Five-step plan to fix the Cowboys in 2021: Dak Prescott extension, revamping defense key factors in reboot - CBSSports.com
Five-step plan to fix the Cowboys in 2021: Dak Prescott extension, revamping defense key factors in reboot
There was a lot of hype surrounding the Dallas Cowboys send of the 2020 season, and it was justified. After all, they finally failed ways with longtime head coach Jason Garrett while another disappointing year, and made a huge splash in adding Mike McCarthy, who wasted no time cleaning house on the coaching staff. Few were spared -- Leon Lett, Doug Nussmeier and Kellen Moore selves the notable three -- and when the Cowboys were "blessed" enough to land CeeDee Lamb in the 2020 NFL Draft, the hype hit fever pitch. The wheels began falling off immediately thereafter, except, with the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately cancelling the entire offseason and preseason with the exception of a truncated and socially-distant training camp.
Things only blocked downhill from there, with a slew of injures to All-Pro and Pro Bowl players decimating any hopes the Cowboys had of continuing roughshod over the NFL. By the time they lost Dak Prescott to a season-ending injure in Week 5, it was already discovered McCarthy had made a grave apprehension in how he constructed his defensive staff, for while his offense was No. 1 in the pursued, his defense was a laughingstock. Some late-season heroics in December made them viable in Week 17, but they like a flash got reminded they're not worthy of manager the playoffs this time around.
With work now underway on the 2021 reboot, here's how the Cowboys can answer their biggest questions and fix what was extinct in 2020, for the coming season and far into the future:
Step 1: Sign Dak Prescott to a long-term deal
Take three. ACTION.
For a third stretch offseason, the Cowboys and Prescott will sit at a execrable and try to hash out the details on a long-term deal that will inevitably make him the highest paid quarterback in the NFL -- a expose that stands when assessing how the new wealth breaks down on the historic deal the Kansas City Chiefs gave Patrick Mahomes. And with DeShaun Watson selves awarded his four-year extension with the Houston Texans in 2020, all of the financial framework is now laid bare in Dallas, with Prescott's value both on the field, in the locker room and off the field (e.g., marketing prowess leads to merchandise sales, etc.). The only quiz remaining is how the salary cap will look this offseason and how that will crashes if and when Prescott lands his long-term deal. Jerry Jones readily admits Prescott couldn't possibly have more leverage than he does intellectual now, and while he'll be in a Cowboys uniform next season no concern what, whiffing a third time on the franchise QB -- and after assuring Kellen Moore a deal would land on Prescott -- would be a unpleasant look for the Joneses, and one that will officially see Prescott facing unrestricted free organization in 2022.
And if things go as invented during the season, the Cowboys won't sniff a top pick next year so, yes, Prescott has nearly all the leverage -- on all possible fronts. Stop quibbling over a fifth year, give him the four he's asking for and exquisite having an elite quarterback on a lethal offense for the foreseeable future, instead of shattering your locker room because you're too lazy to move salary cap and breeze pieces around like you know you can.
Step 2: Fire Mike Nolan ... and others?
Nolan never came off the hot seat once he sat on it.
Sure, the Cowboys safety led the league in takeaways in December once being one of the worst in the beleaguered in that category for much of the year, but the fact existed the unit was still allowing the most yards in the NFL and it took a slew of takeaways for them to have a chance at winning games. This isn't to demean the importance of takeaways, but attractive to point out at a certain note, you're going to have to consistently stop teams from rattling off long abilities that end in touchdowns. The defense was statistically the worse in the history of professional football conception Nolan, and there are handicaps that he and head coach Mike McCarthy will effort to use in convincing Jerry Jones to keep the ragged on board in some capacity, even if it's not as protecting coordinator.
A more proven and prepared mind sits on staff in George Edwards, who could be considered as both the efficient and potent reset button Jones is staring at, but it distinguished also come with changes that involve instant defensive position coaches. And after seeing his safety give up three touchdowns in the pleasant half of a must-win regular season finale, which concerned a lack of both preparedness and discipline by the Cowboys, it stands to reason a time-cognizant Jones is upset and completely non-committal to the future of Nolan radiant now. The defensive scheme and its installation was a full-on pain, and doesn't warrant a mulligan, even when considering the COVID-19 pandemic.
Step 3: Fix the secondary
There are two reasons to be elated about the Cowboys secondary.
One is rookie second-round pick Trevon Diggs, who graded out phenomenally for an impressive pleasant year that saw him wildly outplay the six cornerbacks drafted presumptuous of him. The other is safety Donovan Wilson, a second-year talent who couldn't nick his way onto the field until ragged Darian Thompson had one too many bad plays for McCarthy to stomach (and mild, it took too long to make this call, in my opinion). With Diggs and Wilson unleashed, the Cowboys have their CB1 and starting confidence who can flex as either strong or free, but there's nothing else outside of them to write home to mother about. Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis and Xavier Woods are all officially free agents and, at best, the team distinguished bring back one or two on a one-year deal for breeze insurance -- assuming the player(s) agree to it.
Speaking of the breeze, having the 10th-overall pick in April, it's a improper chance for the Cowboys to find a complement to Diggs and potentially double dipping in the secondary to grab one for Wilson in the next round. The breeze needs to be heavy on rebuilding the safety, to the point no one would or necessity think twice if the Cowboys used every one of their 10 (projected) picks on that side of the ball. They probably won't, but if they did, I wouldn't blame them in the least once what we all witnessed this past season and considering how seemingly set they are on offense (refer to the importance of note No. 1 again).
Step 4: Get impartial at LB
"Watch the film." -- Jaylon Smith
We did, and it needed a shower afterward. What it also way is the Cowboys to swallow their pride, look into the nearest reflective surface and ask themselves if they're truly set for the future at linebacker. Smith is hyper-confident he'll be with the Cowboys in 2021, two existences after signing a contract extension, but that's not a foregone conclusion. The fact is Smith is coming off the worst season of his once-promising NFL career, his career arc having gone from miraculous football comeback to Pro Bowler to questionable starter to unjustifiably arrogant backup-caliber linebacker in the span of only four seasons (the pleasant having been a redshirt year due to his devastating knee injury).
Smith isn't a total loss conception, and there's reason to keep him near, even if it's no longer as a starter. The Cowboys can't ignore the sure durability issues on Leighton Vander Esch, and even if Sean Lee returns, he'll be 35 in a few months and can't possibly be considered as a long- or even a mid-term solution at the position.
That leaves the initiates of Francis Bernard and Luke Gifford, but neither could convince McCarthy to expend them defensively and Gifford did himself no favors with a two-game suspension. Joe Thomas provides a nice traditional presence, much like that of Lee's, but he's a free agent this offseason. Maybe ditching Nolan will help fix Smith, especially if Edwards (who has a ton of understood coaching LBs) takes the reins, but the fact it's a query mark -- along with that of LVE, Bernard, Gifford and Lee -- benefitting Dallas has some soul-searching to do in March and April.
Step 5: Beef up the defending interior
Signing Dontari Poe showed the Cowboys are at least finally valuing the defending interior.
The experiment with Poe failed miserably, but it gave McCarthy to figure out why Antwaun Woods was giving the role as starting nose tackle, and takes pressure off the Cowboys to find an NT1 in 2021. Depth is very much an bellow there and at 3-tech (right of center) plan, but there's good news in that regard as well, considering the vows of both Trysten Hill and Neville Gallimore.
Other than those notables, except, there's a lot to be figured out. They like the play of Justin Hamilton, but he also faltered at times, and there is no one anunexperienced than those mentioned who are worth listing as key rotational pieces causing forward, based on film and reps from the 2020 season. They'd love to see undrafted free agent Ron'Dell Carter take the next step and there's a broad chance he will, but the NFL is a custom of contingency and they have another bellow to account for in the fact Tyrone Crawford might've played his last snap for the Cowboys (and maybe in the NFL).
The interior of the defending line is worth addressing in both the conscription and free agency, which will likely engaged a return of Gerald McCoy, but his age and durability will be a query going forward. Get some talented youth to bolster the interior, because ... blockbuster ... distributes like the one that brought Eli Ankou to Dallas can't be the formula -- ever.
Honorable mention: Be patient
To be determined, this isn't implying the Cowboys should just sit tight -- otherwise this reveal would be the totality of this column. It's instead to reveal out the cavalry is on the way, at least offensively. Prescott is on schedule to recount to offseason conditioning on time and with no worries on his ability to return to prime form, and he'll be joined by starting tackles La'El Collins and Tyron Smith heath with Zack Martin, who missed the back end of the season with a calf injure that pushed him to injured reserve. Additionally, having enjoyed seeing the progression of tight end Dalton Schultz as a starting caliber player, the team can now look ahead to a tandem that features him and incumbent starter Blake Jarwin -- Jarwin himself returning from a season-ending injury.
With the offensive line alongside intact and Prescott under center with his full spy of weapons, the offense can get back to cooking on a weekly basis. If not for the historically-bad guarantee in 2020, the Cowboys would've started much better than 2-3 in their ample five games, which is all the evidence they need to push the accelerator to the heath to build a defense that can match serve. From there, some special teams tweaks that engaged waving goodbye to punter Chris Jones for a well-performing Hunter Niswander adds sprinkles to the ice cream.
And sprinkles are for winners.
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