The Dallas Cowboys had a difficult and risky offseason. They let go some of the staples of the franchise, and put all their faith in young players with little help around them. There was a lot of skepticism about both the Dez Bryant and Dan Bailey decisions, and they felt their absence in their opening game loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Obviously, no one will ever know what kind of impact Bryant or Bailey would have had on that game, but there is no doubt they could have benefited from what they used to offer. The Cowboys letting them go is the biggest indication that they are no longer capable of bringing the impact people used to expect.
Unfortunately, it is impossible not to think about how this game made have gone if both Bryant and Bailey were in the lineup, even with a potential drop off from their prime.
The Cowboys missed a field goal that used to be automatic for Bailey, and their passing game and overall offense looked as bad as it has ever been with Ezekiel Elliot and Dak Prescott.
No one was able to get any kind of separation and no one was making any plays. It is a miracle the Cowboys were able to stay in the game as much as they did, but having both Bailey and Bryant could have meant a victory for them.
By looking at this one game, it is hard not to think about those roster moves. Two of the weakest areas in that game were in the gaps left by Bryant and Bailey. The Cowboys really did nothing to replace their impact, and now they are left wondering what kind of identity this offense can have.
This was game was quite damning, because it is easy to see how much the two of them would have been able to help. One thing to keep in mind, however, is these roster decisions were about the long term, not short term.
The Cowboys had a lot of money tied up in those two players who were clearly out of the prime. The Cowboys did nothing to replace them this season, but they will be in a much stronger position to rebuild properly with that extra cap space.
It is a shame that they are wasting the luxurious years of Elliot and Prescott being on their rookie deals. Even so, the Cowboys did not believe they were good enough to win with their core including Bailey and Bryant, and taking that immediate hit in the short term should have been inevitable.
The Cowboys are clearly a work in progress, and the offense is at the very beginning stages. Losing those cornerstone players stripped them of much of their identity and trust, and there is almost no faith with any part of this offense.
It could be quite ugly this season, and it will be difficult to reconcile the loss of Bryant and Bailey as they struggle brutally. In the end, however, they need time in order to show why these roster moves were done. Progress is going to be the key from here, and then they can figure out what can be one with the extra space created by parting ways with two of their most expensive players.
The real issue is going to be for the coaching staff. These players will be given an opportunity to grow and develop while on these rookie deals, and they will certainly be a part of the future plans of this team. For the coaching staff, however, these roster decisions combined with a complete lack of anything to show progress, could mean the end of the line for them.
If things do not get better on offense fort the Cowboys, someone will have to answer for everything that has gone wrong. Both on the field and with the personnel, the coaching staff is the one under the most pressure form the questionable moves right now.
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