Dallas Cowboys: 5 burning questions in 2018

ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 18: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys looks for an open receiver in the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at AT&T Stadium on August 18, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 18: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys looks for an open receiver in the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at AT&T Stadium on August 18, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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The Cowboys lost a lot of big name players in the offseason. Is there enough talent still on the roster to get back to the playoffs in 2018?

Losing big name stars like Dez Bryant and Jason Witten will undoubtedly change the way the Cowboys play this season. It won’t change expectations in Dallas though. Jerry Jones still expects his team to compete for a Super Bowl on an annual basis.

That might be a tough ask for this group. Jason Garrett will really have to outperform his reputation as a head coach to get this group to double-digit wins. The Cowboys are clearly behind the Eagles in the NFC East which means they’ll need some help to get into the playoffs via the Wild Card.

It’s not an impossible goal for the Cowboys, but it won’t be easy. If they are going to make a postseason run they’ll need to find the answers to the following five questions.

5. Will DeMarcus Lawrence dominate again?

There are tons of questions about how the Cowboys offense will look this year, but there isn’t a ton of conversation about the defensive front. Everyone just assumes DeMarcus Lawrence can be pencilled in for double-digit sacks in 2018.

That’s a dangerous assumption. He was brilliant for Dallas last season, but anyone who told you they saw such a big season from Lawrence coming is a liar. Remember, injuries limited him to just a single sack in 2016.

This defense can’t afford for him to be anything less than spectacular. If he’s a Pro Bowl edge rusher, they could be a top 10 unit in the NFL. If he’s a non-factor, they could easily slip into the bottom 10. It’s something for Cowboys fans to watch closely once the regular season begins.