Dallas Cowboys: Aikman speaks on rebuilding mode, Dak Prescott's talent

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The Dallas Cowboys had a disappointing 2020 campaign, to say the least. Even though they got ravished with injuries, there was still enough talent on the roster to win a pathetic NFC East division that ultimately got won by the Washington Football Team at 7-9.

When a team goes 6-10 like the Cowboys did this season it’s easy for some to hit the panic button and want to blow up the entire roster. Hall of Famer and Cowboys legend Troy Aikman doesn’t think his former team is in that position. He believes there’s a lot of coaches who would love to have the Cowboy’s talent.

“They’re a more talented team, certainly than what their record indicated this year,” Aikman told USA TODAY Sports. “There were a lot of coaches, a lot of personnel people that would have probably traded rosters with the Cowboys. I think there are some holes that they’ll need to address – they know that – through free agency and through the draft.

“But overall, I just don’t believe that when healthy, this is a team that’s in rebuilding mode.”

As mentioned earlier, 2020 was a disaster for the Cowboys on the injury front. Aikman believes getting those guys back healthy plus adding additional pieces in free agency and the draft will have the Cowboys in contention in 2021.

“You get Dak back, you get the offensive line back – and with the skill players, they have on offense? Find a few pieces on defense, and they should be right in the thick of things next year,” Aikman said.

The biggest talking point when it comes to the Cowboys these days is Dak Prescott’s contract situation. Aikman has been a supporter of Prescott’s for quite some time. He’s expressed how surprised he was that a deal wasn’t reached before last season, and feels a second franchise tag could be the beginning of the end of Prescott in Dallas.

Aikman applauded Prescott’s work ethic and said there isn’t anyone who has been around him that doesn’t believe in him wholeheartedly.

“I think he’s really talented,” Aikman said. “When he came into the league, he was regarded as somewhat of a project. Was not expected to have to play right away and had never taken snaps from underneath center, play-action passing game, some of those types of things that they were doing at the time. And yet, he took to it really quickly, and it’s because he worked so hard at it.

“I’ve not been around anyone who’s spent time with Dak or watched him that didn’t feel this guy is a franchise quarterback. And they’re hard to find.”

The Dallas Cowboys have a lot to sort out before the 2021 season begins. Even if they do upgrade the holes on their roster, it won’t matter without the right guy under center, which makes taking care of Prescott the top priority.