The Cowboys have the elite offense and an improved defense, so what is key to the franchise returning to the postseason?
There's no denying that there is a different vibe around the Dallas Cowboys as OTAs come into view.
With the offense remaining largely intact and the defense undergoing a significant overhaul to the extent that some think playoff football can be achieved, there is a lot of hope right now.
But as we know, hope doesn't win games of football, and yes, while the Cowboys have had an offseason that can be seen as very good, it will all come down to how they perform when the regular season rolls around.
We know how prolific the offense is and how poor the defense was last season, so the hope is that with Christian Parker at the helm, Dallas' defense can become competent.
As far as the season expectations, right now, it is all a pure guessing game, but there are a lot of fans, and media personalities who are bullish on Dallas in 2026.
But what about Cowboys legend and Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith? What does he think about Dallas in 2026?
"I think we had a lot of things to address first and foremost, and I believe we did address a lot of those things during the draft, through free agency as well," Smith said on NFL Insiders. "The key is, how do all these pieces of the puzzle come together as a defensive unit.
"Linebacker core, secondary needed to be upgraded, we did that with the new defensive coordinator. I think all those things are key elements to leading the Cowboys having a successful season, a winning season that perhaps gets us into the playoffs."
Due to the sheer number of changes both on and off the field on the defensive side of the ball, how it all meshes together will be the determining factor in what this Dallas team can be.
Remember, Parker has never called plays in the NFL before, so there will be some growing pains. But the hope is that the learning curve won't be too steep, say, around Week 4 or Week 5, things will hopefully be running smoothly.
If the offense can get near its level last season (big if), and the defense can improve from 32nd to even 21st, the Cowboys have a great shot at returning to the playoffs in Brian Schottenheimer's second-year.
All the ingredients have been bought. Now let's see what the Cowboys cook in 2026.
