Travis Frederick won't be on the field when the Dallas Cowboys 2020 season kicks off. However, he'll probably be cheering for his former teammates. Frederick recently retired from football after being drafted in the first round by the Cowboys in 2013.
As he gets ready to focus on his charity, “The Blocking Hunger Foundation,” Travis spoke about the Cowboys ahead of the season.
“The team is set up extremely well. The front office did a great job of getting people in place. On paper, it looks like a really, really solid team. They have a chance to go far.” Frederick said via Forth Worth Star-Telegram.
Frederick is definitely right. The Cowboys have been touted as one of the most talented teams in the last couple of years but 2020 is different for various reasons. For one, Head Coach Mike McCarthy replaces Jason Garrett as the spearhead of the operation. CeeDee Lamb fell to the team's lap with the 17th pick of the Draft.
With Kellen Moore staying as the team's offensive coordinator, this is expected to be a Top 5 offense in the upcoming season. The team has a quality offensive line, one of the best running backs in the league in Ezekiel Elliott and one of the best sets of wide receivers with Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and Lamb.
The defense is more of a concern for the Cowboys, with a lot of uncertainty on the team's defensive backfield and some question marks at the linebacker position. But even still, there are reasons to be excited about it, particularly in the defensive line, where Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe will be playing at defensive tackle.
Despite concerns on defense, it usually takes an elite unit to be a contender in the playoffs. That's what the Cowboys have on the offensive side of the ball. They just might be able to take the next step and play in the NFC Championship game.
But there are two key words in Frederick's comments. “On paper.”
Frequently, NFL rosters look like championship-bound squads only to disappoint once football actually begins. It's hard to know if that will happen for the 2020 Dallas Cowboys, but the current situation around the world makes it even more difficult.
Teams have yet to return to their facilities to train and the offseason continues to be a virtual one. With a new coach taking over, it'll be interesting to see how McCarthy's staff adapts to implementing a new culture in such a short period of time.
Teams are aiming for a return in June, but there's little way of knowing what will happen. For now, Cowboys Nation has to stick with the “on paper” evaluations which look very promising. Hopefully, Travis Frederick is proven right this fall.
