ESPN's top 3 NFL analysts recently released their NFL roster rankings listing the weakest, and strongest positions, each team's x-factor, and more. There is no arguing that this Cowboys roster is better than they were in 2023, but are they really that much worse? Shan & RJ discuss the state of the Cowboys roster above.
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00:00At number six, the Detroit Cowboys already named Detroit, already in Detroit Cowboys
00:09coming with the six best roster. Biggest strength edge. One of the top defenders, Mike has led
00:14the position and pass rush win rate each of the past three seasons. They, they, the team
00:20as a whole is first and pass rush wins and fifth and sacks since 2021 in the league tank
00:27is 32, but as it lost a step post, one of the top tackle rates and pass rush win rates
00:32among edge rushers last season, Sam Williams, solid depth.
00:37Would you have thought of that as their strongest group? I would not have because now again,
00:45I know we all under eight, uh, tanks run defense, but I remember going through their sack numbers
00:52and making fun of it. Yeah. They, they, they get wins. They don't get to the quarterback.
00:58They don't finish them necessarily. I think they're strong. I mean, quarter's really strong
01:02for them. I mean, you've got digs and bland. Yes. I mean, that's pretty solid one too.
01:12And then, you know, they, I mean they had Gilmore last year, like as well, like that's
01:15a really good one, two, three. Let me look at these sack numbers just to make sure that
01:19my chuckling was justified. Uh, last year, Mike, of course, led the way with 14 and then
01:26Dorrance Armstrong had seven and a half. Sam Williams had four and a half tank had four
01:30Fowler had four. Oh, dig is. Oh, I had three. Yeah. Bobby thinks quarterback is the strongest
01:37position group except for Cooper, Russian trade, except for a biggest weakness running
01:44back. Yeah. Uh, the right, this wasn't a tough choice for a pretty good Dallas roster
01:49that had very clue, decided to deprioritize his position out is Pollard and in is the
01:54soon to be 29 year old Zeke. Uh, as the lead back, he's a franchise legend, but he's no
01:59more than the football equivalent of an innings eater at this point. That was further evidenced
02:05last year in the Wingo when he posted his fourth straight season with a below average
02:08yards per carry and yards after the catch marks, additionally, not much to get excited
02:13about behind him. Yeah. Hard to argue with that X factor. And I'm looking like I'm going
02:18to lose my bet of starting running back game one and the most carries. Good thing. Well,
02:23I didn't shake any of you guys with all the money on KMC crosstalk. No shake. Loved it.
02:28X factor rookie alignment, Tyler Guyton and Cooper BB. Assuming they start, they'll play
02:32a critical role. And it's a bit of a scary proposition for a team with Superbowl aspirations.
02:38Most rookie old lineman, even first round picks are a little below average in year one.
02:43It obviously needs its picks to overcome the odds. And the non started to know is someone
02:48that we really liked last year in camp and he got hurt in camp and that's the Marvian
02:53overshown. Yeah, baby. Uh, they're the only longhorn I like. And that's the two we work.
02:57That's right. The third round pick didn't see the field torn ACL patient linebacker,
03:02elite speed, strong awareness and coverage. He was an X safety. Don't be surprised if
03:08he's getting snaps ahead of Damone Clark by mid season. So, Oh, Bobby did text quarterbacks
03:13the strongest group. Did where you read address? Yeah. So I said, yeah. Um, but that's look,
03:19that's the, the, the Cowboys sixth, seventh is Cincinnati. Eight is Houston. Nine is Buffalo.
03:25Yeah. 10 is Philadelphia. You think a lot of people would be surprised with them being
03:30top six? I think we, the way we look and talk about the off season, we talk about the off
03:36season as if this team is completely tore it up and has no hope. I think the reality
03:44is, is that people are, are confusing the fact that we didn't get better. Yeah. By saying
03:51we got worse. Right. I don't know the team got necessarily any worse. I don't think we
03:55got any better. And that may be worse for some people. We seem to lose some depth pieces.
04:01Just look across the way. Dan Quinn taken everybody. I do think this team is a house
04:06of cards. Yeah. Right. I do think they're far more resembling a house of cards than
04:11ever before. Their starters are really good. It's the backups you got to worry about. Look,
04:16there's nothing poor or bad about their roster. They're just, they're just not good enough.
04:21That's the frustration, right?