INDIANAPOLIS -- Subpar backup quarterback play undoubtedly cost the Cowboys in 2015. Some have said upgrading that area is Dallas' biggest offseason need.

It's not.

If the Cowboys can't get to the quarterback on defense, even a healthy Tony Romo for 16 games won't get them a championship.

With second-year defensive end Randy Gregory suspended the first four games of the upcoming season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, that weakness becomes even more glaring.

"We're not going to have him for four games and there's risk that four could become more," Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Tuesday from the NFL scouting combine. "So we'll obviously have to look at that position."

The Cowboys have tried to upgrade at defensive end the last two offseasons. They spent second-round picks on Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence. They signed Jeremy Mincey and Greg Hardy in free agency.

But that's only landed them 59 sacks. Over a two-year span, only Atlanta (41) and San Diego (58) had fewer.

So where does the help come from?

Although it appears unlikely that Dallas will re-sign Hardy, an unrestricted free agent, Jones said the Cowboys have not yet determined if they will try to bring back the controversial former Pro Bowler.

Jones and Co. have the fourth overall pick in April's draft and could use it on a defensive end. Many experts believe Ohio State's Joey Bosa and Eastern Kentucky's Noah Spence will be the first two ends off the board. But Bosa projects to be a left end and Spence is considered a better fit for a 3-4 scheme.

If the Cowboys were to draft Bosa, Lawrence would likely be moved to right end. Is that a good move for a young player coming off a breakout season that included a team-high eight sacks?

There won't be a lot of big names available in this free-agent class. Miami's Olivier Vernon is probably at the top of the list. Mario Williams could be an interesting option if he's released by the Bills.

But don't expect the Cowboys to break the bank for either.

"I'm not a big fan of free agency, I'll be the first to admit it," Jones said. "Unfortunately, good players get paid like they're great players, average players get paid like they're good players and it's a domino effect.

"It's not a great way to put your team together, but I think sometimes there are necessities that you need to jump out and do some things. ... We've done it before, it doesn't mean we won't do it ever again, but you try not to."

The Cowboys like what they have at the three-technique defensive tackle spot with Tyrone Crawford. They're excited about Lawrence's potential on the end. After that, there are a lot of question marks.

Ideally, they'd come out of this offseason with at least two more quality edge rushers: one in free agency and one in the early rounds of the draft.

But even that might not be enough.

"Obviously that's a need for us," Jones said. "It's at the top of the list. The really good football teams tend to get pressure on the quarterbacks, so it continues to be a goal of ours. We hadn't necessarily been great at it the last couple of years, and we've got to continue to figure out a way to improve upon that."

Twitter: @jonmachota

Pass rush needed

The Cowboys have averaged 29.5 sacks per season over the last two years. Here's how many sacks each of the last five Super Bowl winners recorded during the regular season that year.