Dallas Cowboys: Projected starting lineup leaves no excuses in 2019
By Chris Hill
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott leads an offensive unit with a mixture of battle tested veterans and young talent at every position. Combined with a new playcaller, the expectation for this group is very high.
Prescott struggled early last year before owner and general manager Jerry Jones pulled the trigger on a trade with the Oakland Raiders for wide receiver Amari Cooper. Kevin Patra points out on NFL.com some amazing stats for Dak after Cooper joined the Cowboys
"Dak Prescott With and Without Amari Cooper: Without: 3-4 W-L; 62.1 completion percentage; 202.4 passing YPG; 8-4 TD-INT ratio; 87.4 passer rating. With: 5-1 W-L; 74.1 completion percentage; 285.7 passing YPG; 9-3 TD-INT ratio; 105.7 passer rating."
As with most teams, as the quarterback goes, so goes the offense. There are tons of detractors for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, however, he has won the division title two out of the last three years. Quarterback – better in 2019.
Although currently hampered by a problem with his heel, Cooper and Prescott will have a full offseason together. Add to that the continued improvement of wide receiver Michael Gallup and the addition of Randall Cobb, and suddenly Dak has three targets to rival most teams in the league. Wide receivers – better in 2019.
Over the offseason, tight end Jason Witten came out of retirement to solidify the position and offer a still productive veteran influence to go along with up and coming Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schulz. This group will benefit from Cobb’s ability to open up the middle of the field and two legitimate threats on the outside. Tight ends – better in 2019.
The running back position is all contingent on how Ezekiel Elliott‘s contract plays out, but for the purpose of this article, he’s on the field starting Week One. Zeke upped his production in the passing game last year and should be about to perform at the same level in 2019. This article isn’t about backups, but bringing in rookie running back Tony Pollard gives the Cowboys the opportunity to replicate what the New Orleans Saints execute with running back Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara. Running backs – better in 2019.
One of the major story lines in 2018 was the Cowboys offensive line and their lack of dominance. The fact is center Travis Frederic missed the entire season with Guillain-Barré syndrome, tackle Tyron Smith dealt with stingers and inflammation in his back, and guard Connor Williams was pressed into duty as a rookie before losing his job to Xavier Su’a-Filo.
This was a patchwork unit that still produced a rushing champion. Fast forward to this year and Frederick is back, Smith is looking like his old self, and Williams is playing like he’s ready to be the guy the Cowboys’ front office envisioned. Offensive line – better in 2019.