8 Reasons to Be Excited for the Dallas Cowboys 2011 Season

Last week news started to peculate that the NFL lockout may be coming to a close next week. It may be finally OK to get excited about the 2011 NFL season.

The Dallas Cowboys are anxious to get started this year so that they can put last year’s failures behind them. Tony Romo’s shoulder is fully healed, the offensive line is partially revamped, and rookies Tyron Smith and DeMarco Murray have Cowboys fans ecstatic about their rookie class.

Yes, I think we are indeed ready for some football.

If news about the lockout possibly ending doesn’t get you jacked then maybe this will: Here are eight reasons to get excited for the 2011 Dallas Cowboys.

The Arrival of Rob Ryan

Ryan’s personality alone will bring excitement and some possible contention to Valley Ranch. The way he decides to scheme the defense and how he’ll gameplan for players like Michael Vick and Tom Brady gets the adrenaline going.

But it will also be interesting to see how quickly the Cowboys players adapt and pick up Ryan’s defense. How different will it be from Wade Phillips’ defensive scheme and how aggressive will Ryan get with the players and his playcalling?

We’ll receive some of our answers by the third preseason game but until then we’ll have to ride the wave of agitation.

The Re-Emergence of Antonio Ramiro Romo

Here’s my conundrum regarding the career of Mr. Ramiro Romo. As of right now he’s ranked as the fourth best passer of all-time in terms of quarterback rating and he still gets an unfair amount of hate thrown his way.

I’ve come to the conclusion that even if Romo wins a Super Bowl he’ll still have detractors saying that the ‘Boys won in spite of Romo.

But 2011 will be Tony’s chance to prove himself once again. I don’t believe his season will start off as disastrous as 2010 and I also believe that Garrett will want to get his star quarterback off to a hot start.

Hopefully Garrett has gotten the 40-plus pass attempt games out of his system and will lean more toward leveraging a balanced attack. Either way I think 2011 will be the year of the Romo.

The Cowboys Secondary

Once you’ve hit rock bottom the only place to go is up, right? At least that may be the feeling of the Cowboys defensive backfield.

Cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Alan Ball are anxious to get the 2011 season started as their career are depending on it. Jenkins looked lost and disinterested at times last season and Alan Ball played out of position and it showed.

We still have free agency to look forward to and if Michael Huff wears silver and blue next season the reason for excitement gets even more compelling.

The Cowboys Offensive Line

Where will Tyron Smith play and will his inexperience and rawness become a detriment to his growth on the Cowboys offensive line?

Will Marc Colombo be back and if so what will his role be with the team? Will Leonard Davis lose his starting job in training camp? Will Doug Free take a step back in his second season as a starter?

How will the Cowboys offensive gel with the new moving parts and will they come together quickly?

The offensive line will get better as the season chugs along but the excitement surrounds how the line will start the season.

The Maturation of Dez Bryant

Last season the arrival of Dez Bryant led many fans to believe that the ‘Boys had finally found a missing piece to a Super Bowl caliber team.

He’s quick, explosive, fast and passionate about the game he plays. But he’s also shown himself to be a bit volatile. The sideline blow-up against the Saints, the bickering with Deion Sanders, and the offseason mall incident have raise caution flags for some about the former Oklahoma State product.

But Dez says that the Cowboys have nothing to worry about and while my eyebrow is raised halfway regarding his conduct I still believe in the young product.

Hopefully 2011 has good health in store for Bryant and if it does then Dallas should score a whole lot of points and pats on the butt due to his explosiveness when he has the ball in his hands.

The Arrival of Tyron Smith and DeMarco Murray

I know, Smith is the prize of the 2011 draft and rightfully so. But Murray was surprise pick and if he’s as quick and explosive as he was at Oklahoma then the Cowboys will have one dangerous backfield.

Of the course the grade on both draft picks won’t be in for at least three seasons and fans are hoping that they will both receive A grades.

Jason Garrett Coaching A Full Season

Garrett did a fantastic job with the Cowboys once he took over for Wade Phillips last season leading Dallas to a record of 5-3.

After quarterback Tony Romo went down with a season ending injury and back-up quarterback Jon Kitna took over as starter the ‘Boys went to a more balanced attacked that featured more of running backs Felix Jones, Marion Barber, and Tashard Choice.

Will Garrett remain committed to the run game or will he revert back to passing the ball over 40 times per game?

Jason Garrett has a contagious amount of energy and its hard not to get excited looking at his reaction after a big play. But will he lead the Cowboys down a path that feature a vivacious air attack or feeble ground game?

The Cowboys Schedule

At the end of the day the schedule is probably the toughest obstacle that stands in the way of the Cowboys making the Super Bowl.

There are other matters like the offensive line, the defensive backfield, the running game, play calling, and other things but if the Cowboys can’t beat the teams placed in front of them then Jason Garrett may well find himself looking for work once the season is over.

Besides the tough NFC East games the ‘Boys will play there is actually some breathing room in this year’s schedule.

With games against the Rams, Seahawks, Bills, and Cardinals Dallas has at least four very winnable games. Of course these so-called “winnable games” are against teams who had sub-.500 records in 2010 and that may all change this season.

But if not then there should be an air of winnable expectations surrounding these games