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Lots of chatter about where the Cowboys stand in-line with the rest of the NFL. Many like to point to their risks, but do they really leave too much up for chance?
We are in the dead of the offseason and with that comes a lot of floating opinions and click-bait articles, but frankly that should be expected when nothing is really happening. Such is the case with the daily musings and ever-changing power rankings that seem far too premature at the moment. Occasionally, we're seeing the Cowboys behind another certain NFC East team as the division favorite
Every NFL team takes calculated risks on a daily basis to ensure that they are putting forth a competitive team on Sundays. Questions can be uncovered about any club and it's rather easy to come up with them when you think about it. This notion that the Cowboys have suddenly bitten off more than they can chew is just completely ridiculous. They certainly haven't done anything that should automatically unseat them as NFC East favorites.
Peter King had his turn this week and talked about the Cowboys risks of the offseason in which he picked the Eagles as front-runners. His reasoning? It all evolves around the Cowboys letting DeMarco Murray walk, Greg Hardy's suspension and Randy Gregory's slight frame.
Maybe I'm just seeing all of this through silver and blue glasses, but I haven't drank any Kool-Aid today. The Cowboys have taken some risks that is true, but how is it any different than what is happening around the league? Let's take our rivals in Philadelphia for example:
Quarterback- You could argue the same approach the Cowboys have taken with their running backs to what the Eagles have done at quarterback. They traded Nick Foles who has a career passer rating of 94.2 and has missed 13 games in three years for Sam Bradford who has a 79.3 passer rating and has missed 35 games and has been unavailable for the majority of two seasons. Bradford has also had two ACL replacement surgeries. Behind Bradford are Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow and Matt Barkley.
Wide Receiver- The Eagles have a lot of questions in this position grouping after in back-to-back seasons letting both DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin go. So in place now are Jordan Matthews and rookie Nelson Agholor. Both of which are young players with high ceilings but are they ready for that jump? Behind them are Riley Cooper and Josh Huff, hardly what you would consider the typical speedy, Chip Kelly type of receivers.
Offensive Line- Jason Peters and Evan Mathis are mainstays with the utmost consistency but are getting long in the tooth and Mathis has yet to report. Todd Herremans left via free agency to the Colts. There was some issues last season regarding their play. Lane Johnson still has some growing pains .Philly certainly has the best tandem of running backs, but can they be as effective behind this current offensive line? Many thought the Eagles would address the position in the draft but they didn't. Though they performed well enough at times last season, it's not in the league of what the Cowboys have built. They do have the reigning Offensive Player of the Year in the backfield but don't expect any broken records this season. There is also the fact that Chip Kelly traded one of his more consistent players in LeSean McCoy for an injured linebacker. Though Murray was the ultimate prize, he's only played one full season since 2011.
This is not to trash the Eagles, it's just pointing out that they've taken their fair share of risks that are huge gambles at this point. Yes, the Cowboys are being cavalier with their running backs and are taking chances on guys like Hardy. However, with everything considered I would rather ere on the side that has a top-notch quarterback, offensive line, and wide receivers. Defensively, the Eagles have the edge in pass rush for now with Dallas having the better secondary. It's going to be an interesting match-up when these teams meet regardless. Every team in the National Football League has to take risks but to assume the Cowboys are taking more than anyone else is simply not accurate.
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