These three players are expected to do big things for the Dallas Cowboys, but there’s a chance we could be overhyping them a bit
Every NFL fan is guilty of overhyping someone on their favorite team. For Dallas Cowboys fans, there have been several examples of this.
Personally, I remember thinking the signing of Eddie George was going to pay huge dividends and that the Cowboys were going to look like geniuses for making that move. This ended up backfiring on them as George averaged 3.3 yards per attempt and had just 432 yards on the season.
There were more recent examples, such as when fans convinced themselves their receiver-by-committee approach in 2018 was going to work. Allen Hurns, Tavon Austin, Michael Gallup (a rookie at the time), and Cole Beasley were going to get it done. A narrator’s voice can be overheard now simply saying — they did not get it done.
Now looking ahead to 2020, there are some players who are on the roster that are expected to do big things this season, but might not. Here we look at three names of players in Dallas that might be a bit overhyped this year.
Notable omission: Aldon Smith, EDGE
Aldon Smith is mentioned here but didn’t make the top-three for most overhyped players because I don’t think he’s being overhyped by the fans. Most fans are understanding that he’s been out of the game for more than four years and that means anything he can do will be a bonus.
The problem is, the front office might be overhyping him a little. Dallas lost a lot in free agency when Robert Quinn left and they did very little to replace him. Outside of Smith, they drafted Bradlee Anae and will be getting Tyrone Crawford back who missed the majority of 2019.
Crawford is clearly the best of the bunch but he often slides inside on third downs, meaning the staff is expecting Smith to come in and handle that role. This is playing with fire a little on their side.
3. Tyler Biadasz, Center
Dallas lost a great player this offseason when center Travis Frederick retired. One of the centerpieces of their stalwart line, Frederick missed all of the 2018 season as he was battling Guillain-Barré syndrome, a symptom that attacks the nerves.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
Frederick returned in 2019 but he wasn’t satisfied with how he played. He said he was no longer to give the team what they deserved and wasn’t okay with playing at less than 100 percent. Frederick still made it to the Pro Bowl last season even without being his normal self and is going to be hard to replace.
Currently, it looks as though Joe Looney and Connor McGovern are the top options to start in 2020 but there are plenty of people pulling for Tyler Biadasz. Just like Frederick, Biadasz was a standout at Wisconsin, a school known for turning out offensive linemen.
Biadasz was a steal in the fourth round but expecting him to come in as a rookie and seamlessly replace Frederick is a bit much. It also might be too much to expect him to easily overthrow Joe Looney who started all 16 games in 2018 in place of Frederick.
In time, Biadasz will likely be the starting center in Dallas and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him have a long and successful career. However, he might need some time at the next level before all that is put into motion.
2. Dontari Poe, Defensive Tackle
For years, the Cowboys have neglected the nose tackle position which could be why Dontari Poe is on this list as overhyped. Fans were elated to see Dallas finally kicking the tires on a big-name nose tackle and there was also an expectation that they were going to low-ball him (as they often do to free agents) and cause him to walk away.
That didn’t happen as in the end, they landed Poe who joins his teammate from Carolina in 2019, Gerald McCoy as the Cowboys new defensive tackle duo. While it’s true, the D-line in Dallas is improved, there’s also some reason to be concerned.
Last season, the Panthers boasted both Poe and McCoy, but they were last in the league in run defense according to Pro Football Reference. Carolina surrendered 2,296 yards on the season and gave up 5.2 per attempt.
Not all of that is on Poe, who was the 33rd-ranked defensive tackle according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). But in Big D, the expectation is that he’s going to single-handedly fix their issues in run defense.
Poe is an improvement and the defensive line could end up being very strong for Dallas in 2019. But there’s also no guarantee that this will be the case and the struggles of Carolina are something to keep in mind.
1. Blake Jarwin, Tight End
This one feels a bit like déjà vu. When Jason Witten retired in 2018, the Cowboys turned their tight end position over to Geoff Swaim, Blake Jarwin and rookie Dalton Schultz. This was the same season they tried their receiver by committee approach and that extended to the tight end spot as well.
All three players had something to offer but none were complete weapons. It proved to be a major problem and Witten returned in 2019 to help them once again become competent at the spot.
Now as we enter 2020, Witten is in Las Vegas and again the Cowboys will be turning to Jarwin as the top receiving threat at tight end with Schultz as the primary backup. They added Blake Bell, who is the blocking tight end, much like Swaim was in 2018.
However, this season Jarwin is expected to be much improved upon what he offered in 2018. While there’s no doubt he should be, the team is putting a lot of expectation on his shoulders. Jarwin enters this season with 58 career catches and was just given a healthy extension.
There’s no doubt Dallas is expecting him to succeed, and at this point he’s a better threat in the passing game than Witten was in 2019. Still, he hasn’t proven he can be the guy for a full season and until he does, it’s all hype and expectation.