Dallas Cowboys a Top-5 Team in PFF’s Improvement Index

Things may seem tumultuous and unsettled for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason and given Dak Prescott’s status, it kinda is. But the folks over at Pro Football Focus are expecting big improvements from the Cowboys in 2021 and have them listed in their top-5 on their annual Improvement Index.

The index is based on PFF’s wins above replacement formula and measures the gains and losses in WAR as players come and go. This early in the offseason it’s safe to say most positive movements in the improvement index are for teams who are getting players back in 2021.

For the Dallas Cowboys, we can see the impact La’el Collins, Tyron Smith, Blake Jarwin, etc.. make, coming back healthy in 2021. PFF makes assumptions based on historical player data, team data, and coaching data to make their conclusions.

The Dallas Cowboys are expected to improve considerably in 2021

As you have guessed, the biggest losers on this list are the Lions, Eagles, Colts, Texans, and Panthers. The most interesting item is who the top team is on the Improvement Index and who the bottom team is on the Index. The Rams occupy the top spot by scoring Matthew Stafford in a trade, and the Lions get the bottom spot by replacing Stafford with Goff. It’s safe to say with Stafford under center in LA, a massive improvement is expected.

Depending what the Dallas Cowboys do this offseason, they could either move up or down on the index. The Dallas Cowboys aren’t exactly known for big spending in free agency, but who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Washington is another team moving back on this list while the Giants are actually one spot above the Cowboys at spot 4 on the improvement index. Like Dallas, New York suffered a lot of critical injuries in 2020 and should improve simply by being healthy again.

More from Dallas Cowboys

• Dallas Cowboys Linebackers: 2023 Position Overview
• Ballhawk University: Why the Cowboys will be takeaway leaders
• Dallas Cowboys Player to Watch: Sleeper TE John Stephens, Jr.
• Dallas Cowboys: The impact of Micah Parsons and a well-rounded secondary
• Dallas Cowboys still unsure about their left guard position for 2023

What can we take from all of this?

The thing that jumps right out is things are not as bleak as they seem. Dak Prescott’s uncertain status has been grating to both lovers and haters alike. It’s easy to get caught up in the frustration of the situation and think things are worse than they really are.

The reality is things are bad across the league. Teams are cutting players to get under the cap so just about everyone seems to be feeling the pinch. The Dallas Cowboys may not be in great shape financially this offseason, but they’re top 5 in cap space compared to everyone else and appear to be set up well to deal with this offseason’s hurdles.

Love the Dallas Cowboys? Start writing about them!

We’ll be checking in with this as transactions occur, but for now the takeaway should be that things aren’t as bad as they seem and the Dallas Cowboys are positioned for a bounce-back season in 2021

• Published on 02/23/2021 at 17:01 PM
• Last updated at 02/23/2021 at 12:17 PM