"Not as intimidating as they once were" - NFL analyst believes Cowboys haven't done a great job preparing for 2022 season
The NFC East has been one of the most competitive divisions in football in recent years, with the Dallas Cowboys winning the East last season.
The #Cowboys just became the NFC East champs.
NFL analyst LaVar Arrington spoke about the Cowboys on Speak for Yourself and didn't think they did an excellent job this off-season.
Arrington said:
“[The Cowboys] are not the best team hands down in the division... Philadelphia and the Washington Commanders have taken definitively larger steps forward this offseason than what the Dallas Cowboys did..."
Arrington pointed out that the impact of Amari Cooper's departure was being understated:
"It's being understated... The impact of losing Amari Cooper... I think people underestimate the amount of value that guys like Davante Adams and a guy like Amari Cooper bring to the table. While CeeDee lamb will be a playmaker, and a big play guy for this team. I just don't look at this receiving corps and feel as though they are as intimidating as they once were."
The Cowboys are finalizing a trade to send WR Amari Cooper and a sixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for a 2022 fifth-round pick and a sixth-round pick, league sources tell @AdamSchefter. https://t.co/xpy0F8nMEX
Arrington added that he doesn't think Dallas is a Super Bowl-caliber team anymore.
"You look at Tyron Smith, he's been injured, he's making 20 games over the last two seasons. It's 20 games, 14 games in 2020... And that's your number one lineman. I don't know that this offensive line should even be considered an elite offensive line at this point. I don't know that it should be considered to be a Super Bowl caliber offensive line at this point.
Arrington said that although the Cowboys are bringing Ezekiel Elliott to the table, whose stats look pretty good, "it just hasn't been the same."
"And so when I look at what they're bringing to the table, sure, Ezekiel Elliott, you know, he got his yards, and the stats looked pretty good. But in reality, Ezekiel Elliott hasn't been the type of back that we came to know before getting that large contract. It just hasn't been the same. So when I look at Philadelphia and what they've done, adding AJ brown to the team, and now you got Devonta Smith on the other side of that. That's pretty crazy.”
The NFC East hasn't had a team repeat as division champions since 2001-2004
The NFC East has not had a repeat winner since 2004. The last time a team in the NFC East repeated as division champions was from 2001-2004, when the Eagles won the division four times.
If history repeats itself, the Dallas Cowboys won't be division winners this year. The NFC East also saw the Eagles make the playoffs last season, and with the Commanders having a franchise quarterback in Carson Wentz, it will be another competitive year.