The Dallas Cowboys can rarely catch a break from reporters, fans, and other teams alike. Whether the team has added or lost talent, the expectations are always high (or low) for “America’s Team.”
Dallas Cowboys News Today
Dan Orlovsky Predicts Less Than 10 Wins
That was no different on Thursday as ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky offered up his opinion on the Cowboys and their changes from last season. While the team has only added one outside free agent in linebacker Eric Kendricks, Orlovsky isn’t quelling the heat on the team this upcoming season.
His expectation is that Dallas won’t manage to win 10 games.
“Well, they have five starters that don’t have positions filled right now; they lost their defensive coordinator…” Orlovsky started.
“Let me give Cowboys fans a truth serum. You got three picks in the top 174 in the NFL Draft. So you have five starters on your football team that have roles to be filled, at least three on your offensive line are giant question marks, you only got three picks in the top 174 in the NFL Draft, so they’re a lesser football team.
“This is a football team that has lesser talent than they did last year but greater expectations. That doesn’t bode well in the NFL.”
Cowboys Could Be Signaling a Rebuild by Keeping Head Coach Mike McCarthy
Blogging With The Boys writer Jess Haynie believes that the Cowboys may have a rebuild on the horizon following the season. Quarterback Dak Prescott is in the final year of his deal and will command a $55.455 million cap hit, plus Mike McCarthy has continually been on the hot season. It’s possible McCarthy is on for just one final ride.
“When it comes to the head coach, wouldn’t McCarthy have been given a true vote of confidence, perhaps at least a two or three-year extension, instead of lame-duck status for 2024,” Haynie questioned.
“Or if the team believes in its roster and not the head coach, wouldn’t it have made sense to boot him and see what someone like Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel, or some other big name from this year’s pool could have done with it?
“No, the tea leaves say that this front office has lost faith in the current construction of the team. How far that goes, if it includes Prescott or not, is still undetermined. But their lack of activity says they’re focused on being a contender in the future with less salary cap constraints, using this offseason to begin to reset.
“They’re willing to accept an uninspiring, if not painful, 2024 season to help make it happen. And they’re also willing to just have McCarthy oversee the mess than bring in someone new and set them up to make a bad first impression.”
Pro Football Network’s Dallas Robinson ranks Mike McCarthy as the No. 18 head coach in the NFL.
No Guarantees That McCarthy Will Be Back
Speaking of McCarthy, Dallas owner Jerry Jones was pretty direct about why he wouldn’t extend the head coach ahead of the season. Not only is Jones “not concerned” about not giving McCarthy a new deal, but he spoke to USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz at the NFL Owners Meetings in Orlando to explain why there are no guarantees.
“Most of America gets up, and they don’t have it guaranteed in front of them,” Jones said. “You’re going to write what you’re going to write, but when you ask me about not extending him, my answer is that most of America doesn’t have anything guaranteed down the road. Most folks don’t have guarantees.”
KEEP READING: Ryan Clark Says Cowboys Are Accepting Lost Season by Not Extending Dak Prescott
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