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The Cowboys have gone 30 years without reaching a conference championship, let alone a Super Bowl, yet they remain the most valuable sports franchise in the world since 2016. The desperate ones are the Cowboys fans, as Jerry Jones doesn't seem to mind the drought as long as the team continues to generate massive revenues. Adding to the fans' frustration is the fact that the team has yet to secure its next head coach. After five years, three 12-5 seasons, two losing seasons and a 49-35 record, Mike McCarthy's contract with the Cowboys is up. His extension is reportedly possible, but the question remains: for how long? How much longer can the fans of "America's Team" endure mediocrity?
Micah Parsons' Bold Prediction for Next Season
One bright spot for the Cowboys in recent years has been Micah Parsons. The 2021 Rookie of the Year ed legendary rusher Reggie White as the only players since 1982 to record at least 12 sacks in each of their first four seasons. While Parsons missed four games this year, his absence wasn't the reason the Cowboys finished with a losing record; it was Dak Prescott's injury, even tho he was having also a bad year. The team lacked a quality backup quarterback, which greatly affected their season. But Parsons is already looking ahead, boldly predicting that the Cowboys will win the Super Bowl next year: "We're gonna be hoisting a trophy next year, period."
The reality is that while the Cowboys have a solid team overall, the competition is far too strong to make such a claim. Even the Chiefs, who are chasing a three-peat, understand how difficult it is. Within their own division, the Eagles' explosive offense and the Commanders, with a rookie quarterback playing like a 5 year veteran, will be tough rivals for years to come. In the rest of the NFC, the Lions, Packers have young cores and a healthy 49ers team also seem better positioned than the Cowboys. Furthermore, Dak Prescott's 2-5 playoff record shows that he has a tendency to shrink in big moments. But hey, dreaming is free, though Cowboys fans are probably too jaded by years of disappointment to buy into Parsons' prediction.
The Cowboys' Path to Competing in the Coming Years
The first and most immediate decision Jerry Jones must make is whether or not to retain Mike McCarthy. Personally, I would extend him for one or two years because he knows the team well and hasn't really underachieved. I know the Super Bowl most be the goal but in the three seasons in which Dak Prescott played the full year, McCarthy's record has been 36-15. However, like most teams, the Cowboys struggle when their starting quarterback is injured and that's what happen in the other two seasons McCarthy has been in Dallas. With Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, the offense looks solid, but they need another receiver to complement Lamb and a running back to take pressure off the ing game.
The Cowboys hold the 12th pick in the draft, and luckily for them, the 11 teams ahead of them don't have a pressing need for a running back. That makes it very likely that they'll select Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty. The Boise State star came within 27 yards of breaking Barry Sanders' historic 1988 record of 2,628 rushing yards. With Prescott, Lamb and Jeanty, the offense could thrive, but adding a defensive impact player in free agency would also be crucial. The loss of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who left to become the head coach of the Commanders, was a major blow this offseason. Anyway, as for Parsons' bold prediction, it's always easier to say things than to do them, but it will be nice for a fanbase that was once one of the greatest to get back to the winning days, but hey, for many it's funnier to keep making fun of the "Americas Team".