Exactly how have we gotten better from last year?

[Dre11]

Health for one. But we haven’t improved on Defense at all. They were all healthy.

Change back to old philosophy will improve the defense, they have up 20 points a game in 2019.

 

[blueblood70]

We have gotten worse on defense.

really did they play 16 games in 2021 i wasn't aware of so you can back that dribble with facts? why we lost awuize? i doubt that just having Quinn come in makes us better, period...he will be using players to build scheme not build scheme to force players into..

btw not really possible to get worse anyway.

Between injurys, failed FA, Offensive TOs causing short fields for teams, bad calls causing short fields for defense, being behind and passing a lot causing horrible TOP and n chance to establish a run game , and a bad scheme it was basement level , we just need to get to middle of the pack and im betting we will..lest wait until maybe the roster finished and they play some games before

 

[Mannix]

Exactly how have we gotten better from last year?

Booger and Chuckles are one year closer to pushing up daisies.

 

[Clarke82]

I understand their philosophy of not wanting to overspend but this roster needs some serious remodeling. I thought with the Dak contract out of the way, they could focus on making this roster more balanced


If anything, this team seems worse than last year

If, Dak and the O-Line get healthy we are miles better than last year.
I can see your frustration on the Defensive side of the ball but, I think going back to a familiar scheme should help.
I don't think we can or will be competing for a Super Bowl or even the division if Washington gets even solid QB play.
I hope we will draft some young guys that will add talent, youth and energy to the defense and special teams.
My opinion is in the minority because I don't trust Free Agency. To me Free Agency is like buying a used car, it can be awesome but, odds are you're buying problems of one kind or another.

 

[Ken]

I understand their philosophy of not wanting to overspend but this roster needs some serious remodeling. I thought with the Dak contract out of the way, they could focus on making this roster more balanced


If anything, this team seems worse than last year

One way is with hopefully a healthy O line and QB.

The 2nd way is with a competent Defensive Coordinator.

We will see how FA wraps up but they aren't done yet.

Our draft will improve us, no doubt.

 

[PUSHfold]

Not worried about the offense, especially if the tackles stay healthy.

But we have lost Chido and Joe Thomas from a defense that needed a lot of help. We need a generationally successful draft to field a championship defense if we don’t fix a couple spots in FA.

Chido was meh and so was Joe Thomas so they weren't huge loses IMO. I had hoped for Chido to be better than he was for us, dude was tight in coverage but was the most unlucky guy I've ever seen with miracle catches getting caught on him.

An elite defense would be nice but we can win a SB with a decent defense and an elite offense.
We absolutely need help on the defensive side of the ball though there's no questioning that. I for one am hoping scheme played a huge role in last seasons performances.

 

[Flamma]

I understand their philosophy of not wanting to overspend but this roster needs some serious remodeling. I thought with the Dak contract out of the way, they could focus on making this roster more balanced


If anything, this team seems worse than last year

You're not wrong, as of right now, it is. Here's the mindset behind better. One could argue that by kickoff the Cowboys, if healthy and with Dak back, add in a new DC and instantly better, right? Hard to argue, but how much better? Contender better? Not a chance using the Cowboys usual approach. But we have to wait and see.

 

[Ranched]

Dallas was riddled w/injuries last season. Yet we have fans saying McCarthy needs to go. The man was dealt a horrible hand & did what he could w/the players he had.

Having everyone healthy & Dak signed is a clean slate for Big Mac.

 

[Ranching]

Exactly how have we gotten better from last year?

It's only March 18th. The Cowboys don't need to be better until the season opener.

My goodness FA is only a couple days old and the draft is 6 weeks away.

Bench him!!! Dilly, Dilly!

 

[Whirlwin]

I understand their philosophy of not wanting to overspend but this roster needs some serious remodeling. I thought with the Dak contract out of the way, they could focus on making this roster more balanced


If anything, this team seems worse than last year

Special-teams. Defense line We’re not done yet I don’t think

 

[Chuck 54]

Better? We now have the best, healthiest swing OT since Parnell.
We signed a DT who is very good against the run and a DE/DT who is a true stud vs the run, 3rd highest rating vs the run last year. We signed a DE who was playing out of position in NY as an OLB, a guy who struggled to get home but has great closing burst...for him we just hope he does better getting his hand back in the dirt. We have improved our OT backup situation and our DL rotation vs the run.

Now it’s time to get some vets in the secondary before the draft.

 

[ICP]

I understand their philosophy of not wanting to overspend but this roster needs some serious remodeling. I thought with the Dak contract out of the way, they could focus on making this roster more balanced


If anything, this team seems worse than last year

Jerry and Company have decided that Mike Nolan was the problem all along so no need to overhaul the historically bad defense. Just sign some rotation guys, draft a few Jerry specials and it'll all be fine.

On the offensive side of things they are probably blaming injuries so we're pretty much set there as well. It's all good in Cowboyland

 

[john van brocklin]

I understand their philosophy of not wanting to overspend but this roster needs some serious remodeling. I thought with the Dak contract out of the way, they could focus on making this roster more balanced


If anything, this team seems worse than last year

Added a few backups, no starters on defense.
Disappointed, maybe one splurg signing is too much to ask?

 

[cmoney23]

None of this means anything, what does mean something is looking at the last 25 years, it's what this team us and always will be until Jerry passes or goes away

We can talk about if the team is good enough, but the OP was asking how we are better. This answers that.

 

[jnday]

In the Jones boys mind....Quinn...he will be the savior on def

I hope Quinn can stop the run when he is playing the 3-tech position.

 

[jnday]

Added a few backups, no starters on defense.
Disappointed, maybe one splurg signing is too much to ask?

Just one. It is not too much to ask or expect from a team with this pathetic defense.

 

[ghst187]

Quinn
Healthy QB and OL
Ceedee in year 2
Other than that nothing...

 

[Parcells4Life]

If Urban puts Woods on the bench as a rotational piece instead of frontline starter that’s a huge improvement.

 

[Rockport]

I understand their philosophy of not wanting to overspend but this roster needs some serious remodeling. I thought with the Dak contract out of the way, they could focus on making this roster more balanced


If anything, this team seems worse than last year

I guess you don’t remember the huge number of injuries to critical players. Dak, Tyron, Looney, Martin, L’ael, LVE, Diggs, McCoy, etc, etc. Just the fact that those players will be healthy means the team will be much better this year. McCoy’s gone, but he never played a regular season game.

There’s a new defensive coaching staff for one. That could be a huge help. They just signed the 3rd best run stopper in the NFL in Urban. Run defense was a huge weakness last year. That’s an immediate upgrade. They signed an edge rusher who had 32 QB pressures last year in Bashum. They also signed Watkins who can play inside or out for some depth. Again, LVE should be healthy. We’ll see. They have the #10 pick in the draft in case you didn’t know so should be able to get a stud for the defense. They have 10 total draft picks and the more picks you take the better chance you have of hitting on 3 or 4 of them.

Free agency just started so there will probably be some more signings.

So having said all this, how can you start a thread like this and state “this team seems worse than last year?”

 

[csirl]

Some points:

Injuries - every team experiences injuries. Cowboys weren't the only team with a lot of injuries last season - all teams were impacted by a lack of preseason conditioning. We also lost most of our early season games when we'd more starters available.

The draft - every team gets to draft new players every year.