Are Cowboys Fans Setting Themselves Up for Heartbreak Again?
Dallas has been here before. Once upon a time, they had infallible legends like Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Deion Sanders. Maybe not Leon Lett, but you get the idea. Three Super Bowl wins in the mid-’90s established the Cowboys as a dynasty and got the hype train rolling in Dallas. For hardcore fans, it’s never stopped. If anything, the 2020 draft has added even more fuel to the engine’s fire.
The Cowboys’ 2020 draft results
Judging a draft class isn’t easy. It’s not particularly fair either. Evaluating players before they’ve even played is kind of like judging an infant on how fast they can run before they’ve learned to crawl. But if you absolutely have to give an assessment, then Dallas’s performance in the 2020 draft is just short of amazing.
The Cowboys made out good this year, and long-time fans have a reason to be excited. Let’s recap how their draft selections went down. Dallas acquired five big names in this year’s virtual draft.
Sitting below deck on his yacht, Jerry Jones, the Cowboy’s owner, president, and general manager, played the role of remote puppet master as he skillfully secured some of college football’s top names.
First, they acquired Oklahoma wide receiver Ceedee Lamb who went at 17th overall pick. Then the Cowboys scooped up cornerback Trevon Diggs. That’d be Stefon Diggs’ little brother. In the third round, Jones secured Neville Gallimore, a first-rate defensive tackle also out of Oklahoma.
Going into the draft, Dallas was in need of a new center, so they grabbed Wisconsin’s Tyler Biadasz while they were at it. As if Gallimore wasn’t enough, they also grabbed Utah’s Bradlee Anae in the fifth round.
All in all, it was an excellent draft. Each acquisition added immense value to the team as a whole, filling some much-needed defensive gaps. The problem with being excited and getting your hopes up is that it hurts so much more when your team lets you down.
Hype train versus past performance
Dallas has been here before. They are a franchise where the hype train never really stops. Take Dak Prescott for example. Or Ezekiel Elliott. Or the recently traded Amari Cooper. Or virtually anyone else under the dark, Jason Garrett years.
The story of the Dallas Cowboys is a story about squandered opportunities. This is a team that Jerry Jones once dubbed “America’s team.” But if this billion-dollar franchise is indeed the face of the NFL, how come they haven’t won a Super Bowl since their dynasty ended in 1995?
Despite having a formidable toolset at their disposal, they haven’t even been regular playoff contenders. This is a roster that’s filled with immense talent, young talent. It’s also a roster that hasn’t coalesced, a roster that’s been without clear direction for far too long. Hope springs eternal, however.
The 2020 outlook
The dark days of Jason Garrett, aka “the Clapper” have come to an end. There are brighter days in store for the franchise. With their recent draft acquisitions, the Cowboys look to add depth across both their offensive and defensive squads, details Scout.com. Prescott finally has all the tools that he needs to get the job done. There’s Elliott in the backfield, Cooper and Lamb at wide out.
They’ve taken the opportunity with this year’s draft to shore up their defense which has been a glaring weak spot over the last couple of years. They have increased weapons on the line that can close gaps and pressure quarterbacks, and a solid player that can take over duties at center. But most of all, they have new leadership in the form of Mike McCarthy. The 2020 draft was good to the Dallas Cowboys. The 2020 season could be even better.
