It’s all theoretical at this point. There’s no actual football happening anywhere. Guys are coming and going, the roster is evolving, some holes are being created, others are getting filled. But the 2020 Dallas Cowboys exist only on paper right now, and while fans can like or dislike the moves that have been made thus far this offseason, no one can yet say with any certainty if those changes have made the team better or worse on the field, where it matters.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying. ESPN has tasked its NFL Nation reporters and a “power panel” made up of writers, editors, and TV personalities with sorting all 32 teams based on where they sit right now. After weighing recent personnel losses with free agency acquisitions, the Cowboys have climbed a spot since Super Bowl Sunday. As Todd Archer writes, they’re poised on the doorstep of a Top 10 ranking.
11. Dallas Cowboys
“The Cowboys’ top goal was to keep quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper, and they did that with the exclusive franchise tag and a five-year contract, respectively. They have suffered some losses, such as Byron Jones, Randall Cobb, Robert Quinn and the retired Travis Frederick, but they knew they could not pay big money to everyone. They added Gerald McCoy and kept Sean Lee, Anthony Brown and Joe Looney — which takes on added significance after Frederick’s retirement — but are they better now than last season’s 8-8 finish? It’s difficult to say yes, but there is the draft to consider.”
Dallas occupied the No. 12 slot in the network’s “Way-too-early rankings” following the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win on February 2. The watchword for the club then was “hope.” The hiring of coach Mike McCarthy had Archer feeling optimistic about the Cowboys’ chances for improvement. Now, despite those big-name losses in the locker room, they have climbed the ladder by a single rung.
For what it’s worth, the Cowboys also occupy 11th place in NFL.com’s latest power rankings, up two spots from No. 13 in the previous version.