the Cowboys to NFC East champions and a playoff berth. The Cowboys have not been known to make too many splashes through free agency in recent history, but the team went out and added important pieces in Gerald McCoy, Dontari Poe, and Ha Ha Clinton Dix this offseason to help improve the defense.