The 2020 Dallas Cowboys are expected to improve upon the accomplishments of last season. The 8-8 record and failure to make the post-season resulted in several changes being made ahead of the upcoming season. With several of those changes front and center, I have compiled a list of 7 reasons why the 2020 Dallas Cowboys will improve upon last season.
Reason #1: Coaching Changes
The departure of Jason Garrett was long overdue in Dallas. Without being overly critical of a coach that did actually compile a winning record during his tenure, it was time to move on after 10 years without a Super Bowl, an NFC championship game appearance, or back to back playoff appearances. The Cowboys front office also cleaned house on both the defensive coaching staff and special teams. The hope is that the addition of Mike McCarthy as Head Coach, Mike Nolan as Defensive Coordinator, and John Fassel on Special Teams along with a slew of quality assistants and position coaches, will invigorate the team. Often a fresh point of view and different energy can have an immediate impact on a team that has heard the same message from the same source for several years which then loses it’s effect. The new regime also promises to introduce innovative ideas in a departure from the stale and outdated concepts of the previous coaching staff. In particular, the use of analytics is something that Mike McCarthy has made mention of as something he is willing to embrace where that was not the case under Jason Garrett.
Reason #2: Defensive Tackle Upgrades
For too long, the Dallas Cowboys have neglected the defensive tackle position in both the draft and free agency. That was not the case this past off-season. The Cowboys added Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe in free agency and drafted Neville Gallimore in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft. The addition of size and veteran talent (despite the ages of McCoy and Poe) provides a huge upgrade over the 2019 DT group. Winning in the trenches is essential in football and doing so will impact all three levels of the defense. Improved DT play should free up the linebackers to make plays, jump start the outside pass rush, make the defensive backs jobs easier, and negate the vulnerability against the run that has plagued the Cowboys defense in certain games the past couple of seasons.
Reason #3: Defensive Philosophical Change
Related to the coaching changes is a major philosophical shift on the defensive side of the ball. Rod Marinelli and Kris Richard ran a defense that was simple and therefore often predictable. Not that the Dallas Cowboys defense was ineffective. In fact, it had it’s moments, especially in 2018. But, too often they were exposed against mobile quarterbacks or bullied against superior offensive lines. In 2018 the Colts ran wild on them in the regular season which foreshadowed 273 rush yards being hung on them in the divisional playoffs against the Rams. Last season, the Cowboys made Josh Allen and Mitch Trubisky look like All-Pro’s. The 2020 Dallas Cowboys defense should look a lot different. They will keep the 4-3 base defense but will also introduce multiple fronts as they adjust to different opponents or game situations. This defense will most certainly be more aggressive in rushing the passer. They will likely blitz more often and take a few more chances in the process. There will also be a priority placed on creating turnovers. The addition of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in free agency, Trevon Diggs in the draft, and allowing Byron Jones to walk in free agency point to a preference for players that attack the ball. Again, more risk in order to allow for greater reward in the form of defensive splash plays. This is a departure from Marinelli’s bend but don’t break defense which rarely gave up big plays but in the process rarely came up with game changing plays either. The 2020 Dallas Cowboys defense will likely be more vulnerable against the big plays but they will also be more likely to make big defensive plays. This will be a welcome change for Cowboys fans who consistently saw their team finish near the bottom of the league in INT’s and witnessed countless, excruciatingly painful, long, and slow drives against their defense.
Reason #4: Emphasis on Special Teams
Last season, the Dallas Cowboys special teams was one of the worst in the league. The team finished with and 8-8 record but in 6 of those losses they came within 8 pts, and within 4 pts in 4 of those losses. To make matters worse, in most of those games there were multiple special teams miscues. Brett Maher missed field goals in all but one loss. Tavon Austin’s fair catch against the Minnesota Vikings on the final drive ultimately cost the Cowboys a golden opportunity to win that game. Then against the Patriots, the Cowboys lost the field position battle in poor weather conditions as New England squib kicked it into the rain causing chaos among the Cowboys ranks while Dallas kept kicking into the endzone for an easy touchback over and over again. Mike McCarthy recognized that the special teams play was a detriment to the team last season and thus he hired special teams guru John Fassel to take over for the struggling unit. McCarthy also targeted players that can contribute in that phase of the game in free agency and the draft such as Maurice Canady and Reggie Robinson II. Last season, the Dallas Cowboys special teams miscues arguably cost the team between 2 and 4 wins. With significantly improved special teams play, it is entirely plausible that the opposite may be true for the 2020 Dallas Cowboys.
Reason #5: Strong Draft Class
An essential ingredient for a quick turn-a-round in the NFL his having a great draft class. None of the Dallas Cowboys draft picks have yet to set foot upon an NFL field and none have even had the opportunity to participate in training camp due to the ongoing global pandemic. For that reason, it is impossible to say for certain if the 2020 Dallas Cowboys draft class is indeed the real deal. However, based solely on experts opinions and the apparent value the Dallas Cowboys got in every single round of the draft it appears as though this years class may be the best since 2016. Here is quick recap of the impressive draft haul:
- CeeDee Lamb WR
- Trevon Diggs CB
- Neville Gallimore DT
- Reggie Robinson II CB
- Tyler Biadasz C
- Bradlee Anae DE
- Ben Dinucci QB
It is entirely possible that the Dallas Cowboys could have 3 starters in CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, and Tyler Biadasz. Neville Gallimore and Bradlee Anae could also be rotational players on the defensive line and Reggie Robinson II promises to be a special teams contributor. If the stars align and all that does come to pass, the 2020 Dallas Cowboys will have hit the lottery and the teams’ fortunes should improve dramatically.
Reason #6: Improved Depth
The Dallas Cowboys have never been short on superstars. Where they have lacked in recent years is overall team depth. That does not appear to be the case this year. The Cowboys may have let Byron Jones walk in free agency but they have never had as much depth at the cornerback position as they do now: Chidobe Awuzie, Anthony Brown, Jourdan Lewis, Trevon Diggs, Daryle Worley, Maurice Canady, Reggie Robinson II, and C.J. Goodwin. The competition will be fierce and the Cowboys will be better prepared in the event that the injury bug rears its ugly head. The same can be said at defensive tackle, defensive end, offensive line, and linebacker. The Cowboys have also shored themselves up at other key backup positions by adding free agents such as TE Blake Bell and by signing Andy Dalton to back-up Dak Prescott. Last season, if Dak were to have gone down, the season would be all but over. This year, with a veteran like Andy Dalton, the wheels likely won’t fall off the bus if Dak has to miss significant time.
Reason #7: Leighton Vander Esch
The “Wolf Hunter” burst unto the scene in 2018 and quickly quieted any of his critics who doubted that the 1st round pick was worthy of the 19th overall selection in the draft that year. Vander Esch earned Pro-Bowl and All-Pro Honors despite not being a full time starter till a few games into his rookie season. Unfortunately, Vander Esch did not follow up on his brilliant rookie campaign as he struggled mightily in 2019 until being forced to end his season as a result of a neck injury. Vander Esch has a history of neck issues so the injury is a major concern for Cowboys fans but he has been cleared to return in 2020 following successful offseason surgery. One can only assume that his regression in 2019 was largely related to his injury. If Vander Eshc is indeed back and fully healthy, there is reason for Cowboys fans to be optimistic that he will bounce back in a major way in 2020.
So there you have it…7 reasons that the 2020 Dallas Cowboys will improve upon last seasons failures. Next time I will play the devil’s advocate role and explore 6 reasons why the 2020 Dallas Cowboys will NOT improve from last season.
*Photo by Chris Hunkeler https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode
All Data and Statistics obtained and verified from https://www.pro-football-reference.com/
I think Dallas need a safety and a defensive end and then we can win a Superbowl but tight end is 1 more position.I like Jarwin,byt? He can’t block well we need a safety that can bust people up in the secondary and bust up qbs too.And at defensive end we need a strong speed rusher to get in their on the qb I like Griffin from the Vikings.I like Adams from at he jets and I know we ain’t getting him but Rudph from the Vikings.If I was Vikings coach they would be staying put.But Dallas try to get a safety at least and I think that’s the most important but steal Griffin he is better than what u guess.