I have both hope and doubts. It's ok to have both

[CowboyFanInLexKy]

Three months into a pretty good 2025 Cowboys off-season, I have realized I have a combination of both hope and doubts. Like the beginning of every Cowboys season I sincerely hope they have a great year. There are some reasons for hope.

And like most Cowboys fans who have watched the last three decades in mind numbing frustration, it’s also hard to not also have some doubts too. Especially when realizing the architect and centerpiece of this organization remains fully in charge. And fully unaccountable along with his DNA fortunate offspring.

So I have BOTH - hope and doubts.

Now I believe like most fans here on this forum that the Cowboys have had a pretty good off-season so far. Last off-season ended up being a kamikaze mission by Jerry, so anything would be better than that. But there are several good things about this off-season so far.

So until the real bullets fly in real games that matter beginning in September, I will remain both hopeful and skeptical.

For those fellow fans here who have nothing but good feelings about the coming year, as well as those who also have serious doubts about the coming season because of the past, I understand how you both feel. We should all allow each other some latitude around here to believe either.

This is my least favorite time of the football calendar. Honestly, I’m tired of the off-season and the endless speculation about what it all means and the silly arguments that take place . Only the regular season and (hopefully) playoffs will determine how good this off-season really was.

I’m so ready to see this regular season begin! Go Cowboys!

Bob, As always, Great read and so true about all points. It's amazing how every year on paper, it looks like the perfect season coming up (except (as you said) last year where Jerry was on his mission) only to be cut short when everything goes live.

 

[Bobhaze]

Bob, As always, Great read and so true about all points. It's amazing how every year on paper, it looks like the perfect season coming up (except (as you said) last year where Jerry was on his mission) only to be cut short when everything goes live.

Jerry is one of the best salesmen on the planet. Unfortunately he’s also an inadequate roster builder, lol (based on his last three decade history)

Jerry usually does a good job of selling his team. BUT…The only thing I’m buying at this point are regular season and playoff wins. (“I will believe it when it happens” is my mantra)

 

[montgod]

Jerry is one of the best salesmen on the planet. Unfortunately he’s also an inadequate roster builder, lol (based on his last three decade history)

Jerry usually does a good job of selling his team. BUT…The only thing I’m buying at this point are regular season and playoff wins. (“I will believe it when it happens” is my mantra)

Speak for yourself... definitely not buying anything playoff related until it happens. Queue the old Colts coach GIF here, "....What's that? Ah - Playoffs? Don't talk about - playoffs?"

 

[Bobhaze]

Speak for yourself... definitely not buying anything playoff related until it happens. Queue the old Colts coach GIF here, "....What's that? Ah - Playoffs? Don't talk about - playoffs?"

Absolutely. I’m not buying anything until it happens.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

Cathartic though. I love a good rant.

Yes, it was. Sometimes you have to hear yourself say it. This was one of those times for whatever reason.

 

[Bobhaze]

My life doesn't revolve around the Cowboys. Hope might be important in the day to day life, but in regard to the Cowboys, hope really doesn't matter. They will win or lose regardless of whether I hope for it.

And yes, I am tired of the team being good enough to avoid getting a really great draft pick but not being good enough to win when the other team has a little more talent. I am tired of losing to teams that don't have as many talented players because our team isn't put in the best position to win.

I am tired of the GM that throws around accomplishments from 30 years ago as being meaningful today. They aren't. The glow has worn off and they are nothing but a distant memory. I am tired of the GM that says he would write the biggest check to win a Super Bowl but refuses to put pen to paper and do it. I am tired of the GM that is more impressed with glitz than about results.

I am tired of having great players that give their heart and soul and health for the team and leave the game never having had the chance to play for all the marbles. How many years did the Cowboys ignore the OL because Romo could run around and make plays while avoiding crazy pressure? How many years have the Cowboys refused to invest in the run defense, which in many ways is the single most effective way to stop teams? If you can shut down the run with your base defense, offenses will struggle against you. Philly feasts on offenses because their front four gets it done over and over.

Dallas won in the past because they weren't afraid to take chances. Jimmy Johnson came in and shook everything up with bold moves...and it worked. Since then we have just been pretenders, doing enough window dressing to not tank, but never doing enough to be a true threat. The Cowboys of the 90's went out and got the best CB in the game. They traded for the best pass rusher in the game. They built a team and system that emphasized precision rather than the spectacular. Everyone knew Michael Irvin was going to run the skinny post, but no one could stop it consistently. Everyone knew that Emmitt was gonna get the ball, yet he still got yard after yard, especially the most important ones.

My interest in football has decreased significantly over the past 5-10 years. Not sure if just aging or if it is because of the complacency of the owner. From Hot Boyz to team slogans it jsut falls on deaf ears. I am not ready to give up on the Cowboys but I definitely don't live and die with them anymore. Sadly, if they should ever win again, I don't think there will be nearly as much joy that comes with it.

Wow...that was long winded.

But a good post. Appreciate it.

 

[blueblood70]

Absolutely. I’m not buying anything until it happens.

Well, it's not allowed so I'm not going to bring in religion and faith , so i wont get into details,

yeah, it's the same as politics around here so ill leave it be... but when it comes to faith, if you have to see it ,then what's the point? You just have to believe... I mean if you need proof then, that would be too easy, that's not how it typically works it's harder to believe something that you can't see and touch but that is what makes it a commitment, ..., We just hope your commitment pays off...

 

[Blackrain]

How would you feel if they went 10 and 7 and were a wild card?

Like we reached our ceiling if we won a playoff game that would be icing on the cake.

That's as far as you can expect to get with the effort that we made and there was effort made.

To go deeper in the playoffs or get to a Super bowl you need to truly go all in.

 

[MarcusRock]

Just hope there is no barbed wire on the fence.

We're talking about @Bobhaze here. Prepare for barbed wire and grenades until proven otherwise.

 

[Bobhaze]

We're talking about @Bobhaze here. Prepare for barbed wire and grenades until proven otherwise.

Lol, what?

 

[rambo2]

Like we reached our ceiling if we won a playoff game that would be icing on the cake.

That's as far as you can expect to get with the effort that we made and there was effort made.

To go deeper in the playoffs or get to a Super bowl you need to truly go all in.

They are moving in the right direction.

 

[gtb1943]

hope tempered with caution is I think the appropriate outlook.

 

[Bobhaze]

Well, it's not allowed so I'm not going to bring in religion and faith , so i wont get into details,

yeah, it's the same as politics around here so ill leave it be... but when it comes to faith, if you have to see it ,then what's the point? You just have to believe... I mean if you need proof then, that would be too easy, that's not how it typically works it's harder to believe something that you can't see and touch but that is what makes it a commitment, ..., We just hope your commitment pays off...

Just my opinion Blue…But that’s an apples and oranges comparison.

In sports, absolutely I need results. Proof of success. In matters of faith, that’s completely different. In sports there are winners and losers. The Cowboys have not been successful in the playoffs in three decades. With the same leaders in place, why should anyone “believe” in their sports abilities to get us back to playoff success? Faith in them?

If you are ok with the results we’ve been getting and have “faith” in this year’s team, the FO, the coaches, etc, that is your absolute right to have that level of faith. Go for it. I won’t criticize or belittle you or anyone else for that belief.

So conversely, would you also understand that any Cowboys fan has the right to also have zero faith in this organization’s leaders based on their past performance?

 

[rambo2]

Jerry is one of the best salesmen on the planet. Unfortunately he’s also an inadequate roster builder, lol (based on his last three decade history)

Jerry usually does a good job of selling his team. BUT…The only thing I’m buying at this point are regular season and playoff wins. (“I will believe it when it happens” is my mantra)

I like that George Pickens has at least opened up your eyes a bit.

 

[rambo2]

Just my opinion Blue…But that’s an apples and oranges comparison.

In sports, absolutely I need results. Proof of success. In matters of faith, that’s completely different. In sports there are winners and losers. The Cowboys have not been successful in the playoffs in three decades. With the same leaders in place, why should anyone “believe” in their sports abilities to get us back to playoff success? Faith in them?

If you are ok with the results we’ve been getting and have “faith” in this year’s team, the FO, the coaches, etc, that is your absolute right to have that level of faith. Go for it. I won’t criticize or belittle you or anyone else for that belief.

So conversely, would you also understand that any Cowboys fan has the right to also have zero faith in this organization’s leaders based on their past performance?

The ones with zero faith aren't being realistic. If they are a football fan they should be a better judge of talent and admit that the Cowboys have added a lot talent to the team and have a lot of talent coming back from injury.

 

[blueblood70]

Just my opinion Blue…But that’s an apples and oranges comparison.

In sports, absolutely I need results. Proof of success. In matters of faith, that’s completely different. In sports there are winners and losers. The Cowboys have not been successful in the playoffs in three decades. With the same leaders in place, why should anyone “believe” in their sports abilities to get us back to playoff success? Faith in them?

If you are ok with the results we’ve been getting and have “faith” in this year’s team, the FO, the coaches, etc, that is your absolute right to have that level of faith. Go for it. I won’t criticize or belittle you or anyone else for that belief.

So conversely, would you also understand that any Cowboys fan has the right to also have zero faith in this organization’s leaders based on their past performance?

To me it is the same you have blind faith going into the season that you're going to have a good year if you get disappointed and let down who cares you have a new year to start all over it's a mental reset every year stop holding on the things...
I prefer to see it as a year year league and a game to game type situation as well during a year..

i'm not going to get too high or too low from losses because 17 games will Be the only way to judge the team...​

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I look at it as look at when they were 3 and 5 how many people jumped off the bandwagon in 2018 they end up going to the second round of the playoffs..3-5 to 10-6 and the 2nd round., yes it happens.. One of these years it's gonna be like that you're not gonna see it coming and we're finally gonna get back to the NFC Championship game that's step one for me so that's goal 1 win the second round that can happen this year and there's no reason to think it can't jerry doesn't play football the league is funny that way.. We watched the Giants team be nothing but wild cards long shots and win two Super Bowls against what was supposed to be the best dynasty football team with Tom Brady and beat them twice that's the faith I'm talking about that it can happen..​

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I mean ,he literally started out like it was all over people didn't have faith ,I didn't care I was going to watch all 17 with the same energy or I should say sixteen back then, but it's the same thing doesn't matter it's just football and you're allowed to reset your faith because the front office is not playing football..​

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so once getting one starts you watch all 17 games we're just watching football and hoping for the best. I think my point is we should be judging each year's team as a one off and not before the season starts you should be open to all possibilities but I'd rather have the positive outlook and if it's a bad year we could discuss how bad it was up until the new league year and then boom it resets see how easy that is..lol​

 

[blueblood70]

The ones with zero faith aren't being realistic. If they are a football fan they should be a better judge of talent and admit that the Cowboys have added a lot talent to the team and have a lot of talent coming back from injury.

I'm praying Jerry does even more but he's done a ton more from what we're judging from last off season to this but I need to think that some of these naysayers I think we need Nick Chubb or we need a trade for Jalen Ramsey or bring over another corner and maybe then they'll start thinking bigger I don't need all that but if Jerry really wanted to keep that George picking energy coming then before game 1, he will make one more move...

I just remember right around draft time he said that they had two substantial trade options in the works..

We all know one of them was George Pickens and that already happened,.

Well who was the other one I believe it might have been a corner it could have been a running bet that's why I believe one of those guys could still be on this team before game 1 which is in September...

We literally have 4 months I think when Jerry gets a good look at this team in training camp and a little of preseason he might make 1 or 2 of these moves that I'm talking about before game 1... That's what you call hope and faith...

If it doesn't happen I won't be disappointed but why get George Pickens and not just go ahead and back that up with another move? I say it's very possible he already broke the seal and opened up the moves..

 

[Hadenough]

I just don't see where the Cowboys are gonna win many games. Even the weaker teams they face Dak doesn't do well against.
Dak hasn't beaten the Cards when Murray plays and has never beaten the Broncos.
Dak won't beat the Vikings or Detroit. You saw last year the beat down Detroit gave Dallas for the cheating refs the year before.
The Commander are no longer a pushover and they could sweep Dallas. Daniels is just going to get better. The Eagles are the only good team that Dak seems to play well against. But I still thing the Eagles sweep Dallas.
The schedule is tough and we all know how Dak does against good teams.

 

[rambo2]

I just don't see where the Cowboys are gonna win many games. Even the weaker teams they face Dak doesn't do well against.
Dak hasn't beaten the Cards when Murray plays and has never beaten the Broncos.
Dak won't beat the Vikings or Detroit. You saw last year the beat down Detroit gave Dallas for the cheating refs the year before.
The Commander are no longer a pushover and they could sweep Dallas. Daniels is just going to get better. The Eagles are the only good team that Dak seems to play well against. But I still thing the Eagles sweep Dallas.
The schedule is tough and we all know how Dak does against good teams.

I think that you are going to be surprised. They will win between 8 and 11 games.

 

[5Stars]

The ones with zero faith aren't being realistic. If they are a football fan they should be a better judge of talent and admit that the Cowboys have added a lot talent to the team and have a lot of talent coming back from injury.

And you saw all that on TV, huh. Get outta here.