Basically every team in the NFL is convinced this time of year that they are better than they were last season. Most of them actually have a point, as retirements and injuries inevitably eat away at the quality of their squads throughout the season and in the offseason they receive new infusions of draft and draft talent. free agency. But some have a much better case than others. After a hugely popular draft and an exceptionally productive free agency, the Dallas Cowboys are one of the most apparently improved teams. Not all things are created equal in the list, of course. Now that we know at least the initial roster of 53 men, here are the units that are expected to turn out to be significantly better this year.
Defensive line
Duh. They added Dontari Poe, Aldon Smith, Everson Griffen, Neville Gallimore and Bradlee Anae, plus Trysten Hill has improved a lot at camp while Tyrone Crawford looks healthy. It’s a lot of upgrading, with the passing rush in particular looking like it’s part of the league’s elite. Now, they can also expect Randy Gregory to arrive for the Week 7 game against the Washington soccer team. Oh my.
And they weren’t just shopping for groceries for a banquet. The team hired a new chef to cook up what is hoped to be a sack feast, with a good side of the stuffing on the run. Jim Tomsula brought a new philosophy. No need to play the race on the path of the passer. Poe in particular should help solidify the middle of the line, while the side pursuit of DeMarcus Lawrence, Smith, Griffen and even Hill should help ensure that the defense doesn’t get slashed as it too often was the last year. And when the quarterback drops to pass, it will face fierce pressure from inside and out. Even without the expected increased and smarter use of blitzes, the “basic” pass rush looks absolutely delicious.
It’s also proven that the ingredients are going to be mixed in a fresh and tantalizing way, with Lawrence, Smith, Griffen, and Crawford all able to move around inside to put as many QB fighters on the field as possible. The line, especially in the middle, was a real problem a year ago. Now we can expect real chef kisses.
Wide receiver
There was the only big addition to the project, CeeDee Lamb. We have terribly high expectations for the rookie, but all indications from the camp are that he could be even better than we could ever dream of. He’s replacing Randall Cobb, who wasn’t much of a handicap other than too many drops, but everyone expects him to be an upgrade. Not only is he showing signs of being a formidable weapon in his own right, but he’s going to help Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup just by getting more attention from the defense.
However, it wasn’t just the new guy who looked awesome at camp. Cedrick Wilson and Noah Brown have perhaps the best camps of their careers and are apparently WR4 and WR5, respectively. As with the defensive line, they seem to benefit from new thinking on the coaching staff, especially Brown. Having been seen primarily as a blocker, he has been fully integrated into the passing game as far as we know. He’s had a lot of highlights that will hopefully be duplicated, even though he, like Wilson, isn’t as much on the pitch as the starters. Ventell Bryant was also on the list, but likely as a special teams contributor.
Tight end
The term “addition by subtraction” is perhaps a little too much used to discuss this group. Or maybe not. Jason Witten ate a lot of first-team shots, but was no longer the offensive threat he was at the start of his career. Yards after the capture were virtually nonexistent for him last year. Now Blake Jarwin is going to be able to shine, and another more welcome phrase has kicked in, “catch the seam”.
Dalton Schultz was another surprisingly strong player as the camp progressed. As well as being a good backup, it offers the possibility that two tight end sets are not automatic descents. Part of that is due to the way the coaches seem to approach things, the way Jarwin thrives on better use. Blake Bell also looks like a decent depth player, and at the start at least, Sean McKeon made the roster as well.
And one wrinkle to come is to use the tight end to replace the back position, with Dallas electing the Sewo Olinolua cut.
If I had any doubts the Cowboys are going to ask their TEs to fill the full-back role, talking to Dalton Schultz has fully convinced me. He just explained to us how to play the role
– David Helman (@HelmanDC) September 3, 2020
Creativity. Give us more.
Linebacker
All that has happened here is the starters in the nickel switches. But everything indicates that having Jaylon Smith at WILL and using Leighton Vander Esch as MIKE is a much more effective use of their respective strengths – and begs the question, why wasn’t that the plan from the start? Even though new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan is very good with linebackers, it shouldn’t take a genius to figure this out. Vander Esch apparently recovering from the injury issues that limited him last year makes this even more encouraging.
However, things are a little thin with Sean Lee reportedly in IR, Justin March being cut and UDFA Francis Bernard a real surprise to be lifted after an exceptional camp. Expect March to return as soon as a spot is opened by IR moves, and Bernard may stand a chance as well.
Still, the way the two main rooms are used, as well as having Joe Thomas to fill out when using a SAM, means this should still be a very efficient unit.
Come back
This one’s all about coaching. These not-so-subtle clues about the staff using both Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard at the same time and bringing them more into the passing game are strictly about using the talent available to a greater extent – which you may note as the current thread. here. They are a great duo to have, with skills different enough to give opposing defenses a real headache. Rico Dowdle was a bit of a surprise to make the team and brings depth.
Strategist
This is a tribute to Andy Dalton. At camp he looked exactly like he is, an experienced and more than capable former starter. After years of having only one old UDFA project to back up Dak Prescott, the team can now be confident that they can survive even the worst thing that can happen. Dalton not only showed an understanding of position and the playbook, he established immediate chemistry with the receptors.
You can even throw Ben DiNucci into this conversation, as he looked pretty good in extremely limited work. He might be in the squad because Mike McCarthy made him shine, but he might have a future in this game.
Kicker
Greg Zuerlein.
This is the explanation.
These are the places where the team has definitely improved. That still leaves real questions on the offensive line and the secondary, many of which revolve around injury issues. The right tackle is a real concern, La’el Collins should also switch to IR. If the team can handle them, however, the improvement on the pitch must be marked.
