The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2024 offseason with the tension and unease that comes with an early playoff exit. Another 12-win regular season ended in bitter disappointment when the Packers stunned them in the opening round.

It sets up a fascinating offseason for the Cowboys. They elected to keep head coach Mike McCarthy after another early playoff exit, but they face a season where the stakes feel even higher than they usually are at The Star.

Last offseason, we saw the Cowboys get aggressive to push this roster to be championship-worthy. They made trades for Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks to fill two of their biggest needs. Then they made a surprising trade for Trey Lance.

It'll be even tougher to pull off aggressive moves this time around. The Cowboys are currently $14.3 million over the cap and their internal free-agent crop includes Tyron Smith, Tony Pollard and Gilmore.

If they decide they want to keep any combination of that trio, it's going to mean they have a limited budget.

However, they could also look to the trade market to replace any of them. Here's a look at three targets they could have in mind if they do so.

OT Cam Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars

The decision on Tyron Smith's future is going to be a complicated one. When healthy, Smith is still an absolute mauler who earned a second-team All-Pro nod this past season.

The problem is he's struggled with so many injuries throughout his career that it's hard to come up with a fair contract for the 33-year-old. Smith played two games in 2020 and four games in 2022. If the pattern of suffering a major injury every other year continues, the Cowboys could be paying top dollar for a veteran tackle who won't be on the field.

Smith has spent all 13 seasons of his NFL career in Dallas, but sometimes the hard decision has to be made. If there's a trade that could bring back a younger, functional starter at left tackle, then it should be considered.

That scenario could play out if the Cowboys find the Jaguars are open to trading Cam Robinson. The 28-year-old was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

The suspension voided some of the guarantees in his contract, so the Jags could save $16.1 million in cap space if they were to trade him. That's a lot of flexibility to consider, especially when Walker Little played well in his absence.

With just one year left on his deal, Robinson would be a prime candidate for an extension if the Cowboys trade for him. That would allow them to push a lot of his salary to future years.

DT Davon Godchaux, New England Patriots

The lasting image of the Cowboys' 2023 season is likely to be a defensive performance that saw the Packers put up 48 points behind a stellar performance from Aaron Jones. Jordan Love and Romeo Doubs were big, but it was Jones who was the engine of the offense.

The running back took 21 carries for 118 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

The Dallas run defense was solid for most of the season, but it crumbled against a good offensive line with a good back in the biggest game of the season.

An untrustworthy run defense is what prompted the Cowboys to draft nose tackle Mazi Smith in the first round of last season's draft. He didn't quite make the impact they were hoping for in his rookie season and only played four snaps in the playoff game.

Finding another veteran who could take on a run-stuffing role could help the Cowboys take the next step. That's why calling the Patriots about Davon Godchaux is a good idea.

At 6'3", 330 pounds, Godchaux is the kind of run-stuffing nose tackle who should serve as a baseline for what the Cowboys hope Smith becomes. If he can offer even higher pass-rushing upside, then he could live up to his first-round draft pedigree.

As it stands, the Cowboys don't have that player. The Patriots would save $8.2 million in cap space if they trade Godchaux, and a run-stuffing interior defender is the least of their needs right now.

A Higher First-Round Draft Pick

Ultimately, it's going to be a challenge to fit in an established veteran contract with the Cowboys' cap situation. It isn't impossible, but it certainly pushes more money into future seasons.

If the Cowboys are going to get aggressive with a trade, it should happen in the draft to ensure they don't make the same mistake they did last season.

Last year, the Cowboys employed a wait-and-see approach with their first-round pick. They addressed a need with Mazi Smith, but it's not a move that worked out in the short term. This year, they should be looking for someone who can contribute right away to contending for a Super Bowl.

In the latest mock draft from our Scouting Department, the Cowboys were able to snag Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton with the 24th pick. However, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. projected that Guyton could be a top-15 pick (h/t Grant Grubbs of On3).

If the Cowboys believe that Guyton, or another prospect, can be one of their five starting linemen this season, they can't be afraid to make an aggressive move up the board to get their guy.

This is a team that is a few players away from breaking through in the playoffs. Dallas needs to act like it this offseason.

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects. Salary-cap info via Spotrac unless otherwise noted.