DALLAS COWBOYS (13-5)
New faces: DEs Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory, RB Darren McFadden, CB/S Byron Jones, OL La’el Collins.
Key losses: RB DeMarco Murray, WR/KR Dwayne Harris, LBs Justin Durant and Bruce Carter, DEs George Selvie and Anthony Spencer.
Strengths: QB, OL, WR.
Weaknesses: CB, KR.
What’s New: McFadden and Joseph Randle enter season as mostly likely replacements for NFL rushing champ Murray, who signed with Eagles. Pass rush was weakness last season, but Cowboys added free agent Hardy and Gregory, projected first-rounder who slid to late second because of conduct issues. Dallas also expects 2014 second-rounder DeMarcus Lawrence to be factor.
Fantasy tip: Since it will be hard to tell between McFadden and Randle before fantasy drafts, best sleeper pick might be WR Terrance Williams. His career TD-to-catch ratio is better than Dez Bryant’s, with 13 scores on 81 grabs over first two seasons. And he will benefit from double teams on Bryant.
Expectations: Even optimistic owner Jerry Jones is trying to deflect Super Bowl talk after Cowboys won NFC East last season, beat Detroit for first playoff win since 2009 and would have had shot to win in Green Bay in divisional round if ruling had gone other way on Bryant’s catch that wasn’t. Dallas has to find consistent running game without Murray, but defense looks improved simply because there’s more talent.
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