This year’s Dallas Cowboys roster is interesting to say the least.
The Dallas Cowboys have completed their final roster cuts and we now have an idea of what this new group of players will look like heading into the 2024 season. Some improvements have been made to certain position groups, while others leave something to be desired. Here is a breakdown of each position group as we evaluate where the team is better and where they are worse entering the new season.
QUARTERBACK
It’s the same trio as before with Dak Prescott as the starter, Cooper Rush as the backup, and Trey Lance as the developmental emergency QB. The only difference this time around is Lance has a little more experience and we know what to expect should his number be called.
Change: A smidge better.
RUNNING BACK
Tony Pollard is gone and Ezekiel Elliott has returned. The team also added veteran Dalvin Cook to the mix. Rico Dowdle is expected to have a larger role this year if the veteran backs don’t snake his playing time, and second-year Deuce Vaughn is supposedly better. Overall, this group is TBD with very little to make us excited.
Change: Worse. It may not be as bad as we think, but it also could be a trainwreck.
TIGHT END
Their young guys, Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker, are only getting better and Ferguson is already pretty darn good now. The cats behind him aren’t much, but they weren’t much last year as they’ve swapped out one undrafted free agent, Peyton Hendershot for a couple of others, John Stephens Jr. and Brevyn Spann-Ford.
Change: Mostly the same, with possibly a slight improvement.
WIDE RECEIVER
It looked pretty good last year when the Cowboys rolled out CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Michael Gallup as their receiving trio. Little did we know that Gallup was broken. So much in fact that he put in for early retirement. It shouldn’t take much to replicate his contributions. The two Jalens, Tolbert and Brooks, are hoping to take strides and with what we’ve seen so far from rookie Ryan Flournoy, there are reasons to be hopeful. Add that to a better rapport between Prescott and Cooks and this group should be an upgrade over last year’s cast.
Change: TBD, but shouldn’t be any worse.
OFFENSIVE LINE
It looked as if this group was headed to a dark place after the team lost Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz in free agency, but how the tables have turned. Rookie Tyler Guyton graded out as the best rookie tackle in the preseason. How crazy is that? Fellow rookie Cooper Beebe has taken huge strides at center and even got veteran treatment and didn’t play in the final preseason game. Not only does the starting five look good, but the progress of second-year player Asim Richards looks great. T.J. Bass continues to improve and Brock Hoffman might be the best backup center in the league. It’s early, but this group looks even better than last year.
Change: A little better now, and the potential to be a lot better later.
DEFENSIVE END
The losses of Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler in free agency were always going to sting a little, but when they lost Sam Williams for the year, suddenly, the depth was in bad shape. Second-round rookie Marshawn Kneeland has looked good, but there is little beyond that who brings out much excitement. The team has thrown some darts with veteran signings Carl Lawson and Al-Quadin Muhammad, but we have yet to see anything stick. The good news is they still have one of the best starting duos in the game in Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, but the depth behind them is lacking.
Change: A strength of this team has become shaky.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
After years of waiting and waiting, the team has finally taken the nose tackle position seriously. Not only has second-year player Mazi Smith improved, but the team added a couple of veterans in Linval Joseph and Jordan Phillips. Beef in the middle is a staple of a Mike Zimmer defense, and now they have some. 3-tech Osa Odighizuwa is in a contract year and while the future is murky, the “right now” looks much better.
Change: We’ll keep our excitement under control, but they should be much improved this season.
LINEBACKER
This group offers a little bit of everything. They have more size now, the speed is still there, and they have a slew of young guys waiting to take off. It’s not hard to eclipse the group from a year ago which was mostly manned by one true linebacker and a converted safety, but the additions of Eric Kendricks, rookie Marist Liufau, and DeMarvion Overshown returning from injury should provide an instant upgrade. Damone Clark and newcomer Buddy Johnson will provide the muscle.
Change: Improved. There are things to work out but overall this group is bigger, smarter, and faster.
CORNERBACK
No Stephon Gilmore, no problem. The Cowboys will have their All-Pro outside corner duo of Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland, although we’ll have to wait until midseason to get Bland back. In the meantime, they have a promising rookie in Caelen Carson and the ever-vibrant Jourdan Lewis in the slot. When healthy they have a fearsome foursome, and Israel Mukuamu and Andrew Booth provide some added depth. They even have Josh Butler, Kemon Hall, and recently added Amani Oruwariye to their practice squad. That’s a pretty deep bunch.
Change: Similar to last year, but with much better depth.
SAFETY
This was already a strong group last year led by Malik Hooker and Jayron Kearse. The team still has Donovan Wilson and last year’s surprise depth guy Juanyeh Thomas. Kearse is out, but Markquese Bell returns to his old position. The details of what roles each of them will have in Zimmer’s system remains to be seen, but the Cowboys have a lot to work with here.
Change: Very similar to last year, but exchanging some pop for a little speed.
