The Dallas Cowboys were the team of the 90's, winning 3 Super Bowls in a 6-year stretch.
However, America's Team has not made it to the NFC Championship game since their Super Bowl triumph in January 1996, and all the losing has started to get old for owner Jerry Jones.
In recent years the Cowboys have had an air of quality around them though. Years of investing in the offensive line and drafting athletic defensive players has created a team that can challenge anyone on their day. Can you take over and deliver another Super Bowl for the Cowboys?
Team Rating
The Cowboys come into franchise mode with a strong 83 OVR. That puts them a clear #2 behind only their divisional rival the Philadelphia Eagles.
This is fueled by a very strong offensive rating of 89, the second-best unit score on the game once again behind the Eagles. The Cowboys defense is less impressive at 81, but that is still good for 5th equal in Madden 20.
READ MORE: The best offensive & defensive playbooks in Madden 20
Ezekiel Elliott, Half Back (94 OVR)
Age: 24
Development Trait: Superstar X-Factor
Contract: 7 years/$90.4 million
2019 Cap Hit: $6.34 million
Best Stats: Agility (95), Juke Move (94), Stiff Arm (93), Break Tackle (91), Acceleration (91), Speed (90), Carrying (88)
The Dallas Cowboys made Ezekiel Elliott the fourth-overall pick of the 2016 draft and got an immediate return as he led the NFL in rushing with 1,631 yards and scored a total of 16 touchdowns. In 2018 Elliott once again led the league in rushing with 1,434 yards and became a bigger threat in the passing game, catching 77 passes.
In Madden 20 Elliott is an elite offensive weapon. His agility (95), juke move (94), stiff arm (93) make him incredibly difficult to tackle while his speed (90) and catching (75) make him a threat anywhere on the field and on any play.
Byron Jones, Cornerback (91 OVR)
Age: 26
Develpment Trait: Superstar X-Factor
Contract: 1 year/$6.27 million
2019 Cap Hit: $6.27 million
Best Stats: Jumping (98), agility (96), Acceleration (94), Zone Coverage (94), Press (93), Speed (92), Awareness (91), Play Recognition (90)
The Cowboys drafted Byron Jones at the end of the first round in 2015 after Jones had an astonishing Combine performance. Jones has moved around the secondary for the Cowboys in his time and hasn't improved over the years. In 2018 he became a leading coverage player in the NFL with 14 deflections and 67 tackles.
In Madden 20 Jones is a physical monster. His jumping (98), agility (96), and speed (92) means he can match up against almost anyone while his high zone coverage (94) makes him excellently suited to a cover 3 defense, but he can also hold his own in man schemes too (87).
READ MORE: The best & worst teams to use
DeMarcus Lawrence, Defensive End (89 OVR)
Age: 27
Development Trait: Superstar X-Factor
Contract: 5 years/$105 million
2019 Cap Hit: $11.1 million
Best Stats: Finesse Moves (95), Awareness (94), Play Recognition (89), Power Moves (89), Acceleration (88), Strength (88), Block Shedding (88)
DeMarcus Lawrence was a second-round pick for the Cowboys in 2014. He had an injury-hit first few years in the NFL, playing just 32 of a possible 48 games, but in 2017 Lawrence was healthy and became an edge-rushing monster with 14.5 sacks and 26 QB hits. He backed that up with 10.5 sacks and 23 QB hits last year to earn a huge new contract.
In Madden 20 Lawrence is an excellent edge rusher, with high finesse (95) and power moves (89). His acceleration (88) and strength (88) give him the tools to challenge any blocker.
Dak Prescott, Quarterback (81 OVR)
Age: 26
Development Trait: Star
Contract: 1 year/$2.14 million
2019 Cap Hit: $2.14 million
Best Stats: Break Sack (92), Short Accuracy (89), Throw On Run (88), Throw Power (87), Medium Accuracy (86), Deep Accuracy (85), Play Action (84)
Dak Prescott was a fourth-round pick for the Cowboys in 2016. He wasn't meant to play much at all but a preseason injury for Tony Romo saw Prescott start from Week 1 as a rookie and he was extremely impressive, helping guide the Cowboys to a 13-3 record as he won Offensive Rookie of the Year. In three years as a starter he has completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 67 touchdowns and an average of 3,625 yards per season.
Prescott is a useful quarterback in Madden 20. With good accuracy (89 short, 86 medium, 85 deep) and solid throw power (87). He can also escape pressure (92) with his acceleration (86) and speed (82).
Full Roster & Depth Chart
QB | OVR | SPD | THP | SAC | MAC | DAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dak Prescott | 81 | 82 | 87 | 89 | 86 | 85 |
Cooper Rush | 53 | 75 | 82 | 73 | 68 | 71 |
HB | OVR | SPD | CAR | SFA | ELU | JKM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ezekiel Elliott | 94 | 90 | 88 | 93 | 85 | 94 |
Alfred Morris | 73 | 87 | 91 | 83 | 70 | 78 |
Tony Pollard | 69 | 93 | 85 | 66 | 78 | 82 |
Jordan Chunn | 63 | 85 | 85 | 78 | 72 | 76 |
FB | OVR | SPD | CAR | RBK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jamize Olawale | 69 | 85 | 72 | 56 |
WR | OVR | SPD | CTH | SRR | MRR | DRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amari Cooper | 89 | 92 | 91 | 89 | 90 | 88 |
Randall Cobb | 80 | 90 | 87 | 85 | 82 | 78 |
Michael Gallup | 78 | 90 | 83 | 82 | 80 | 83 |
Tavon Austin | 73 | 94 | 81 | 77 | 76 | 73 |
Noah Brown | 70 | 87 | 84 | 68 | 69 | 63 |
Devin Smith | 67 | 90 | 77 | 67 | 70 | 72 |
Jon’Vea Johnson | 65 | 92 | 78 | 67 | 64 | 69 |
Lance Lenoir | 63 | 85 | 83 | 66 | 68 | 63 |
TE | OVR | SPD | CTH | SRR | RBK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jason Witten | 83 | 74 | 88 | 76 | 68 |
Blake Jarwin | 73 | 81 | 79 | 65 | 72 |
Dalton Schultz | 72 | 81 | 78 | 63 | 66 |
LP LaDoucer | 47 | 67 | 64 | 45 | 54 |
OL | OVR | PBK | RBK | LBK | IBL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zack Martin | 96 | 94 | 97 | 94 | 92 |
Travis Frederick | 94 | 91 | 95 | 93 | 95 |
Tyron Smith | 94 | 92 | 92 | 89 | 92 |
La’el Collins | 76 | 78 | 78 | 85 | 86 |
Connor Williams | 71 | 71 | 72 | 83 | 86 |
Joe Looney | 69 | 70 | 74 | 81 | 83 |
Xavier Su’a-Filo | 68 | 66 | 73 | 67 | 81 |
Cameron Fleming | 66 | 68 | 74 | 71 | 73 |
Connor McGovern | 64 | 66 | 69 | 75 | 80 |
Cody Wichmann | 59 | 61 | 66 | 71 | 69 |
Adam Redmond | 55 | 66 | 65 | 78 | 77 |
Brandon Knight | 53 | 59 | 62 | 76 | 75 |
DE | OVR | SPD | STR | PMV | FMV | BSH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DeMarcus Lawrence | 89 | 81 | 88 | 89 | 95 | 88 |
Tyrone Crawford | 79 | 77 | 86 | 83 | 68 | 78 |
Robert Quinn | 78 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 64 | 60 |
Randy Gregory | 76 | 84 | 79 | 64 | 80 | 67 |
Taco Charlton | 75 | 79 | 80 | 61 | 75 | 69 |
Dorance Armstrong | 71 | 77 | 80 | 61 | 76 | 69 |
Kerry Hyder | 70 | 75 | 79 | 63 | 79 | 67 |
Joe Jackson | 64 | 77 | 81 | 69 | 60 | 70 |
Jalen Jelks | 61 | 75 | 75 | 67 | 62 | 66 |
DT | OVR | SPD | STR | PMV | FMV | BSH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maliek Collins | 74 | 71 | 84 | 62 | 81 | 59 |
Christian Covington | 73 | 76 | 78 | 78 | 56 | 76 |
Antwaun Woods | 73 | 72 | 85 | 72 | 57 | 72 |
Trysten Hill | 72 | 72 | 86 | 69 | 74 | 75 |
Daniel Ross | 67 | 72 | 85 | 75 | 66 | 63 |
OLB | OVR | SPD | TAK | POW | MCV | ZCV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leighton Vander Esch | 86 | 86 | 87 | 81 | 68 | 73 |
Sean Lee | 84 | 82 | 86 | 83 | 66 | 71 |
Justin March | 69 | 82 | 82 | 78 | 48 | 57 |
MLB | OVR | SPD | TAK | BSH | MCV | ZCV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaylon Smith | 85 | 87 | 83 | 76 | 73 | 81 |
Joe Thomas | 68 | 83 | 80 | 67 | 60 | 67 |
Luke Gifford | 59 | 84 | 77 | 67 | 50 | 56 |
CB | OVR | SPD | MCV | ZCV | PRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Byron Jones | 91 | 92 | 87 | 94 | 93 |
Chidobe Awuzie | 81 | 91 | 79 | 76 | 81 |
Anthony Brown | 79 | 95 | 78 | 77 | 80 |
Jourdan Lewis | 74 | 89 | 73 | 69 | 81 |
CJ Goodwin | 64 | 90 | 66 | 63 | 74 |
Chris Westry | 62 | 94 | 62 | 64 | 74 |
FS | OVR | SPD | PRC | ZCV | TAK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Xavier Woods | 77 | 89 | 74 | 77 | 72 |
Darian Thompson | 68 | 86 | 73 | 64 | 74 |
SS | OVR | SPD | PRC | ZCV | TAK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jeff Heath | 73 | 89 | 74 | 74 | 65 |
Kavon Frazier | 69 | 86 | 69 | 66 | 75 |
Donovan Wilson | 64 | 84 | 63 | 67 | 68 |
Jameill Showers | 56 | 84 | 50 | 69 | 59 |
K | OVR | KPW | KAC |
|---|---|---|---|
Brett Maher | 74 | 98 | 80 |
P | OVR | KPW | KAC |
|---|---|---|---|
Chris Jones | 84 | 93 | 94 |
READ MORE: Quick tips to improve your passing attack
The Cowboys roster is extremely strong across the starters but it does lack a little depth in places.
The offense is run by quarterback Dak Prescott (89 short accuracy, 88 throw on run) but it is his supporting cast that really shines. Running back Ezekiel Elliott (94 juke move, 93 stiff arm) is a superstar and wide receiver Amari Cooper (92 speed, 91 catching) is a very good player.
Second-year receiver Michael Gallup (90 speed, 86 jumping) is a solid secondary receiver and veteran Jason Witten (88 catching, 76 short route) can still get it done.
The real stength of this team is its offensive line though. With three stars of left tackle Tyron Smith (92 pass block, 92 run block), center Travis Frederick (95 run block, 91 pass block), and Zack Martin (97 run block, 94 pass block) they can run on anyone and protect Prescott all day.
Defensively the Cowboys are less impressive but they have playmakers at every level. DeMarcus Lawrence (95 finesse, 89 power) is the stud on the defensive line and he is supported by Tyrone Crawford (86 strength, 83 power moves) and Maliek Collins (84 strength, 81 finesse moves).
The Cowboys have an excellent trio of linebackers. Second-year OLB Leighton Vander Esch (91 acceleration, 87 tackling) leads the way with MLB Jaylon Smith (93 hit power, 91 acceleration) and veteran Sean Lee (93 play recognition, 86 tackling) supporting him.
In the secondary, cornerback Byron Jones (96 agility, 94 zone cover) is the star. The Cowboys have nice depth behind him with Chidobe Awuzie (92 acceleration, 79 man cover) and Anthony Brown (95 speed, 78 man cover). Safeties Jeff Heath (89 speed, 74 zone) and Xavier Woods (89 speed, 77 zone cover) are a reasonable pairing.
READ MORE: How to dominate with RPO plays
Salary Cap
The Cowboys come into franchise mode with 58 players on the preseason roster and $35.2 million in cap space. That's a solid number considering the big extensions recently handed out by Jerry Jones, but considering those new contracts and a few of the players that need re-signing you don't have the room to make any big trade.
Impending Free Agents
Dallas has 29 players on their final year. While most are easily replaceable players at the bottom of your roster, several are guys that will see playing time at key positions that you need to consider signing including star corner Byron Jones and quarterback Dak Prescott who we have already discussed.
Amari Cooper, Wide Receiver (89 OVR)
The Cowboys acquired Amari Cooper from the Raiders for a first-round pick in the middle of last season and he had a big impact on the offense. His speed (92) and catching (91) make him a reliable target while his route running (89 short, 90 medium, 88 deep) makes him a threat on every route.
With so many big contracts already on the books for years to come there is a good argument to let Cooper walk in free agency or trade him away early for a pick, but he is so good that he would be a big loss. Just remember, keeping him means you'll have to sacrifice some depth elsewhere.
READ MORE: Franchise relocation guide
Dak Prescott, Quarterback (81 OVR)
This is a decision that could soon be taken out of your hands as he is in discussion with the Cowboys for a monster extension.
In Madden 20 his demands should be more reasonable, making him a good option to keep and develop further. Prescott is not too far away from becoming an elite passer with his consistent accuracy (89 short, 86 medium, 85 deep) and solid throw power (87) so giving him a long contract could be a real money-saver in future seasons.
Randall Cobb, Wide Receiver (80 OVR)
If you aren't going to keep Cobb so that you can give a big deal to Jones and Prescott then you should try to retain Randall Cobb to use as a #2 receiver while Michael Gallup develops into your #1.
At 29 Cobb still has a few years left, and he has the speed (90) and catching (87) to be a useful player.
Anthony Brown, Cornerback (79 OVR)
Brown is currently the Cowboys #3 corner, which effectively makes him a starter. At 25 years old and with elite speed (95) he can become a very good player quite quickly so should be kept.
Holding onto him becomes even more important should Byron Jones move on.
READ MORE: Best young wide receivers in Madden 20
Roster Needs
The Cowboys starting lineup is pretty strong. The biggest need is at defensive tackle and both safeties, but neither are crying out for an immediate upgrade.
Safety can be a tricky position to find in the draft, so you may have to hold on and dip into the free agent market for an upgrade here, but moving Byron Jones to free safety is always an option if there is talent available at corner.
Defensive tackles are usually more readily available, especially as you can move a big 3-4 end into that spot.
Secondary needs are a tight end to replace Jason Witten and a little depth at linebacker to replace Sean Lee who is likely to retire shortly.
The weak spot of the offensive line in at left guard, but Connor Williams is young and can improve naturally so there is no need to go chasing that spot.