Dallas Cowboys
Offense
Offense remains the strong point of the Cowboys team in 2014. Dez Bryant has solidified himself as one of the NFL’s premiere wide receivers. Terrance Williams was under-the-radar good last year, and is now going to be counted on to be Tony Romo‘s No. 2 receiver. And a healthy DeMarco Murray is a dynamic back with the benefit of the league’s best offensive lines to run behind.
Romo is 34 years old coming off back surgery, and I wonder when Week 8 rolls around where his health will be. Obviously, when healthy Romo has been one of the best statistical quarterbacks, but late-season success has annually been a November storyline. Perhaps the front office is going to regret not drafting Johnny Manziel when they had the chance.
Defense
The Cowboys will score points, but they will have a big-time problem stopping anybody. It feels like the team ignored the glaring holes up and down the unit, beginning with a defensive front that lost DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher, and Sean Lee to injury for the year. The underachieving secondary will be without a suspended Orlando Scandrick to begin 2014, while Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne continue to underperform.
No NFL team should have to claim Henry Melton as their best defensive lineman and Barry Church as their best defensive back. And the three linebackers slated to start will struggle mightily against the run. This unit could be the worst D in the league.
Outlook
The Cowboys will be in contention for the No. 1 overall pick. The team has a lot of offensive firepower, but it doesn’t have enough talent to stop anybody. Shootouts will be a common thing in Big D, but more often than not I expect the Cowboys to come out of the wrong side of them.
Romo is getting up there in age, and the team needs to begin focusing on his future under center beyond him. It needs to find help on the defensive side of the ball to replace its franchise player, Ware. There’s too many weak spots up and down the roster to think more than four wins is likely.
