If you are not a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan, which really too many are, it's pretty easy to make fun of the NFL franchise formerly known as America's Team. Regular season and playoff blunders provide the best fuel and then owner Jerry Jones seals the deal with his antics. There is never a dull moment and the hits just keep on coming.
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This week, the Cowboys signed free agent former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb to a one-year, $5 million deal that is supposed to have the rest of the NFC East shaking in their boots. Instead, the rest of football is probably chuckling at what Dallas now thinks is going to be a potent offense.
Dallas looks good on paper, but, in reality, it would be better if this was still 2016 and not 2019.
— Randall Cobb (@rcobb18) March 19, 2019
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Give a little credit to Cobb. The Toy Story reference is pretty awesome, to be honest. Let's just get back to the point.
The Cowboys averaged 21.2 points per game and a shade under 350 total yards in 2018. That was good enough to rank No. 22 out of 32 NFL teams. Translation: That's not very good.
Yet, for some reason, Dallas is "back" because they got Randall Cobb? Pump the brakes for a good minute.
The Dallas #Cowboys offense:
QB Dak Prescott
RB Ezekiel Elliott
WR Amari Cooper
WR Michael Gallup
WR Randall Cobb
TE Jason WittenAll led by an offensive line featuring Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and Travis Frederick
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) March 19, 2019
Do the Dallas Cowboys have a lot of talent? Yes. Do they have a strong offensive line? Yes. Is the potential there to be in the top half of the league in offense? Yes.
So what's the big deal? Getting rid of offensive coordinator Scott Linehan was likely wise, yet it's definitely uncertain what 30-year-old Kellen Moore has in the bag to replace him.
Quarterback Dak Prescott has regressed some since winning the 2016 NFL Rookie of the Year. Sure, the statistics are there and steadily improving, but the numbers are only for show if you cannot put points up on the scoreboard. Plus, the NFL is a smart league and the more film you have on Prescott, the more you can find schemes to take him out of his comfort zone.
Running back Ezekiel Elliott is damn good. Honestly, he probably doesn't get enough credit for picking up the yards he does against stacked boxes. But how long is this going to last? Despite playing less than three seasons, you just never know with running backs anymore. Let's just say he's not as fresh as he was as a rookie in 2016.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper, who was acquired in the middle of last season, showed flashes last season, but 2016 is still his best year. Randall Cobb hasn't really been elite since 2014 or 2015, but we can give him 2016 for the benefit of the doubt. Tavon Austin's best season was in 2016, too, when he played for the Los Angeles Rams.
Fellow wideout Michael Gallup wasn't in the league yet to add to the trend of the three years ago. The Cowboys also lost wide receiver Cole Beasley to the Buffalo Bills in free agency.
And if anyone thinks 36-year-old tight end Jason Witten is going to be a huge factor after a year off, no thank you.
Maybe this is all wrong. Perhaps this story will age as well as soggy bread and the Dallas Cowboys become an unstoppable force in the NFC and play the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Then again, it's the Dallas Cowboys and there's a good chance they will find a way to mess up another free lunch this season under head coach Jason Garrett.
