What makes you optimistic of the 2013 Cowboys

[CrownCowboy]

I am naturally optimistic about just watching football again. Gone are the days where I have a feeling or the notion that the Cowboys will compete for a Championship.

I am looking forward to watching Dez's ongoing maturation and seeing how high his game can really go. I am looking forward to watching Tony Romo having more control of the offense and gameplan and seeing how that will work. I really am looking forward to seeing how this team plays without the multitude of injuries it had last year.

I am interested to see how the defense will play under the new scheme and leadership, not necessarily excited.

Other than that, that's about it. I do not expect them to make the playoffs because, frankly, they haven't proven that they are capable of doing it. I think the offensive line will once again be the detriment to this team and have no kind of optimistic expectations of that group.

All things considered, I'm excited about watching and pulling for them again, as I do every year. The time between when real football games are played always seems like an eternity every year and it's always an exciting time of year when training camp rolls around.

Go Boys!

 

[Section446]

More than anything, I think it's just that we get a clean slate. I pray that we enter the season 100% healthy.

 

[SportsGuru80]

It's simple... I think there will be less injuries!

 

[Wishbone82]

Really look forward to seeing a healthy Lee and Carter, could go a long way to vastly improving our defense. I'm hopeful that we finally got ourselves a legit center (that does everything a center is suppose to do). Can't wait to see what Dez brings to the table, he was pretty awesome the 2nd half of the season. Claiborne's 2nd season.

 

[5Stars]

Actually Lebron took it and the Spurs let one slip away at the same time. besides there's so many other variables that went into play in the series it's foolish to point to one thing or player.[/quote]


You mean how some of our beloved posters only point to Romo as why the team sucks?

 

[5Stars]

I don't believe we've improved much in the offseason so I'm expecting the same 8-8ish team the QB is going to have to carry on his back to a playoff berth.

I'm sorry you feel this way. I wish there was something that I could do to make you feel better. smh...!

 

[Idgit]

The last time I wasn't particularly optimistic before a season was the year Phillips was brought in. Oops. Before that it was justifiably the year we had Vinny Testaverde starting at QB.

But I think the 2010 team under Garrett was an improvement over the 2010 team under Phillips. I thought the 2011 team was an improvement over 2010, and that--records be hanged--the 2012 team was significantly better than the 2011 team (no way that 2011 team goes 8-8 with similar injuries and that schedule). At this point, I'd be surprised if we're not better yet again, just with the players we've had all along getting one more year in the current program.

Beyond that, I think we'll very likely have a more regular year in terms of injuries. I think the OL will be better as a result. And I think the additions of Frederick, the passing game options, and the S play is all going to be an improvement over last season.

All that said, we're still going to be in a dog fight for the NFCE. The Sk*ns will be better, too, if their QB doesn't have injury hangovers or a sophomore slump. The Giants will be good again, and PHI is a complete wildcard. Still, I think we're seeing a changing of the guard in the NFCE with WAS and, surprisingly, DAL going head:head for the division for the next few seasons here.

 

[5Stars]

The last time I wasn't particularly optimistic before a season was the year Phillips was brought in. Oops. Before that it was justifiably the year we had Vinny Testaverde starting at QB.

But I think the 2010 team under Garrett was an improvement over the 2010 team under Phillips. I thought the 2011 team was an improvement over 2010, and that--records be hanged--the 2012 team was significantly better than the 2011 team (no way that 2011 team goes 8-8 with similar injuries and that schedule). At this point, I'd be surprised if we're not better yet again, just with the players we've had all along getting one more year in the current program.

Beyond that, I think we'll very likely have a more regular year in terms of injuries. I think the OL will be better as a result. And I think the additions of Frederick, the passing game options, and the S play is all going to be an improvement over last season.

All that said, we're still going to be in a dog fight for the NFCE. The Sk*ns will be better, too, if their QB doesn't have injury hangovers or a sophomore slump. The Giants will be good again, and PHI is a complete wildcard. Still, I think we're seeing a changing of the guard in the NFCE with WAS and, surprisingly, DAL going head:head for the division for the next few seasons here.

One thing that may be overlooked is the playcalling is going to simplified which should allow the offense to not think as much about the two plays called in the huddle. I read that article about how the plays were long drawn out numbers and words, but now the plays are going to be using less hard to understand language and that should be a good thing.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

I have no idea how we're going to do. I can see us finishing first or last. The NFC East will be tough as it always is. Hopefully the injuries won't be as bad as last year. Garrett will have another year under his belt. Without his play calling, maybe he can concentrate on being the head coach. Dez really came on last year. I'm looking forward to seeing how he improves. The new defensive coaches are better than the last. Hopefully the defense finally shows some toughness. There's a lot of hopefully in my post but that's all I got. Hopefully this year is different from the past few.

 

[Silverstar]

It seems like I'm always optimistic at this time of year, but so much about the makeup of this team will be determined during preseason play IMO. I've read a lot of good things about the changes made this year, but will any of that translate to more touchdowns on offense and more turnovers on defense?

 

[5Stars]

It seems like I'm always optimistic at this time of year, but so much about the makeup of this team will be determined during preseason play IMO. I've read a lot of good things about the changes made this year, but will any of that translate to more touchdowns on offense and more turnovers on defense?

Who knows? The "realists" say no.

 

[Red Dragon]

Fans will be optimistic until about midway through the first quarter of Game 1, at which point the threads on CZ will make it seem like the sky is falling.

 

[nalam]

Last year we were decimated by injuries in defense (never had so many starters coming off street) and OL, Murphy's law says we will have better health this year, that alone will get us a bit far, plus point #1.

Call it whatever, play calling offensive framework , scheme change etc coupled with a marginal better play from OL will have a semi-decent running game , gives us a lot options. Can translate into. 3 pt differential which may very well give us a couple of victories.

Any thing else is a bonus!

 

[Crown Royal]

I like that our team seems to be setup to compete within division. We match up very well to the Giants and darn near swept them last year. I don't see Chip Kelly being all-world his first year, I don't think he has the entire offensive personnel he needs, and I like Monte Kiffin to matchup against a very strong tactician group in the Shanahans.

I highly believe in the win-you-division mentality of building a team, and I think we have an opportunity to do well there next year.

 

[DrKennethNoisewater]

I am optimistic for the following reasons:

Dez...he is in the uppoer echelon of WRs and not only does he seem to be getting better at his craft, but he seems to be maturing just as much. He is going to blow up this year.

Move to the 4-3...I have always felt that getting players for a 4-3 is easier. We have players currently on the roster who will make an easy transition and overall I think you will see more speed out there. Also, hard to have a better pair of coaches than Kiffin and Marinelli to run the 4-3.

Callahan as the playcaller...This will truly give Garrett the time to be a coach. When he struggled with time management or challenges I think that might have been a symptom of being overwhelmed. Time for him to lead.

The starting LBs...Lee, Carter, and Durant will be one of the most athletic...or the most athletic LB corps in the league. If everyone is healthy, this unit would be outstanding.

Claiborne...I think he takes a big step forward. I hated seeing him and Carr play 10 yards off the line...time to use Mo correctly and let him get physical off the line.

 

[FLcowboy]

I still think last year's results were impacted heavily by the front line injuries, and the Oline woes. I realize other teams had as many, or more injuries, but the Cowboys apparently didn't have the adequate second line players on the squad. Romo became shell shocked by two things: one, he couldn't set up in the pocket, but rather had to run for his life and then find a receiver who didn't know what pattern he was running, at least in the first half of the season. Second, when the offense, weak as it is, has to score a lot of points to win, because the defense is going to give up a lot of points.

With a defense than can hold the opposing offense to 17 points or less, the Cowboys are going to win a lot of games, because I think the offense is set to explode this year. Adequate backups at RB, TEs, and OL will change this offense.

Two big changes to the Oline: Frederick at center, and Leary at guard. Leary is my pet cat. And I think right tackle will be solved. Romo will have time, and Dez will be running the right patterns.,

 

[iceberg]

back when we went 1-15, while i hated the season, i still loved the cowboys. i moved to dallas the next year and saw us beat san diego, my 1st cowboys game. i had no idea of what was about to happen and the immense highs we were all about to go through as fans. now i can only see the depths of despair setting the bar so high has done to us.

i'm optimistic because i choose to be. i could also choose to see the pattern of failcakes from jones and be bitter about that. but that would just make me angry and disgusted and honestly take away the fun i still *do* get out of watching the cowboys. sure it's more fun when they win, but this is my team out of choice, so i just stay on the bandwagon and while i don't always like or even agree with what jones is doing, he paid a ton of cash for the team he can do with it what he wants. i can watch, or i can go do something else.

but they *have* made moves to fix the OL. when we drafted frederick my first reaction was something that would likely get filtered out if i said it. i stayed up all night sober for THIS? but when i started hearing about him, watching him play, seeing we did in fact get the highest rated C in the draft, i started to see the bigger picture. if we can get romo the ball consistently, have a C who is smart about calling the OL and we give tony a little bit of time, i think his "errors" will drop and his play will pick up.

we've still got arguably the best TE in the game and we drafted another very highly touted one to hopefully eventually replace him. until then, TE's are becoming more and more of a necessity in the game and we've got some great ones here.

dez. if he didn't pump you up last year then just give up football and find a good soap opera. (well, outside the cowboys org that is) with williams we're no longer at mercy of the annual miles hammy issues. harris stepped up also and we've got legit talent out there and working on the very OL to help all this come together.

this team is also chock full of head coaches at just about every position. the entire way they're going to approach things will be different. it's very unlikely we'll run into the injuries we did last year so if we can just stay healthy and be more aggressive on D, i'm optimistic we've have one very very talented team to root for.

so yea, i'm optimistic because i choose to be and i do see reasons for that. i have my concerns also but they're kinda a downer so i don't drag 'em around show them off all the time.

i'm ready for some FOOTBALL!!!!

 

[jday]

Why do you think this team will be better than lasts years?

1. For me, 1st and foremost, has to be a healthy Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, Miles Austin, Demarco Murray, Barry Church, Jay Ratliff, Demarcus Ware, Matt Johnson, Orlando Scandrick, etc (those are the few that come to mind that were hampered by injury or IR'ed, I am sure there were more).
2. Tony Romo, while still undefined to those outside of Valley Ranch, has more of a voice in the playcalling. Hopefully that leads to some hurry up and more balance in the run/pass ratio.
3. Jason Garrett has, IMO, a better braintrust than last year. This is not meant to be an insult to Rob Ryan; Monte Kiffen and Rod Marinelli have more experience and I would imagine between the two of them many of those end-game time-management gaff's likely would have been avoided.
4. Jason Garrett's removal from playcalling. This also remains somewhat undefined, since I would imagine Jason Garrett will still reserve the right to have input. The question is how much? But I do think him being too close to the offense, could have hurt the team last year.
5. Strong Safety and Free Safey are still largely unknowns at this point. It could be really good, really bad, or somewhere inbetween. At this point, I'll say I'm cautiously optimistic.
6. Hard not to be excited about the further development of Dez Bryant. The oft critical of the overall management of the Cowboys organization mediots beam when Dez Bryant is the topic They cannot stop talking about the continued evolution of this player. He came on strong toward the end of the season; hopefully that continues.
7. The rookies. Overall, I think the Cowboys improved themselves as well as they could considering the talent pool. Terrance Williams may have been a steal. Can't wait to find out.
8. Demarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer at defensive end. This is another unknown, but I am also optimistic about the prospects. Beyond the obvious of Ware/Spencer always attacking, this will also help clear a path for Lee and Carter to make plays. The secondary will also likely benefit, as I suspect QB's will have a little less time in the pocket then last year.
9. The continued development of Morris Claiborne. I don't think anybody would make the argument that he hit the mark of expectations, but then again, the leap from college to the NFL is one of the hardest to make (or so I've read). So I am reserving judgement on him for this year. Hopefully, he rises to the occasion.
10. The offensive line should be better than last year. By merit of having some faith in the Cowboys draft board, I'll say Frederick is an improvement to the line. Leary and Parnell may prove to be steals this year, as well.

 

[TheFinisher]

I feel this is the best roster we've fielded since 2007. Jerry has taken a lot of heat in the past for fielding top heavy rosters that lack depth, but if you look at the depth chart as of now there are quality players throughout the 2nd string... Certainly the best 2-deep roster I can remember in quite some time. Odds are we experience better luck on the injury front, but there will be some injuries... There always are... I just feel more confident in our ability to absorb that this year than years past.

We have 2 young 1st rounders anchoring our OL, an open competition at RT that the best man will win, and a plethora of interior options (young and old) that will only be more familiar than they were a year ago under Bill Callahan. There is good reason to believe the OL turns the corner this year, its the best situation we've had there in the past 5 seasons.

We have one of the deepest groups of skill players throughout the league, including the most exciting outside playmaker in the league not named Megatron. with an experienced vet QB who is no stranger to putting up numbers. This is another area that's stronger than its been in the past 4-5 years.

We have one of the best bookend pass rusher duos in the league, and 2 capable interior rushers in Ratliff and Hatcher... All playing in a new system that caters to their strengths, getting up field and making plays. They are also backed by a 2nd unit of homegrown drafted talent that should complete a healthy 7-8 man rotation (Crawford, Wilber, Lissemore).

We have the best group of LBs we've had in over a decade. 2 players on the brink of stardom and a newcomer FA who is still in his prime and coming off an extremely productive year for Detroit. We also have nice depth with players who can run well and fit the new D to a T.

One of the better CB duos in the league coupled with a vet NB and a promising 4th CB in Webb is backed by a group of safeties that are currently in the middle of fighting to earn the job. While we're unproven at Safety, we do have some intriguing prospects including 3rd and 4th round picks, respectively, who are both essentially in their rookie years... But are not short on talent.

So call me crazy, but I'm quietly optimistic about this roster heading into 2013. We have the horses to compete, and we've always had the star power. Now it's time for JG to get this team to take the next step, the pieces are in place and it should be a fun year of Cowboy football.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

If the Spurs had just made 1 more free throw in Game 6, they almost certainly would have won the game, irregardless of anything LeBron could do at or after that point.

Did you really reply with a "if this... Then that" argument? Lol