During the inactivity of free agency and following the disheartening exit from the 2023 playoffs, something snapped among the Cowboys fanbase. Frustrated by yet another offseason of having to hear their favorite team doesn’t have what it takes to translate regular season success into a championship pedigree, many fans began to believe the opps.
Dallas’ inability to win anything of importance in three decades had transformed into an unrealistic belief that the team was going to be bad in 2024. A couple of free agency departures hurt. Losing a 100% Tyron Smith was a big blow, despite the huge unlikelihood he’d be able to be there for most of the games based on recent history. Losing DE Dorance Armstrong stung a little, as did center Tyler Biadasz, but neither were irreplaceable stars.
The problem was none of them was replaced by anyone; at least anyone notalready on the roster. That didn’t happen until the draft, which based on the lackluster performance of the 2023 draft class isn’t inspiring confidence the gulf will be crossed. Adding Tyler Guyton, Marshawn Kneeland and Cooper Beebe, literally in the order of importance of the departed stars, brings hope from the diehards, but a lot are still staring with the stink eye after the rookie seasons of Mazi Smith, Luke Schoonmaker and company.
Regardless of fan belief in June, contributions by those players are part of the equation that can lead the Cowboys back to double-digit wins and another shot to catch lightning in the playoffs. Here are eight things that must go right for the stars to align.
As mentioned above, Biadasz and Tyron Smith are expected to be replaced this year by rookies Beebe and Guyton. What can be expected out of the young duo?
In 2020, Biadasz came in as a fourth-round rookie and started four games, but that was in relief of veteran Joe Looney. Dallas doesn’t currently have anyone with Looney’s experience sitting in the room with Beebe, who played every position but center during his time at Kansas State. Dallas is likely going to need more from him than Biadasz, unless Brock Hoffman shines in training camp and earns the starting gig.
As for Guyton, there’s more hope there. In 2022, Tyler Smith spent the entire offseason and most of training camp playing left guard. It wasn’t until close to the regular season that Tyron Smith was lost and Tyler Smith had to move outside to left tackle.
Guyton played right tackle in college, but he’ll spend the entire offseason on the left, presumably allowing him to have a better rookie season than Smith.
The Cowboys have changed direction from the last eight years, choosing not to have a high-priced running back in the stable. From 2016 through 2018 that was represented by the draft pedigree spent to acquire Ezekiel Elliott. Then it was actual money spent on Elliott’s extension, ending in Tony Pollard’s franchise tag season of 2023. Now, although there’s still dead money tied to the position, no one on the team is making RB1 cash.
Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke and possibly others appear to all have a chance at significant snaps and carries in 2024. They will have to prove the RBs don’t matter crowd correct to try and boost Dallas’ run game from behind a rebuilt offensive line.
The Cowboys’ offense has revolved around Dak Prescott being a phenomenal quarterback for the last six seasons. And Prescott has delivered. Last season was his best yet, as he was clearly among the best four quarterbacks throughout the season, along with Lamar Jackson, Brock Purdy and Josh Allen.
It’s tough to truly identify who the best QB is, but Prescott had as good an argument as any of them. He doesn’t need to repeat the performance to a T, but he must be one of the best yet again, meaning he’ll need to garner at least interest in the MVP race in order for the Cowboys to once again reach top-level regular season success.
Of course there needs to be victories in the playoffs, but that can only come after the first phase is complete.
Mazi Smith found himself in a weird place in Dallas in 2023. It’s never been determined if he was asked to lose weight so he could have a quicker first step and play both DT spots, or if Dan Quinn tried to capitalize on a bad situation. In 2024 under Mike Zimmer, the Cowboys need Smith to contribute because they don’t have anyone else with the athletic prowess he does.
He doesn’t have to be a star, but he does have to be serviceable.
The Cowboys were not a linebacker away in 2023. Yes, they had linebacker issues, but without better defensive tackle play, linebackers are an afterthought in run stuffing. Bad run fits happen way too often when the linebackers have to be concerned with offensive linemen that can get to the second level on a regular basis. Linebackers play tentative even when the DTs occasionally do their job.
There was a clear chance for better linebacker play last season. Rookie third-round pick DeMarvion Overshown looked like the real deal in training camp until he tore his ACL. The question is was Overshown’s ligament young enough that he can bounce back in a calendar year. If so, he has a chance to be a run-and-hit star as the weakside linebacker, which fans learned is his position during OTAs. It’s a position Dallas hasn’t truly filled in years, since the sole quality Jaylon Smith year.
Speaking of ACL recoveries, even more vital than the rookie who hasn’t taken a regular season snap is the star All-Pro cornerback. The Cowboys are blessed with the ascension of Daron Bland as another All-Pro, but he will be shifting sides of the field in 2024 to give Diggs his spot back. Dallas needs both to play at a high level to have a dominant pass defense in Zimmer’s first year at the helm.
There’s normally a steep learning curver for Zimmer’s complex coverages and to avoid a regression, two boundary corners at the top of the league is a nice start.
The Cowboys had serious concerns over the future of their tight end position entering the 2023 season. Allowing Dalton Schultz to walk in free agency was a huge decision that was based solely on potential of one of their second-year players stepping up. Only Jake Ferguson didn’t just step up, he leaped at the opportunity.
Ferguson left UDFA draft classmate Peyton Hendershot in the dust and didn’t allow second-round rookie Luke Schoonmaker eat away at his opportunities at all. Instead he saw his targets skyrocket from 22 to 102 and his receptions from 19 to 71. But 710 yards and five scores won’t be enough as he will likely get even more opportunities in Year 3.
Ferguson has a chance to be a top-five TE in the league and if he achieves that, the Dallas offense has a legitimate compliment to CeeDee Lamb’s amazing talent.
Terence Steele had a horrific 2023 season in his first year back from a late-season ACL tear. In all honesty, him making it back to play a full season is impressive on its own. But as measured by actual on-field performance, what happened in 2023 at right tackle absolutely can’t happen again.
Steele, a former UDFA who shockingly started as a rookie, had been making good progress from a run blocking asset to an all-around talent, but the regression last year, in his first under Mike Solari, was clear. He’s got to return to being a great run blocker and at least an adequate pass protector for Dallas to improve.