By now, it’s safe to say that the Dallas Cowboys have for far too long been one of the softest teams in the league. Opponents talk about it, commentators notice it. This team has lacked physical and mental toughness for far too long. We need to address it more directly.
With that in mind, we should be using a lot of premium draft capital on offensive and defensive linemen. Why is that so critical for toughness? Let us count the ways:
- You can’t be physically tough if you’re getting pushed around. When a team can control the line of scrimmage- on either side of the ball- it can impose its will on the opponent.
- Finding talent at WR is waaaaaaaay easier than finding talent at most other positions.
- Unless there’s a WR available with Jerry Rice-like generational talent, avoid another first round WR.
- By making our trenches more dominant, it builds confidence and mental toughness.
- You can’t be mentally tough if you know your opponent is beating you on the LOS.
Football is a game of fundamentals at its core. If you can block and tackle your opponents better than they can, you have a great shot at being a tough team. Finesse is good to have too. But it is more of an add in than a fundamental. And it cannot replace brute strength. We need to get some more trench talent in our quest to be tougher.
