So … how 'bout dem Cowboys!?
No, seriously. How about them? Or, more accurately, what about them? Arguably the most talented team on paper in the NFC East whimpered to a 6-10 record this last season despite their vaunted receiving corps, and if not for two last-minute miracles against the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons of all teams early in the season, would have finished this season behind the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jerry Jones paid top dollar for a fireworks show for the past few years, and in exchange, he's getting a train wreck. Equally explosive, but with very different effects.
So, what is Dallas to do? How in the world can they get back under the cap and get back to winning football this season under head coach Mike McCarthy?
Well at least they solved their quarterback issue (*crosses fingers*) by signing Dak Prescott to some eye-popping money. Before he went down, at least the Dallas offense was prolific, empty calories or no.
But the problems go beyond their talent. For what is most likely America's biggest sports brand, the question is whether or not they are willing to accept hard answers to their problems. Let's look.
3. O-Line Backup
O, how the mighty have fallen. The best offensive line in the NFL was a shell of its former self this season. Tyron Smith is mostly spare parts at this point, Travis Frederick is gone, and the best they can manage out of their younger players is a soft maybe on Connor Williams.
In the meantime, all they can do is keep trying to find successors in the trenches. If Rashawn Slater or Penei Sewell slip to them in the draft, they'll have a tough decision to make between those two and a first-round defensive talent. But if Dallas is to give Dak any protection at all (they should, that injury still causes heebie jeebies), any spare cap they can spend should be spent shoring up this line.
Russell Okung and Alejandro Villanueva are the best mid-tier options available to them, or maybe Mitchell Schwartz if the market dries up around him due to injury concern.
The problem is that the linemen available with this class are either old or injured or both, three things which Dallas should be scared of.
But if they can strike a bargain with any of them and grab a decent piece in the draft, this line should at least be able to tread water long enough for the younger players to find their feet.
2. DEFENSE. DEFENSE. DEFENSE.
You know, in retrospect, with Dallas' offensive star power, there is no reason that they should have been outscored, on any occasion, by the Giants, WFT, or Browns (seriously, 49 Dallas?). And yet.
The Cowboys' defense has the same amount of heart that Zeke does, with half of his talent. With the right players and effort on this team, Dallas could have easily put Dak Prescott in better positions to win against all the teams mentioned above, and several others. The solution? The 2021 NFL Draft.
Truthfully, most of Dallas' problems require one tweak to fix. But in the case of this Cowboys defense, it needs a whole facelift to perform within the realm of respectability next season.
Leighton Vander Esch is washed, Jaylon Smith essentially uses his games for some light cardio, and the rest of the vets on the roster are some combination of both. DeMarcus Lawrence is fine but is definitely not worth his contract any longer.
The young guns (Trevon Diggs, Donovan Wilson, Neville Gallimore) have shown some promise though, and that's where Dallas' focus needs to go. The Cowobys have the opportunity to reunite Diggs with Alabama teammate Patrick Surtain II in the draft, and if Penei Sewell doesn't fall to them, this is the no-brainer move going forward to keep building up their youth on the defense.
1. Dump Ezekiel Elliott
Hard. Answers. Only.
Get the fame dust out of your eyes, suck it up, and start saving up for a new jersey. Zeke is not the answer in Dallas.
This is not a question about talent. When he tries, he is an unquestionable top-five running back in this league. But the key word is try. And since he scared Jerry Jones into making him the highest-paid running back in football, he has done everything but try.
He has seen negative headline after negative headline, from partying to weight gain, to simple lack of effort on the field. And for all of his stats, for all of his talent, Ezekiel Elliott disappeared as soon as Dak Prescott did. So much for leadership level money.
To any other top-flight running back, the injury of a quarterback is an opportunity, if nothing else, to rally their team in their de facto leader's absence. And if you're the Dallas Cowboys, paying Alvin Kamara-level money to Zeke, you expect Alvin Kamara-level production and effort from him.
Before anyone goes off ranting about not comparing players to one another, think on this: that is exactly what Zeke did when he sat out during extension negotiations. So let's compare.
Alvin Kamara came off a bit of an injury bug, decided to work on his balance, and ended up as one of last year's most elusive backs. Dalvin Cook, without drama, carried an otherwise anemic Minnesota Vikings offense on his back. Even Christian McCaffrey was champing at the bit to get back on the field early, even prematurely.
Zeke, in a vacuum, at his peak, is more talented than all of them. He's just as fast and shifty, a good deal bigger, and with solid hands to boot. So when he pulled his own disappearing act after Dak went down, it was telling of his attitude toward getting better.
It will be tough for Dallas to find a partner to take Zeke's bloated contract. But combine his attitude, declining performance, and McCarthy's relative lack of featured RB usage, it's time for Dallas to get a return on Zeke before the relationship sours too much.
***
Now, odds are that Dallas will be too stubborn to do any of this right. Historically, more than likely Jerry Jones will overpay another flashy name in free agency, or find another way to do so. He's a dealmaker after all.
But if the Cowboys are to ever take advantage of the star power on their roster, they have a lot of tough decisions to make and a whole lot of culture that honestly needs changing. Time will tell if they can do it. If they can, then they will finally deserve their annual preseason placement at the top of the hapless NFC East.
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