It’s still way too early to declare this off-season successful or not. Not finished with FA and the draft hasn’t happened yet. But it is safe to say it’s been a fairly typical off-season for the Jones front office as we watch teams with a good front office run circles around the Cowboys with both vision and financial creativity.
Remember when people were saying the rams had “mortgaged their future” to win now? Rams GM Les Snead just smiles at people like Stephen Jones and says “hold my beer”.
But here’s my OP question-
What must be different about this team next year in order for it take have success? Here’s my list:
- A mental and physical toughness this team hasn’t shown in a very long time. Last January the niners told us in advance they were going to get physical with us and run the ball down our throats. Then they did just that. If this team is ever going to truly playoff relevant again, this must change.
- Being able to run the ball consistently again. When this team has a running game, it opens everything else up. Either a better OL or better play calling must be part of this.
- Better football IQ. Stop the stupid penalties, missed extra points, missed assignments, poor execution, etc. This team got dumber as the season progressed. One of these days maybe- just maybe we’ll have a HC who realizes small details matter. Practices matter. Attention to things like penalties and clock management matter.
- Being willing to not play Zeke as much even though his contract is huge. Look, we get that he’s paid like a star. He’s not performing that way. Anyone who is honest will say that Tony Pollard was a consistently better RB last year and needs more touches. Pollard will never be a “bell cow”. But he needs more than 5-8 touches in a game.
- Better creativity with the offense. At times it seems like as soon as Kellen Moore shows some creativity he gets a call from Jason Garrett to tap the creative brakes. I just don’t understand. Is it DCs have figured out what his style is and he has no answers? Kellen Moore has to be better or he should be gone.
- For the first time in 15 years, make the playoffs two years in a row. For a franchise that once made the playoffs in 16 of 17 seasons back in the day, surely they could make it two years in a row for a change.
- Finally- the bottom line for any Cowboys team right now- at least make a conference championship game. It’s embarrassing that this team can’t get past the divisional round of the playoffs. Until they do this is a giant gorilla on their backs.
This is obviously and incomplete list. What else? What else must change?