We are at least one year away from serious contention

[starfan1]

Ill take any contention on the way there

 

[McKDaddy]

Id expect us to win the NFC East. I think the division should be better than last year, but I think we are healthy we should win it with a couple game cushion. I think the other three teams are 8 win teams max. However league wise I think our max in 2021 is probably 2nd round

Those other teams have improved too. Washington should have better QB play, they added weapons and that D is serious. We will likely have our hands full. If anyone has a couple games cushion, it will likely be them.

 

[Jipper]

The big difference this year is the cowboys are going to be fun to watch....sure they are probably a wildcard weekend winner at best but at least we will have a young hungry defense to cheer for, something we haven’t had in a long time.

this team is going to be top 5 in offense, no question....if the defense can be somewhere in the middle third then they are going to be competitive every week.....

i don’t see Super Bowl aspirations but I also don’t see the pure frustration we experienced last year either which will be very welcome

 

[Aven8]

If the offense stays the course, and doesn’t turn the ball over. And the D can create TO’s and stops we will be as tough an out as anyone else.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Anything can happen, and while I think our defense will be better this season, realistically, I think we are 1-2 years away from serious contention at the top of the NFL.

The defense will be better this year, but most of our rookies will take at least a year in the system and training program to be as impactful as a contender needs. Add to that another offseason with another draft, along with a free agent period where we may be slightly more aggressive if we see the team with a real opportunity to succeed, and I believe the Cowboys can be NFC/NFL championship contenders.

I like this draft class, but if most of these players turn out to be backups at best, Dallas will be looking at more dark times. If both LBs meet expectations, if at least 1 CB becomes a starter, if 1-2 of our DL picks at least become part of the game day rotation, and if Urban, Kazee, and Neal play as well as they did with former teams, this season will be fun to watch, and Jerry will be looking to extend a couple of 1-year contracts.

I agree.....even if we got the players the message board members wanted, you are not going to throw together 4 or 5 new players, a new coach. a new scheme and expect everyone to be on the same page...it will take time...and given our needs were DT, DE, LB, S, CB, we weren't going to fill every position in one draft unless we hit the nail on the head on every draft pick. this rebuilding of the defense was going to be a two year process at least......so like you said, yes, we should see (hopefully) some improvements. but I don't expect to go from bottom feeding defense to even average defense in one off season....its just not realistic......so next draft.....fill the position we failed in filling properly...get a saftey (haha) and we will know who to sign on in FA....

 

[Point-of-the-Star]

We are at least one owner away from serious contention.

I was going to say one funeral (or 2) away.

 

[CWR]

Meh

 

[Adreme]

Do you realize he just threw 40 tds for only the second time in his career, and beat Brees-Rodgers-Mahomes in the playoffs in succession with a team that had an inferior regular season to all of theirs?

And in those playoffs for the first time in his career he had to win 4 games to win it all, and that with a team he’d never played with before this year.

If putting up great stats doesn’t define a QB, overcoming great odds doesn’t define a QB, and winning doesn’t define a great QB, what is your criteria? How biased you are against them? Brady had a top 5 season of his own career, which is the greatest career of any player in NFL history.

Your second premise is faulty. Wins are not a QB stat. The Bucs beat the Saints, Packers and Chiefs. The reason the Buccs did are because they are the most loaded roster in the NFL and everyone knew it. They have top 2-3 weapons on offense, a top 3 OLine, and a top 6 defense. Tom Brady is a bus driver for this team. There are about 14 or 15 QBs who would win a SB with that kind of roster. Taking out the QB it is one of, if not the, the strongest roster we have seen in several years.

I get it. Tom Brady has been a great QB his entire career. However now he is a good QB who will not lose you the game. He is not capable of being the reason you win, but if capable of being the reason you do not lose. He is Alex Smith pre leg injury. That is not a slight. At his age that is impressive, but to talk about as a top 5 let alone top 10 QB shows a fundamental lack of understanding of the QB position.

 

[catiii]

7-10

 

[TwoCentPlain]

@Chuck 54 One year away? Are you serious? I expect 40+ burgers on a weekly basis from Dak. That is why he got paid $40M. Dak has Elliott $15M, Cooper $20M, Gallup, Lamb, Collins, Smith, and Martin. You lack confidence that this offense can’t put up 40 points on any team? Come on, dude.

All the defense has to do is hold a team under 40 and it is super bowl.

Dak delivers a 40 burger every week and it is ring time. Go buy your SB tickets now.

 

[jrumann59]

I think they'll make the playoffs and could make some noise. The front seven on defense will be significantly improved.

Maybe on paper. I dont believe that to be the case overall. 1st Rounder has been away from football a year playing a position he has only played for two years, 2nd rounder has Rico Gathers/Jaylon Smith dreams of off the field success, 3rd rounder is a T-Craw caliber player, jack of all trades a master at none, sprinkle in some character issues after 3rd rounder and some injury concerns, and overall talent concerns. This team would be lucky if half of their rookies make the team.

 

[DBOY3141]

Those other teams have improved too. Washington should have better QB play, they added weapons and that D is serious. We will likely have our hands full. If anyone has a couple games cushion, it will likely be them.

Fitzpatrick will be 39 in Nov....on his 9th NFL team...hasn't played 16 games since 2015....what is WFT back up plan at QB? just don't see them doing much with Fitz

 

[Rockport]

Anything can happen, and while I think our defense will be better this season, realistically, I think we are 1-2 years away from serious contention at the top of the NFL.

The defense will be better this year, but most of our rookies will take at least a year in the system and training program to be as impactful as a contender needs. Add to that another offseason with another draft, along with a free agent period where we may be slightly more aggressive if we see the team with a real opportunity to succeed, and I believe the Cowboys can be NFC/NFL championship contenders.

I like this draft class, but if most of these players turn out to be backups at best, Dallas will be looking at more dark times. If both LBs meet expectations, if at least 1 CB becomes a starter, if 1-2 of our DL picks at least become part of the game day rotation, and if Urban, Kazee, and Neal play as well as they did with former teams, this season will be fun to watch, and Jerry will be looking to extend a couple of 1-year contracts.

Couldn't disagree more. Dak's back so we'll again have one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL and the defense is going to be totally different with tons of new players. MM is in his 2nd year now and his vision and impact on the players will start to show overall team progress. Our special teams was much better last year and expect the same this year.

 

[McKDaddy]

Fitzpatrick will be 39 in Nov....on his 9th NFL team...hasn't played 16 games since 2015....what is WFT back up plan at QB? just don't see them doing much with Fitz

The other option is the guy that came closer to beating Tampa than Brees, Rodgers & Mahomes.
Fitz could have played 16 games last year. Miami wanted to get Tua experience.
They just need efficient to be very competitive.

 

[RS12]

Just b/c you pay a QB like he's better than Rodgers and Brady, doesn't make him better than Rodgers or Brady. Dak is the limiting factor on this teams ceiling.

You forgot the GM and HC.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

Your second premise is faulty. Wins are not a QB stat. The Bucs beat the Saints, Packers and Chiefs. The reason the Buccs did are because they are the most loaded roster in the NFL and everyone knew it. They have top 2-3 weapons on offense, a top 3 OLine, and a top 6 defense. Tom Brady is a bus driver for this team. There are about 14 or 15 QBs who would win a SB with that kind of roster. Taking out the QB it is one of, if not the, the strongest roster we have seen in several years.

I get it. Tom Brady has been a great QB his entire career. However now he is a good QB who will not lose you the game. He is not capable of being the reason you win, but if capable of being the reason you do not lose. He is Alex Smith pre leg injury. That is not a slight. At his age that is impressive, but to talk about as a top 5 let alone top 10 QB shows a fundamental lack of understanding of the QB position.

He was third in the league in passing yards, had more 4th quarter comebacks than Josh Allen, same comebacks and game winning drives as Russell Wilson despite fewer turnovers than both, second in the league in TD passes, but hes a bus driver...? 16th best starting QB in your mind, maybe not even top half of the league as far as regular starters?

Josh Allen, Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees all played on dominant rosters. If we’re playing the game of punishing a QB for how good the players around him are, then no one is deserving of top 10. Was Patrick Mahomes not the best QB in 2019 because his roster was too good? What kind of an argument is that. Tampa’s is considered the best because they just won. They weren’t the best at the beginning of the year, barely top 5 by a few publications. PFF had them 1 slot higher than Dallas even. And even then, they may not have been the best roster in 2020. Put Tom Brady on LA Rams, who far and away led the league in points allowed/yards allowed/shockingly low 17 TD passes allowed, 3rd best Oline in football and suddenly they win the super bowl with Tom and everyone is lauding them today as having “the strongest roster the last few years”.

3 teams in the whole league had fewer rushing yards than TB... He carried them offensively. He had the opposite of bus driver season. When in your opinion was a more prolific QB also a bus driver?

 

[John813]

The Cowboys motto

 

[Denim Chicken]

If we stay healthy and the defense can reach middle of the pack, I think were right in the mix

 

[morasp]

Maybe on paper. I dont believe that to be the case overall. 1st Rounder has been away from football a year playing a position he has only played for two years, 2nd rounder has Rico Gathers/Jaylon Smith dreams of off the field success, 3rd rounder is a T-Craw caliber player, jack of all trades a master at none, sprinkle in some character issues after 3rd rounder and some injury concerns, and overall talent concerns. This team would be lucky if half of their rookies make the team.

I could list two or three counterpoints to each of yours and we could go on and on but instead of going down that rabbit hole I'll say just wait. Defense will have an attitude this year.

 

[Sarge]

Free beer tomorrow

Where?