With holes filled, this team is a top 10 club.

[jterrell]

Last season was abysmal.
Dallas fell from being an overachieving 10 win team to a flat 6 win abomination and black mark on Bill Parcells otherwise distinguished coaching career.

If you look back its easy to see why.

Holes galore.

Starting QB: Manned by a 40+ with a losing NFL record as a starter the team had no business relying on the pass. Yet it tried.
RT: We tossed out Kurt Vollers and Torrin Tucker. Workable guys but backups to be sure.
WR: Keyshawn played hurt and Glenn sat on the sideline watching Crayton grow up, Witten make plays and everyone else prove to be less then NFL caliber.
TE: Witten made the pro Bowl and is a top 3 Tight End. Still, losing Campbell really hurt the 2 TE package we had expected to be the staple and the running game suffered.
RB: Julius was a fresh faced 2nd rounder but he laps the track with last year's slow footed starter Eddie George. Julius got in enough play after injury to prove just how good he can be. George is a broadcaster.

CB: If you are reading this and didn't play cornerback last year for the Cowboys raise your hand. Pete Hunter was already a suspect replacement for Mario Edwards but when he got hurt we were down to very late draft picks and undrafted free agents.
DE: Dat Dude was a Sho Scrub. He was so bad I almost missed Ekuban. Almost. Greg Ellis is a warrior and a heck of a player but he was a lone gunslinger at DE.
DT: Glover is a Pro Bowler. Carson is a decent NFL backup. After that we had guys better suited to the Arena League.
Safety: Woody went down for the season and left a hole at FS as well as in the lockerroom. RW had his worst year as a pro both emotionally where some childish antics were at least rumored and on the field where he was asked to play 20 yards off the ball.

If you are keeping score at home that adds up to essentially every positoon on the team having problems last season. The 6 wins might have been 1 or 2 more than we had any business winning.

Fast forward one year and we added 2 NFL starting Cbs, a 3rd round RB, a legit veteran NFL RB, a Nose Tackle who is just below Pro Bowl level, a veteran QB with skins on the wall and his arm still in tact, the draft's best pure pass rusher, 3 3-4 DE's from the draft, a pro bowl RG to bolster the OL, and all the injured guys sans Woody return healthy.

You can't count on everyone staying healthy, and Spears is already banged up, but its hard to imagine having anywhere near the miserable luck of last season.

This is right now a top 10 team on paper. That's merely my declaration granted but do not mistake that this is the best talent we have had since 1995. Dallas has 2 fairly sure Pro Bowl offensive players in Julius Jones and Jason Witten. That sets up the same kind of offense that propelled a formally bad San Diego team to the playoffs. Add in the same switch to the 3-4 San Diego made with a similar fusion of young draft talent to man that 3-4 and there's a lot of similarities. Where Dallas may be even better than San Diego last season is Roy Williams. Roy is quite probably the most disruptive strong safety in the NFL. He doesn't just disrupt plays or alter games he removes guys from the other team from the playing field. Allowing him to play closer to the line of scrimmage move around will cause alot of headaches, pun intended, for Wide Receivers and Running Backs.

Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News is a ballyhooed football guy but he has Dallas rnaked 21 in his power poll this week. He actually moved than down one spot form his June ranking. Rick is flat wrong here. Rick pays a ton of attention to whats going on around the league but he obviously needs to focus a little more on what's going on here.

 

[dargonking999]

I wouldnt go that far.....yet, there our teams out there who are gonna get better just by notlosing anyboyd from there last year (I.E the bengals), i think right now we are a top 15 team, the preseason will show us just how good our team has gotten, but i do agree with you, injuries and mistakes really hurt last year, and BP made sure he fixed every hole he possibly could(RT,FS one of the few he didnt get)

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Nice post JT. I think a top-10 team is a bit high. Why?

Too many question marks (still) along with the fact we don't have a top 10
QB. I would put us in the high teens.

 

[adbutcher]

Nice post JT. I think a top-10 team is a bit high. Why?

Too many question marks (still) along with the fact we don't have a top 10
QB. I would put us in the high teens.

I agree 10 wins is a bit on the high side but not because of QB play; we won 10 games with less.

I think we are relying too much on the rookies.

 

[Banned_n_austin]

Jterrel, nice read.

You should audition to be a staff writer and stuff ...

In all seriousness though, I like the optimism you display in that post. I think we as fans have good reason to display optimism this year. As with any team, there are always going to be some weak spots and some strong spots, but that's what makes a team a team.

And if what this team looks like on paper is anything close to what we look like on the field this year, I'll be high up in Hog Heaven.

It's refreshing to me as a fan how much we've potentially improved. We go into every season trying to find the positive aspects of our team. And looking around this year there are quite a few of them. They're everywhere.

I can't recall a time when I think the beginning of a season warranted so much optimism. And in contrast to other seasons, this optimism seems warranted. Sure we look at things from a fans perspective. But as Dallas fans, we tend to be a little smarter than the average fan. We know football. And even the skeptics are propping up this years team.

I think this is a breakout year for us. I really do. I predict we beat the Eagles twice and win the NFC East. I think if we stay healthy at QB and let this team play to it's potential that we're as good as anybody in the league - at least on paper.

It's up to Parcells to make that talent translate on the field.

And I can't think of a better man to try to make that happen other than Parcells.

That's being quite a bit more optimistic than I should have been 3 years ago at this time, don't you think?

And this takes me back to your post. We've improved in every area since 3 years ago - from the coach to the kicker. I give a lot of these props to Parcells.

Oh, and Jerry for hiring him.

 

[AsthmaField]

Very nice post, JT. I agree with most of what you wrote.

I don't get into predicting where we'll finish, but I can tell you that the talent difference between last year and this year is probably as dramatic a difference as I've ever seen in the NFL.

Between who we got in free agency, who we drafted, who we got as undrafted free agents, and who we're getting back from injury, we very well could be 4 games better. Julius being here all year alone might have been enough to win that many more games.

We've built some depth too, so there aren't many positions where we'll be dead in the water if we have some injuries.

WR is one where we'll be in trouble if some guys go down, but most other places, we can take some hits and not suffer too much.

 

[NorTex]

One of the best posts I've ever read on a forum...well, of course, I agree with you! Except I would be even a little more optomistic...I think we're top 2 in the NFC, top 5 overall.

I won't be a bit surprised if we're playing in the NFC championship game(and winning), if we stay healthy!

 

[wxcpo]

I think top 10 is probably a bit optimistic, but I certainly understand any Cowboys fan being optimistic at this point. I myself am very optimistic about this coming season and definitely see us finishing with more than the 6 wins we had last year and 2nd in our division. I think we still have questions along the offensive line and with a QB like Bledsoe running the offense, offensive line questions are not something you want going into the season.

WR is another position that has glaring possible problems. Look at last year and how the offense clicked while Glenn was a starter, but once we lost him the offense struggled and couldn't move the ball with any consistency. Also at this point the team is still trying to sort out who will be the #3 guy. The reports on Morgan aren't real glowing and he does have a shoulder injury to boot. Crayton may eventually emerge as the guy, but he did play mainly QB in college so he will probably still need more time to fully develope. We need for Glenn and Key to stay healthy or we may be staring at another long season.

On defense we have certainly improved, but we are also putting alot of faith in our 2 rookies Ware and Spears. I have to keep reminding myself that despite their college play this is the NFL and that means guys that are bigger, faster, stronger and more experienced than they played for the last couple of seasons. The upgrades in the secondary will make the most difference to this defense, but I believe the loss of Woodson is the single biggest impact loss to this team. Look at Roy Williams first season as compared to his second and that should be enough to convince anyone of that. With Woodson in the backfield Roy was able to play up on the line alot more and had a much greater impact and he was a big reason why our defense finished #1 that season. Fast forward to last seaosn and no Woodson meant Roy had to stay back in coverage alot more and add to that we had no pass rush to speak of and you can easily see why Roy didn't look as dominant.

Bottom line is this team is an improvement over the team from last season, but probably not quite there yet on being a top 10 team. Give the rookies a chance to mesh with the vets and learn how to play the game at NFL speed and we'll see. I think the team will probably have a better 2nd half to the season this year for that reason.

 

[CactusCowboy]

If any team's holes are filled , they are a top 10????? Injuries are usually key every year.

 

[jterrell]

When I first thought about top 10 my own homer radar went off then I looked at the list Goose had:

1. Philly
2. Pitt
3. NE
4. Indy
5. Carolina
6. SD
7. Jax
8. Minny
9. Buffalo
10. KC
11. ATL
12. NYG

I'd rate Dallas above Buffalo, KC and NYG easily. Probably even with SD, Jax, Minny....And what it comes down to for me is those teams simply have more holes than Dallas or an equal number of issues with the same number of star quality guys. Holes Dallas has filled to some extent.

Bledsoe? Easy to take shots at him but he is simply a proven NFL starter. Not a stud but a good manager of the game and a guy who can toss 20 TDs with 16 INTs as he did last season.

 

[Cbz40]

I think would depend on the quality of player in which you filled the hole. :wink:

 

[smashmouth]

If we could pull out 6 wins with VT, E.George,No T.Glen,A.Gurode,T.Tucker, small Dexter Coakley, tall but thinish Al Singleton, Dat Dude, some scrub Dt next to Glover, a collection of trash opposite Terrance Newman, Scott, and Roy playing out of position along with B. Cundiff and some sucky coaches (which are gone now) then that should give us atleast 6 more wins this year.

 

[adbutcher]

When I first thought about top 10 my own homer radar went off then I looked at the list Goose had:

1. Philly
2. Pitt
3. NE
4. Indy
5. Carolina
6. SD
7. Jax
8. Minny
9. Buffalo
10. KC
11. ATL
12. NYG

I'd rate Dallas above Buffalo, KC and NYG easily. Probably even with SD, Jax, Minny....And what it comes down to for me is those teams simply have more holes than Dallas or an equal number of issues with the same number of star quality guys. Holes Dallas has filled to some extent.

Bledsoe? Easy to take shots at him but he is simply a proven NFL starter. Not a stud but a good manager of the game and a guy who can toss 20 TDs with 16 INTs as he did last season.

I see your point and I agree with your take on Goose's list. However his system is flawed and consequently it is skewing your top ten, especially Philly being number one.

Having said all that I think we definitely improved our team. The only area of improvement that scares me a little is the positions filled by the rookies. I just hope Ware evitable mistakes translate to LT type stories instead of 6 points for the opposition. If the rookies reach a maturation point early in the season and fight through the 10 game brick wall, I really like our chance of something great.

 

[jterrell]

I see your point and I agree with your take on Goose's list. However his system is flawed and consequently it is skewing your top ten, especially Philly being number one.

Having said all that I think we definitely improved our team. The only area of improvement that scares me a little is the positions filled by the rookies. I just hope Ware evitable mistakes translate to LT type stories instead of 6 points for the opposition. If the rookies reach a maturation point early in the season and fight through the 10 game brick wall, I really like our chance of something great.

I did consider that but then working my way down Goose's list it demonstrated that there are simply a lot of bad football teams. Teams simply do not offer good talent all over with depth anymore.

I notice you are concerned about the rookies but we may well only start 1 off the bat. Ware will start and most teams count on guys drafted that highly. After that Spears should be in a rotation at best, Burnett may win a job but it won't be forced or handed to him.

 

[Banned_n_austin]

I think top 10 is probably a bit optimistic, but I certainly understand any Cowboys fan being optimistic at this point. I myself am very optimistic about this coming season and definitely see us finishing with more than the 6 wins we had last year and 2nd in our division. I think we still have questions along the offensive line and with a QB like Bledsoe running the offense, offensive line questions are not something you want going into the season.

WR is another position that has glaring possible problems. Look at last year and how the offense clicked while Glenn was a starter, but once we lost him the offense struggled and couldn't move the ball with any consistency. Also at this point the team is still trying to sort out who will be the #3 guy. The reports on Morgan aren't real glowing and he does have a shoulder injury to boot. Crayton may eventually emerge as the guy, but he did play mainly QB in college so he will probably still need more time to fully develope. We need for Glenn and Key to stay healthy or we may be staring at another long season.

On defense we have certainly improved, but we are also putting alot of faith in our 2 rookies Ware and Spears. I have to keep reminding myself that despite their college play this is the NFL and that means guys that are bigger, faster, stronger and more experienced than they played for the last couple of seasons. The upgrades in the secondary will make the most difference to this defense, but I believe the loss of Woodson is the single biggest impact loss to this team. Look at Roy Williams first season as compared to his second and that should be enough to convince anyone of that. With Woodson in the backfield Roy was able to play up on the line alot more and had a much greater impact and he was a big reason why our defense finished #1 that season. Fast forward to last seaosn and no Woodson meant Roy had to stay back in coverage alot more and add to that we had no pass rush to speak of and you can easily see why Roy didn't look as dominant.

Bottom line is this team is an improvement over the team from last season, but probably not quite there yet on being a top 10 team. Give the rookies a chance to mesh with the vets and learn how to play the game at NFL speed and we'll see. I think the team will probably have a better 2nd half to the season this year for that reason.

Agreed on the Woodson part. But the additions we've made to improve the pass rush and run support will help soothe a lot of the pain associated with Woodson's absense.

We had to make the defense stronger without him. And I think we did regardless of where Roy plays this year. Sure you miss a guy like Woodson, but you have to rebuild and I think we've done a nice job of that for several reasons. We've made nice adjustments amongst our personnel.

 

[scottsp]

jt: Can't say that I argue with this premise. You make some very good points, as usual. With all the new faces in the fold, a guy like Bledsoe might take to this team like a fish to water. This just might be the right place at the right time for a guy like him, despite the issues he's had in recent years.

Though, what could hamper this team is injuries. And certainly, not just our team, but any football team. A lot of clubs ranked in that top ten could definitely fall by the wayside if they sustain key injuries. On the flipside, teams not thought to be as accomplished could catapult into elite status if they remain relatively healthy. We've seen it happen year in, year out.

We know injuries are going to occur. There is no way around it. Every week, players are going to get dinged, nicked, and some much worse. The tale of the injury bug will be, as usual, the single greatest determining factor of NFL teams' fates.

That said, I concur that the Cowboys could indeed be in that top group. And I don't believe such has been these case here recently. I feel we are among a half dozen or so teams that could make such a jump.

Then again, when isn't that the case in this league these days?

 

[adbutcher]

I did consider that but then working my way down Goose's list it demonstrated that there are simply a lot of bad football teams. Teams simply do not offer good talent all over with depth anymore.

I notice you are concerned about the rookies but we may well only start 1 off the bat. Ware will start and most teams count on guys drafted that highly. After that Spears should be in a rotation at best, Burnett may win a job but it won't be forced or handed to him.

Very true statement.

On further reflection the rookies that may start won’t be in positions that require an element of seasoned experience to be effective. For example, Ware's position will require a lot less thinking and whole lot of attacking. I really like the Tuna's philosophy of getting him doing the things he is already good at and filling in the blanks as the season progresses.

I am completely geeked for this season and I am trying my best to temper my enthusiasm, but your post has made it that much harder.

Side Note: When I get back from Zona, I will pick up WOW, so I will lean on you to bring me up to speed.

 

[jterrell]

jt: Can't say that I argue with this premise. You make some very good points, as usual. With all the new faces in the fold, a guy like Bledsoe might take to this team like a fish to water. This just might be the right place at the right time for a guy like him, despite the issues he's had in recent years.

Though, what could hamper this team is injuries. And certainly, not just our team, but any football team. A lot of clubs ranked in that top ten could definitely fall by the wayside if they sustain key injuries. On the flipside, teams not thought to be as accomplished could catapult into elite status if they remain relatively healthy. We've seen it happen year in, year out.

We know injuries are going to occur. There is no way around it. Every week, players are going to get dinged, nicked, and some much worse. The tale of the injury bug will be, as usual, the single greatest determining factor of NFL teams' fates.

That said, I concur that the Cowboys could indeed be in that top group. And I don't believe such has been these case here recently. I feel we are among a half dozen or so teams that could make such a jump.

Then again, when isn't that the case in this league these days?

Thanks and I'd say there are 3 main groups.
1. Elites: Top 3 to 5 teams with a real shot at SB.
2. Potentials: Playoff type squads who could fall or rise based on circumstance.
3. Bottom Feeders: Bottom 10 or so teams with major issues who are long shots to make the playoffs and a few bad breaks away from the top overall pick in the next draft.

You make a great point about the current state of football. Teams just aren't awesome now. Dallas is in the potentials.

 

[Lifetimeboyzfan]

I think JT makes great points. I don't think it is stretching it to say if we stay healthy we are top 10 team.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Since we are making the playoffs this year I would say we are at least a top 12 team.