Cowboys cupboard is not bare in Dallas

Although the Dallas Cowboys did lose their final game to their rivals, the Washington Redskins, they still find themselves with plenty of talent going into a retooling offseason.

With a loss in their final game, the Dallas Cowboys 2015 season has mercifully ended. The Cowboys now head into the long offseason looking for answers. The cupboard is not bare in Dallas and the team may only be a few key additions and better health away form a postseason run next year. That is little consolation however as we sit here in the beginning of January. A season that began with thoughts of a Super Bowl run has ended with a 4-12 record and the number four overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

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In Week 17 against the NFC East champion Washington Redskins, the Cowboys played much like they had the rest of the year. The defense was uneven and couldn’t create turnovers, and the offense moved the ball but found new and creative ways to not get in the end zone. Offensive ineptitude has been the true calling card of the 2015 Dallas Cowboys. With starting quarterback Tony Romo missing all but four games, the Cowboys have had a difficult time getting representative play out of the position. Kellen Moore started his second NFL game in the finale and three touchdown passes, but he also threw two interceptions and lost a fumbled snap.

Running back Darren McFadden has been one of the few bright spots on the Dallas offense. On Sunday he surpassed the 1,000 yard mark for only the second time in his eight year career. With 92 yards on 12 carries, McFadden ends his 2015 campaign with a total of 1,089 yards. He did fumble out of the end zone on what would have been a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but McFadden has proven to be a bargain for the Cowboys front office. At a two million dollar base salary for 2016, McFadden will get the opportunity to be the lead back in Dallas once again.

Despite a solid effort at times, the Cowboys defense was once again unable to make enough stops against Washington. The offense left defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli’s bunch with several short fields to defend on the day and the secondary had too many breakdowns on the afternoon. If Dallas is to return to contention next season, the defensive backfield will have to improve drastically. The unit as a whole must cover better and create more takeaways. Expect the front office to invest heavily at cornerback and safety in 2016.

The 2015 Dallas Cowboys were derailed very early on by several key injuries. Coming off a 12-4 season in 2014, the expectations were very high for Big D. Unfortunately, the football gods had other plans for this season’s team. With the return of Romo, a fully healthy Dez Bryant, and the team’s best cover corner Orlando Scandrick, hopefully 2016 will go the Cowboys way. For now we are left to prepare for the draft and wonder what might have been.

Next: Five Cowboys who ended their season on a high note

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