Can the Cowboys Snap Their NFC Championship Drought? 5 Reasons for Optimism Ahead of NFL Training Camp

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas.

There aren’t many teams in professional sports that could win over 70% of their games over three seasons and still feel utterly deflated heading into a new year. However, that’s what many Dallas Cowboys fans feel like heading into 2024 after yet another playoff disaster.

Despite the pessimism and years of deep-rooted doubt, there are still reasons to feel excited about this Cowboys team heading into training camp.

5 Reasons To Be Optimistic About the Cowboys This Season

Cowboys Nation has seemingly reached the “show me, don’t tell me” portion of fandom for this current team. A team that seemingly has the ability to play lights out on any given Sunday has continuously fallen short when it’s mattered most.

Despite that, the Cowboys are still set to be good in 2024. And when league pundits discuss the top-tier NFL teams, Dallas is typically mentioned among them.

Cowboys Roster Has Top-End Talent

You can say what you want about the depth and the several pieces that have walked out the door this offseason. The Cowboys’ top-end talent rivals just about any roster in the NFL.

On paper, Dallas is set up for success, with some of the league’s best talent still under contract. From Micah Parsons to CeeDee Lamb and every other statistical leader sprinkled throughout the roster, if anything, the Cowboys may be a bit too top-heavy right now.

However, when looking at rosters across the NFL, it’s clear Dallas can and should compete with any of them on any given Sunday.

Having Dak Prescott

This may be controversial for some, but it shouldn’t be if you’ve been paying attention. Dak Prescott is uncontroversially a very good NFL quarterback, and whether you have him in your top 10 at the position or just outside of it, the Cowboys are always going to have a chance with him under center.

Prescott is fresh off a season in which he was in the running for league MVP, led the NFL in touchdown passes, and silenced his “turnover issues” from the year prior by finishing with just nine.

All of this was accomplished in Mike McCarthy’s first season calling plays, and it’s expected to only get better in Year 2. While both are in flux beyond 2024 right now, the combination of the two, at least for this season, is a good thing for the Cowboys and their offense.

The Addition of Mike Zimmer

Former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was excellent at getting Dallas in a position to sack the QB but struggled in other areas that became glaring weaknesses for his defenses.

Adding Mike Zimmer to the mix looks to fix that, as the new DC will be more centered around discipline and individual accountability while having a greater focus on stopping the run.

Zimmer has a “no-nonsense” style that the unit will need to buy into, but his pedigree speaks for itself. With his fresh philosophies and some of the team’s already established talent, it’s not unreasonable to see the Cowboys’ defense continue to make strides in 2024.

Elite Cornerback Duo

The NFL has quickly turned into a passing league; that much is clear. The focus on having as many dynamic pass catchers on your roster as possible puts pressure on defenses and cornerbacks to stop them.

Luckily for the Cowboys, Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland are two of the more exciting young stars manning each side for them. Both players are known for being ball-hawking playmakers. Diggs established himself in 2022 as being one of the game’s best at taking the ball away, and Bland did the exact same thing last year.

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Diggs is coming off a torn ACL that cut his 2023 campaign short. Prior to that, he was well on his way to putting it all together as one of the game’s best cornerbacks.

Bland was introducing himself to the rest of the NFL world as “Mr. Pick-Six.” The combination of both being healthy and playing together in 2024 is one of the biggest reasons for optimism heading into 2024.

Consistent Roster Development

If one thing is known about the Cowboys’ front office, it’s that they know how to draft. They may not always get it right, with some misses sprinkled in there, but Dallas’ reputation for drafting and developing homegrown talent is up there with the NFL’s best.

Under the watchful eye of VP of Player Personnel Will McClay, the Cowboys have been able to largely sidestep much of free agency over the years and still remain one of the better NFL teams year in and year out.

As long as that trend continues — and there’s no reason to believe it won’t — the Cowboys will always have a solid crop of roster talent to be hopeful about. With a more concerted focus on youth stepping up in 2024, Dallas will be leaning on this philosophy more than ever.