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Best of Jon Machota: What are the expectations for Ezekiel Elliott and Dez Bryant? Does Jerry Jones need to change his ways?
By Jon Machota
Here is a sampling of offseason musings and hot sports opinions from Dallas Morning News Cowboys beat writer Jon Machota, taken from online chats, podcast interviews and his stories.
Question: What would you consider a good rookie season by Elliott? 1,200 yards, more?
Machota: If he stays healthy, 1,200-1,500 yards are certainly possible. Normally, a 1,000-yard season for a rookie RB is outstanding, but I think the bar is much higher for Zeke because of the offensive line and offensive weapons he's playing alongside.
Question: If healthy, do you think Dez can regain his status as a top 2 or 3 receiver in the league?
Machota: Yeah, I don't think anyone who is around the team has any doubts about that. If Dez is back to 100 percent, he's as talented as anyone in the league. As long as he's healthy and Romo's healthy, it's very possible that Dez could top his 2014 numbers of 1,320 yards and 16 TDs.
Question: If Dallas' offense does what is expected, could a middle-of-the-pack defense get them to a Super Bowl?
Machota: I don't believe so. I think the Dallas offense has to exceed expectations for them to lead a "middle-of-the-pack" defense to the Super Bowl. Now, could that happen? Sure. But you're asking for a lot of luck in the health department for that to happen.
Question: Is there any chance we rid ourselves of McClain? He is just maddening!
Machota: I definitely think there's a chance. And I can't really argue against it. The Cowboys have given Rolando more than enough opportunities. The way he's handled the offseason program and practices completely goes against the type of environment Jason Garrett has been working to establish, so why keep giving him more chances? And I understand, when Rolando has been at his best, he's taken this defense to another level. He's an outstanding talent. If he was 100 percent committed to being the best football player he could be, Rolando would be a perennial All-Pro. But at some point, you have to just go in another direction.
Question: It seems like most NFL teams don't have as many suspensions to play through as the Cowboys do. Do you think Jerry Jones needs to better factor in character when signing guys? How much of these woes could be predicted?
Machota: Jerry Jones isn't changing the way he does business. He gives out as many if not more second chances as anyone in professional sports. He's not bothered by the negative publicity that comes with one of these suspensions. If he was, he wouldn't continue to take chances on these players. It's not like he didn't know this was a possibility when he traded for Rolando in 2014. If he didn't think there was anything to be cautious about, McClain wouldn't be working on his third consecutive one-year deal. He's only 26. With his talent, you lock a guy like that up for multiple years. But Jerry took a chance. He'll tell you, some of the biggest successes in his life have come from taking huge risks. Good luck convincing someone as successful as him to change his ways.
Question: Who are the Cowboys' biggest challengers in the NFC East?
Machota: Washington is the defending champ so I have to say the Redskins, but I think the Giants will actually be the bigger threat. I'm sticking with recent history, and since no one seems to be able to win this division in consecutive seasons, I say it comes down to New York and Dallas. Philadelphia just isn't on the same level as the other three right now.
Question: Got any breakout player candidates?
Machota: These aren't huge surprises, but on offense: La'el Collins. On defense: Byron Jones. Both were good at times during their rookie years but I think they both take a noticeable step forward in Year 2. Both have their positions set and know where to focus this offseason. They certainly didn't have that last year at this time.
Question: How do you think Elliott will handle the pressure involved with being his caliber of pick in Dallas? Is there another football market that is comparable for a rookie?
Machota: I don't think he'll have any problems at all. Playing on the big stage the last two years at Ohio State should have given him plenty of experience. He's always come off as very confident to me. I don't see him having trouble adjusting from college to pro. I've said it many times, he reminds me a lot of DeMarco Murray with the way he carries himself off the field. Elliott knows he can do great things running behind this offensive line.
Question: Everybody says Romo looks great (he says he feels great). How does he look to you?
Jon Machota: He looks as healthy as I've seen him in a while. He doesn't appear to be favoring his shoulder or dealing with any back pain. He's moving around well and making all of the throws. I don't think there's any reason to worry about Romo right now. His workload is being closely monitored. And he's not going to take any big hits between now and the preseason. The focus for him going forward is just staying healthy on Sundays, avoiding the big hit that could cause problems for his back or shoulder.
Question: Do you think Prescott can beat out Kellen Moore for No. 2 QB spot?
Jon Machota: I guess anything is possible, but I doubt it. Prescott still has a lot to learn about the offense. Moore has a much better grasp and has more of a comfort level with many of the starters he's already played alongside in games. But we won't know a ton about Dak until those preseason games. The Cowboys won't be trying to get Romo very many reps during those games so those extra opportunities for Dak will be huge. I'm interested to see how often he runs the ball when a play breaks down. He had so much success doing that in college, so I wonder how that will carry over.
Question: What storylines should fans be paying attention to in camp?
Jon Machota: No. 1 for me is defensive line play. Can Marinelli find combinations to get pressure on the QB? There weren't any big free agency signings or early-round draft picks spent on pass rushers. Where will the pressure come from? I'm not saying they have to be the 2015 Broncos but there's certainly cause for concern when it comes to getting after opposing quarterbacks.
No. 2: How does Zeke look running with the first-team offense when the pads come on? He's going to get every chance to be the guy. Will he immediately thrive in that situation?
No. 3: How do the defensive backs look? We haven't seen Carr, Claiborne, Scandrick, Church and Jones all out there together. Will that group make it through camp without an injury setback? How will they look playing together? Without those five staying healthy and something that resembles a pass rush, I'm not sure how the defense is going to contain the better offenses in the league.
By Jon Machota
Here is a sampling of offseason musings and hot sports opinions from Dallas Morning News Cowboys beat writer Jon Machota, taken from online chats, podcast interviews and his stories.
Question: What would you consider a good rookie season by Elliott? 1,200 yards, more?
Machota: If he stays healthy, 1,200-1,500 yards are certainly possible. Normally, a 1,000-yard season for a rookie RB is outstanding, but I think the bar is much higher for Zeke because of the offensive line and offensive weapons he's playing alongside.
Question: If healthy, do you think Dez can regain his status as a top 2 or 3 receiver in the league?
Machota: Yeah, I don't think anyone who is around the team has any doubts about that. If Dez is back to 100 percent, he's as talented as anyone in the league. As long as he's healthy and Romo's healthy, it's very possible that Dez could top his 2014 numbers of 1,320 yards and 16 TDs.
Question: If Dallas' offense does what is expected, could a middle-of-the-pack defense get them to a Super Bowl?
Machota: I don't believe so. I think the Dallas offense has to exceed expectations for them to lead a "middle-of-the-pack" defense to the Super Bowl. Now, could that happen? Sure. But you're asking for a lot of luck in the health department for that to happen.
Question: Is there any chance we rid ourselves of McClain? He is just maddening!
Machota: I definitely think there's a chance. And I can't really argue against it. The Cowboys have given Rolando more than enough opportunities. The way he's handled the offseason program and practices completely goes against the type of environment Jason Garrett has been working to establish, so why keep giving him more chances? And I understand, when Rolando has been at his best, he's taken this defense to another level. He's an outstanding talent. If he was 100 percent committed to being the best football player he could be, Rolando would be a perennial All-Pro. But at some point, you have to just go in another direction.
Question: It seems like most NFL teams don't have as many suspensions to play through as the Cowboys do. Do you think Jerry Jones needs to better factor in character when signing guys? How much of these woes could be predicted?
Machota: Jerry Jones isn't changing the way he does business. He gives out as many if not more second chances as anyone in professional sports. He's not bothered by the negative publicity that comes with one of these suspensions. If he was, he wouldn't continue to take chances on these players. It's not like he didn't know this was a possibility when he traded for Rolando in 2014. If he didn't think there was anything to be cautious about, McClain wouldn't be working on his third consecutive one-year deal. He's only 26. With his talent, you lock a guy like that up for multiple years. But Jerry took a chance. He'll tell you, some of the biggest successes in his life have come from taking huge risks. Good luck convincing someone as successful as him to change his ways.
Question: Who are the Cowboys' biggest challengers in the NFC East?
Machota: Washington is the defending champ so I have to say the Redskins, but I think the Giants will actually be the bigger threat. I'm sticking with recent history, and since no one seems to be able to win this division in consecutive seasons, I say it comes down to New York and Dallas. Philadelphia just isn't on the same level as the other three right now.
Question: Got any breakout player candidates?
Machota: These aren't huge surprises, but on offense: La'el Collins. On defense: Byron Jones. Both were good at times during their rookie years but I think they both take a noticeable step forward in Year 2. Both have their positions set and know where to focus this offseason. They certainly didn't have that last year at this time.
Question: How do you think Elliott will handle the pressure involved with being his caliber of pick in Dallas? Is there another football market that is comparable for a rookie?
Machota: I don't think he'll have any problems at all. Playing on the big stage the last two years at Ohio State should have given him plenty of experience. He's always come off as very confident to me. I don't see him having trouble adjusting from college to pro. I've said it many times, he reminds me a lot of DeMarco Murray with the way he carries himself off the field. Elliott knows he can do great things running behind this offensive line.
Question: Everybody says Romo looks great (he says he feels great). How does he look to you?
Jon Machota: He looks as healthy as I've seen him in a while. He doesn't appear to be favoring his shoulder or dealing with any back pain. He's moving around well and making all of the throws. I don't think there's any reason to worry about Romo right now. His workload is being closely monitored. And he's not going to take any big hits between now and the preseason. The focus for him going forward is just staying healthy on Sundays, avoiding the big hit that could cause problems for his back or shoulder.
Question: Do you think Prescott can beat out Kellen Moore for No. 2 QB spot?
Jon Machota: I guess anything is possible, but I doubt it. Prescott still has a lot to learn about the offense. Moore has a much better grasp and has more of a comfort level with many of the starters he's already played alongside in games. But we won't know a ton about Dak until those preseason games. The Cowboys won't be trying to get Romo very many reps during those games so those extra opportunities for Dak will be huge. I'm interested to see how often he runs the ball when a play breaks down. He had so much success doing that in college, so I wonder how that will carry over.
Question: What storylines should fans be paying attention to in camp?
Jon Machota: No. 1 for me is defensive line play. Can Marinelli find combinations to get pressure on the QB? There weren't any big free agency signings or early-round draft picks spent on pass rushers. Where will the pressure come from? I'm not saying they have to be the 2015 Broncos but there's certainly cause for concern when it comes to getting after opposing quarterbacks.
No. 2: How does Zeke look running with the first-team offense when the pads come on? He's going to get every chance to be the guy. Will he immediately thrive in that situation?
No. 3: How do the defensive backs look? We haven't seen Carr, Claiborne, Scandrick, Church and Jones all out there together. Will that group make it through camp without an injury setback? How will they look playing together? Without those five staying healthy and something that resembles a pass rush, I'm not sure how the defense is going to contain the better offenses in the league.