The Dallas Cowboys offseason has been one of the most exciting in a very long time and now after what we've seen and heard so far out of OTA's, there is good reason to believe in the trajectory of this team.
But as we continue to speculate how this new look "Texas Coast" offense will look and run, we tend to forget about the defense and how things could turn out for them. Ever since bringing in defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the fanbase and media seemed to be at ease with the shape of the defensive roster, but with some new additions we could see some changes.
So let's take a look at some hypothetical situations and determine if they could be fact or fiction heading into Cowboys training camp. We will also look at some stat lines that we could see Dallas reach and determine if they are fact or fiction as well.
Daron Bland starts over Jourdan Lewis
There has been a lot of chatter about the Cowboys possibly trading cornerback Jourdan Lewis after the emergence of now-second-year corner DaRon Bland, but Dallas would be smart to keep both. The real question is who will be the starter in the slot for Dan Quinn and with Lewis coming off a serious foot injury the general consensus is that Bland will start, right?
Wrong. Lewis has shown that when healthy and on the field he can be a difference-maker for this defense. Bland had a very strong rookie season, but the veteran Lewis paired with Trevon Diggs and Stephon Gilmore gives the Cowboys a better chance of being a shutdown secondary compared to Bland who teams may try to pick on if paired with Diggs and Gilmore.
FICTION
Cowboys lead the NFL in sacks
It's not hard to imagine this Dallas defense leading the league in sacks considering were doing it at one point last season before the Eagles ran away with the title. This season, though, is going to be different for the Cowboys in a few ways.
First, the addition of Mazi Smith isn't only going to help them in the running game, but his pass rush skills were underutilized at Michigan and Quinn will use them to the best of his abilities. Second, Smith's presence in the trenches will open up lanes for the Cowboys' pass rushers to have clean looks at the quarterbacks, specifically Micah Parsons and Sam Williams. Smith will also allow DeMarcus Lawrence more one-on-one matchups instead of the double teams he's used to navigating.
Finally, the athletic talent on the roster has only gotten better with Smith, DeMarvion Overshown, and Viliami Fehoko added to the roster. Bake in Williams being more comfortable in his second year and the sky is the limit for this team in terms of sack possibilities.
FACT
Markquese Bell does enough for Dallas to trade Malik Hooker
If we are looking for a surprise trade or release on this Cowboys defense, we need to look at the secondary, and not Jourdan Lewis, who everyone seems to view as expendable.
Instead, we should be looking at Malik Hooker. Though Hooker had a good season in 2022, the Cowboys have another safety waiting in the wings in Markquese Bell, a player Dallas spent a lot of money on to sign when he was an undrafted free agent last year.
Another thing that could help Bell is the completion rate against Hooker last season, Hooker was targeted 29 times with teams completing 20 of those passes for a 74% completion percentage and two touchdowns. Bell's athletic ability should be able to vault him ahead of Hooker now with a better understanding of the defense and his role in it.
FACT
Mazi Smith will post better stats than Aaron Donald's rookie season
This by no means is me saying that Smith is better than Donald, but more about the situation the rookie is coming into.
In 16 games of his rookie season, Donald had 47 total tackles, 9 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 18 tackles for loss, and 13 quarterback hits. This may look daunting for Smith, but thanks to the talent around him Smith is actually going to see more opportunities to be more than just the run-stopper people see him as.
Paired with Parsons, Lawrence, and others around him forcing teams to slide protections it will give Smith more chances to show off his quickness off the line and pad his stats before teams start adjusting to him. I can see him reaching a stat line of 63 total tackles, 10.5 sacks, 23 tackles for loss, and 20 quarterback hits thanks to his untapped potential and his supporting cast.
FACT
Trevon Diggs posts double-digit interceptions
Any time you have a big-name player heading into a contract year they seem to play a lot better than the previous season. Well, Diggs is that player for the Cowboys this season.
Last season, Diggs was only able to create three turnovers but it wasn't for a lack of trying as he defended 14 passes as well.
This season with Stephon Gilmore opposite him, quarterbacks will be forced to throw in Diggs' direction and if you've seen Diggs play any ball around him is considered his. He wasn't able to see that last season with Anthony Brown and others like Kelvin Joseph opposite him teams picked on those corners instead.
With that strategy no longer available, Diggs' opportunities will skyrocket leading to another double-digit season of interceptions (12) that will only further show he's one of if not the best cornerback in the league.
Fact