With free agency generally in the rearview mirror, the NFL draft complete, and undrafted players signed, most NFL rosters are locked and loaded for the 2023 season. OTAs and training camp will help whittle down the numbers, but most of main pieces have been put into place by this point in the offseason.
On the heels of back-to-back 12-win seasons, the Cowboys aim to not only preserve what made them successful, but strive to reach new heights in 2023. While a few question marks remain (the starting LG spot), Dallas appears to feel good about their roster heading into the new season. But are they as secure as many feel they are at the most important spot on the field?
Not everyone feels great about Dallas’ roster. In a decree that almost seemed specifically designed to draw the ire of Cowboys fans, Pro Football Focus recently assessed every roster and they had some rather scathing things to say about the Cowboys QB position.
After naming the pass-rush the strength of the 2023 roster, they named “quarterback play” as Dallas’ biggest weakness. While it’s difficult to argue against the strength, it’s hard to comprehend the rational for weakness.
PFF, no stranger to controversy, didn’t pull any punches in their assessment of the Cowboys. They pointed out Prescott threw more interception-worthy passes than big-time throws. Fair. They pointed out his down 2022 grades. Also fair.
Not many will argue 2022 was a down season for Prescott, but to be the biggest weakness?
In all fairness, this was a roster assessment of the position group and not a targeted attack on Prescott alone. Prescott’s disappointing 2022 season carried the weight, but it wasn’t solely an indictment on Dallas’ top signal caller.
PFF mentioned him missing five games, which brings durability and the quality of depth into question. For as successful as the Cowboys were under Cooper Rush, the offense was bottom tier in EPA under his watch and he averaged less than 200 yards passing per start. He’s a standard veteran back-up and not much more.
They also mentioned Dallas was “short on weapons last year” and pointed out some of Prescott’s struggles could be attributed to the lack of talent/depth at receiver. (PFF then named Brandin Cooks as the x-factor in 2023 because he has the potential to change that).
The argument they made was solid but the verdict still remained a head scratcher.
Rush may not be the best QB2 in the NFL, but he’s more than capable and is able to carry load if Prescott misses time. And Prescott may be coming off a down season but it was an outlier on his resume and directly related to the talent (or lack thereof, around him).
There aren’t many QBs not named Aaron Rodgers or Patrick Mahomes who can survive a season with a bottom tier WR corps and an offensive line ranked as the fifth-worst in pass block win rate.
Even the GOAT himself, Tom Brady, looked like expired clam chowder in his last season in New England. Something that changed instantly when he joined that stacked Buccaneers roster a season later.
It’s amazing how impactful a supporting cast is on a QB’s success.
Looking at the roster, it’s difficult to see how the QB position could be seen as the top weakness on the Cowboys.
With Cooks now in the mix at WR, Michael Gallup another year removed from his knee injury, and a happy and healthy offensive line looking to take another step in its development, there’s no reason Prescott can’t prove his doubters wrong.
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