5 Biggest challenges the Dallas Cowboys face in 2020
By Randy Gurzi
5. Figure out the right defensive end
Dallas has its star edge rusher on the left side in DeMarcus Lawrence, who signed a five-year contract ahead of last season. His sack totals weren’t what he wanted them to be last season but thinking that means he wasn’t effective would be wrong. Lawrence not only stood out in the run game but he continually generated pressure and drew a lot of attention to his side which helped Robert Quinn have one of his best seasons in years — and Quinn was subsequently paid handsomely by the Bears for this which leaves an opening on the right side.
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With Quinn gone, the Cowboys were expected to go for a replacement in the draft, and all eyes were on LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson. However, when Dallas came to pick at No. 17, they were faced with an unexpected choice. Not only was Chaisson available, but so too was CeeDee Lamb, who they had as the No. 6 player on their board — and had no expectations of him being there when they were on the clock.
Dallas decided to go for the higher-rated player, much to the delight of their fan base. Adding Lamb to an already potent offense will not only help replace Randall Cobb (who bolted for Houston) but it can also make them even more dangerous than last year.
However, this comes at a cost as they now are unsure about who will step up opposite Lawrence. The expected starter right now is Tyrone Crawford who missed the majority of 2019 with a hip injury. Crawford is vastly underrated because he doesn’t stand out when it comes to sacking the quarterback.
While he could handle the early downs, Dallas would do well to find a third-down pass rusher they can depend on. With Chaisson not coming in to fill that role, the options right now are Aldon Smith, Dorrance Armstrong, Joe Jackson, and Bradlee Anae — although Randy Gregory could join that list should he be reinstated.
There’s a lot of talent there but the only proven commodity is Smith, who hasn’t played in four seasons due to off-field trouble. Dallas needs to get this figured out and as long as they do, their defense should be competitive in 2020.