NFL Team Preview: Dallas Cowboys look to bounce back

The Dallas Cowboys 2015 season was, by all accounts, a complete disaster. Quarterback Tony Romo sat out for most of the season with a broken collarbone while Dez Bryant suffered a broken foot that had him underperforming as the Cowboys sputtered to a 4-12 season. Presuming Romo and Bryant are both healthy, Dallas still has a chance to bounce back from last season and make a run in the 2016 playoffs.

Camp Report

Romo explained to Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt at the Cowboys’ training camp in Oxnard, Calif., that last year’s trainwreck season gave him a much higher level of excitement for every chance he had to be on the field this year — including offseason workouts.

“You really do grow to appreciate just the game and how much it means in your life,” Romo said. “I don’t take it for granted. I understand that it won’t last forever. But the excitement also comes from just the improvement level. Once you improve and you keep getting better, you feel it, you can sense it, you feel really excited to get out on that field and compete and try and win daily.”

There are a few obvious ways the Cowboys’ offense should improve in 2012. One, of course, is Romo’s return to good health. Another is wide receiver Dez Bryant coming back from a broken foot that caused him to miss seven games last season.

“Dez is one of the best receivers, if not the best receiver in the game,” Romo said. “When he gets healthy and he’s practicing and going, he’s as good as it gets. I think you’re seeing the signs of him getting all the rust off. It’ll take a week here, but he’s going to be ready to go and he’s really worked hard to get to this point.”

What about the defense though?

Stephen Jones, the team’s COO and vice president of player personnel, explained to Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt at Cowboys camp in
Oxnard, Calif., there is no reason to panic.

Jones feels good about the young depth within the front seven, and his particularly confident in the ability of defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli to get the entire group to perform at the highest level possible.

“We like the athletes we have in that defensive front,” Jones said. “They just don’t have the proven production that a lot of people like to look for when you start to project out what these guys might do. Obviously, (end) Benson (Mayowa, a free agent from the Raiders) was a guy (assistant director of player personnel) Will (McClay) did a lot of work on, really felt like he did have all the movements. Obviously, Oakland had put a lot of money into (Khalil) Mack and resources, as well as (Bruce) Irvin from Seattle. Of course, they have Aldon Smith. We felt we might could get away with getting one there.”

Fantasy Sleepers/Studs

The experts at SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio give us their fantasy studs and sleepers for the Dallas Cowboys.

Stud: Even though Ezekiel Elliott is a rookie running back, expect him to make a splash in the NFL after an impressive campaign at Ohio State University.

Sleeper: Lance Dunbar racked up nearly 300 reception and rushing yards before suffering a season-ending injury in October last season. If he’s healthy, expect him to contribute to the stat line in 2016.

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