Top 8 Reasons to Be Excited About the Dallas Cowboys in 2017

After finishing 13-3 in 2016, the Cowboys' season ended in disappointment after losing at home to the Packers in the divisional playoff game. After many thought that the Cowboys were destined for the Super Bowl, it was a crushing loss to a team that had been so dominant throughout the year. 

At the beginning of the offseason, it seemed like Dallas was losing talent, rather than adding. The team lost multiple starters on its offensive line and in its secondary. There were only a few signings in Nolan Carroll and Stephen Paea, but none are long-term answers for the team. After a lackluster free agency period, it would have been easy to be pessimistic about the Cowboys this season.

But after a draft in which the Cowboys added at least four players who will compete for starting jobs as rookies, there are numerous reasons why Cowboys fans should be optimistic about their team heading into the season.

From Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott to one of the youngest defenses in the NFL, Dallas has the pieces to be a top team again this season.

Here are the top eight reasons why you should be excited about the Dallas Cowboys in 2017.

Dak Prescott

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One of the most exciting things in the NFL is the moment that a team realizes it has its franchise quarterback. I was somewhat skeptical all year that Prescott was the team's next great quarterback, and for most of the year, I believed that a healthy Tony Romo gave the Cowboys a better chance to win in the playoffs than Prescott. 

However, Prescott's performance in the divisional playoff game was exactly what I needed to see from him.

Despite the team losing the game, Prescott went toe-to-toe with one of the best quarterbacks the league has ever seen in Aaron Rodgers and battled back from a 21-3 deficit to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.

Prescott threw for 302 yards and three touchdowns, proving that he has the mental toughness to be a great quarterback in this league. 

The loss hurt and still will for some time, but in the long run, it might actually be a good thing for Prescott and the team. He got a taste of the playoffs, and now he has the confidence to know that he can lead the Cowboys to where they want to go—they can battle back from a big deficit, and their quarterback doesn't shrink in big games. 

Prescott will inevitably have his struggles in his sophomore year, but his growth should be fun to watch as he develops into one of the league's best quarterbacks. He is absolutely the face of the franchise, and Cowboys fans should rest easy knowing they have their quarterback in place for the next decade. 

Ezekiel Elliott's Second Season

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The expectations were high for Elliott coming into his rookie year, and he sure didn't disappoint. In 15 games, Elliott accounted for 1,994 yards and 16 touchdowns. If you count the playoffs, that number jumps up to 2,117 yards. He was everything the Cowboys could have ever wished for from their first-round pick. 

What's scary for the rest of the league is that Elliott should only improve in his second season in the NFL. According to Elliott himself, he believes that he can become a much better "second-level runner," per Jon Machota of Dallas Morning News.

Elliott missed some of training camp and preseason with a hamstring injury, and it clearly limited him in his first few games in the NFL. With a full offseason to prepare his body and a year of service in the zone-blocking scheme, Elliott could really explode in 2017. 

The Return of Dez Bryant

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

The first half of the season was rocky for Dez Bryant. He started the season off slowly with a dreadful one-catch-for-eight-yard performance in the opener against the Giants.

In Week 3, Bryant fractured his knee and missed the next three games. He struggled with his timing with Prescott, and he just didn't look like the same dominant player at the start of 2016. 

However, Bryant caught fire in the second half of the season, and by the time playoffs rolled around, he was unguardable.

In his final nine games (I'm not counting the Week 17 game as he only played one drive), Bryant scored nine touchdowns. His best performance of the season came against the Packers in the divisional playoff game, where he caught nine passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns. 

With a full offseason to get on the same page as Prescott, Bryant should be able to return to form in 2017. Prescott should be a much-improved passer this season, and that should only help Bryant. If healthy for 16 games, Bryant is a lock for double-digit touchdowns and should easily surpass his 2016 yardage total. Look for him to have a massive bounce-back season in 2017. 

Jaylon Smith to the Rescue?

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

The Cowboys defense was surprisingly good in 2016, allowing the fifth-fewest points. While they greatly exceeded their talent level last season, there is a chance the Cowboys could be even better in 2017. One of the areas they can improve in is their linebacker play, specifically at middle linebacker.  

Enter Jaylon Smith. By now, everyone knows his story. One of the best college linebackers of all-time, Smith tore his ACL in his final career game. He suffered nerve damage that caused him to miss his entire rookie season.  

But there is optimism surrounding Smith entering 2017. He's slowly regaining feeling in his foot and is able to lift his toes. He will likely need to continue to use the AFO brace throughout the offseason and into the regular season, but there does appear to be a chance that he could make a full recovery. 

What is exciting is that Smith will see the field this year. After the injury, there was a real concern that he would never be able to play football again. The Cowboys are planning on having Smith available for the regular season, and it's likely he's thrust into the starting lineup when he's on the field. 

The road to full recovery is still a long one for Smith and the Cowboys, but seeing him on the field will give the team and fans optimism that they stole one of the best college linebackers to enter the NFL in some time. 

Rico Gathers

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One of the players that will likely generate the most buzz in training camp and in preseason is 2016 sixth-round pick Rico Gathers. After spending the year on the team's practice squad, Gathers was praised by head coach Jason Garrett for his versatility and his blocking. 

Nearly every week, someone is heaping praise on the former basketball player from Baylor. In early May, it was assistant director of player personnel Will McClay, who said on the Cowboys Break podcast that the team were unable to stop him in practice. Gathers confirmed this when he posted a video on Instagram of some highlights from practice in 2016. 

Gathers won't surpass Jason Witten in 2017, but he should be able to make the 53-man roster. He will likely have enough highlight plays in practice and during pre-season games to get coaches and fans excited about what he could be down the road with a little more seasoning.

He's a fantastic athlete who could develop into the team's No. 1 tight end in the near future. His development will be one of the more fun things to watch throughout the season 

Young Blood in the Secondary

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The Cowboys lost four starters from their 2016 secondary this offseason, but they were replaced with a bunch of young talent via the draft. Rookies Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, and Xavier Woods will be faced with the tough task of not only replacing the veteran losses eventually, but they will be counted on to play well right away. 

While the rookies could flop, there is always excitement in the unknown. Awuzie and Lewis figure to play early and often, and both players will help the team transition to more of a zone-heavy defense. Both excel in the slot and offer more versatility than Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne. Woods will likely be the team's third or fourth safety, but he has the ball skills and athleticism to quickly rise up the depth chart. 

The rookies will take their lumps early in the season, but the hope is that by the end of the season they will have one of the more talented groups in the league.

They will be by far one of the youngest secondaries in the NFL, and they've assembled a group that loves to play with a chip on their shoulders (one of them took that statement literally this offseason). 

The Cowboys' secondary might not be as good in 2017, but the talent is there for the unit to grow and improve drastically over the course of the season. It could be a bumpy ride for the unit, but it should be fun to watch these young kids improve. 

Taco Charlton

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Every year, each team's first-round pick adds a level of excitement to the season. One of the big reasons for optimism for Dallas in 2016 was the addition of Elliott. That excitement hit new levels in the third pre-season game as Elliott shined against the Seattle's No. 1 defense.

While Taco Charlton won't move the needle as much as Elliott or Prescott did in 2016, he will still be a heavily watched player entering the season.

Being that he was the team's first-round pick, it means that not only will he play a lot as a rookie, but that he also has a really good chance to start from Week 1. Every first-round pick from the team since 2010 has started for the team in the first game of the season. 

The Cowboys are going to give Charlton every opportunity to start for the team this season. He will likely begin his career as a right defensive end, but he will play all over the defensive line for defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. 

Charlton's length, size, and strength should allow him to make plays in the run game early as a rookie. He will need time to develop his pass-rushing repertoire, but his potential and his high ceiling are reasons to watch the talented defensive end from Michigan. He's a Marinelli project that could pay big dividends by season's end.

Returning NFC East Champions

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Above all else, Cowboys fans should be excited about their team in 2017 because they are one of the best teams in the NFL. They won the always competitive NFC East and lost just three games, one of which was a meaningless game against the Eagles in Week 17. 

The Cowboys are one of the youngest teams in the league, the roster is hungry and its best football is likely ahead. The players have shown they can compete against any team in the league, and they will make each and every game must-watch TV.  

There aren't many teams that are as entertaining or as fun as the Cowboys, and that should only increase as Prescott and Elliott grow into their stardom in their sophomore seasons.

Dallas should not only challenge for the NFC East title in 2017, but it is on the shortlist of teams that could win the Super Bowl. It is one of the top teams in the NFC, and it has all the pieces to be a much-improved squad this upcoming season.