Is this the Dallas Cowboys biggest problem entering 2019?

As we come closer to the start of training camp for the 2019 season, we look into the question what is the Dallas Cowboys’ biggest problem entering 2019?

Coming off an impressive 2018 season, the Dallas Cowboys went into the offseason without a glaring need. Dallas kept steady in their formula of years past by not spending big in free agency but instead filling holes with cheap, short-term contracts.

Dallas signed Randall Cobb to take over as the slot wide receiver after Cole Beasley’s departure and signed veteran defenders Christian Covington, Kerry Hyder Jr, and George Iloka to fill small roles in their defense. They also traded for veteran defensive end Robert Quinn and resigned DeMarcus Lawrence to a long-term deal.

After adding more talent in the draft, Dallas enters the 2019 season with one of the most talented rosters in the National Football League on paper. The Cowboys left no stone unturned and addressed all their major needs via free agency or the draft. So that leaves one question, what is the biggest problem facing the Dallas Cowboys heading into 2019?

A rather complex question has a fairly simple answer. The biggest problem facing Dallas heading into 2019 is one word, availability. Now every team in the NFL deals with injuries and players being unable to be available to play but for Dallas, this runs deeper.

Dallas is already without defensive end Randy Gregory who was suspended indefinitely by the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Tyrone Crawford who plays alongside Gregory on the defensive line is in a battle of his own with the league as he is facing a possible suspension due to his involvement in a bar altercation in March.

Then you get to Cowboys’ star running back Ezekiel Elliott who had an incident of his own in Las Vegas just a few weeks ago. Elliott was seen on a video by TMZ being involved in an altercation with a security guard where the employee fell to the ground after a slight push by Elliott. While to everyone who watched the video with their own two eyes the employee clearly seemed to “flop” after Elliott lightly tapped him, you never know with Elliott’s history what the league will decide to do to him because of this.

Those are three of the Cowboys’ top 15 players, and we have not even mentioned injuries yet. Pro-Bowl cornerback Byron Jones underwent hip surgery this offseason, and while his recent comments about hoping to be ready for training camp are encouraging, there is no certainty he will even be ready for Week One of the regular season.

The same goes with All-Pro defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. After signing his long-term extension at the beginning of April, Lawrence underwent the shoulder surgery he had been putting off until he received a new deal. Once again there is optimism that the defensive star will be ready for Week One, but it is not 100 percent certain at all. Also, if Jones and Lawrence both do play Week One but are unable to practice most of training camp and the preseason, how will their bodies hold up when they got on the field in the regular season?

Last but not least is Cowboys’ center, Travis Frederick. The former All-Pro center was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome last year which kept him out for all of the 2018 season. Now Frederick himself has gone on record saying he believes he will be ready to play this season, but there is no real way to know until he puts the pads on and gets in a real practice at training camp.

The list of Gregory, Crawford, Elliott, Jones, Lawrence, and Frederick is probably six of the Cowboys’ 15 best players on their roster. Without even just three of the players on this list, Dallas would face an extremely uphill battle in 2019.

On paper, the Dallas Cowboys do have one of the best rosters in the NFL. But the one thing that may get in the way is themselves. Availability is key in virtually everything in life, and for the Cowboys, it may just be the most important thing as they enter the 2019 season.