Dallas Cowboys: 5 major gambles that will determine their season

Dallas Cowboys Gamble No. 4: WHAT IF THE DALLAS COWBOYS DEFENSE REACHES ANOTHER LEVEL?

The Dallas Cowboys truest, biggest and brightest stars have been on offense ever since DeMarcus Ware left for Denver. Sean Lee and Demarcus Lawrence had always been right on the cusp, but no one would argue they were in Ware’s stratosphere.

Now when we look at the Dallas Cowboys defense we suddenly stare directly at two 1st Team All-Pro selections, LB Micah Parsons and CB Trevon Diggs. Both of which are still on rookie contracts. It’s only after the mention of two of the very best in the business do we begin to discuss the pro bowl caliber types like D Law and Safety Jayron Kearse.

Those four are one heck of a nucleus to this Dallas Cowboys Defense. One that dominated with takeaways and defensive scores in 2021, leading the NFL with nine D/ST touchdowns.

That won’t be the only production that’ll be tough to match. Trevon Diggs also snagged 11 INTs, which was the most in a single season since Everson Walls in 1981. In case you hadn’t heard.

Defense End Randy Gregory leaving for Denver also means there are shoes and production to fill. So it seems the Dallas Cowboys aren’t likely to repeat the same defensive success they had a season ago, right?

It’s possible they don’t, but here are a few things to look forward to for the Dallas D;

Doesn’t it feel like we’ve been lucky enough to have Micah Parsons on this team for years, somehow? He’ll only be heading into year two with the team and the standard he’s set for himself is sky high. He’s mentioned figures like 15, 20 and the single season sack record. Would anyone dare tell him that goal is too lofty after what we saw from him in his rookie campaign?

Defensive Coordinator, Dan Quinn, clearly knows the value of depth. Where as the offensive line is feeling paper thin, the defensive line looks like it could throw a new set of bodies at teams in a number of different combinations every series. With a healthy D Law, another year of improvement from Dorance Armstrong and Chauncey Golston plus the part time pass rush help of Parsons means the Cowboys should rank near the top in the league in QB Pressures and fans beloved sacks.

Guys like Malik Hooker and Jabril Cox could leave their mark as well. Their ability in coverage would be huge in a league that loves big, athletic tight ends. They, along with Kearse, give the Cowboys an advantage in coverage that few other would have.

The interior DL and the Cornerbacks bring the biggest “if” factor to the defense.

Both Defensive Tackle and Cornerback have a chance to be the deepest positions on the roster. Both with massive glaring holes, however.

For the DT’s, who’s going to stop the run? Will it be done by improvements from Osa Odighizuwa and Neville Gallimore? How much can wide body day 3 draft picks like Quinton Bohanna and John Rideway help? The former pair should be relied on more than the latter. Trysten Hill and Carlos Watkins are both wildcards.

For the secondary, no unit has more boom potential. Diggs is following up his All Pro season and looking for a pay day. Then what?

Expectations are low for Kelvin Joseph after yet another episode of “it’s not really his fault but he was there.” Joseph has all the talent and traits to take over the CB2 spot, but will he even be on the field or suspended? Will Nahshon Wright contribute? Can Anthony Brown stick to the roster and have another quality year?

You see why this is a “what if” article. There’s tons of potential, but it’s gonna take things falling in the Cowboys favor.

THE MOST LIKELY OUTCOME:

You get a mixed bag here. There’s aspects of this defense we could see continue to flourish under Quinn. The pass rush and pass coverage could both very likely improve, even if we don’t see as many turnovers created by the Dallas Cowboys.

There are issues in stopping the run and whether the Cowboys can go five deep or are one injury away from concern at corner. But thanks to depth and actual star power this could be one of the best defenses we’ve seen from the Dallas Cowboys in quite some time.