Winds of Change - The Dallas Cowboys

[CM Hooe]

Following a triplet of 8-8 seasons, winds of change were due to roll through Valley Ranch during the 2013 offseason. And roll through, they did - franchise stalwarts were cast side, veterans were cast out, and with little cap room available, few big-name free agents found their way to Texas via a splashy contract from Jerry Jones.

Nevertheless, the team left behind has plenty enough pieces to compete, even with tempered expectations. Established offensive stars remain in place, with the talented-and-controversial Tony Romo under center and his longtime partner in excellence tight end Jason Witten still commandeering the offense. Young talent is all over the place around this duo. The offensive line features three first-round draft choices in tackle Tyron Smith, center Travis Frederick, and rookie guard Zack Martin; the receiving corps led by budding superstar Dez Bryant, with youngster Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, and rookie Devin Street under the wing of the man who has grown up on the job. Others on the offensive side stand with their fellow men but with their own somethings to prove; talented running back Demarco Murray has the tools but must remain healthy for all sixteen games, tackle Doug Free continues to work his way back to his high-level play from 2011 after being squeezed into a pay cut to remain on the 2013 roster, and athletic and rangy tight end James Hanna may be down to his last chance to prove he belongs in the NFL at all.

The defensive side of the ball is another story altogether. A nightmare 2013 season resulted in franchise faces' removal from the roster; franchise sack leader Demarcus Ware and long-time nose tackle Jay Ratliff no longer don the star on their helmets. Breakout three-technique Jason Hatcher was not retained, he now plays for arch-rival Washington. In their place are unwanted parts from other teams - the talented lineman Henry Melton who may have a bad knee, cast-offs Jeremy Mincey, Terrell McClain, and Amobi Okoye. Other defensive veterans remaining have been issued ultimatums to step up or step out; linebacker Bruce Carter, defensive ends Anthony Spencer and Tyrone Crawford, and cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne among this group. A slew of new rookie faces threatens these mens long-term future on America's Team - defensive linemen Demarcus Lawrence, Ben Gardner, and Ken Bishop; linebackers Anthony Hitchens, Ken Bishop, and Will Smith; and defensive backs Ahmad Dixon and Terrance Mitchell all are hungry to make their mark as quickly as possible.

The expectations for the Dallas Cowboys remain the same as they always have - Super Bowl victories, plural. With the current group, such aspirations may not necessarily be well-founded; the offensive unit has the skill, but the defense is a work in progress at best. Fast-approaching are sixteen opportunities this autumn to chase those pundit-labeled fantasy and make it reality.

[CM Hooe]

Two programming notes:

I am running this franchise at Dynasty Nation, a partner website of Operation Sports; I'm using this thread primarily to aggregate comments. I will post in this thread blurbs with links about significant events and goings-on, but for the most part you'll want to either click the banner at the top of the thread or the link in my signature to get game results, statistics, and more detailed information.

Second, this thread has started in medias res - I'm already in 2014 Regular Season Week 3, and so far things are not going well.

[The GIGGAS]

Romo has been playing FANTASTIC for you, Hooe!

[CM Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by The GIGGAS

Romo has been playing FANTASTIC for you, Hooe!

The last time I checked, 11 interceptions in three games is the opposite of fantastic.

I appreciate the encouragement, however!

[CM Hooe]

Week 4 results posted.

Spoiler alert: the Cowboys' 2014 season is about to go down the toilet.

[The GIGGAS]

You're overdramatic. Great win against Houston.

[CM Hooe]

Game 5 result now up.

Another programming note - all my games are streamed to Twitch if you wish to follow along.

[CM Hooe]

Game 6 result up.

Everything went better than expected.