Fansided

5 darkhorses to make a run at the Super Bowl after NFL free agency

By John Buhler

Nov 26, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) rolls out to pass against the Carolina Panthers during the first quarter of an NFL game on Thanksgiving at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) rolls out to pass against the Carolina Panthers during the first quarter of an NFL game on Thanksgiving at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
Nov 26, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) rolls out to pass against the Carolina Panthers during the first quarter of an NFL game on Thanksgiving at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) rolls out to pass against the Carolina Panthers during the first quarter of an NFL game on Thanksgiving at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

123. . NFC. East. Dallas Cowboys. 3. player

The 2016 Dallas Cowboys being a darkhorse Super Bowl LI contender has less to do with what the team did in free agency rather than they’ll get a healthy Tony Romo back at starting quarterback in 2016. If Tony Romo is healthy, Dallas is an elite team, especially behind that gargantuan offensive line he has up front.

Dallas had to deal with Romo breaking his collarbone twice in 2015, en route to a dismal 4-12 2015 NFL campaign, finishing with the worst record in the NFC and the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. However, don’t sleep on the 2016 Cowboys.

Dallas will play a favorable schedule in 2016, have potentially their best draft class in a decade, and a top 10 quarterback in the league returning to Pro Bowl caliber form. Let’s not forget that the NFC East has not been a juggernaut of a division since 2002’s realignment. Sometimes just going .500 at 8-8 can ensure a trip to the postseason.

Washington will probably be good, Philadelphia will probably struggle, and it remains to be seen how New York looks in 2016. With no obvious obstacle in the division in 2016, there is a decent chance that Dallas can win the NFC East for the second time in three years in 2016.

The Cowboys probably won’t 12-4 like the did in 2014, but with a healthy, driven Romo under center and a dominant offensive line, who’s to say that Dallas can’t make some noise in the NFC Playoffs if they get there. Romo is one of the passers in the league to have not played in a Super Bowl. Perhaps the stars align in Dallas in 2016 and Romo gets his day in the sun in nearby Houston in February, leading the Cowboys to the first Super Bowl since Super Bowl XXX.

Next: 2. Houston Texans

Home/Atlanta Falcons