Dallas Cowboys 2006 Season Predictions
A lot of money was spent this offseason to get the 2006 Cowboys football team back to the Super Bowl. Terrell Owens was probably the biggest signing on the free agent market this summer, and there’s a lot of hype in Dallas for that. He is a vast improvement over Keyshawn Johnson and should help Dallas move the ball this season after finishing 15th in passing last season. Another big name coming will be Mike Vanderjagt, who finally gives the Cowboys a reliable option to get the ball through the posts. After giving up a lot of sacks last season, the Cowboys decided to move up a couple of spots down the line, but lost control of Larry Allen’s Super Bowl years. Allen was getting older and was a tough salary-cap hit for the team. Akin Ayodele and first-round pick Bobby Carpenter out of Ohio State should help replace Scott Fujita and Dat Nguyen at linebacker. La’Roi Glover might be missed at tackle as the team lacks depth at the position, but he didn’t really fit into the new defensive scheme.
Drew Bledsoe is a solid choice at quarterback for the 2006 Cowboys football team, but he needs to protect the ball a little better. He had 17 interceptions and was sacked 49 times last year, so they’ll need him to stop killing them while still being productive. It should be easier for him this year when defenses have to worry about the threat of Owens at wide receiver. It’s a gamble, but hopefully the Cowboys drive to a Super Bowl appearance, similar to the drive the Eagles took in their first season in Philadelphia. Terry Glenn provides another option, as he rushed for 1,136 yards last year, this one-two tandem will be one of the best in the NFL this season. Julius Jones is a great running back, but he has struggled with durability, playing only 21 games in two seasons with the team. He will have to stay in the Dallas lineup to be a top-tier NFC team.
The Cowboys going 3-4 looks great with defensive ends having to rotate through the game. Greg Ellis, Marcus Spears and Chris Canty have been dominant in their roles and what’s scary is that Spears and Canty should only get better after completing their first year in the league last season. Dallas should also be on the backup line with stars in DeMarcus Ware and now Akin Ayodele. The team lost Fujita and Nguyen, but with the depth and youth at the position, they shouldn’t have created too big of a void to fill. The secondary here is one of the best in the league, with Terence Newman, Aaron Glenn and Anthony Henry solidifying the cornerback position and Roy Williams bringing hard hitting and big plays to safety.
The 2006 Cowboys football team enters this season with the highest expectations of the Bill Parcells era. The pressure is mounting as this could be the last year he remains as head coach. Terrell Owens is a gamble, but he has performed well starting new teams in the past before wearing down his welcome. Maybe he’s grown and maybe he’s not, but this should be a good year for the Cowboys if he hits it off with the team. I expect more than 10 wins here even though they have quite a tough schedule ahead of them. Take the Over 9.5 winnings at Pinnacle and feel comfortable cashing in the ticket in January.