No Sophomore Slump For Dak Prescott

 

Dallas Cowboys fans are gearing up for this upcoming season with big hopes that Dak Prescott will carry the team to a Super Bowl victory. He lead the Cowboys to a winning 2016 season with a record of 13-3 with 3667 passing yards, and was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. Off-season speculations of whether or not Dak will fall into a sophomore slump should not deter fans from keeping their hopes up for an even better season. 

 

This time last year, Prescott was the third string QB, meaning he got the least amount of reps during training. Fast forward to present day, he’s now an integral part of the team and will continue to get the majority of reps at training camp, preparing him even more for this 2017-2018 season.  

 

The offensive line will have two new players replacing veteran offensive linesmen Doug Free and Ronald Leary. Free retired and Leary left as a free agent to Denver.  La’el Collins has filled in the right tackle position and Jonathan Cooper will most likely be playing guard. Collins has experience playing tackle at LSU where he was awarded the Jacobs Blocking trophy for top offensive linesmen in the SEC.   

 

Collins was once expected to be a top 10 draft pick, but went undrafted in 2015 due to the controversy over his murdered ex-girlfriend. It should be noted that he was never a suspect.

 

Drafted seventh by Arizona in 2013, Cooper sat the rest of his rookie year after breaking his leg. After a couple of years bouncing around from team to team, the Cowboys signed him back in January. These two additions will bring talent and youth to the already strong offensive line thus providing the protection Dak needs.

 

At the end of last season, Dallas ranked number two in rushing offense. Having proven himself as a commodity, Ezekiel Elliott will have defenses keying in on the rushing game first and foremost. This will open up opportunities for Dak to shine in the passing game.

 

To sum it all up, a fresh new offensive line, a number two rushing offense, and more time preparing for the season will have Dak asking, “What’s a sophomore slump?”