Cowboys fans should be excited about latest team projection

It's about time that the Dallas Cowboys have a reason to get their hopes up. After a very eventful offseason, one that saw owner and general manager Jerry Jones making all kinds of changes, this team is finally getting positive buzz. It feels good for Cowboys fans, too.

Just look at what Jones did during the offseason. He totally revamped their defense under new coordinator Christian Parker, trading for Packers edge-rusher Rashan Gary, drafting safety Caleb Downs in the first round and signing defensive back Jalen Thompson. The defense is what hurt last season, so this should help.

Now, the Cowboys are being hyped up as one of the best teams in the NFL. That's before they even take the field.

Jerry Jones, Cowboys receive positive projection that should get fans hyped

Nate Davis of USA Today has released his NFL power rankings going into the new season. It's pretty early to rank these teams, and they haven't even played yet, but by now, most of the big changes have taken place, so it's a good time to rank away.

He loves Dallas. Davis even gives them the No. 9 ranking in the entire league.

"The quarterback is healthy. He has an elite suite of weapons at his disposal," Davis stated. "A porous defense appears nicely upgraded. There appears to be a golden opportunity to win this division. Basically, it's Cincinnati West."

The Cowboys were 7-9 last season and almost made it to the playoffs. They were No. 2 in their division. They weren't bad at all, and now with a beefed-up defense, they could be great.