The Dallas Cowboys are usually expected to be contending for the Super Bowl. Heading into this season, Jerry Jones did not do a good job of ensuring his team was well-equipped to do that. Now, after several losses and a Dak Prescott season-ending injury later, questions about tanking have started to form. But should they?

After all, they are America’s Team and even though they are trolled at and used in jokes, secretly football fans might want them to do well. Tanking means they will throw away this season in the hopes of retooling through the draft. Not an easy task when there are other teams unofficially doing the same.

But Jerry Jones‘ team does not have several glaring holes like those other teams currently at the bottom of the standings. For instance, with Prescott signing an extension, the franchise should get at least another two good seasons out of him.

That leaves Jones to turn his attention to other areas. The team currently needs upgrades at running back, run defense, offensive line as well as receivers. Quite a few requirements for a team with not much cap space to lean on next season. Which brings us to the tanking question, as will the team benefit off it with this season seemingly over.

The Dallas Cowboys are currently sitting with a 3-6 record from their first nine games. Two of those wins came from fellow bottom placed teams. The third one was against a playoff team, but at the time, they were not playing to their best.

That makes those wins seem worthless, considering they were expected to contend for the playoffs. In that last win, Dak Prescott delivered a stunning late game performance to lift them up. But now that the 31-year-old is going to sit at home post-surgery, there is next to no chance of that happening.

That leaves the Cowboys with two backups in Cooper Rush and Trey Lance, with both of them looking questionable. The former is a solid backup but played abysmally against the Philadelphia Eagles. The latter is lacking confidence even if he does show flashes of why he was a third overall pick.

But even if they do play well, the remaining teams on their schedule would want to exploit their situation. Six of those nine teams are fighting for a playoff spot and the remaining three would fight for their pride. So the question arises, is Jerry Jones willing to take the ire of die-hard fans for a better future?

As one has understood so far, without Dak Prescott playing at a heroic level, the team has no chance of winning games against even mid-tier teams. Which means the Cowboys and Prescott need help. To start with, the quarterback position is secure and, along with Trey Lance, gives the team both short and long-term cover.

The wide receiver spot needs attention as CeeDee Lamb alone cannot win them games. The trade deadline move for Jonathan Mingo was actually made for the future. The team needs another stud at wideout and who better than the best pupil of one of their all-time greats.

Yes, Deion Sanders has made it all too clear that he will ensure his son Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter land in perfect situations. This will be good news for Jerry Jones as all he has to do is to dial up his former star and now close friend. But for that to happen, the Cowboys need to be at the top of the draft.

Else there are a number of teams waiting to pounce on the dual-threat superstar. With Travis Hunter lining up along with Lamb and Mingo could make the team a scary proposition for opposition defenses. But that is just one solution to the Cowboys’ problems.

As per the latest mock draft from SB Nation, Boise State star and Heisman frontrunner Ashton Jeanty looks to be a lock for the Cowboys at No. 11. There is no reason to doubt that thought as the lack of a running game has hurt the team in many ways than one.

Watch any one game from Jeanty’s season so far and it cannot be denied that the shifty running back is a problem for defenders. If he can replicate even 70% of that for Jerry Jones, it could help the Dallas Cowboys unlock offensive excellence to a whole new level. As then, defenses will have to be on their toes.

The 5′ 9″ running back’s abilities in the receiving game can give the team another edge. But to land him, the team needs to trade up with another team. For that to happen, they also need to tank. Only those high second and third-round picks, coupled with either a budding star or two first-rounders, can help them complete a deal.

The offensive line is perennial All-Pro Zack Martin and a bunch of young players. If those massive young beings can develop, they could form a good core for the future. With the offense set, Jerry Jones’ focus should shift to the defense.

Once Daron Bland comes back, the secondary should be as good as advertised. So should the pass rush after Micah Parsons dominated on his return game? But his opposite DeMarcus Lawrence is both injured and aging. Considering he will be on the final year of his contract, Jones might as well hold on to him and draft a pass rusher in the middle rounds.

That will give the rookie time to develop and learn under the veteran. But their most glaring need isn’t defending the pass, rather it is the run defense that is abysmal at best. They need someone or a couple of players who can stop the likes of Derrick Henry running wild again.

The Ashton Jeanty pick might be a dream. But even then, they can try trading up for someone like Kentucky’s Deone Walker to shore up their run defense. To sum it all, this points to one common need, the need to tank. Jerry Jones needs those high picks to right the wrongs of this season.