Cowboys mailbag: Questions on the NFC East, Deuce Vaughn and expected wins
Every week, we take questions on X (Twitter) and Facebook about Dallas Cowboys players and other issues surrounding the team. So let’s get right into it.
“Where do the Cowboys rank amongst the other NFC East teams in terms of quality of roster?”
(@MrEd315 on Twitter)
Mike: As of right now the NFC East is still a race between the obvious two. The Philadelphia Eagles did a lot in the offseason to better their roster and had a pretty good draft. That might say they are ahead of the race against where Dallas is right now.
But the Eagles have their own problems and the final six-week implosion the team had last year is more telling about the team’s chemistry and locker room culture than it does the team’s talent level. Simply put, they are a good team but have issues beyond what they can resolve on the practice field.
As for the Cowboys, they lost major parts on the staff and roster, creating a multitude of questions this year at a range of positions, but the locker room is a lot closer as a unit. Is that enough to keep the East? Probably not. The Cowboys are better than both the New York Giants and Washington Commanders. The gap has certainly closed there, but right now the Cowboys are ahead of both teams.
Dana: Roster-wise, I would say that the Cowboys and the Eagles are atop that list. I could see an argument for either team to hold the top spot but for now, I will give it to the Eagles. They had a really solid draft this year and acquired some big names in free-agency including Saquon Barkley. While the Cowboys didn’t make a lot of big moves in the offseason, they still have eight of their nine All-Pro players from last season. They also have another former All-Pro player returning in Trevon Diggs. The Commanders come in third. They have made large changes across the board and could be a tough opponent depending on how their new QB, Jayden Daniels, is able to get acclimated to the NFL. The Giants should be improved from last year with their pickups in the draft and free-agency, but I will need to see proof of that before they can move up on the list.
“Who is the better player for the running backs between Hunter Luepke and Deuce Vaughn?”
(@Kevin Jones on Facebook)
Mike: Simple answer here, size matters. Deuce Vaughn is a fun talent. His size makes him tricky to find at the line of scrimmage and as a change-of-pace back, he offers something the other backs on this committee don’t have. But he’s not a guy you can ask to come in on third and short, or play any gap power, or be relied on to play possession ball. Vaughn’s size is his biggest weakness. He’s a huge outlier being the smallest player in the league right now, and last year the team tried their hardest to give him a chance. Vaughn’s best hope is that he can crack a role on special teams as a kickoff returner under the new kick off rules.
Luepke offers more and is more suited to the Cowboys West Coast hybrid offense. Not just the blocking or the power running, he’s a decent catcher of the ball and decent as a defender on special teams. Last year, Luepke played on 424 snaps, in comparison to Vaughn’s 92. That’s telling on how the coaches see both players to.
Dana: Looking at the other RB’s on the roster, Deuce Vaughn might have the edge over Hunter Luepke. Vaughn is a fast and shifty runner and if he is able to turn his small stature into a weapon, it will bring something new to the table that none of the other RB’s have. Luepke’s strengths as an RB are in short yardage and goal line situations. Those happen to be Ezekiel Elliot’s strengths at this point in his career as well. It looks like there might be a bit more competition for Luepke in the RB room at the moment.
“Do the Cowboys win more than ten games this season and what do you both think will be the Cowboys final record?”
(@David Lee on Facebook)
Mike: How many people can we rage in the comments by saying 17 wins? That’s pure unrealistic optimism but it’s still fun to say. For a realistic answer ten wins if all stays on the path the Cowboys are currently on. If you just look at the schedule and tie that in with the team’s star power with players like Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, Zack Martin and even CeeDee Lamb (if or when that contract situation gets sorted), then you say there’s at least eight wins just off the back of that. Then add a couple of close call wins and a game here or there they’re supposed to win but lose, ten wins seems about the sweet spot for team wins this year.
Dana: I have the Cowboys winning 10 games this year, splitting games with the Eagles, and losses against the Browns, Ravens, 49ers, Texans and Bengals. The Lions will be a tough opponent but I have the Cowboys coming out of that one with the win. It also seems as though there is always a surprise game that the Cowboys lose that they should have easily won (see Cardinals from last season). That makes the final prediction 10-7.