NFL Preview: Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys

Cheers: Dallas will bring back one of the better defenses in the league from last year, and they added some depth with guys like Ken Hamlin and Anthony Spencer. Not only do they have a good defense, they have some talent on offense. If TO can fit an entire season into his schedule, they have two pretty dangerous receivers and a good ground game. They’re a pretty complete team, and not many rosters in the NFC can go toe to toe with them in terms of overall talent.

Jeers: Wade Phillips isn’t going to be able to control the team. Owens is going to be running the show by week 10, and the locker room is going to fall apart. Phillips is so much of a players’ coach that no one respects and no one is going to work hard for him. They weren’t disciplined under Parcells, and their problems are only going to snowball with the new coach. Their front seven isn’t strong enough to dominate teams, and their Offensive Line is still pretty mediocre, even with the addition of Leonard Davis.

On second thought… as much as I dislike them, they’ve got a talented team. They don’t have many holes, and they’re going to battle for the division until the end of the season. If Romo can cut down on the picks and distribute the ball to everyone to keep the receivers happy, their offense will be in good shape. Wade Phillips knows the 3-4 defense, and he should help the Cowboys’ defense prolong their stay as one of the better ones in the league.

New guy who won’t meet expectations: Leonard Davis. He got paid a huge contract, and he was average at best in Arizona. He was a top draft pick that didn’t live up to his potential. Even though he had to adjust to position after position in his career, he never proved himself to be very good, and it speaks volumes that Arizona was so unwilling to re-sign this guy considering how bad their line was. He doesn’t represent that much of an upgrade over what they have now.

New guy who will meet expectations: Ken Hamlin. He’s battled a serious injury in the past couple years and hasn’t been on the field so much, but he’s a good player. His skills compliment Roy Williams very well, and his cover ability will add a lot to their secondary. He’ll allow Williams to do what he does best, and that’s line up in the box and kick someone’s ass.