Dallas Cowboys: Most impactful personnel package for the offense

The Dallas Cowboys may have a different offensive philosophy under head coach Mike McCarthy, but which offensive personnel package would be most beneficial?

The Dallas Cowboys are moving towards a new era in Big D under new head coach Mike McCarthy and one of the biggest questions to this date is, what is the Dallas offense going to look like and who is it going to feature most?

With the former head coach, Jason Garrett and former offensive coordinator, Scott Linehan we have seen the Cowboys use a lot of two tight ends sets, allowing defenses to load up the box and just about every Dallas fan could predict what play was coming.

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore did a much better job of mixing up the play-calling and using different personnel packages in 2019. But now with the addition of McCarthy and his offensive wisdom, there is one package I think will be utilized most and will be most beneficial in 2020.

Before we take a hard look at the Cowboys personnel we should understand what each offensive personnel package consists of. Courtesy of Bob Sturm, host of 96.7 The Ticket and writer for The Athletic DFW. Here is a breakdown of each personnel package across the league.

As stated above, the Cowboys did a better job of mixing up the personnel last season and the offensive led the league in offensive yards per game. Now did that translate to overall team success? Obviously not, but that’s a whole separate argument.

In 2019, the Cowboys actually transformed a bit and their most used offensive personnel package was the 11 personnel. Which is how it should be, rightfully so. I believe this will be the continued trend, as Mike McCarthy used this package very often in Green Bay  Also, it should be the most beneficial to the Boys in 2020.

Now, why is the 11 personnel package the most beneficial? Well, take a look at the Cowboys play-makers on offense. You have wide receivers Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb. You also have tight end Blake Jarwin and one of the best, if not the best running back in the league, Ezekiel Elliott.

Having every one of these players on the field at the same time is huge for the Dallas offense because it doesn’t allow teams to focus on Elliott and load up the box. If defenses choose to do so, good luck trying to stop Cooper, Gallup, Lamb, or Jarwin. Especially in man coverage.

If the defense now decides to protect the perimeter and puts a focus on the wide-outs, which takes more defenders out of the box then good luck stopping Zeke with a full head of steam. Yes, this package can benefit the running back even without a fullback to lead block.

Take a look at the Los Angeles Rams when running back Todd Gurley was healthy, he thrived in the 11 personnel package. Why? Because his receivers kept taking defenders out of the box for him.

It’s a win-win situation for the Cowboys offense and they have the perfect personnel to play the game of chess on the field while in this particular personnel package.

Also, the biggest beneficiary from this personnel package is quarterback Dak Prescott. Being able to now audible in and out of plays based on what the defense presents in this package should put the Cowboys in favorable situations early and often. Cowboys Nation let me know your thoughts on which personnel package is best suited for the Boys.