Return To Glory: A Dallas Cowboys 2019 Dynasty

[Cory Levy]

Cowboys' Tumultuous Season Finally Draws to End with Giant Loss



The New York Giants outscored the Dallas Cowboys 34 to 28 in the last week of the season much to the dismay of Cowboys Nation. To say it's been a long season for Jerry Jones, Jason Garrett and the roster of America's Team would be quite an understatement. Despite an Offseason of hope and the addition of talented young players such as LB Leighton Vander Esch, G Connor Williams and WR Michael Gallup in the Draft, WR Allen Hurns in Free Agency and the supposed continued development of cornerstone players such as QB Dak Prescott, HB Ezekial Elliott, RT La'El Collins, DE DeMarcus Lawrence, CBs Byron Jones and Chidobe Awuzie, S Xavier Woods as well as the mid-season blockbuster acquisition of superstar WR Amari Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys' 2018 season will be looked upon as a massive failure. The tremendously successful 2016 season that looked to be the start of something special in Dallas is so far in the rear view mirror it's invisible. While the young Dallas defense has taken strides forward until the eyes of veteran coach Rod Marinelli as well as upstart co-coordinator Kris Richard, Dallas' offense could not find its way in 2018. What was once coined The Great Wall of Dallas is now a shell of its former self. All-Pro Center Travis Frederick missed the entire year after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome. Backup C Joe Looney did an admirable job filling in but was merely serviceable. RT La'El Collins regressed in a shocking amount. Rookie LG Connor Williams was average and clearly desperate for an Offseason of stricter NFL training regiments. LT Tyron Smith's copious injuries continued to impact the once Elite talent in a severe manner. Even All-World Zach Martin faced some struggles during the season. The offensive line woes compounded onto the once rookie-phenom duo of Zeke Elliott and Dak Prescott, who both looked like half the players they were two years ago and did not look to be the saviors of the franchise. The entire organization is now on notice heading into the Offseason with a pitiful 5-11 record, dead last in the Division standings. Changes are undoubtedly going to be coming quick in Big D and they will likely be starting at the top of the organization.

Jason Garrett Fired After 8 Season In Dallas - Jerry Jones Makes Shocking Announcement

Jason Garrett has coached his last game as Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys in a 2018 loss to the New York Giants. It was announced today by Jerry Jones, Owner and General Manager of the Cowboys, that Garrett was being released from his contract after a stunning 5-11 record in 2018 and yet another failure to reach the Playoffs, let alone advance in them. Garrett finishes his tenure in Dallas with a 72-65 record, including 1-2 in the Post Season; leaving a mark of inconsistency and mediocrity behind. Garrett thanked Jerry and Stephen Jones for always backing him and believing in him each and every season and thanked the Dallas Cowboys for taking a chance on the Back Up QB turned Offensive Coordinator turned Head Coach before relaying his regret for not being able to deliver the organization and its fans a Lombardi Trophy in his time in Dallas. Being released with Garrett include the likes of Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan, QBs Coach Kellen Moore and veteran Tampa 2 Defensive Coordinator Rod Marinelli. The only major name being retained is former Seattle Seahawks secondary guru Kris Richard, whose impact on the team was strongly felt in just his first year as a member of the Cowboys staff.

However, the biggest news to come out of Dallas today was Jerry's announcement following the release of Jason Garrett that he would actually be stepping down as General Manager in name of the Dallas Cowboys. Fans, media and analysts have speculated steadfastly for years that Jerry would never remove the title from himself for as long as he was healthy enough to be in the office. Jerry maintained that he would still be involved in nearly every decision imaginable within the organization: "Of course I will remain the Owner and de facto judgement maker of the Dallas Cowboys going forward. This move is about involving as many intelligent people as possible to ensure the Dallas Cowboys can be a successful team on and off the field." No word yet as to who will be named the new General Manager of America's Team, though potential candidates thrown around include in-house Head Scout Will McClay as well as, crazily enough, retired former Head Coach Bill Parcells.


Cowboys Announce New GM: A Cowboys Legend; Also New Head Coach




It only took three business days for Jerry Jones to finish his search for his first ever General Manager since he became Owner of the Dallas Cowboys. The name should be familiar to every one of the Cowboys' faithful as it will be none other than former Dallas Cowboys QB Troy Aikman, who has opted out of his broadcast contract with Fox in order to accept the position. Aikman is a three time Super Bowl Champion and was the MVP of Super Bowl 27. Aikman was not hesitant to offer criticism of his former team during the season and such statements apparently lead to a deeper dialogue between Jones and Aikman that eventually lead to the hire. Aikman will join the likes of former players turned General Managers such as John Lynch and Ozzie Newsome. After shaking hands with Jerry Jones, Aikman made his intentions in Dallas clear: "It's obvious to me that there's a lot of talent in Dallas right now. It's also obvious to me there's a lot of problems and I want to correct as many of those as I can as quickly as I can. There's a lot of work to do but I believe the foundations are laid for a team that can be more than just merely good every year. There's no doubt about why I'm here, for either Jerry or I: we are going to return the Dallas Cowboys to glory. Believe me, failure is not an option and will not be an option going forward. For me, for my coaching staff, for my players."

GM Troy Aikman was quick to attempt to turn some of the spotlight off himself when he was the one to announce his hand picked successor to Jason Garrett as the new Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys: current DBs Coach and Defensive Co-Coordinator Kris Richard. In just one season Richard's passion and intensity for the game had ignited a fire in a majority of the defensive players on the roster. The Dallas Defense out shined its more star studded offensive counterpart in 2018 and Richard was a major component in that. "I obviously need to thank Jerry and Troy for this opportunity. To be Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys is no easy task but the best rewards in life don't come easy. We have work to do here but I will have our guys up to the task to do so. I'm looking forward to putting my stamp on this team starting right now." Only time will be able to tell if the trio of Jerry Jones, Troy Aikman and Kris Richard can turn the Dallas Cowboys back around from the mire and mediocrity they've stumbled through for more than two decades.

[Cory Levy]

Brees Wins Battle of Legends; Cowboys Receive Dire News




Tom Brady and Drew Brees, two of the most accomplished QBs in NFL history, met in the heavyweight bout that was Super Bowl 53. Both men looked to add just another layer to their storied careers but it was Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints who took home the Lombardi for the second time in their franchise's history. Tom Brady has already announced his retirement mere 24 hours after the big game while Brees will continue for at least one more year. In interesting side story, the Saints winning it all means former Dallas Cowboy WR Dez Bryant joins DeMarcus Ware as prolific Cowboys alums who have gone on to win the Super Bowl with a different team shortly after leaving. Bryant, a mid-season acquisition, wasn't the centerpiece of the Saints' aerial attack but he did contribute with four catches for forty-nine yards and a clutch catch on third down late in the fourth quarter that was almost bobbled away.

While it was a weekend worth celebrating for the New Orleans Saints, it was one worth almost mourning for the Dallas Cowboys. Travis Frederick and Sean Lee, centerpieces of the Offense and Defense as well as rigid Team Captains, both announced their retirements over the weekend. Frederick was diagnosed with Guillain Barre syndrome in the Preseason of 2018 and though he has been making a valiant fight and will be able to regain the majority of his health back, doctors have signed off on him being unable to ever return to the football field due to further risk. Frederick was noticeably upset during the conference as his career was cut abruptly short. Sean Lee's injuries, most notably his weakening hamstrings, have finally gotten the best of the veteran All-Pro. Lee will be forced to hang up his cleats after the 2018 season much like Tony Romo was forced to after the 2016 season. While back up players at both C and LB played admirably if not better than the starters in the case of Jaylon Smith at times, the departure of both players leaves a hole in terms of leadership and experience on both sides of the ball.

Dallas Cowboys Offseason 2019

The new Cowboys Trio of Jerry Jones, GM Troy Aikman and HC Kris Richard have been hard at work in quickly re-shaping the outlook on the Dallas Cowboys. The biggest news came with Jerry Jones managing to get the deal done to re-sign superstar DE DeMarcus Lawrence, the team's war daddy who notched 13 sacks in 2018, long-term to a six year deal worth $113M. Notable outgoings include Sean Lee and Travis Frederick to retirement, the release of WR Terrence Williams, the decision to let Slot WR Cole Beasley and DT David Irving leave for Free Agency and the trades of CB Anthony Brown (to the Buccaneers for a 2019 4th Round Pick) and TE Blake Jarwin (to the Chargers to a 2020 6th Round Pick). In terms of talent acquired, Dallas traded for S/CB Troy Apke of the Redskins (for a 2019 5th Round Pick) while being relatively quiet in Free Agency despite having over $60M in Cap Space and pretty glaring holes at Center, Tight End and Defensive Tackle. GM Troy Aikman replying to the media: "Well, the problem with building through Free Agency is that you have to pay so much for so... average. And then you have to pay even more than that for good. We trust Will McClay and the rest of our scouting personnel department with building this team mainly through the draft, and that's a strategy I certainly agree with."

DEPARTURES

OLB Sean Lee (Retirement)
C Travis Frederick (Retirement)
LS L.P. Ladouceur (Retirement)
WR Terrence Williams (Cut)
CB Anthony Brown (Trade)
TE Blake Jarwin (Trade)
WR Cole Beasley (Free Agent)
DT David Irving (Free Agent)
FB Jamize Olawale (Free Agent)
WR Deonte Thompson (Free Agent)
G Xavier Su'a-Filo (Free Agent)
DT Datone Jones (Free Agent)
DT Caraun Reid (Free Agent)
OLB Justin March-Lillard (Free Agent)
FS Darian Thompson (Free Agent)

RE-SIGNINGS

DE DeMarcus Lawrence
WR Tavon Austin
OT Cameron Fleming
DT Antwaun Woods
DT Daniel Ross
OLB Damien Wilson
CB C.J. Goodwin
TE Geoff Swaim
RB Rod Smith

ACQUISITIONS

S/CB Troy Apke (From Washington Redskins)

SIGNINGS

SS Obi Melifonwu
FB Elijah Wellman
TE A.J. Derby

[Cory Levy]

Nick Bosa No. 1 Overall; Cowboys Add Offensive Firepower




In what was no real surprise to the football world, DE Nick Bosa of Ohio State was the first overall selection by the Oakland Raiders of the 2019 NFL Draft. Merely a few picks later the Raiders used the pick they acquired from the Dallas Cowboys to further re-stock their defense when they selected MLB Devin White of LSU with the Number 4th Overall Pick. WR AJ Brown (Colts), LT Jonah Williams (Buccaneers) and LT Gregory Little (Eagles) rounded out the rest of the Top Five in that order. Division foe New York Giants surprisingly skipped on their choice of any QB in the draft for a second year in a row in the first round but have to be pleased with the immensely talented DT Ed Oliver of Houston whom fell into their laps at #7. The Washington Redskins selected CB Trayvon Mullen, Clemson with their First Round selection, hoping to boost their already stellar defense even further. The most shocking factoid is that the first QB taken was not selected until the second to last pick in the opening round when Super Bowl runner up New England Patriots selected QB Jake Bentley, the apparent successor to Tom Brady! With multiple premium QBs sitting there for their first selection in the second round, Jerry Jones and Troy Aikman doubled down on Dak Prescott being their guy despite waning since a phenomenal rookie campaign. The Jacksonville Jaguars then pounced ahead of the Denver Broncos and New York Giants by trading up with next year's First Round to swap places with Dallas in the second round and select QB Justin Herbert. Sure enough that began the QB slide as Drew Lock (Broncos) and Ryan Finley (Giants) were both taken in the next five picks.

When the ball finally rolled back around to Dallas they selected the first Center off the board in the draft by taking Elgton Jenkins of Mississippi State, immediately trying to answer for the sudden retirement of Travis Frederick. With their pick in the third round, Dallas added some Offensive Firepower for Dak Prescott with the selection of the speedy Oklahoma Wideout Marquise Brown. Brown will bring electric speed to the Cowboys offense and may prove to be an even better Slot option than Cole Beasley was. Troy Aikman and Jerry Jones made waves when they traded their two fourth round picks as well as a seventh to move back up into the middle of the third round with Cincinnati in order to select mammoth, plugging DT Greg Gaines from Washington. With their two remaining picks the Cowboys selected back ups on both sides of the ball that they hope can contribute soon to the team.

Dallas Cowboys 2019 Draft Recap
Pick	Player	College	Pos	Ht	Wt
2-23	Elgton Jenkins	Mississippi St.	C	6'4"	310
3-4	Marquise Brown	Oklahoma	WR	5'10"	169
3-16	Greg Gaines	Washington	DT	6'2"	315
5-1	Tavien Feaster	Clemson	HB	5'11"	216
6-4	De'Jon Harris	Arkansas	MLB	6'0"	245

[Cory Levy]

The 'Boys Arrive in Oxnard



To say it's been an Offseason of change for the Dallas Cowboys might be a bit of an understatement. Jerry Jones shocked the football world when he officially stepped down as the General Manager of the team before bringing in former Cowboy QB great Troy Aikman to take the mantle. The change at the top didn't stop there as Head Coach Jason Garrett was released after an 8 year tenure in Dallas that can be characterized as consistently inconsistent. Kris Richard, Defensive Backs coach and Defensive Co-Coordinator, is now the man leading the charge for America's Team. Richard brings a fiery passion and intensity to the coaching quo, quite a change from the more calm nature of Garrett; Coach Richard does not shy away from stepping onto the practice field and showing players exactly how he wants things executed.

The majority of the Cowboys team have arrived in Oxnard today to join their rookie and undrafted free agent counterparts to begin laying the foundations of the 2019 season. The major storyline going into the season has to be the development of Dak Prescott. After an enthralling rookie campaign, Dak has flat-lined to being merely an average at best QB; at times looking even worse than that. With the previous season's trade for Amari Cooper, the signing of veteran TE A.J. Derby and the drafting of speedster Marquise Brown, Prescott has no excuses for not having help this year.

Questions also remain on the Offensive Line. It was just a blink ago that many considered Dallas' O-Line as one of the very best in the league. Tyron Smith has been battling injuries for the majority of the last three seasons and has had even more medical treatments this Offseason - is Smith past his prime or ready for a rebound year? Opposite him La'El Collins struggled mightily in 2018 - he may be one or two bad games away from being replaced permanently. Second year Guard Connor Williams is returned finally healthy after finishing his rookie year injured - the verdict will be out if a year of Offseason training turns him into worthy of his second round selection. Zach Martin faced more struggles in 2018 than any year previously but will remain the most sturdy rock of the line as well as a Team Captain. Rookie Center Elgton Jenkins has massive shoes to fill in for the retired, perennial All-Pro Travis Frederick. If he struggles the team could easily turn back to Joe Looney, who was serviceable in 2018 but the team is hoping Jenkins becomes yet another rock on their Offensive Line.

On the defensive side, the Cowboys appear poised to be ready to cement themselves as one of the better defenses in the league. The 2018 squad finished Top 10 in the league in PPG and YPG allowed. That said, it will be missing long time leader Sean Lee, who was forced to retire. Now fully healthy, Jaylon Smith looks to become the next leader of the defense along with second year Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, who flashed brightly in his rookie season. DeMarcus Lawrence solidified himself as a premier pass rusher in the league and the absolute emotional leader of the defense in 2018. Continuing his reign of terror on opposing QBs and RBs will be a key for the defense in 2019. The secondary returns virtually the same crew from 2018 and Kris Richard speaks more excitedly about them than practically any other part of the team. The CB tandem of Byron Jones and Chidobe Awuzie showed both supreme potential and bitter disappointment in 2018, if they can put the pieces together they could form one of the better tandems in the league. An interesting plot to watch is an apparent camp battle between veteran S Jeff Heath and new signee Obi Melifonwu. Heath is a solid veteran player who is one of the few Cowboys to be able to force turnovers while Melifonwu is on his third team in just as many years in the league. That said Richard covets Melifonwu's size and speed in his defensive scheme and the media surrounding the team is buzzing that he will be given every opportunity to win the starting Safety spot opposite Xavier Woods.

On paper the 2019 Dallas Cowboys appear to be pretty talented. The same could be said about the 2017 and 2018 Cowboys and the results for those teams were very disappointing. Only time will tell if this year's iteration of the Cowboys will change their recent misfortunes under the new leadership of Kris Richard and Troy Aikman.

Opening Camp Snippets:

"I believe in him, I really do. I don't think what we saw in 2016 was just a mirage - he can be more than just a game managing QB. He has a nice assortment of weapons and Coach Mullen and I have both been extremely hands on with him this Offseason." - Troy Aikman, on starting QB Dak Prescott

"We're hoping to get all his potential out onto the field. He's got all the physical tools needed to succeed in the league." - Kris Richard, on Obi Melifonwu

"My expectations are where they've always been: sitting atop the highest mountain of the NFL. I think this team will compete with the best of the NFL, I really do. Things haven't turned our way the past two-three seasons but I think they're going to turn our way in a BIG way this year." - Jerry Jones, on the upcoming season

"We're in it together, man. We've been in it together since I got here and each year it just gets tighter and tighter. We fight for each other out on the field. This year we're going to fight even harder. I can promise you that." - DeMarcus Lawrence, on team unity

"Our offense? It's going to be explosive, just like a Hollywood movie!" - Marquise Brown, on offensive expectations

[Cory Levy]

2-2 In Preseason, Dallas Has Sights Set On Buffalo



With a win against the Arizona Cardinals in the Battle of the Backups, the Dallas Cowboys have finished the 2019 Preseason with a 2-2 record. It's early Monday morning and the team is already hard at work (and have been for the last week of the Preseason) in preparation for regular season opener opponent Buffalo Bills (whom the Cowboys bested in a very vanilla Preseason encounter). The most concerning part of the Preseason has to be that Dallas struggled in its "Dress Rehearsal" game against the lowly New York Jets in Week 3. Despite playing practically all expected starters for an entire half, the Cowboys could only muster a 3-3 tie heading into the Half Time show before second stringers fell behind in the third and fourth quarters though they did claw back to send the game to Overtime where they eventually were defeated. Dak Prescott's logline (11-16, 118 Yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT, 3 Sacks) has Cowboys Nation already on the defensive and the pressure is on the QB of America's Team ten fold heading into the regular season opener.

Rookie WR Marquise Brown led the team in Preseason receiving yards (169 Yards) and is already looking like an important component of the new Dallas Offense under new Offensive Coordinator Dan Mullen while Allen Hurns has laid his claim for a spot on the roster with two receiving Touchdowns (both from Cooper Rush). On the Offensive Line, RT La'El Collins has given up two sacks in the Preseason and the aura surrounding the team is that the ice he's on is thinner than ever. It may only take a single bad half for the team to make the switch to backup Cameron Fleming and start looking elsewhere for their Franchise RT. On the defensive side, LB duo Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith have looked like even more of a force than they were last year as they combined for 43 Tackles and 1 Sack in limited playing time. DeMarcus Lawrence also got the ball rolling right in 2019 and wrapped up opposing QBs to the tune of 2.5 Sacks in nearly just an entire half of play.

The only 'real' Preseason position battle appeared to be the one at Strong Safety between veteran Jeff Heath and three year pro Obi Melifonwu. Head Coach Kris Richard raved about the intangibles and physical traits of the 6'3" S from Connecticut but his play on the field remains to be discovered. With the results between both players being on the field being roughly the same, it's anyone's guess as to who the actual starter. Will Richard lean on the veteran stability of Heath or are the off the chart physical traits of Melifonwu too tough to pass up?

Preseason Snippets:

"Well, Dak's always been a guy who shines the brightest when all the lights are on and a guy who works incredibly hard in the books, so there isn't any doubt that he'll be ready for Buffalo." - HC Kris Richard, on Dak Prescott's Preseason performance

"I just got my feet under me and I'm ready to roll into the regular season. Ready to get out there and smack some defenders, y'know?" - RB Ezekial Elliott, on how his Preseason went

"It's about getting better every year, with every opportunity. It's about being as ready as you can if you need to go into a game that matters in the regular season. I think I've gotten a little bit better every year I've been here." - QB Cooper Rush, on playing in the Preseason

Dallas Cowboys 2019 Preseason Results
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Aug 11	at Buffalo Bills	Won, 31-24
Aug 16	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Lost, 22-17
Aug 24	vs New York Jets	Lost, 19-13
Aug 31	vs Arizona Cardinals	Won, 28-27

[Cory Levy]

Young And Hungry; Meet The 2019 Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have officially trimmed their roster down to 53 along with filling out their 10 man Practice Squad. The squad is very similar to its 2018 counterpart with the major differences being the retirements of long time Cowboys Sean Lee and Travis Frederick, with Jaylon Smith and Rookie Elgton Jenkins hopeful to step in as equal replacements. The roster overall is one of the youngest in the leagues with only Punter Chris Jones being 30 years or older. In fact, only three projected starters are over 27 years of age (LT Tyron Smith, RG Zack Martin and DT Tyrone Crawford). This season will tell if the Cowboys youth movement will lead to a hungry, ferocious competitor that blasts with energy or if their inexperience will end up being their downfall in a league that usually covets experience. The Cowboys have also announced the Team Captains for 2019; DE DeMarcus Lawrence being the sole new Captain - a vocal and passionate one at that.

Dallas Cowboys
Owner: Jerry Jones
General Manager: Troy Aikman
Head Coach: Kris Richard
Offensive Coordinator: Dan Mullen
Defensive Coordinator: John Glenn


(C) - Team Captain
* - Rookie

Dallas Cowboys 2019 Roster
#	OFFENSE	POS	AGE	HT	WT	COLLEGE
4	Dak Prescott (C)	QB	26	6'2"	238	Mississippi St.
7	Cooper Rush	QB	25	6'3"	228	Central Michigan
3	Mike White	QB	24	6'4"	225	W. Kentucky
21	Ezekial Elliott	RB	24	6'0"	225	Ohio State
45	Rod Smith	RB	27	6'3"	240	Ohio State
26	Tavien Feaster*	RB	21	5'11"	216	Clemson
36	Elijah Wellman	FB	23	6'2"	243	West Virginia
19	Amari Cooper	WR	25	6'1"	225	Alabama
17	Allen Hurns	WR	27	6'3"	201	Miami
13	Michael Gallup	WR	23	6'1"	198	Colorado St.
15	Marquise Brown*	WR	22	5'10"	181	Oklahoma
10	Tavon Austin	WR	29	5'8"	179	West Virginia
85	Noah Brown	WR	23	6'2"	222	Ohio State
87	Geoff Swaim	TE	25	6'4"	260	Texas
84	A.J. Derby	TE	27	6'5"	255	Arkansas
80	Rico Gathers	TE	25	6'6"	282	Baylor
77	Tyron Smith	OT	28	6'5"	320	USC
71	La'El Collins	OT	26	6'4"	315	LSU
75	Cameron Fleming	OT	26	6'6"	320	Stanford
70	Zack Martin (C)	OG	28	6'4"	310	Notre Dame
52	Connor Williams	OG	22	6'6"	298	Texas
79	Parker Ehinger	OG	26	6'6"	310	Cincinatti
63	Marcus Martin	OG	25	6'3"	310	USC
74	Elgton Jenkins*	C	23	6'4"	310	Mississippi St.
73	Joe Looney	C	29	6'3"	315	Wake Forest
#	DEFENSE	POS	AGE	HT	WT	COLLEGE
90	DeMarcus Lawrence (C)	DE	27	6'3"	265	Boise State
97	Taco Charlton	DE	24	6'6"	273	Michigan
94	Randy Gregory	DE	26	6'6"	242	Nebraska
92	Dorance Armstrong	DE	22	6'4"	259	Kansas
98	Tyrone Crawford (C)	DT	29	6'4"	295	Boise State
96	Maliek Collins	DT	24	6'2"	305	Nebraska
99	Antwaun Woods	DT	26	6'1"	318	USC
95	Greg Gaines*	DT	23	6'2"	316	Washington
93	Daniel Ross	DT	26	6'4"	305	N/A
55	Leighton Vander Esch	OLB	22	6'4"	256	Boise State
57	Damien Wilson	OLB	26	6'1"	242	Minnesota
56	Nate Hall*	OLB	23	6'2"	231	Northwestern
59	Chris Covington	OLB	23	6'2"	245	Indiana
54	Jaylon Smith	MLB	24	6'2"	240	Notre Dame
48	Joe Thomas	MLB	28	6'1"	227	S.C. State
58	De'Jon Harris*	MLB	22	6'0"	245	Arkansas
31	Byron Jones	CB	26	6'0"	199	Connecticut
24	Chidobe Awuzie	CB	24	6'1"	202	Colorado
27	Jourdan Lewis	CB	24	5'10"	195	Michigan
23	Troy Apke	CB	24	6'2"	198	Penn State
29	C.J. Godwin	CB	29	6'3"	220	Californa [PA]
25	Xavier Woods	FS	24	5'11"	205	L.A. Tech
37	Obi Melifonwu	SS	25	6'3"	217	Connecticut
38	Jeff Heath	SS	28	6'1"	212	Saginaw Valley
35	Kavon Frazier	SS	25	6'0"	217	Central Michigan
#	SPECIAL TEAMS	POS	AGE	HT	WT	COLLEGE
2	Brett Maher	K	29	6'1"	183	Nebraska
6	Chris Jones (C)	P	30	6'0"	205	Carson-Newman
91	Ben Braunecker	LS	25	6'3"	255	Harvard

Dallas Cowboys 2019 Practice Squad
#	OFFENSE	POS	AGE	HT	WT	COLLEGE
16	Cedrick Wilson	WR	23	6'3"	188	Boise State
86	Dalton Schultz	TE	23	6'6"	242	Stanford
34	Rodney Smith*	HB	23	5'11"	210	Minnesota
62	Larry Allen III*	OG	24	6'4"	285	Harvard
14	Nick Fitzgerald*	QB	23	6'5"	230	Mississippi St.
60	Alec Eberle*	C	23	6'4"	295	Florida State
#	DEFENSE	POS	AGE	HT	WT	COLLEGE
56	Jermaine Carter Jr.	OLB	24	6'0"	229	Maryland
76	Kingsley Keke*	DT	22	6'4"	305	Texas A&M
30	Tae Hayes*	CB	22	5'10"	185	Appalach. St.
78	Malik Dorton*	DE	23	6'2"	280	USC

Dallas Cowboys Depth Chart - 2019
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	Amari Cooper	Allen Hurns	Noah Brown
TE	Geoff Swaim	A.J. Derby	Rico Gathers
LT	Tyron Smith	Cameron Fleming
LG	Connor Williams	Parker Ehinger
C	Elgton Jenkins*	Joe Looney
RG	Zack Martin (C)	Marcus Martin
RT	La'El Collins	Cameron Fleming
WR	Michael Gallup	Marquis Brown*	Tavon Austin
QB	Dak Prescott (C)	Cooper Rush	Mike White
FB	Elijah Wellman
HB	Ezekiel Elliott	Rod Smith	Tavien Feaster*
Base 4-3 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	DeMarcus Lawrence (C)	Dorance Armstrong
LDT	Tyrone Crawford (C)	Maliek Collins
RDT	Greg Gains*	Antwaun Woods	Daniel Ross
RDE	Taco Charlton	Randy Gregory
WLB	Damien Wilson	Chris Covington
MLB	Jaylon Smith	Joe Thomas	De'Jon Harris
SLB	Leighton Vander Esch	Nate Hall*
CB	Byron Jones	Troy Apke
SS	Obi Melifonwu	Jeff Heath	Kavon Frazier
FS	Xavier Woods
CB	Chidobe Awuzie	Jourdan Lewis	C.J. Godwin
Special Teams
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
K	Brett Maher
P	Chris Jones
H	Cooper Rush
PR	Marquise Brown*	Tavon Austin
KR	Marquise Brown*	Rod Smith
LS	Ben Braunecker

[Cory Levy]

A Look Ahead: The Cowboys Face Some Tough Stretches In 2019

The Cowboys will both begin and end the season on the road: starting in Buffalo and ending in Minnesota. In between they face a schedule of ups and downs; teams they will have to bring their all in order to best as well as teams they appear to be better on paper, though we all know footballs games are won on the football field, not on paper. Two stretches in particular will most likely define the 2019 season for the Cowboys. NFC East games are always grueling matches where the winner is usually the team that simply endures the longest. The Cowboys will have to endure a lot in Weeks 3 - 5 when they will face each of their division foes one after each other three weeks in a row. That stretch could put the Cowboys in a strong position to take the division crown if they perform well. Likewise, Weeks 10 to 14 will also be key to discovering just how talented this young team truly is. Coming off their Bye Week, the Cowboys will travel to Green Bay and face their nemesis Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in Week 10. Follow that up with two division games against the Giants and Eagles and the Cowboys could find themselves in the thick of the Playoff hunt or ready to rebuild even further depending on which way they go. A Week 13 match up with Tampa Bay is nothing to sneeze at as it could have Playoff implications itself while Week 14 against the always great New England Patriots in Foxborough will be an immense challenge. Even without the retired Tom Brady at QB something tells me the Pats will still be awful hard to beat at Home. Something to not overlook is conference games against the Cardinals, Bears and the finale against the Vikings that could play a huge factor in how the Playoffs shake out, especially if the Cowboys fail at winning the division.

Dallas Cowboys 2019 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Sep 8	at Buffalo Bills
Sep 15	vs Detroit Lions
Sep 19	at Washington Redskins
Sep 29	vs New York Giants
Oct 6	at Philadelphia Eagles
Oct 13	at Arizona Cardinals
Oct 20	vs Chicago Bears
Oct 27	vs New York Jets
Nov 10	at Green Bay Packers
Nov 17	at New York Giants
Nov 28	vs Philadelphia Eagles
Dec 8	vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dec 15	at New England Patriots
Dec 22	vs Miami Dolphins
Dec 29	vs Washington Redskins
Jan 5	at Minnesota Vikings

Cowboys Media 2019 Predictions:

"I think the biggest thing the Cowboys have going for them this year is their new Head Coach and all the fire and intensity he's going to bring to the locker room. All these young players are going to feed off of that energy. I'm calling for 11-5." - Derek Eagleton

"Look, I just think that until they show me differently, this team will go the exact way they've gone for nearly two decades now. 8-8 and I don't think they'll play more than 16 games this year." - Rob Phillips

"It's going to come down to how Dak Prescott plays, I think we all know that deep down. Is he going to play like how he did as a rookie in 2016 or is he going to play like a player we're all calling to be benched in Week 10? I think it'll fall somewhere in the middle and say... 10-6, they just barely win the division" - Nick Eatman

2019 NFL Week 1 Power Rankings
RK (LW)	Team	Record	Next Game
1 (N/A)	New Orleans Saints	0-0	vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (Thurs)
2 (N/A)	Philadelphia Eagles	0-0	vs. Washington Redskins
3 (N/A)	Los Angeles Rams	0-0	vs. Seattle Seahawks (Mon)
4 (N/A)	Pittsburgh Steelers	0-0	vs. Arizona Cardinals
5 (N/A)	Atlanta Falcons	0-0	vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6 (N/A)	Chicago Bears	0-0	@ Minnesota Vikings
7 (N/A)	Jacksonville Jaguars	0-0	@ New Orleans Saints
8 (N/A)	Washington Redskins	0-0	@ Philadelphia Eagles
9 (N/A)	Kansas City Chiefs	0-0	vs. Oakland Raiders
10 (N/A)	Baltimore Ravens	0-0	vs. Cleveland Browns
11 (N/A)	Los Angeles Chargers	0-0	vs. Indianapolis Colts
12 (N/A)	Minnesota Vikings	0-0	vs. Chicago Bears
13 (N/A)	New England Patriots	0-0	@ New York Jets
14 (N/A)	Cleveland Browns	0-0	@ Baltimore Ravens
15 (N/A)	Green Bay Packers	0-0	vs. New York Giants
16 (N/A)	Cincinnati Bengals	0-0	vs. Miami Dolphins
17 (N/A)	Detroit Lions	0-0	@ Denver Broncos
18 (N/A)	Houston Texans	0-0	@ Tennessee Titans (Mon)
19 (N/A)	Seattle Seahawks	0-0	@ Los Angeles Rams (Mon)
20 (N/A)	Dallas Cowboys	0-0	@ Buffalo Bills
21 (N/A)	Tennessee Titans	0-0	vs. Houston Texans (Mon)
22 (N/A)	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	0-0	@ Atlanta Falcons
23 (N/A)	Carolina Panthers	0-0	@ San Francisco 49ers
24 (N/A)	San Francisco 49ers	0-0	vs. Carolina Panthers
25 (N/A)	New York Giants	0-0	@ Green Bay Packers
26 (N/A)	Denver Broncos	0-0	vs. Detroit Lions
27 (N/A)	Miami Dolphins	0-0	@ Cincinnati Bengals
28 (N/A)	Indianapolis Colts	0-0	@ Los Angeles Chargers
29 (N/A)	New York Jets	0-0	vs. New England Patriots
30 (N/A)	Oakland Raiders	0-0	@ Kansas City Chiefs
31 (N/A)	Buffalo Bills	0-0	vs. Dallas Cowboys
32 (N/A)	Arizona Cardinals	0-0	@ Pittsburgh Steelers

[Cory Levy]

Phew, that's everything leading up to the regular season opener against the Buffalo Bills. If you guys have any input please say so, I've really enjoyed typing everything up thus far and it's making me so much more invested in my Franchise.

Any comments, criticisms or suggestions are very welcome, thanks for reading!