Survivor I - Dallas Cowboys Commentary

NOTE: this draft was completed on 7/24

Positives - Dallas was a top defense 2 years ago during Bill Parcells first season as Cowboy’s coach. They slid back to an average defense last season (#16 overall). Parcells has taken drastic steps to overhaul their defensive weaknesses during the off season. The Cowboys signed highly regarded free agents Jason Ferguson (DL) and Anthony Henry (DB) providing instant upgrades at their respective positions. Parcells also drafted Marcus Spears (DL) and Demarcus Ware (DE/OLB) adding great size, strength, and speed to the defensive front 7. It’s also been speculated that the additions of these players were intended to allow Dallas to utilize a 3-4 defensive scheme. These personnel additions, along with Parcells’ track record with defenses, should allow Dallas to once again be a top 10 overall defensive team this season.

Negatives - It’s impossible to predict how much the rookies will contribute this season. There may also be a learning curve should Parcells decide to use the 3-4 defense exclusively which may last well into the season. There also needs to be a significant improvement in the Dallas offense which will keep the defense off the field and help in winning the field position battle. That’s a lot of improvement expected from a team that finished with only 6 wins last season.

Draft Strategy - With the last pick in the 18th round, I selected Dallas believing they should be a solid defense with upside, potentially finishing in the top ten should the new personnel additions come up to speed quickly. The only skill positions left for me to fill are an 8th WR and a backup TE. There are no great values available at either of those positions so I chose to go with the best available defense. Pittsburgh and Dallas should provide my team with above average defensive scoring all season.