The 2018 Dallas Cowboys finished 10-6, won the NFC East and reached the second round of the playoffs, but that hasn't stopped some false narratives from surrounding the team.

Given the hunger for Cowboys news and analysis, it makes sense how these myths have become commonly held beliefs among fans. Some are readily subject to dismissal and easily dispelled but others require an in-depth investigation that the casual fan just doesn't have time for, which is why we are here today.

With training camp a little more than two weeks away, it's time to dispel some myths, or common assumptions, surrounding the Cowboys.

Myth: La'el Collins is a better guard than tackle

Every offseason since his switch to tackle, there has been a portion of the Cowboys' fan base that called for La'el Collins to move back to left guard, which is where his NFL career began. That segment of Cowboys Nation believes he fared much better at guard than he has at tackle so far.

Further investigation reveals that assertion is a myth.

Now, it's important to note that Collins played mostly tackle during his time at LSU. He spent his sophomore season as the starting left guard but switched to left tackle for his junior and senior seasons. This is important to note because Collins was likely much more comfortable with timing, footwork and space at tackle than guard entering the NFL.

The Cowboys would have likely placed Collins at tackle from the jump if not for Tyron Smith and Doug Free -- one of the league's best tackle duos -- manning the tackle positions, forcing Dallas to start Collins at guard. He didn't start right away in 2015, but was thrust into the starting lineup because of an injury to Ronald Leary.

Collins performed admirably in Leary's absence. However, it was obvious there was still discomfort in his timing and footwork at guard. It should also be noted that Collins played between Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick, who are possibly the best players at their respective positions in the NFL and did a great job cleaning up Collins' mistakes, especially in pass protection.

What's interesting is that a large portion of those who believe Collins is a better guard than tackle are likely conflating his performance with Leary's in 2016, when he took over the starting left guard job from an injured Collins in Week 4. The Cowboys had a great deal of regular-season success that year, going 13-3. The Cowboys also had, by far, the most dominating offensive line in the NFL once Leary stepped into the lineup. Leary's performance in 2016 was so impressive that he received a four-year, $36 million deal from the Denver Broncos the following offseason, despite having a degenerative knee condition.

The fact of the matter is Leary was Dallas' best left guard on the roster, not Collins.

Free ended up retiring that same offseason, opening up a starting tackle slot on the roster. Though he never played on the right side before, the Cowboys opted to move Collins to his more natural position -- offensive tackle.

If Collins truly did thrive at guard, the Cowboys wouldn't have moved him to tackle in the same vein that Zack Martin remained at right guard despite playing tackle in college. The reality is that the coaching staff saw Collins struggle at guard and wanted to him to move to a position where he'd be more comfortable.

For those worried about La'el Collins at RT, watch the OAK game. Considering the level of competition, this was LC's most impressive performance. It's a big reason why I'm not worried about his future, and he should only get better from here. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/3oKHnlW6Dx — John Owning (@JohnOwning) May 9, 2018

Collins has had his ups and downs at tackle but has shown more improvement during his time there than he ever did at guard. When he's at his best, Collins has proven capable of stopping any pass rusher in the NFL -- just go back to Week 15 of the 2017 season, when Collins handled Khalil Mack without much trouble.

Next time someone tells you Collins is a better guard than tackle, just show them his performance against Mack to bust that myth.

Myth: Dak Prescott doesn't have a talented arm

Dak Prescott often gets lauded for his leadership, running ability and toughness, but rarely does he get his due for how talented his arm is.

Prescott has proved on multiple occasions how extremely talented his arm is.

His touchdown throw to Cole Beasley at the end of regulation in Week 17 is a great example. Prescott was rolling to his left and laced a pin-point accurate throw to the diminutive receiver in the back of the end zone.

Prescott's 44-yard throw to Tavon Austin while scrambling against the Houston Texans is another great example of his considerable arm talent. He not only had his momentum taking him away from the throw, but he also had a defender in his face, making it all the more incredible that he was able to throw an accurate ball to Austin 44 yards downfield.

Prescott isn't a top-tier QB in terms of accuracy and arm strength -- his high completion percentage (67.7%; 10th among NFL QBs) is largely due his incredibly low average depth per target (7.9 yards; 27th among NFL QBs, according to Pro Football Focus), as shorter throws are easier to complete. However, while the casual fan may think that's due to his arm, Prescott's limitations in terms of accuracy and arm strength are actually due to his poor footwork, which we have discussed at length in the past.

Prescott's shoddy footwork actually led to an over-reliance on his arm in the throwing process. Ideally, a quarterback generates power behind his throw by transferring his weight from his back foot through the rotation of the hips. However, Prescott's poor footwork often left him unable to generate power from his lower body, forcing his arm to compensate.

When a quarterback is forced to rely mostly on their arm to generate power, it always leads to a variance in terms of placement and accuracy. If a quarterback properly generates power from their lower half, it doesn't put any additional stress on the arm, making it easier to aim and be accurate.

If Prescott gets his footwork corrected, his arm talent will truly be able to shine.

Myth: Tyron Smith is no longer elite

Of all the myths mentioned in this article, the idea that Tyron Smith is no longer an elite tackle is easily the most egregious.

Offensive line is always a tough spot because the casual fan usually only notices linemen when they do something wrong, which is why when a player such as Smith deals with some injuries and a slight uptick in penalties, the sky is deemed to be falling.

Nevertheless, if you take the time to specifically watch Smith on a play-by-play basis, it's easy to see that he's still one of, if not the best, offensive tackles in the entire NFL.

In fact, there's some evidence to the idea that Smith is becoming more efficient in pass protection. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith has seen his total pressures allowed drop each season since 2012, giving up 43 total pressures then to just 18 (including playoffs) in 2018.

Though the Cowboys have limited his snaps or completely taken him off the field at times, Smith's injuries have never forced him to undergo surgery, which is a positive sign as to the nature and length of his past injuries.

Apparently, this is a hold on Tyron Smith. I don't see it, though. Must be one of those invisible holds. pic.twitter.com/qkdJDmGToC — John Owning (@JohnOwning) December 10, 2018

Still, Smith's past injuries have sapped a little bit of his athleticism and foot quickness, but the USC product has done a great job of compensating by taking better angles in pass protection and run blocking along with improving his hand technique to combat defenders within striking distance.

In 2018, he finished second among offensive tackles in pressures allowed -- finishing behind only the New Orleans Saints' Terron Armstead, who played in three fewer games -- and first in sacks allowed (zero), according to PFF.

If that's not elite, what is?

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Twitter: @JohnOwning