We are at least one year away from serious contention

Motorola

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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.
The missing guys on offense return and go through 2021 relatively healthy. -nicks, bruises, and bumps allowed - but no nagging injuries (or worse).
Combined with the revamped D improving 50% - I can envision the W-L record being flipped = 6-10 going to 10-7 or 11-6. Even if we lower expectations - halve the increased victory total...9-8 could win the division title or claim the 3rd WC playoff berth. A solid turnaround.
 
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CouchCoach

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Isn't this the "Cowboys Curse"? How many times in the last 20 years have you seen "this is not out year, nest year is our year".

We make assumptions that players will improve and they will continue to try and build a defense but haven't we been tricked before?

The OL is aging and injuries are a sign of that and while the defense should be improved over last year, how improved?

The other assumption is that management has a plan, they are moving toward something. When has that ever been the case? Booger is a year to year GM and they regroup every year, they are not building upon something. They are running in place. They let Quinn and Jones walk and do they upgrade? No, and those were the two best players on the 2019 defense.

Those plans that some teams have about when they will "arrive" are not with the Cowboys because the goal every season is the same, coverage and relevancy. Last year, the Cowboys were the most covered and profitable team in the league, it was a great year by Jones' standards.
 

catiii

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Boy aren't you the optimist. :laugh:
I think we're better than that this year. Just reverse those numbers.....10-7. :D
Just playing the streak like a good gambler LOL :D Jerry needs to play the new guys or he can fughettabout it.
 

HotDog37

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We are 25+ years away from serious contention. Just saying.
 

Bullflop

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Being a year away from contention seems a fair assessment.
Our newly-acquired personnel will take time to adjust.:thumbup:
 
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NotForLong

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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.

Too bad Dak is part of the bottom half of the league that couldn't win with that talent
 

GimmeTheBall!

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Two years seem quite right, Slick.
But by then the window closes rapidly on oiur aging offence.
How time flies!
 

Silverstar

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Health is always a big factor and having a young team helps.
I think having McCarthy in his 2nd year and hiring Quinn will get the Cowboys back to the playoffs.
Coaching has been holding this team back for decades.
 

Flamma

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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 wish. Quarterback has always been the most important position. It has become vastly more important since the salary cap.

Who are the contenders we see every year? The usual suspects are the steelers, Patriots, now chiefs, saints, Packers, you get the point. Now switch the Patriots out with Tampa. What do they all have in common?

I can't even blame Dak if Dallas doesn't become a contender. We had a Damn good QB for awhile. Romo may not be as good as some of the elite QBs I mentioned, but he wasn't that far from them. This team still sucked most of the time.

There's something else wrong with this organization. Something besides raw talent fouling things up.
 

Buzzbait

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Just playing the streak like a good gambler LOL :D
Jerry needs to play the new guys or he can fughettabout it.

I agree catiii, play those new guys. We already know last year's defense was horrible so forget about them and get the new guys in there!:thumbup:
They can't be any worse than last year's losers.
 

Buzzbait

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Being a year away from contention seems a fair assessment.
Our newly-acquired personnel will take time to adjust.:thumbup:

True it'll take some time to adjust, but I think they'll adjust faster on the field than they will on the bench. Get 'em in there Cowboys!
 

CowboyoWales

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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.

Fair, however, we arent going to be a major player in Free Agency and will rely heavily on successful drafts.

With 14 teams with over $50m CAP advantage over us in 2022 and us being already $20m over the limit I cant see us freeing up enough money in restructuring to compete with teams with a lot more to spend.

That's why the draft so heavily emphasized players in positions of needs. Taking that into account, yep, it wasnt a bad draft IMO.
 

Buzzbait

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Too bad Dak is part of the bottom half of the league that couldn't win with that talent

:rolleyes:
You don't know he "couldn't win" any more than others know he can. You're just hoping he can't. You might as well relax and go with the flow dude, Dak's not going anywhere soon whether you like it or not. If he's healthy, he'll be here. They didn't guarantee him all that money just to send him packing, just because you don't like him.
 
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slick325

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The Cowboys are and will be two Jones boys away from truly being in Super Bowl contention. Two and one half decades and counting! BUT...they dominate the franchise valuation lists every year and that's all that really matters in Jones land.
 

Cebrin

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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.
  1. Dak will turn 30 in two years. Let that sink in.
  2. In today's NFL that can be considered young. With this injury "we shall see".
 

Buzzbait

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Isn't this the "Cowboys Curse"? How many times in the last 20 years have you seen "this is not out year, nest year is our year".

We make assumptions that players will improve and they will continue to try and build a defense but haven't we been tricked before?
The OL is aging and injuries are a sign of that and while the defense should be improved over last year, how improved?


The other assumption is that management has a plan, they are moving toward something. When has that ever been the case? Booger is a year to year GM and they regroup every year, they are not building upon something. They are running in place. They let Quinn and Jones walk and do they upgrade? No, and those were the two best players on the 2019 defense.

Those plans that some teams have about when they will "arrive" are not with the Cowboys because the goal every season is the same, coverage and relevancy. Last year, the Cowboys were the most covered and profitable team in the league, it was a great year by Jones' standards.

Yeah I know, but we wanted a defensive draft and we got one. We got 2 excellent LBs, a good CB, possible help at DT, possible help at OT, and time will tell how much more.
No that doesn't cover every need we have or had, but it's not a bad start. The defense HAS to be better with those 2 new LBs. We needed LBs as much as anything on the defense and we couldn't have asked for 2 better than we got.
 

MountaineerCowboy

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I can see how one could look at our team and say that.

But how many NFC teams are really that strong?

NO lost Brees. Rodgers may quit. SF looks like they want to play a rookie QB.

The negativity is all based on the Nolan mess last year. The defense wasn't terrible in 2019, and should be closer to that than 2020 with depth and everyone not running around confused.

Besides, Dallas has their best seasons when they arent overhyped. Talking heads won't pick them, and they will be fine.
We need to worry about winning our own division before we worry about the other NFC teams.

The defense wasn't terrible in 2019 like you said, in fact, it was a top 12 defense. We still went 8-8 that year. The defense is not always the issue. When you lose games where the defense holds teams to 17, 13, and 12 points then you have to look at the offense, specifically the QB. Dak threw ZERO TDs in those 3 games combined. So, unless Dak turns it around and starts playing well against playoff caliber teams then nothing will matter anyways.
 
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