Why the Cowboys offense may be unstoppable in ’17

Don’t look now, Cowboys Nation, but one of the best offenses in the NFL just got a heck of a lot better this offseason. Here’s how…

The Dallas Cowboys attacked the offseason with one important thing on their minds: Fix the defense. But despite spending the majority of their time and resources on the defensive side of the ball, it’s the offense that seems to be significantly upgraded.

That little revelation should bring comfort to Cowboys’ fans and likely instill fear to the rest of the NFL.

The 2016 Cowboys offense dominated opponents in multiple facets of the game. They were the fifth ranked offense in yards per game. And they were the fifth ranked offense in points per game. They finished second in rushing yards per game and sixth in completion percentage. Their time of possession was even third in the NFL.

They were already great, but here’s how they got even better…

The Offensive Line

The Dallas Cowboys offensive line is widely regarded as the very best in the NFL. With an average age a bit over 25, it’s easy to think that success will not only continue, but actually grow. But stacking a unit with blue-chip players comes at a cost. The Cowboys were forced to let 2016 starting left guard, Ronald Leary, depart in free agency.

On top of that, starting right tackle, Doug Free, retired from the game completely. The backbone of the Cowboys’ offense was suddenly missing 2/5 of their personnel. While this kind of churn shouldn’t be minimized, it shouldn’t be blown out of proportion either.

Replacing Free at RT is third year man La’el Collins. Collins, widely regarded as a mid-first round talent, has been preparing for the job all offseason and is expected to be an upgrade by many. Sure, he struggled with penalties in the third preseason game, but all-in-all he’s looked strong and his ceiling remains through the roof.

Taking Leary’s spot is former first rounder Jonathan Cooper. This will probably be a step back for the position, but Cooper was still garnering some preseason adulation from those in-the-know:

Aiding the offensive line is the return of TE2 James Hanna and TE3 Geoff Swaim. The Cowboys are a different animal when these blockers are on the field and the impact of their loss last season was well-noticed.

Behind this offensive line, the Dallas offense was dominant no matter how you looked at it. And judging by the changes they’ve quietly made in the offseason, that offense just got better.

The Passing Attack

Dak Prescott, in his second season, is not at risk of a sophomore slump. His training camp was crisper than anyone could have imagined and his knowledge of the offense has expanded exponentially. Most importantly, he’s getting to know his players and can better trust the strengths and mismatches they bring to the table.

Getting to know Dez Bryant is an important step in any would-be Cowboys quarterback’s development. Not a speed player, Dez Bryant is a big play machine outside of the traditional sense. The more you watch Dez play the more you realize he’s open even when he’s not open.

Figuring this truth out is a priceless step in Dak Prescott’s development and will surely yield huge results in 2017. Joining Dez on the “you gotta know him” chart is slot receiver Cole Beasley. Surprisingly enough, Beasley, who led the team in receptions in 2016, was underutilized last season.

You heard me.

Cole Beasley was underutilized.

After the sad conclusion to the season last year, I faithfully reviewed all of the coaches film. One thing that I saw, play after play, was Cole Beasley running open. Now, as the numbers indicate (75 catches for 833 yards), Dak did not ignore the pint-sized slot man from SMU. But he surely could have paid more attention.

Even still, when targeted, Cole Beasley was one of the best receivers in the NFL. As I pointed out in, “Why Cole Beasley will soon replace Witten as safety valve“, Beasley had the fourth lowest drop rate in the NFL last year (75 catches on 77 catchable balls) and averaged 5.1 YAC per reception.

Dez and Cole stand to improve significantly in year two of Dak, and if you add in new weapons Rico Gathers, Noah Brown, and Ryan Switzer and you have an unstoppable force.

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The Rushing Attack

The Dallas Cowboys’ running game took it on the chin when the NFL announced they would be suspending Ezekiel Elliott for the first six games of the season. A pending appeal and injunction may change the forecast of this suspension, but as of now all are operating under the assumption he will miss some games (but I’d be shocked if he missed six this season).

If upheld, the man who led the NFL in rushing, as well as second in yards after contact, will be missed sorely – it’s undeniable no matter how highly you think of the Dallas offensive line.

Waiting in the wings are former lead running backs and 1,000 yard rushers, Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris. While these are perfectly capable hands Zeke leaves the attack to, they are not without their problems. Particularly their problems against eight and nine man fronts…

The dark horse, someone I’ve been lobbying in favor of for quite a while, is Rod Smith. Rod, brother of Jaylon and teammate of Keith,  flashed enough in Cowboys Camp and the preseason to raise some eyebrows. His power and speed resemble Darren McFadden while his zone feel and patience are more in tune with Morris. He’s the best of both worlds and has his own nasty little jump step to boot.

With Dak’s progression and the return of blocking tight ends James Hanna and Geoff Swaim, there’s no reason not to think this running game will continue its dominance in 2017.

Superior Depth

While we focused on  Dak, Dez, Cole, and the running backs, we didn’t even mention the big plays and depth Terrance Williams and Brice Butler bring to the table. The Cowboys offense is so talented and so deep, they can withstand the inevitable injuries that come with a full season.

Next: How Ryan Switzer can help replace Zeke and the running game

Are the 2017 Dallas Cowboys going to claim the NFL record for highest scoring offense in a single season? No. They aren’t that type of offense. The Cowboys are a ball control-based unstoppable force and it is dominance like that which propels teams to the Super Bowl.