This offseason, the Dallas Cowboys set out on a mission: get tougher. After getting physically manhandled in the postseason, it was clear something had to change. For as good as the 12-win Cowboys were in 2021, they were severely lacking in the physicality department.
Highly talented players like WR Amari Cooper and RT La’el Collins were deemed overpriced and all-too-often, unavailable. Replacing them with tougher versions and building the roster with “toughness” as a key trait became an overt goal.
The Dallas Cowboys aggressively invested in toughness on the roster for 2022.
In the first round the Cowboys set the tone by drafting Tyler Smith with their top pick. Smith, a LT from Tulsa, was rated higher by Dallas than draftnik darlings Zion Johnson and Kenyon Green. While Smith’s size and ability were big reasons why he was their choice, it was his toughness and overall aggressiveness that set him apart from the pack.
Smith brings a level of nasty that has been missing on the Dallas line for years. The past decade the Cowboys have dominated through elite play so there’s been little reason to play with an added edge. Last season their play dropped to levels unseen in Dallas and all too often the Cowboys offensive line played the part of “little brother,” losing the battle both physically and mentally. The investment in toughness will hopefully change that.
Joining Tyler Smith on the offensive line is Matt Waletzko. Waletzko plays to humiliate his opponents. While he’ll take time to develop, his edge is a key trait that will undoubtedly follow him to the pros.
Semi-adjacent to them is TE Jake Ferguson. Ferguson comes from tough-guy U (UW Madison) which is known for power running and smash-mouth ball. Ferguson has already impressed in camps and even though he brings a surprising amount of athleticism to the position, his dominant trait is his physicality and eagerness to take on anyone and everyone in front of him.
Coming off a season where Dallas couldn’t buy a willing blocker at the TE position, this will be a welcomes advance in 2022. With any luck it will also cause TE1 Dalton Schultz to re-commit to the blocking game and play it like he did in 2019 and 2020 (when he was a pretty darn good blocker).
John Ridgeway on the defensive interior will also make his presence felt right away. Even if his biggest impact as a rookie is in practice, Ridgeway plays with one speed and one style – nasty. With any luck this will rub off on his cohorts and light a fire under guys like Carlos Watkins, Quinton Bohanna, Neville Gallimore, Osa Odgighizuwa, and Trysten Hill.
The Dallas Cowboys defensive interior hasn’t had a fixture of toughness inside since Jay Ratliff and could use an injection of nasty inside.
It’s clear the Dallas Cowboys were a highly talented team last year but when the going got tough, they got manhandled and frankly, didn’t seem too bothered by it. That needed to change and the Dallas Cowboys did just that by replacing some of their less resilient players with players scientists refer to as “dawgs.”
Will it all pay off? We’ll see, but something had to give and as long as the talent didn’t slip too much this offseason, toughness could be the missing ingredient.