The 2020 Dallas Cowboys have hit rock bottom. Their 34-17 loss on Tuesday night to the Baltimore Ravens was their second straight and the sixth defeat in their last seven games. Defensively, they gave up nearly 300 yards rushing and the 34 points they yeilded was the seventh time an opponent has reached that mark this season.
Hall of Fame quarterback and Cowboys legend Troy Aikman knows all about struggling under the bright lights of Dallas, Texas. After being the top pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, Aikman lost all 11 of his rookie starts and the team went 1-15. The three-time Super Bowl champion gave a brutally honest assessment of where his former team is going forward while covering the game for FOX.
“I wouldn’t say this is necessarily over, but it’s hard to keep saying that when you’re not winning football games,” Aikman said. “I mean, I don’t know… I just don’t know where this organization… where they go. There are just so many things that have to be addressed this offseason.”
He couldn’t have been more spot on with his critique. The biggest elephant in the room this offseason will be the contract situation of Dak Prescott. He signed a franchise tag that paid him $31.4 million in 2020 back in June, and that number will balloon to around $38 million if another tag is applied in 2021. Both sides have been adamant that they want a long-term marriage. However, with the Cowboys 1-6 record since Prescott’s season-ending ankle injury the organization may be more ready than ever to make that a reality.
The offensive line has been a disaster, to say the least. Perennial All-Pro guard Zack Martin was placed on injured reserve recently with a calf injury. The biggest issue, however, has been at tackle. Tyron Smith and La’el Collins both suffered season-ending injuries. Smith missed three games in each of the previous four seasons and Collins had hip surgery, which can be a tricky ailment to recover from. Looking for a young tackle in the draft could be a focal point.
On defense the Cowboys have been even worse. They currently ranked No. 32 in rushing yards allowed (167.8) and points allowed per game (32.8). Defensive tackle was thought to have been addressed during the last offseason with the additions of Gerald Mcoy and Dontari Poe. Unfortunately, McCoy was waived after rupturing his right quad in August, and Poe was released in October due to underperforming and weight issues according to owner Jerry Jones. Rookie Neville Gallimore has shown a few flashes as well as Antwaun Woods, but the interior defensive line remains an issue to be addressed.
The linebacker situation is an interesting one as well. Veteran Sean Lee will be a free agent in 2021. Leighton Vander Esch missed seven games in 2019 with a neck issue and four this season with a broken collarbone. The Cowboys have a lot of money tied into Jaylon Smith but his play hasn’t lived up to expectations in 2020, and the team could get out of his deal before the 2021 season. This uncertainty makes a player like Penn State’s Micah Parsons one to keep an eye on if the Cowboys keep a top 5 pick in next year’s draft.
The secondary could likely see a major overhaul.
Cornerback’s Jourdan Lewis and Chidobe Awuzie as well as safety Xavier Woods are all currently in contract seasons, and none have shown much consistently to be a top priority once the offseason hits. Rookie cornerback Trevon Diggs showed flashes of how good he could be before a broken foot in Week 9 put him on the shelf for 4-6 weeks, and he was eventually placed on injured reserve a week later. Another bright spot has been safety Donovan Wilson who finally got his shot to contribute, but a groin injury forced him to miss Week 13. Cornerback and safety should be high on the 2021 priority list in Dallas.
It’s impossible to predict what the Cowboys will look like next season, but they have a plethora of changes to make if they want to be a contender anytime soon.
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