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- 2019-2020 Regular Season:
All Clear For Takeoff In The NFL’s 100th Year
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This edition of "The Tortured
Cowboys Fan" has also been published by the fine folks at
Sports TalkLine.
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September 8, 2019 At
2:03 AM CST
By Eric M. Scharf-
- Memories of “America’s Team”
suffering postseason defeat at the cloven hoofs of the Rams at the
Los Angeles Coliseum had been swirling for months ad nauseum.
Cowboys Nation has had all summer over which to stew, but sweet
relief has arrived with another NFL season that has begun anew.
Though not just any season but the NFL’s 100th year to be crystal
clear.
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While “final” 53-man rosters have largely been hardened, scouting
departments around the league continue their last-second sifting
through Turk-traumatized free agency . . . hoping to find just one
more raw-skilled, high-motor individual with a sense of now-or-never
urgency who may rise above what is initially bargained.
And for those lucky or established enough to have survived a visit
from the Turk, it is time to become a playing participant in the
NFL’s centennial celebration, err, get to work. The Dallas Cowboys
are doing their part for the league’s anniversary by bringing
something old, something new, something borrowed, and something
(white and) blue.
Future Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten will make his official
reappearance to the grid iron after a temporary retirement to ESPN’s
Monday Night Football booth. Color commentary (even for a man of his
pro football knowledge) proved the wrong environment, and now he is
out to show himself and “Cowboys Nation” – while he is something
(slow and) old – he has not grown too long in the tooth. He is
determined to show the NFL world that one year away has not
diminished his ability to (impactfully) play.
Veteran center Travis Frederick will make his long-awaited
homecoming after missing all of 2017 with
(temporary-yet-still-debilitating) symptoms of Guillain-Barré
syndrome. Now fully recovered with ALL SYSTEMS GO, “Fredbeard”
appears ready to help “The Great Wall Of Dallas” regain more of its
former glory by beating unworthy defenders like a drum. While
Frederick is also something somewhat old (or shall we say
established), his complete recovery from a crippling nerve condition
is no less inspiring and bold.
Not only do the Cowboys have something new, it is a carefully
curated collection of something borrowed (trade and free agent
pick-ups on one-year, prove-it deals which Dallas hopes congeal) and
2019 draft picks that comprise a promising who’s who.
Key among those undrafted additions were defensive end Robert “The
Mighty” Quinn (via trade with Miami) who is expected to be a
long-sought-after bookend to DeMarcus “Tank” Lawrence, but until his
two-game PED suspension has concluded, fans will simply have to
grapple with the suspense. Free agent wide receiver Randall Cobb
(who from the flank, in the slot, or returning kicks) can – when
healthy – do the job just as easily as former Cowboy Cole Beasley.
Free agent defensive end Kerry Hyder, who left the Lions’ den to
improve his fortunes among a robust rotation of defensive colliders.
“Futures contract” free agent and former New York Jets speedy wide
receiver Devin Smith has battled all the way back from being no more
than a “camp body” with consecutive ACL tears in right knee (over a
16-month span from 2015-2017) to having landed another game day
opportunity for all of Cowboys Nation to see.
Among the Cowboys’ 2019 draft picks, first-round gobstopper and
defensive tackle Trysten Hill, shifty running back Tony Pollard,
determined defensive end Joe Jackson, and delightfully-ball-hawking
safety Donovan Wilson seem most ready to perform year-one tricks.
Guard Connor McGovern and defensive end Jalen Jelks will start the
season on the eight-week injured reserve list, and it is Dallas’
hope that their promising skills and desirable depth will not have
been missed.
“What about something (white and) blue?” you ask. GM Jerry only
recently fulfilled that task, but on that there will be further
reflection in the next section.
Infraction By Distraction
The Dallas Cowboys – since their purchase by Jerry Jones on February
25th, 1989 and certainly since the advent of social media – have
almost never “enjoyed” an uneventful moment at any time during any
season. So long as Jerry remains in charge, the association of the
words “peace and quiet” with America’s Team will be viewed as an act
of abject treason.
The Cowboys would lose popular-and-productive wide receiver “Lump Of
Cole” Beasley to Buffalo, injury-prone-but-gutty tight end Geoff
Swaim to Jacksonville, and capable-yet-inconsistent linebacker
Damien Wilson to Kansas City. If not for another year of functional
frugality in free agency and (more) deft draft choices by people
with wise voices, these losses might have triggered pity.
Defensive end Randy Gregory would quietly remain dedicated (by all
accounts) to his latest mission of – once again – gaining
reinstatement by Commissioner Goodell’s decision.
Still, Dallas had been enjoying an offseason rather smooth and
training camp exceptionally chill. Sure, challenges were present,
but they were imminently solvable. Dak Prescott was due for a
contract extension, and it would be no easy effort of locking in his
retention. First came the titanic new extension for Seahawks’ QB
Russell Wilson. And just when GM Jerry thought he had some time to
reasonably avoid a compensation crime, Eagles’ QB Carson Wentz
received an extension that would force Dallas to at least swing for
Philly’s financial fence.-
- And just when GM Jerry
believed his cap space could manageably remain in place, Ezekiel
Elliott (not-so-suddenly) began a preseason holdout that nearly
caused the myopic among Cowboys Nation to fall on their collective
face. GM Jerry would take a previously-hinted detour and
surprisingly extend Jaylon “Smooth” Smith, making everyone’s
financial fixation on Dallas’ big three (Dak, Zeke, and Amari
Cooper) all but a myth. Doubling down on the new contract cravings,
Dallas also extended offensive tackle La’el Collins (who helped
create nearly $6M in current cap year savings). Following that
purposeful pronouncement, and just as Elliott and GM Jerry were
beginning to converge (albeit painfully) towards their long-awaited
announcement, Rams’ QB Jared Goff received an extension that would
yet again require of GM Jerry a bit more fiscal invention. Then,
finally, mercifully, Zeke and Jerry would agree (on the richest
contract for a running back in NFL history), and all would be merry.
The Cowboys would precede that wonderful news with the release of
persona non grata, linebacker Rolando McClain (a
talented-yet-troubled athlete by any number of views). The
suddenly-reinstated McClain last played in 2015 when his time with
Dallas was upended upon becoming indefinitely suspended.
“Well?! What about something (white and) blue?!” you push yet again.
GM Jerry is a rare business bird. He is often able – in the same
business breath – to antagonize (with “Zeke WHO?”) and then monetize
(with “THAT’S who!”), softening his target audience with so much
guaranteed satisfaction (that he no longer wishes to flip Jerry the
La’Veon Bell, err, bird).
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While – again – there were surprisingly none (?) of the common
Cowboys blotter squatters, Dallas suffered a bit from infraction by
distraction . . . and Cowboys Nation will continue to agonize into
the season until Prescott has been sufficiently granted his own
green gratification.
Will They Or Won’t They?
The New York Giants travel to AT&T Stadium for an up-close reminder
of how much Cowboys Nation hates ‘em. The G-Men appear doomed to
somewhat extend their 2018 mess into this new year, but a cocky and
complacent Cowboys team offers plenty for fans to fear.
As ready to retire as Eli Manning may appear, he has an
improved-if-still-imperfect o-line behind which to better steer.
Saquon Barkley will surely be raring to go against a Hot Boz squad
glaring at him so darkly.
Will the newly-deepened “Marinelli’s Men” attack and sack Manning
again and again . . . or will Saquon the every-back, tight end Evan
Engram, and a rag-tag receiver fleet find a way to turn it on?
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Will a relaxed and ready Zeke pulverize New York’s defensive front,
or will the Giants surprise with a consistent backfield hunt? Will
Dak – armed with 2K (Kellen and Kitna) – confidently remove the
offensive shrink wrap and make all of Cowboys Nation want to
vigorously clap?
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Will Prescott and Zeke lead the deepest Dallas team in years towards
joyous Super Bowl tears?
We shall see. We always do.
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