This team certainly has potential to be an elite team, given the necessary changes talked about.
In my opinion, the changes include utilizing the personnel to their optimum on offense, which would absolutely mean designing an offense around Dak's strengths, being more creative in all phases, stop being so hard-headed about forcing Elliott into 8-9 man defensive fronts, and finding better frontline and backup players for the offensive line. The Dallas offensive line is a joke, with past-their-prime players, injured players, second tier plays, and mediocre players, making it amazing how Elliott did as well as he did this year. Time to totally revamp the o-line to get it back to topline level. Scoring is what it's about to be successful in the NFL and if Dallas doesn't make the changes to put points on the board, then they are not going to be considered elite.
Defensively, they were exposed in the Ram game, as well as the Colt game earlier. Dallas truly has no consistent playmakers on defense, despite all the propaganda that is spewed out by the Jones' hype machine....Lawrence and Gregory are mediocre at d-ends, and the d-backs have no clue on how to ballhawk or create turnovers. The linebacker crew are serviceable but also appear undersized and unable to make up for the deficiencies of the d-line. D-tackles are low pedigree players, mostly snapped off of other teams' practice squads or are bench players. It's obvious that to be an elite team, the defensive line has to be dramatically improved, with players that can get sacks and disrupt the timing of the opposing QB's. Overall, the defense has to quit bending-and -not breaking, and get off the field on 3rd down situations. We are miserable at that and have been for years.
Special teams are a joke on the team. The punter is serviceable, the kicker is still scary when he is asked to come in, and the punt/kick returns are non-existent. Upgrades in this area are critical to put offensive pressure on the opponent as well as to flip field position. Absolutely, an overhaul needs to be made in this area to put this team up with the better teams in the league.
Coaching is what it is...with the clapper/spitter leading the way. He's incompetent as a field/game tactician, but Jones is so unbendingly arrogant and hardheaded about the coach, we are stuck with his mediocrity, so this will be as much a hindrance to being considered elite as anything else. The only light at the end of the tunnel is if by luck, Dallas hires some exceptional offensive and defensive coordinators that will overcome the clapper/spitter's idiocy.
