The hope and excitement for the Cowboys in 2026 are real, and analyst Rich Eisen is picking up what a lot of people are putting down on Dallas this offseason.
There's no other way to put it, the Dallas Cowboys' offseason has been completely different in every facet from what we are used to seeing.
There's been no drama; the franchise has got ahead of contracts with Javonte Williams, Brandon Aubrey, George Pickens, and Quinnen Williams as the big names to put pen to paper quickly and efficiently.
And then there is the work on the practice field and the preseason games. It's been good, with the Cowboys showing that maybe all of the hype and excitement is for real.
Of course, it is preseason, and the sun is shining, and everyone looks like a Pro Bowler, so to some extent, we can take it with a grain of salt.
But it is hard not to get a little caught up in what Brian Schottenheimer and Jerry Jones are cooking up at The Star.
And even analyst Rich Eisen thinks that the Cowboys are a different beast in 2026.
"I keep saying it, it feels different,” Eisen said on the Rich Eisen Show. “The roster actually backs up the bluster, it's not bluster, it's real. Like Jerry sometimes is selling you a little flim-flam. This one actually has some meat to it.”
So is Eisen right?
There is some merit to the idea that the Cowboys' roster right now does have something tangible, and that maybe once the regular season rolls around, it can amount to something.
Additionally, Eisen gave his reason why fans have a right to believe that things are truly different this offseason for the Cowboys.
“The reason why it's not just the roster, as Marcus Spears said, it's quiet," Eisen added. "There's not any from two years ago with CeeDee Lamb and the all-in, meaning not really all-in.
"Then what happened with Micah Parsons last year, there's none of that. They paid Quinnen Williams. Dak is focused and ready to roll, and everyone's healthy. Knock on here on the desk. And I just love the coach.
"We'll see what happens when toe meets ball."
Eisen's take is typical of what the national media is saying right now about Dallas.
But for many in Cowboys Nation? They - you! - have got to see it in the regular season.
It is all good and well to play well in preseason games, and to have good joint practices, but when the lights are at their brightest, say, at MetLife Stadium in Week 1, can this team continue on its merry way?
That is the question everyone wants answered.
Yes, it's different, but we are tapping the brakes on anointing this team until we see it in the regular season.
