While the summer season brings much enjoyment to the average person, for an NFL fan, it represents a desolate wasteland where Sundays just aren't quite as vibrant as in the autumn months. However, with each passing day, we inch closer to the beginning of the 2023 NFL season, which officially kicks off on September 7 this year. Whether you've had your favorite team's tweet notifications turned on all summer or if you've decided to tune out all football news entirely, you'll be able to learn everything you need to know about your team going into the 2023-24 season right here. In today's article, I'll be discussing the Dallas Cowboys. I wrote a guidebook for every team in the NFL heading into the 2023 season. To check out an article for another team, click the link below: https://www.bucketsquadsportsreports.com/nfl 2022 Season Recap Dallas was pretty dominant for a large part of last season, especially after Dak Prescott returned from injury in Week 7. They finished the regular season with a 12-5 record for 2nd place in the NFC East. After beating the Buccaneers soundly in the wild card round, they were stifled by the 49ers in a 12-19 struggle to be eliminated in the 2nd round of the postseason. The Cowboys finished in the top five in both points scored and points allowed per game. They exceeded 30 points in six of their contest and topped 40 three times, with a high of 54 against the Colts on Sunday Night Football. Cowboys fans would probably be happy to more or less repeat last year’s regular season success in 2023, but they definitely hope for a better postseason performance this time around. Significant Roster Moves Dallas will have to succeed without a few important pieces from last year’s team particularly on the offense. Long-time fan favorite Ezekiel Elliott won’t be suiting up for the Cowboys in 2023, along with receiver Noah Brown, tight end Dalton Schultz, and guard Connor McGovern. The defense will be without Anthony Barr and Anthony Brown, and the team moved on from Brett Maher after his late season struggles in 2022. Dallas brought in Brandin Cooks to fill in at WR2 and Ronald Jones to add depth at running back. Stephon Gilmore will line up across from Trevon Diggs at cornerback, and Brandon Aubrey will handle kicking duties this season. They also traded a 4th round pick to the 49ers for quarterback Trey Lance to see if they can potentially develop him into the quarterback of the future. 2023 Draft Class The Cowboys had eight picks in the 2023 draft, focusing on adding depth on defense, especially at defensive line, on which they used three of their first four picks. However, their final two picks could sneak their way into the lineup at some point in the season on the offensive side, as Deuce Vaughn has impressed in training camp and Jalen Brooks begins the season as the backup WR3. Season Schedule The Cowboys will take on the NFC West and the AFC East in 2023 to go along with their six divisional games. Their other three opponents are the Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers, and Detroit Lions. With an opponent prior season win percentage of .549, Dallas has the 5th hardest schedule in the NFL. Dallas’s primetime games include one Thursday night game versus Seattle, three Sunday night games at the NY Giants and San Francisco and versus Philadelphia, one Saturday night game versus Detroit, and one Monday night at the LA Chargers. This year’s traditional Thanksgiving Day game will be against Washington. Depth Charts Offense Defense Special Teams The Cowboys return 15 of their 22 offensive and defensive starters from last year. Despite the slight turnover within the roster, I don’t expect Dallas to take any kind of step back with the talent they still maintain across the board. As long as everyone can stay relatively healthy, a deep run in the playoffs is certainly possible for 2023. Coaching Staff Mike McCarthy returns for his 4th season as head coach of the Cowboys. Two coordinators return from last season’s staff as well: Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn (3rd season) and Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel (4th season). Dallas hired Brian Schottenheimer to take over the offense after former Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore left to take the same role with the Chargers. Betting Odds Oddsmakers have set the regular season win total for Dallas at 9.5 games. As of right now, the Cowboys are the 2nd most likely team to win the NFC East and the 3rd most likely team to win the NFC as a whole. At +1400 to win Super Bowl LVIII, they are 6th among all teams in the league. Bucket Squad Predictions Bucket Squad Sports Reports predicts the Cowboys to finish 11-6 in 2023 for 2nd place in the NFC East behind the Eagles. They’ll secure the first wild card spot in the playoffs with a solid chance to get to the Super Bowl.
What do you think? Will Dallas be better or worse than I'm projecting? What offseason moves made by the Cowboys surprised you the most? Leave a comment down below and be sure to check the "NFL" section of the website for more NFL team guidebooks as I finish them. Written by Nick Swatson
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