Last season’s NFC Championship featured the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles, securing their spot as the two best teams in the conference. Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys still have to translate their talent and star power into tangible success to end a drought stretching back to the 1990s.
Luckily for Dallas, a surgical offseason appears to have given them the necessary boost in likely the most crucial stage of the Dak Prescott era. The additions of wide receiver Brandin Cooks and cornerback Stephon Gilmore immediately take those units to the next level and it feels like two perfect puzzle pieces for success beyond the divisional round.
And while the player additions matter, retaining defensive coordinator Dan Quinn may go down as the biggest move of the offseason. All these details in mind, it’s fair to say Dallas keeps themselves within the top tier of the NFC, and CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin agrees.
The gap between these three and the rest of the conference feels pretty substantial. The Cowboys are technically the least qualified among the trio, failing to reach the NFC Championship Game since 1995, but they’ve won 12 games in back-to-back years, upgraded at two premium spots with Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore, and possess some of the game’s best young defensive talent in Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland. Conservative coaching remains a concern with Mike McCarthy, and QB Dak Prescott is still in search of a defining late-year run, but as is often the case, America’s Team has the star power.
The final sentence sticks the most, as McCarthy takes over the wheel on offense and Prescott faces even more pressure, something he’s grown incredibly used to leading America’s Team.
Add in the addition of defensive tackle Mazi Smith and another year between wide receiver Michael Gallup and his ACL injury, and Dallas can cement themselves as a juggernaut in the conference.