Advanced model updates Cowboys' projected win total
The SportsLine Projection Model has updated its projected win totals after the 2020 NFL Draft.
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The first wave of NFL free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft are now behind us and NFL rosters around the country are beginning to truly take shape. And after drafting by himself while quarantining on a $250 million superyacht, Jerry Jones has to like the shape that the Dallas Cowboys are in entering the 2020 season.
Jones used the franchise tag to extend long-term negotiations for Dak Prescott, signed Amari Cooper to a five-year, $100 million deal and managed to add some nice pieces like Gerald McCoy, Anthony Brown and Greg Zuerleing despite cap constraints. Then they went out and had one of the best drafts of any team in the NFL according to many pundits.
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Dallas took advantage of a class loaded with talented wide receivers by selecting Oklahoma wideout CeeDee Lamb with the No. 17 overall pick. Lamb is one of the most dangerous players in the open field that this class has to offer and with Cooper and Michael Gallup surrounding him, the Cowboys should be able to scheme him open and sit back and watch as he showcases his natural abilities after the catch.
That gives Dallas one of the most potent offenses in the NFL as Lamb joins Cooper, Gallup, Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and an offensive line that is still one of the best in the league despite Travis Frederick's retirement. However, Jones and the Cowboys did well to address defensive concerns in the 2020 NFL Draft as well, landing Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs in the second round, Oklahoma defensive lineman Neville Gallimore in the third, Tulsa cornerback Reggie Robinson II in the fourth and Utah defensive end Bradlee Anae in the fifth.
After losing Byron Jones and Robert Quinn in free agency, the Cowboys will definitely need a couple of these rookies to earn significant playing time and for the rest to provide depth with upside. They'll also need talented young defenders like Leighton Vander Esch, Jaylon Smith, Xavier Woods and Chidobe Awuzie to take on even larger responsibilities in 2020.
Inevitably, the SportsLine Projection Model predicts that they can do exactly that as the Cowboys win an average of 9.6 games in the computer's 10,000 simulations of the 2020 NFL season. Dallas wins the division 50.3 percent of the time and makes the playoffs 72.9 percent of the time. The Cowboys are currently 12-1 to Win Super Bowl 55 according to William Hill, which is tied for fifth-best odds in the NFL.
Written by Ryan Wooden
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