The Cowboys didn’t make it this year, but could they get their soon?
Gut Feeling: How Can Cowboys Get To Rams’ Level? – Staff, DallasCowboys.com
The Dallas Cowboys website weighs in on how the Cowboys can snap their championship drought by looking at improvements on offense around Dak Prescott:
Rob Phillips: Whatever it takes to help Dak Prescott play his very best — whether that’s the O-Line, the run game, the scheme, all of the above, whatever — because once again the Super Bowl came down to two of the NFL’s top-10 quarterbacks with the ball in their hands in the fourth quarter. Around midway through the Tony Romo era in Dallas, Jerry Jones coined the term “Romo-friendly” and it basically had the same meaning: get the right supporting cast in place around him to succeed. They had it in 2007-08, lost it for a few years, and when they finally got it back, Romo got hurt. I feel like they’re at the same point with Dak right now. Yes, admittedly, he can play at a higher level than we saw down the stretch. Why? Because we’ve seen it. In October he looked like the MVP. It’s no coincidence the other parts of the offense (mentioned above) were humming back then, too. More than anything, the Cowboys have to figure out what went wrong offensively after the bye. If they get that fixed, they’ll have a chance to contend again despite the inevitable roster turnover.
Nick Eatman: For me, the Cowboys need to figure out how to be great at something. Whatever it is, just find that thing you can always count on. Last year, it was turnovers and sacks – until it didn’t show up in the big games. Maybe, that thing is the offense with Dak, but once again, they weren’t great at all the time. That No. 1 offensive ranking sure felt hollow at times. So to me, the best way to get there is probably through the offensive line. Fix that any way you can. Pick a guard/center or tackle in the first round. Maybe get another in the third. Maybe in the mid-rounds, you send the pick to another team to get an established vet who needs a fresh start. I’m not saying go all-in like the Rams did and forfeit first-round picks for years to come. But in the middle rounds, yes I’d rather unload a pick to get someone read to play. If this O-line is fixed, I think the offense can truly be great once again.
Building a 2022 Cowboys Roster Using Only Current Contracts – Jess Haynie, Inside The Star
Wide receiver was supposed to be the strength of this Cowboys roster for years to come, but this offseason could change a lot
Yeah, this is where it starts getting ugly. With Michael Gallup, Cedrick Wilson, Noah Brown, and Malik Turner all hitting free agency this year, Dallas will need to put in some work to either retain or restock talent at this critical position.
At this point, even Cooper’s future with the team is up in the air. The Cowboys can save $16 million in much-needed cap space by cutting Amari but, as you can see, they’re already woefully thin at receiver even if he stays.
It’s scary enough to see the inexperienced Fehoko climbing into a top-three spot on the depth chart. But then having practice squad guys like Vasher and Smith appearing is when it becomes an untenable situation.
This will easily be one of the focal points of the offseason. Maybe Dallas release Cooper and tries to re-sign Gallup and Wilson for around the same amount of money; a two-for-one deal that gives the position a little more overall solvency. If Gallup and Wilson sign elsewhere, a free agent move for a new WR3 and a premium draft pick at WR are both likely.
Progress Report: Trevon Diggs’ Historic 2nd Season – Rob Phillips, DallasCowboys.com
Trevon Diggs was tremendous creating turnovers in 2021, but he can also improve his game.
The Good: How about 11 interceptions, tying the great Everson Walls’ single-season franchise record and tying for third-most by an NFL player in a season since the 1970 merger? Diggs had at least one pick in 10 of 16 starts and became the first NFL player with 11 interceptions and at least 20 pass breakups since PBUs became an official stat in 1994. In just his second season, the former second-round pick emerged as one of the league’s premier ball-hawking cornerbacks, earning Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors.
The Bad: The analytics world hasn’t always been Diggs’ best friend. Pro Football Focus ranked Diggs 80th among NFL cornerbacks with a 58.5 defensive rating for the 2021 season. That’s a far cry from Diggs’ AP All-Pro status, which meant he was voted one of the league’s top corners (alongside the Rams’ Jalen Ramsey). All this has led to quite a Twitter debate about Diggs’ true efficiency level. Observers with a more critical eye, like PFF, point to the big plays Diggs allowed last season — and indeed, opponents were able to catch him on double moves in certain situations.
Roger Staubach joined by Joe Burrow in dubious category – Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire
The great Roger Staubach set a Super Bowl record long ago, not one that anyone wants, and was joined by Joe Burrow.
Heading into halftime, Joe Burrow had been sacked twice. But in one particularly ominous stretch of the third quarter, Cincinnati’s offensive line gave up a staggering five sacks in nine dropbacks.
If Burrow got dropped one more time in the final 17 minutes of play, he would take over a Super Bowl record that Cowboys legend Roger Staubach had held all to himself for 46 years.
The Carolina Panthers surrendered seven sacks in Super Bowl 50, but only six were on starting passer Cam Newton; Ted Ginn Jr. went in the books as being sacked once, too. In Super Bowl XX, the Bears recorded seven sacks as well, but they were divided between Patriots quarterbacks Steve Grogan and Tony Eason.
No, until this past Sunday, only the Cowboys’ Staubach had been taken down seven times in a single Super Bowl.
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