DALLAS — The Cowboys have the third-youngest roster in the NFL after the cut down to a 53-man roster. According to Jimmy Kempski of Philly Voice, the average age of the Cowboys is 25.4 years old. So, basically if the roster were a person, it could still be on its parents' health insurance.
Coach Jason Garrett enters his eighth full season in Dallas. The 2018 version as of Sept. 2 appears to be tied for the second-youngest he has coached since 2014 (also 25.4 years old). It is all a part of the "embrace the youth" movement at The Star in Frisco.
"There’s a lot of really positive things about having a young team," said Garrett Monday. "As a coaching staff you really want to coach them hard in every aspect of the game and typically they respond well. They have a lot to learn about the game. Then you want to put them in game situations where they can grow and learn from the experiences, both good and bad."
The youth movement has always been prevalent in the Cowboys backfield with 2016 draft additions Dak Prescott under center and Ezekiel Elliott taking hand-offs. Where it is starting to get more noticeable is in the secondary where second-year defensive backs Xavier Woods, Chidobe Awuzie, and Jourdan Lewis are stepping up into more prominent roles on the defense.
Factor in rookie linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, third-year linebacker Jaylon Smith, second-year defensive end Taco Charlton, and the Cowboys' defense is looking quite youthful.
What the 25.4 years old really represents is a locker room and culture of players who are on the same page.
"Having a good young team with a lot of guys who think alike and are excited about the opportunity to play together, I think that can be energizing for everybody," said Garrett.
The youth movement aside, the Cowboys are also projected to field 24 new players on their 53-man roster than what they opened up with from a season ago. Some of the high turnover can be attributed to life in the NFL today, and not necessarily any particular personnel strategy by the coaching staff, front office, and player personnel.
Said Garrett: "That’s just been the nature here the last few years because of the salary cap. Because of how contracts are structured, it’s hard to keep all your guys together for a long period of time. Very different than 25, 30 years ago. That’s just the nature of the league and I think the league is getting younger. There’s more incentive to keep younger players on your team, more incentive to have draft picks make your team. And so that’s why you’ve got to embrace the youth."
Embracing the youth doesn't always yield championship results in February. Last season, the Philadelphia Eagles had the 23rd-youngest team and the New England Patriots had the 26th-youngest team. The season prior, surprisingly, the Patriots had the 15th-youngest team and the Atlanta Falcons had the oldest. In 2015, the Denver Broncos had the 18th and the Carolina Panthers had the 31st.
Among playoff participants last year, the AFC South champion Jacksonville Jaguars had the seventh-youngest squad, while the wildcard Tennessee Titans had the 27th. The AFC North's Pittsburgh Steelers were the 18th, and the AFC West's Kansas City Chiefs were the 24th. The final wildcard Buffalo Bills had the 30th-youngest team in the NFL.
In the NFC, the NFC North Minnesota Vikings had the 20th-youngest team, made it as far as the conference title game. The NFC South champion New Orleans Saints had the 28th-youngest team while the wildcard Panthers had the 31st. The Falcons, the other wildcard, had the 24th-youngest team. The NFC West leaders, the Los Angeles Rams, had the second-youngest roster in the NFL, but got beat at home in the wildcard round.
"You got to make sure that you really make some smart decisions from a football standpoint but also from a business standpoint," Garrett said. "Again, the teams that construct their roster the best to handle the ups and downs of a 16-game season, are going to be the ones playing at the end."
Only January will tell if the Cowboys' decision to embrace the youth movement was the right move.
Do you feel like the Cowboys made the correct move going younger for the 2018 season or will they miss the veterans? Share your thoughts on the matter with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
