The Dallas Cowboys won the NFC East last season before bowing out in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
The 2019 offseason has been all about taking the next step.
From making Jason Garrett's 2019 campaign a do-or-die proposition, to parting with offensive coordinator Scott Linehan in favor of Kellen Moore, to key offseason additions like Robert Quinn or second-round pick Trysten Hill, owner Jerry Jones believes his team has taken a step forward.
"Everything we were about was improving from where we were this year," Jones said, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "There is no reason. There is no tangible reason we shouldn't be expected to be better than we were last year."
It should be mentioned that no team has won back-to-back NFC East titles in more than a decade -- the Philadelphia Eagles won it four years straight from 2001-2004.
Jones is yearning to get back to a Super Bowl for the first time since 1995, the last time his Cowboys made it past the Divisional Round.
The owner points to the changes on offense to bolster his belief the Cowboys can be better in 2019.
"I think we have (made improvements) coaching wise," Jones said. "We are going to do that scheme-wise. We are going to have real scheme changes on offense. That is going to improve us. I don't mean to be trite. We are going to make a big effort to be better offensively. We are going to try to challenge the defense more. We are going to try to expand our options."
If the Cowboys' offense can provide explosive plays with a full season of Amari Cooper and Dak Prescott together, to go along with an always potent Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys could be an improved unit in 2019.
Of course, everything in the NFL always looks bright and sunny in May. We'll revisit once a gloomy fall casts its pall on the season.
