The Dallas Cowboys surprised everyone last year as they went 12-4 and made it to the divisional playoff game against the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys were arguably one call away from making it to the NFC Championship game against a team they had already beat this year, the Seattle Seahawks.

Despite their stellar year, the Cowboys had a lot of holes that needed to be filled if they hope to improve upon their 2015 campaign. Did they fill those holes? Or was last season an aberration? These five questions will help figure that out.

Can the Cowboys Generate a Pass Rush?

The biggest weakness on the entire Cowboys roster last year was their inability to generate a consistent pass rush. They got good contributions from Tyrone Crawford and Jeremy Mincey, but that wasn’t nearly enough.

This year, the Cowboys have attempted to fix that problem with the acquisitions of Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory during the offseason. Hardy is one of the most prolific pass-rushers in the NFL and Gregory was arguably the most talented defensive end in this year’s draft. Those two coupled with a developing DeMarcus Lawrence should lead to the Cowboys pass rush improving this year.

It is still extremely early, but defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli likes what he sees out of the defensive line. “This is so early right now and we’re in our underwear,” Marinelli said amongst a group of reporters. “We’re rushing the air pretty good. So I feel pretty good about that part. But when you get in pads, that’s when it counts. I see the movement and everything, and I like that. But, the air? It’s struggling against us.”

An improved pass rush should greatly improve the defense as a whole. The secondary won’t have to cover as long and they will have more opportunities to capitalize on opposing team’s mistakes.

Who Will Start at Running Back?

With the departure of DeMarco Murray, the Cowboys have a huge hole at running back entering this season. At the moment, there are four players, Lance Dunbar, Ryan Williams, Joseph Randle and Darren McFadden, with a realistic opportunity to be a significant part of the Cowboys offense; however, only three of them will make the team.

Everyone wants to know which one will win the starting job, but the answer may be that there is no real starter. Instead, the Cowboys may employ a running back by committee. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan stated, “I just think that we have a complementary backfield,” Linehan said. “They’re going to spread out the carries. Some games are going to be different than others. Maybe one guy is going to have more in one game than the other or maybe sometimes two guys are going to split the carries, sometimes it’s going to be three. Again, it’s to be determined. It is a bit rare to have the one guy carry all the load.”

Ryan Williams is the most talented guy on the roster, but he can’t be trusted in pass protection and he never seems to be healthy. Joseph Randle looks to be an ideal fit, but can you trust him after all of his transgressions this offseason? Darren McFadden has the most experience, but he is an awful fit in the Cowboys zone-blocking scheme. Lance Dunbar has found a niche on this team, but he is not a starting caliber running back.

If there was a player who was the favorite to be the lead dog in 2015 it is Joseph Randle, since he has experience with the Cowboys and he showed he explosive capabilities in limited action last year.

How Will Sean Lee Fit at Will Linebacker?

Sean Lee is an immensely talented linebacker who hasn’t been able to stay healthy thus far in his NFL career. To help mitigate this problem, the Cowboys have transitioned Lee from the Mike to the Will linebacker position in an attempt to help Lee stay healthy.

On the weak-side, Lee will not have to stack and shed as much as he used to because he will be covered up by the under tackle on most downs. This will allow Lee to flow to the ball and utilize his best attribute, his instincts.

Furthermore, Lee will be able to still showcase his abilities in coverage as the Mike and Will have similar coverage responsibilities in Cover 1 and Cover 3, which the Cowboys use a lot more than the traditional Tampa-2.

Lee looks like a better fit for the weak-side and he could be more productive than ever if he remains healthy. If that happens, the Cowboys could transition from an overachieving defense to a good one in 2015.

Will Byron Jones Make his way Into the Starting Lineup?

The Cowboys’ first-round draft pick, Byron Jones, is in a peculiar position. Most first rounders come into the team with a specific plan in mind about what exactly they are going to do. However, the Cowboys seem to be taking a wait and see approach.

Through offseason activities, Jones has spent time at every spot on the secondary. This is because that Jones is so talented that the Cowboys are finding a way to put as many of their best players on the field as possible. If that means playing Jones at free safety or slot cornerback than so be it.

Jones may not begin the season as a starter, but the smart money is that he will find himself there at some point during the season. He is just too athletic, intelligent and technically sound to get there at some point.

Will La’el Collins Beat out Ron Leary at Left Guard?

The Cowboys got the steal of the offseason when they acquired La’el Collins, a first-round talent, during undrafted free agency. Collins gives the Cowboys another supremely talented offensive lineman to go on an already stellar offensive line.

Even though Collins played at tackle for a majority of his career at LSU, he will likely find himself at guard with the Cowboys and since no one is taking Zack Martin’s job, Collins will do battle with Ronald Leary for the other starting guard spot.

Leary is a fantastic run blocker who struggles in pass protection. He is a good player, but he is very replaceable. If Collins is the player that everyone thought he was pre-draft, he should be able to beat out Leary for the left guard spot with no problems.