The summer has officially begun, and the Dallas Cowboys are preparing for their pilgrimage to Oxnard, California for training camp. The team will have a different feel from the 2020 version that was ravaged by injury and never got their feet under them with Mike McCarthy as the new head coach in town.
Optimism always runs rampant at this time of year, especially for Cowboys fans, but with QB Dak Prescott returning, a legitimate defensive coordinator running the defense and a full offseason of preparation this year, there’s reason to for hope. There’s a sense that better fortunes await the Cowboys in 2021.
Dallas has one of the most talented teams in the league, particularly on offense. The defense needs some work, but that’s where new DC Dan Quinn comes into the picture and the defense was restocked this off-season.
Pro Football Focusagrees and according to them, the Cowboys have one of the more talented rosters in the NFL, ranking them eighth in the league.
- DALLAS COWBOYS
Biggest strength: There is no reason that this passing offense, if healthy, shouldn’t be one of the league’s best. QB Dak Prescott‘s 85.2 PFF grade before his injury last season was on pace to be the highest of his career. Even in Prescott’s absence, rookie widout CeeDee Lamb proved himself to be one of the more dynamic slot receivers in the league. His 877 receiving yards from the slot in 2020 were fewer than only Cole Beasley‘s. Lamb, Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup are certainly in the conversation for best wide receiver trio in the NFL.
Biggest weakness: This secondary bled production to opposing passing offenses in 2020, and it didn’t get noticeably better this offseason. Second-round selection Kelvin Joseph has a chance to start opposite Trevon Diggs. While that might represent an upgrade in talent, last season showed the risk involved with relying heavily on rookie cornerbacks. Eight of the 20 highest yards per coverage snap marks at the cornerback position belonged to rookies in 2020, including Diggs in Dallas. The Cowboys are banking on young players improving on the fly in a new system.
X factor for 2021: The “breakout” label is typically reserved for second- or third-year players. But Randy Gregory, at 28 years old, is a legitimate breakout candidate in Dan Quinn’s defense. Gregory has played more than 300 snaps just once in his career due to a string of suspensions. He didn’t meet that 300-snap threshold last season for Dallas, but it was comfortably Gregory’s best season on a per-snap basis. He finished the year with an overall grade of 80.5. It appears he’ll have every opportunity to build on that as a starter in 2021.
The Cowboys rank as the fourth-best roster in the NFC behind only the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles Rams. They are four spots ahead of last year’s NFC East winner and prevailing favorite to repeat this season, the Washington Football Team.
Among other rivals, the Cowboys finished ahead of the San Francisco 49ers (11th), the Pittsburgh Steelers (16th), the New York Giants (19th), and the Philadelphia Eagles, who ranked 29th (it’s OK to laugh). Dallas’ roster was also ranked ahead of seven playoff teams from the 2020 season.
These rankings obviously don’t mean much, the games will be decided on the field. However, it does prove there’s a significant amount of talent on the Cowboys, enough to make their first trip to the playoffs in three seasons.
Dallas’ season will likely come down to three factors: health, how the team responds with a full off-season under McCarthy and if the defense can have a turnaround under Quinn. If there’s enough good in those three things, the Cowboys have a roster built for success in 2021.
You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi.
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