The Dallas Cowboys have the makings of an offensive juggernaut for years to come. If they are able to sign Dak Prescott to a long-term extension before things get too contentious, and that should happen as long as both sides keep negotiations just business and not too personal, the quarterback will have a vast array of weaponry at his disposal for the next several years.
Prescott will be 27 through the entirety of the 2020 season, and based on his progress over the first four years of his career, Dallas should have one of the league’s better QBs as long as the Cowboys can make keep happy financially satisfied. His posse is even younger than that, with the top six weapons all checking in under the age of 26. Three of the players are under the age of 25, which is the cutoff for Pro Football Focus’ annual look at the best young talent in the NFL. For the second consecutive year though, the Cowboys were shut out of the rankings.
This year’s omission is hardly as big of an insult as it was in 2019, when RB Ezekiel Elliott was left off the list after leading the NFL in rushing for the second time in three seasons. PFF’s metrics have no love for volume stats, like many in the analytical community. That misses Elliott’s workhorse value and dominance in other advanced metric calculations like value over average and yards above replacement.
Still, Elliott aged out as he’ll play the 2020 season at Age 26, along with two other young weapons, WR Amari Cooper and TE Blake Jarwin. Both players signed long-term deals with Dallas this past offseason, but both have easy outs for the club after the 2021 season.
The true youth movement happens behind them, however.
I'm just here to remind you Dak Prescott's Array of Weaponry (my title-winning FF team name for years) are all 26 years old or younger for the entire 2020 season.
Elliott (25)
Pollard (23)
Jarwin (26)
Amari (26)
Gallup (24)
Lamb (21)Oh, and Dak is 27, which is 19 in QB years.
— KD Drummond (@KDDrummondNFL) April 27, 2020
WR Michael Gallup, 24, ascended to elite-No. 2 receiver and potential No. 1 receiver in 2019, he just hasn’t been asked yet to shoulder the load on his own, but his numbers say that’s a distinct possibility. He more than doubled his yard production to 1,107 and tripled his touchdown receptions to six.
https://www.facebook.com/silverbluelive/videos/543551676445655
Tony Pollard, 23, figures to be a key weapon for Dallas moving forward and not just a backup for Elliott. His balance is surreal and he played a slot-receiving weapon option during his time at Memphis. Along with being the primary kick returner, Pollard should be an X-factor for Dallas for the next several seasons, with big-play ability and playing the matchup-nightmare role when all of the focus is on the bigger names.
One of those bigger names will be CeeDee Lamb, who will play his rookie season at the tender age of 21. Lamb is the most likely player to crack PFF’s list over the next several seasons as a potential alpha receiver in the league.
The Cowbys have an out with Cooper’s contract and Gallup’s ends after the 2021 season as well, but at least one of the two will be paired with Lamb for the next handful of seasons and all three will have at least two seasons together to wreak havoc on defensive backs across the league.
The collection of young talent in the Cowboys offense is augmented by still having a relatively young offensive line, with all projected starters under the age of 30 and signed for the foreseeable future.
So while PFF’s metrics ignore Dallas’ youth movement, the rest of the league certainly won’t be able to afford to.
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