Machota: Cowboys under the microscope - 10 most important players this season

[Cotton]

By Jon Machota
6h ago

Each year around this time, we look at the Cowboys’ roster and determine which players will be most important to Dallas’ success during the upcoming season. Last year’s top five included Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Tyler Biadasz and Tyron Smith.

This list isn’t necessarily the 10 best Cowboys players; it’s the 10 players they most need to stay healthy and play well to make the deep playoff run that has been missing since 1995.

Here are the 10 most important players this season, including five honorable mentions.
https://theathletic.com/4530601/2023/05/18/cowboys-contracts-diggs-lamb-parsons-prescott/
10. Brandin Cooks

The wide receiver group needed to be upgraded. Dallas did that by trading for Cooks in March. He’s expected to immediately step into the starting lineup alongside Lamb and Michael Gallup. Cooks, who has six 1,000-yard seasons over the past eight years, should immediately bring speed and consistency to the offense. If Gallup returns to being the 1,000-yard receiver he was capable of before his significant knee injury, Cooks’ addition might not stand out as much. But there are too many questions at the position behind Lamb. A proven veteran like Cooks could end up being most valuable when it matters most.

9. Tyler Smith

The Cowboys have three offensive tackles who have proved to be NFL starters: Tyler Smith, Tyron Smith and Terence Steele. Dallas would prefer to keep Tyler Smith at left tackle, the position he will likely play for the majority of his Cowboys career. But if no one emerges at left guard, he might need to play there with Tyron Smith starting at left tackle and Steele staying at right tackle. All three are extremely valuable, but the youngest of the group needs to play well, either at LT or LG, for this year’s offensive line to be a team strength.

8. Tyler Biadasz
Biadasz made his first Pro Bowl last year after his third season in Dallas. He has started all but one game over the previous two seasons. There’s not another obvious starting center option on the roster. The Cowboys would be in trouble if they lost Biadasz for an extended period of time. Next up would likely be either Brock Hoffman or sliding Zack Martin over from right guard. It’s best for the entire group if Biadasz stays healthy and continues to improve.
https://theathletic.com/4502965/2023/05/11/cowboys-left-guard-position/
7. Leighton Vander Esch

There are a lot of questions at the linebacker position. As long as Vander Esch is healthy, he’s the best of the group. The Dallas defense struggled without him late in the season last year. The Cowboys are hopeful that Damone Clark, Jabril Cox and rookie DeMarvion Overshown can emerge. Whether they do or not, it’s difficult to see the defense reaching its potential without Vander Esch.

6. Zack Martin

Martin plays one of the least noticed positions on the field. Starting right guards are rarely highlighted. And when they are, it’s often because they allowed a sack. That rarely happens with Martin. He remains one of the NFL’s best offensive linemen. It’s easy to take his excellent work for granted, but the Cowboys would be in big trouble up front without the six-time first-team All-Pro.

Tyler Biadasz, left, and Zack Martin. (Jerome Miron / USA Today)

5. Trevon Diggs

There were issues at cornerback after Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis were lost for the season. The Cowboys made sure to improve there by trading for Stephon Gilmore in March. If that group struggled without Brown and Lewis, imagine what would happen without Diggs, the team’s top playmaker on the back end. The two-time Pro Bowler has become one of the NFL’s top defensive backs, totaling 17 interceptions and 49 passes defended in three seasons.

4. CeeDee Lamb

He has become one of the NFL’s top wide receivers, making the Pro Bowl in each of the past two seasons. Lamb has improved in each of his three years in Dallas, setting career highs in 2022 with 107 receptions for 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns. With his ability to attack defenses from anywhere on the field, Lamb has become Prescott’s most important and favorite target. The passing game would likely be a disaster if Lamb missed significant time.
https://theathletic.com/4511843/2023/05/11/dallas-cowboys-schedule-2023/
3. Tony Pollard

Pollard emerged last year as the team’s top back, out-rushing Elliott 1,007 yards to 876. With Elliott no longer on the roster, the Cowboys will need to lean even more on Pollard, who is playing under the franchise tag. The offense appeared to have no chance against San Francisco in the playoffs after Pollard was lost late in the first half. His carries have increased in each of the previous four seasons. They need him to have a career year in 2023.

2. Dak Prescott

The franchise quarterback is always going to be high on the list. The Cowboys surprisingly found a way to win four games without Prescott last year when backup Cooper Rush went 4-1 as the starter. But the Cowboys need a healthy Prescott playing the best ball of his career if they’re going to make a Super Bowl run this season.

1. Micah Parsons

Not much needs to be written here. Parsons is the most talented and valuable player on the roster. He’s arguably the NFL’s best defensive player. If Parsons continues to improve and regularly wreck games, the Cowboys might just have the NFL’s best defense. And with that, the offense won’t need to win nearly as many games as it did not too long ago.
https://theathletic.com/4498065/2023/05/08/cowboys-53-man-roster-projection/
Honorable mentions

Jayron Kearse. He’s a quality starter, a team leader and someone defensive coordinator Dan Quinn uses in a variety of ways at the safety position.

Stephon Gilmore. If he stays healthy, the Cowboys have a realistic chance at leading the NFL in takeaways for a third consecutive season.

DeMarcus Lawrence. He’s still one of the team’s most productive defenders, totaling six sacks, three forced fumbles, 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 13 QB hits last year.

Tyron Smith. He hasn’t played a full season since 2015, but when available, he’s still a valuable starter at left or right tackle.

Terence Steele. If the Cowboys are determined to play their best five offensive linemen, Steele will remain in the starting lineup, likely at right tackle.

 

[shoop]

I would prefer it if the left Tyler at LT. wish they would at least try Tyron at Guard and see how he does.

 

[boozeman]

I would prefer it if the left Tyler at LT. wish they would at least try Tyron at Guard and see how he does.

It is pretty much irrelevant where Tyron Smith lines up. He will likely either get hurt in camp or by the fourth week of the season.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

It is pretty much irrelevant where Tyron Smith lines up. He will likely either get hurt in camp or by the fourth week of the season.

I agree, so why not let Tyler focus on LT.

 

[Cotton]

I agree, so why not let Tyler focus on LT.

I have been yelling this for months.

 

[shoop]

It is pretty much irrelevant where Tyron Smith lines up. He will likely either get hurt in camp or by the fourth week of the season.

I just wonder if containing him at guard might help with his legs at least. Can’t help his back and whatever other ailment befalls him.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

I have been yelling this for months.

Like are the 3 games Tyron plays LT worth it? As opposed to getting Tyler ready for LT and someone ready for LG now?

 

[ZeroClub]

I'd prefer Tyler Smith at LT too, for the same reasons as everyone else. It is true, though, that last year Smith clearly showed that he can handle being shifted around. It didn't seem to hurt him. He played very well. If there were a chance today to trade him heads up for Paris Johnson Jr., I think I'd pass.

Maybe the concern isn't that Smith's development would be harmed by playing some LG. The issue is who would replace Smith at LG and how to get that replacement ready to play.

 

[p1_]

Tyron can play swing.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

It didn't seem to hurt him

Maybe, but maybe he could have been even better.

 

[ravidubey]

It is pretty much irrelevant where Tyron Smith lines up. He will likely either get hurt in camp or by the fourth week of the season.

Question is whether it will be for only limited games or the whole season.

I’d almost rather that than a diminished player healthy all year. On that case I hope they bench him back to swing.

 

[Simpleton]

Here's the real list, mine is more of a top 10 most "irreplaceable", so while Diggs is clearly a top 5-7 player on the team I don't have him on the list because of how much depth we have at CB.

Anybody that has Cooks in the top 10 is laughable:

1. Prescott - just because of the relative importance of the position
2. Parsons - best player on the team
3. Tyler Smith - most likely candidate to start at LG and our insurance policy at LT
4. Martin - he covers up a lot on the OL, think back to 2020 when the group was in shambles yet as long as he was on the field we still had a pretty solid run game
5. Lamb - best offensive playmaker
6. Biadasz - do we even have another center?
7. LVE - unless/until someone like Clark/Overshown steps up we saw how critical he is to the defense
8. Pollard - do we have another credible RB who can carry it 15 times a game?
9. Lawrence - most well-rounded DL on the roster
10. Tyron - barely edges out Steele since he can play both LT and RT

Honorable mention: Steele, Diggs, Armstrong, Wilson, Kearse

After putting that together I think it really speaks more so to how frail the offense feels due to the uncertainty surrounding the OL and only having one dynamic RB who is capable of carrying the ball 15+ times a game.

The OL, and by extension the run game, is the position group that can sink the season so I have almost that entire group in the top 10, whereas defensively I feel like Quinn could work around injuries to different guys due to the depth we have at certain positions (safety, CB, edge).

 

[ravidubey]

Honorable mention: Steele, Diggs, Armstrong, Wilson, Kearse

After putting that together I think it really speaks more so to how frail the offense feels due to the uncertainty surrounding the OL and only having one dynamic RB who is capable of carrying the ball 15+ times a game.

I think what speaks more Dallas’ strength is the quality of the roster in general.

We have one mega-star in Parsons, and maybe others in Pollard and Lamb if they can remain healthy.

Outside of OL depth, there isn’t a true weakness, and there’s a lot of potential lurking among the depth in players like Bland, Mazi, Cooks, Gallup, and Clark. Maybe even Poon, Guys like Fergy and HENDERSHOT, while limited, are solid role-players who contribute in spite of their lack of pedigree. And honestly, we’re all rooting for Deuce to be even close to the player he was at K-State.

Assuming Gallup is truly better and does not repeat last year’s fiasco, there isn’t a bad starting position

 

[p1_]

Giving Gallup the side eye.