First and foremost, How ‘Bout These Cowboys! What a phenomenal season. With three consecutive 8-8 seasons, Jason Garrett has the Cowboys heading in the right direction.
This team has been built to get through the regular season and answer the call in the playoffs. We got little taste of that this year with our 12-4 record and playoff win under our belt under Coach Garrett.
With the season now officially over, the first order of business will be to re-sign the coaching staff. Look for Garrett to get extended as soon as tomorrow and we’ll be looking at extending new contracts to assistants who are now free agents.
Rod Marinelli is atop that list, but it’s already being speculated that he’ll move on and join the loser Buccaneers in Tampa Bay. We could see Matt Eberflus promoted to defensive coordinator. He’s an in-house candidate and has defensive coordinator experience from his time in Missouri.
Scott Linehan may get some interviews, but the Cowboys will likely re-sign him and keep him onboard. He molded this offense into a scoring machine and utilized the playmakers on offense.
Bill Callahan will likely move on after being unofficially demoted this past season. It would be great to keep him on board, he really elevated the play of this offensive line. Frank Pollack could get elevated to O-line coach.
Will McClay had a pretty solid draft this season and he’ll be in charge of targeting the best defensive players for this next draft. We have a lot of work to do defensively. Could we be looking for Romo’s heir this year? These will all be talked about in the coming months.
As for the game, here are my thoughts:
— We got robbed. I’ve heard the explanation of the rule by Dean Blandino and it simply does not apply to Dez Bryant’s catch. He had a football move of these full steps and reached out for the endzone. They got the call correct and reversed it. Fix this stupid ass rule.
— DeMarco Murray’s fumble was costly. You cannot turn the ball over in the playoffs, period. Murray will command a huge contract, but if Peterson is available, I’m going to go that route for a few seasons. We’ll see what Dallas does here.
— Rolando McClain was upstaged in the playoffs by Anthony Hitchens and I truly believe this is the future at LB. McClain will not be retained, not worth the hassle or inability to practice or play in big games. Go with Hitchens at mike, Sean Lee at weakside and look into re-signing Carter and or Durant. We could see a high draft pick used at LB in the draft, it would not surprise me.
— Pass rusher is needed. I said this heading into the playoffs and it bit us in the ass this week. How did we not sack a gimpy Rodgers more in this game. The lack of pass rush needs to be addressed in the offseason. Our 1991 season was similar, and in 1992, we got our guy in Charles Haley. The Cowboys are in the same spot as back then. We need to find that guy, whether a free agent like JPP or a rookie.
— DeMarcus Lawrence will grow in all aspects in the offseason. I was pleasantly surprised at the plays he made towards the end of the year and the last two playoff games, but more work is needed.
— Brandon Carr is getting paid too much and will likely be shown the door. Carr was targeted with regularity during the playoffs and it’s no surprise, he can’t cover well. He’ll make a tackle in the running game, but that’s not what we pay the big bucks for.
— Cole Beasley needs to be retained and Dwayne Harris can walk. More on upcoming free agents here.
— Orlando Scandrick is the only lock for starting cornerback for next season. With questions surrounding Carr and the health Claiborne, the Cowboys could be looking for a replacement or two via free agency or the draft. Sterling Moore is a UFA. Tyler Patmon is signed for 3-yrs.
— Anthony Spencer had a nice end of the year, looking his closest to Pro Bowl form than ever before, but will the Cowboys re-sign him? They’ll give him a contract, but not sure it’ll be what he’ll be looking for. His age will be a factor as well.
— Tyrone Crawford had a solid game, but we need another guy next to him in the trenches. Hayden and the other backups are not the guy. They do have some young guys there, but mostly guys considered rotational players.
— The playoff crews (referees) need to be reviewed themselves. Not only did the Cowboys have bad calls against them, but, I’ve seen a lot of bad calls in these other playoff games. Stick with complete crews and don’t do the “all-star” crews.
— Dan Bailey didn’t look so good in the playoffs. We saw Bailey miss a few FGs and it’ll be something to watch in training camp and in the preseason. I’m not saying he’s in a slump, but just keep an eye on it. Sometimes these kickers get rattled and they carry it over into the next season.
— Jeremy Mincey had a nice 2014 campaign and we’ll have his services again in 2015. He provided some leadership and consistent play at DE. I like this signing more than I did the Selvie addition two years ago.
— Zack Martin was a grand slam of a pick. He played a hell of a game in the elements and this is the type of lineman that will get us through the playoffs next season.
— Jason Garrett coached his ass off this year and he showed what we have all wanted to see – an upward tick. I’ve said this team felt like 1991 and I still feel that way. With that being said, next year could be 1992. With a few roster upgrades we’ll be back in the playoffs and more. We are coming for everyone next season.
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That’s our season everybody, now begins the offseason strategy. We’ll be covering the draft now, with coverage of the Senior Bowl, NFL Combine, Free Agency and NFL draft. The season never ends here and keep checking back for the latest news and rumors.
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I love the Star. Dallas Cowboys Forever. Special shout-out to our friend DCFanatic. He would have enjoyed this season, sorry he missed it…
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