The preseason is officially over and the next time we see the Dallas Cowboys on the field will be September 9th in Tampa, Florida for the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Throughout their preseason, there have been many standout players and moments that deserve to be recognized.
From Hard Knocks at training camp to the Cowboys 0-4 preseason showing, we’ve seen it all. There have been plenty of ups and downs but the 53-man roster has been finalized and we are ready for the season to begin.
Without further ado, here are the three biggest takeaways from the preseason.
3. Micah Parsons looks like the right pick for the Dallas Cowboys
Selected 12th overall in the 2021 NFL draft Micah Parsons became the pick the Cowboys needed all along. It was obvious the team wanted cornerback help entering the draft, but once Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain went picks 8-9 the Cowboys might have felt stuck.
But, Parsons was a player the front office was high on pre-draft and they made it very clear the Penn State linebacker was at the top of their draft board. Since being drafted Parsons has done nothing but impress.
From training camp to the preseason games, his speed and play recognition have become quite evident. Also, he is always around the football. Starting with his first-ever fumble recovery in the first defensive drive of his career against Pittsburgh.
According to Pro Football Focus, Parsons had a grade of 91.0 in the preseason which is the highest grade for a rookie linebacker since 2015. Translation… this kid is good. As some may know from watching Hard Knocks, Parsons is a chess player and the selection of him to the Cowboys could be checkmate for the rest of the NFC East.
2. The best ability is availability for the Dallas Cowboys
After watching the Cowboys go 0-4 in the preseason it became evident that the key players on the roster must stay healthy this year for the team to have success. The backup quarterback position looks like a mess, despite claiming Will Grier off waivers from Carolina.
Also, the backup offensive line unit did not look very good in the preseason. Tyron Smith and La’el Collins have been riddled by injuries in recent years but keeping them on the field is a must for this offense.
On defense, linebacker looks to have solid depth with Micah Parsons, Leighton Vander Esch, Jaylon Smith, Keanu Neal, and Jabril Cox. But, the rest of the defense has little to no depth. The defensive line has DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory and a bunch of unproven players. While I like Osa Odighizuwa, Dorance Armstrong, and Bradlee Anae they each have little to no playing time in the NFL.
Then for the secondary, Dallas is one injury away from having to start a pair of rookies. Second-round pick Kelvin Joseph is already hurt with a groin injury, and Nahshon Wright would best serve as a backup for the first few weeks.
You could say staying healthy is the most important thing for any team. But for the Cowboys, not having much depth on the offensive line or defense makes health all that more important.
1. Offense will be great, defense must be average on the Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys’ offense getting Dak Prescott back should easily make them one of the top five offenses in the league. The wide receiver core of Lamb, Cooper, Gallup looks like the best WR unit in the NFL.
Plus, Ezekiel Elliott looks to be in the best shape of his career and ready for another 1,000+ yard rushing season. This offense should easily be able to average around 30 points per game, as long as they are healthy Dallas has a shot to win any game.
The defense has to hold up their end of the bargain. Adding a new defensive coordinator in Dan Quinn should help but the players are the ones that need to step up. As previously mentioned Micah Parsons looks like an immediate playmaker on defense but questions still remain within the secondary, and in a passing league that is worrisome.
If the defense can rank as league average, in points per game, yards per game, and turnovers. Then the Dallas Cowboys should have a ton of success. I was pleasantly surprised with how the starting defense looked in the preseason and they have their first huge test coming up in Week 1 in Tampa.