Last Season Recap
Last NFL betting season was the Dallas Cowboys’ worst campaign since 1989, but at least it was only the second worst of Jerry Jones’s ownership. The Cowboys finished last in the NFC East division with a 4-12 record. Dallas won the first two games of the season, but then went 2-12 in the next fourteen. Not coincidentally at all, starting QB Tony Romo and starting WR Dez Bryant were both injured in Week 2. Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel, and Kellen Moore all tried to fill Romo’s shoes – and failed. A recovered Romo returned to lead the Cowboys to victory again in Week 11. Unfortunately, he reinjured his collarbone and was out for the rest of the regular season.
What’s New
The 2016 season will be the Cowboys’ 57th season in the NFL, the 8th calling the AT&T Stadium their home, and 6th full season with head coach Jason Garrett. In the 2016 draft, Dallas selected running back Ezekiel Elliot from Ohio State as the 4th pick in the first round, outside linebacker Jaylon Smith from Notre Dame as the 34th pick in the second round, defensive tackle Maliek Collins from Nebraska as the 67th pick in the third round, defensive end Charles Tapper from Oklahoma as the 101st pick in the fourth round, QB Dak Prescott from Mississippi State as the 135th pick in the fourth round (compensatory selection), cornerback Anthony Brown from Purdue as the 189th pick in the sixth round, as well as safety Kavon Frazier from Central Michigan (212nd), running back Darius Jackson from Eastern Michigan (216th), and tight end Rico Gathers from Baylor (217th), all compensatory selections in the sixth round. Elsewhere, Cassel – who never really found his footing with the Cowboys – left for the Tennessee Titans, and Weeden – as people who bet on NFL know – was claimed off waivers by the Houston Texans and he resigned with that team in April. Also, Moore was promoted from the practice squad to the main roster at the end of last season, and there he remains for the next one.
What to Expect
With Romo returning from injury, Cowboys NFL betting fans can at the very least expect stability in the starting quarterback spot – so long as Romo remains healthy. Bryant has fully recovered as well – and if we add tight end Jason Witten and Zeke Elliot to the offensive equation, then we can also safely expect Dallas to return to the playoffs. Elliot was considered the best running back to enter the draft since Adrian Peterson in 2007. He has also been compared to Edgerrin James. Zeke ranks second in all-time rushing yards at Ohio State with 3,961, behind Archie Griffin and ahead of Eddie George. Additionally, he was named the 2015 Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year, 2015 Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year and was selected as Unanimous First Team All-Big Ten. Is Elliot the missing piece that Cowboys NFL betting fans have been waiting for since 1995 (when they last won a Super Bowl)? We’ll have to wait and see.
Odds to win Super Bowl LI: +2150
