It's everywhere. People proclaiming the death of the Dallas Cowboys.
They're like the little boy who cried wolf. "But this time it's for real," screams the boy. "The Cowboys are really dead!" Sorry kid, I'm not buying it. Sure the Cowboys missed the playoffs for the first time since 1990, and finished with their worst record in the 90's at 6-10. But this team is not dead. Just reloading.
Let's first look at some of the benefits of finishing the season at 6-10. The Cowboys go in to NFL Draft with the eighth pick overall and two of the top 40. If the Cowboys stay at number 8 they will surely get a premier athlete, but my gut feeling is that Jerry Jones and the Cowboys will be in the thick of trade discussions.
There are already rumors around Dallas, that have the Cowboys trading into the top 5 to select either Florida State defensive end Andre Wadsworth or Marshall wide reciever Randy Moss. Either one these players would make an immediate impact on the Cowboys.
Another advantage of finishing the season below .500 is next year's schedule. The Cowboys' fourth place schedule has them playing the likes of the Bears, Saints, and Seahawks next season, instead of the Packers, 49ers, and Steelers. This past season the Cowboys were given the NFL's toughest schedule. Many around the league thought the schedule, road wise, was one of the toughest in the 90's. Former Cowboy center Mark Stepnoski went as far as to say that a 10-6 mark would be miraculous with the schedule they had.
No miracles will be needed to hit 10-6 with next year's schedule. The Cowboys must now forget the abberation that was last season and move on and look forward to next season with a clean slate. The Cowboys all but sealed in the season after the debacle in Green Bay. They lost five straight, and looked like an uninspired, unmotivated, and undisciplined team.
Personally, I like Barry Switzer. He's a winner and a coach that players enjoy to play for. That said, it was apparent towards the end of this season that the team was not responding to Switzer. It got to the point, that Jerry Jones had to step in and give a few post game speeches and even stepped into the coaches box on occasion. One Cowboys beat writer recently told me that the Cowboys weren't losing games on Sunday. They were losing them Tuesday through Friday during practices. I mean there was absolutely no emotion or urgency during practices. It got to the point late last season that Troy Aikman, at one time, spiked the football and left practice in disgust. Only to return to work out with the second team. With a new head coach and a new offensive staff, you can be assured that practices will be more rigorous and more intense than this past season. Plus, If the Cowboys hire a young offensive minded coach like Jon Gruden or Rick Neuheisel, you can also expect more emotion from the head coach if the team struggles on offense.
There were, however, some personnel problems on the Cowboys that must be addressed in the off-season. First, the Cowboys desparately need a couple of interior offensive linemen to protect Troy Aikman and open some running lanes for Emmitt Smith, who is far from being "washed up." Erik Williams and Larry Allen should become the best tackle combo in the NFL next season, and with a year in the weight room Clay Shiver could develop into a good center. But the Boys need to plug in two guards that will block their man and be able to pick up blitzes. They don't need superstars (Look at the offensive lines that the Lions, Bucs, and Broncos have) They just need a couple of blue-collar blockers, who will allow Aikman to step back in the pocket without worrying about a defesive tackle coming through the line untouched.
There are many such linemen available in free agency for under a million. The Cowboys may not have to spend money on TWO new offensive guards if Nate Newton rededicates himself and losses about 40 pounds in the off season. Newton, according to Switzer and offensive line coach Hudson Houck, could still be a Pro Bowl caliber player if he gets into shape and concentrates more on details. Such as blocking his man during a blitz. The Cowboys also need a pass rushing defensive end. Dallas defensive ends put absolutely no preassure on the quarterbacks this season. The only way they got to the quarterback was with the blitz. With the retirement to Charles Haley and Tony Tolbert's ailing kness, the Cowboys need to find a defensive end through free agency or the draft who will put preassure on the quarterback.
The important thing to remember is that this team is still loaded with talent. There is still no other team in the NFL that has the overall talent level of Dallas. Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, Darren Woodson, Larry Allen, Leon Lett, Erik Williams, Brock Marion, Kevin Smith, and Richie Cunningham are all potential or perenial Pro Bowlers. That's 11 players! Without question the most of any team in the NFL.
Now all the Cowboys need to do is build on that strong foundation and make a few changes. If they do the forecast for the Cowboys future will be bright and sunny instead of dark and cloudy.