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By Jon Machota Jan 16, 2020
There’s a good debate to be had over whether the 2019 Cowboys were actually as talented as many thought they were on paper. The season was a huge disappointment, so from that prism, it’s easy to conclude they may have been oversold.
Looking back, there are quite a few players who didn’t play up to expectations. Heck, there are entire position groups that underachieved. Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones believe the talent is there. That’s why there’s a new coaching staff coming in but no plans to significantly overhaul the roster.
Here’s a brief breakdown of how each individual Cowboys player did in 2019. The grades are based on their performance relative to what was expected from them entering the season.
QUARTERBACK
Dak Prescott. Grade: B+. An argument can be made that Prescott deserved a higher grade considering 2019 was his best statistical season. He set career highs with 30 touchdown passes and 4,902 yards. Midway through the season, his name was being mentioned in MVP discussions. But the Cowboys didn’t make the playoffs and his play dropped off down the stretch in losses to the Patriots, Bills, Bears and Eagles.
Cooper Rush. Not enough snaps to qualify.
RUNNING BACK
Ezekiel Elliott. Grade: B. Elliott played in every game, finishing fourth league-wide in rushing with 1,357 yards. The explosive runs were missing during the first 10 games, but he started hitting his stride down the stretch, recording three carries of 30-or-more yards during the final five games. Elliott was named to his third Pro Bowl in four seasons.
Tony Pollard. Grade: B-. When given opportunities, Pollard showed that he could be an excellent complement to Elliott. The Cowboys need to find more ways to get last year’s fourth-round pick involved in both the running and passing games.
Jamize Olawale. Grade: C. There were signs in training camp that Olawale was going to be more involved in the offense, but that never materialized during the season. He did not run the ball or catch a pass, as most of his snaps came on special teams.
WIDE RECEIVER
Amari Cooper. Grade: B. Based on stats alone, it was a career year for Cooper. He posted career highs in yards (1,189) and touchdowns (eight). But he wasn’t much of a factor in key moments down the stretch. Cooper finished without a catch on two targets at New England. He only had four catches on 12 targets in the must-win game at Philadelphia.
Randall Cobb. Grade: B+. He was an excellent No. 3 receiver in his first year in Dallas, catching 55 passes for 828 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games. Cobb immediately fit well with Prescott and the offense. It makes a lot of sense for the Cowboys to try to re-sign the veteran receiver, who played under Mike McCarthy for seven years in Green Bay.
Michael Gallup. Grade: B. He missed two games yet still finished with over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns. There’s still plenty of room for growth, but the signs are there that the Cowboys have an excellent No. 2 receiver with the potential to be a No. 1 one day. Gallup showed great potential in his rookie season and built on that in 2019.
Tavon Austin. Grade: C+. He didn’t make an impact every week but made key plays in the Cowboys’ two biggest wins of the season: at home against the Eagles and Rams. He didn’t create much as a punt returner, but there weren’t many opportunities on a special teams unit that might have been the NFL’s worst.
Devin Smith. Grade: C+. After catching five passes for 113 yards and a touchdown in the first three weeks of the season, it certainly seemed like Smith was going to be a part of the offense going forward. But he didn’t play much after that as the Cowboys elected to go with better special teams contributors with their final active wide receiver spot.
Ventell Bryant. Grade: C+. A solid special teams contributor who scored a 15-yard touchdown on his only reception in 12 games.
Cedrick Wilson. Not enough snaps to qualify.
TIGHT END
Jason Witten. Grade: B-. After spending a year in the Monday Night Football booth, Witten returned to start all 16 games, catching 63 passes for 529 yards and four touchdowns — stats similar to what he put up in 2017. He’s no longer a Pro Bowl player, but Witten still found ways to contribute in the passing game, particularly in the red zone.
Blake Jarwin. Grade: B. Jarwin’s stats were similar to last season, finishing with 31 receptions for 365 yards and three touchdowns. He continues to improve and deserves more opportunities in the passing game. Good things seem to happen when he’s targeted.
Dalton Schultz. Grade: C. The Cowboys’ best blocking tight end didn’t do much as a receiver, catching only one pass for six yards. It’s difficult to predict more targets for Schultz in the future because even if Witten retires, the Cowboys would likely target another pass-catcher at the position in free agency or the draft.
OFFENSIVE LINE
La’el Collins, RT. Grade: A-. Collins signed a contract extension and delivered in 2019 with the best of his five NFL seasons.
Zack Martin, RG. Grade: A. Martin continued to be one of the game’s best offensive linemen. He’s been in the league six years, and he’s made All-Pro and the Pro Bowl all six seasons.
Travis Frederick, C. Grade: B. His first season back from Guillain–Barré syndrome got off to a slow start. But Frederick seemed to improve throughout and ended up making his fifth Pro Bowl in seven seasons.
Connor Williams, LG. Grade: C-. For the second consecutive year, Williams opened the season as the team’s starting left guard. A knee injury forced his season to end prematurely. Williams will likely be in competition for the starting left guard spot when the team heads to California for training camp in July.
Tyron Smith, LT. Grade: B-. It wasn’t Smith’s best season, but it was still good enough to earn another Pro Bowl invite. Injuries have likely prevented him from being as dominant as he was in the past, but he’s still a very good player at one of the game’s most important positions.
Joe Looney, C/G. Grade: C+. Looney is a valuable veteran backup who started the season finale at left guard.
Xavier Su’a-Filo, G. Grade: C. He had his ups and downs last season as he played in 11 games, starting four at left guard.
Cameron Fleming, T. Grade: C. A solid veteran who has been best utilized at swing tackle. He started three games last season and six over the last two years. Looney, Su’a-Filo and Fleming are all solid, dependable backups.
Brandon Knight, T. Grade: C+. A good young player who showed some upside while playing in seven games, starting one.
Connor McGovern, G. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Adam Redmond, C/G. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Mitch Hyatt, T. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Cody Wichmann, G. Not enough snaps to qualify.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kai Forbath, K. Grade: B+. Some of Forbath’s kickoffs were an adventure, but he was 10-for-10 on his field-goal attempts and 10-for-10 on extra points after being signed late in the season.
Brett Maher, K. Grade: D. His powerful leg was valuable at times, but ultimately Maher just didn’t make enough field goals inside of 50 yards. He went one-of-five from 40 to 49 and missed two-of-eight inside of 40.
L.P. Ladouceur, LS. Grade: B. Long snappers are usually doing a good job when you don’t hear their name. Ladouceur is about as solid as they come.
Chris Jones, P. Grade: C-. Jones posted a career-low average of 41.6 yards per punt last season. He had 18 punts downed inside the 20 after 17 the year before. In 2017, though, Jones had 34 punts downed inside the 20.
DEFENSIVE LINE
DeMarcus Lawrence, DE. Grade: B-. He took a lot of criticism because he only came up with five sacks, but Lawrence played better than many think. Despite the extra attention he often receives, Lawrence was still a major factor against the run and pass.
Robert Quinn, DE. Grade: B. He led the team in sacks with 11.5 and will likely make himself a lot of money in free agency because of his pass-rushing skills. Quinn’s not the all-around DE that Lawrence is, but he can still get after QBs at an elite level.
Maliek Collins, DT. Grade: C+. The Cowboys’ three-technique tackle started every game, recording four sacks. Collins has set himself up pretty well to cash in during free agency. Depending on the system the Cowboys plan on running, it would make some sense to bring Collins back.
Michael Bennett, DE/DT. Grade: C. Dallas was looking for a spark when signing Bennett mid-season, hoping he could replace what they lost with Tyrone Crawford out for the year. Bennett made some nice plays, but the defensive line just never quite clicked despite all the talent the group had on paper.
Antwaun Woods, DT. Grade: C. The Cowboys needed Woods to repeat what he did the year before at the one-tech spot when he started 15 games as a run-stopper up the middle. But he missed six games because of injury in 2019, leading to an inconsistent season.
Dorance Armstrong, DE. Grade: C. For the second consecutive year, Armstrong played in 15 games as a backup behind Lawrence. His snaps were limited but he recorded two sacks.
Kerry Hyder, DE. Grade: C+. Hyder ended up being a solid free-agent addition. He played in every game, filled roles at multiple positions and was fifth on the team in QB pressures.
Christian Covington, DT. Grade: C+. Another solid free-agent addition that didn’t cost the Cowboys much and played in all 16 games.
Trysten Hill, DT. Grade: D. It was a disappointing rookie season for Dallas’ second-round draft pick. Hill played in only seven games. The Cowboys made the pick hoping he could be their three-technique DT of the future. Maybe a new coaching staff will help him find more success.
Tyrone Crawford, DE/DT. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Joe Jackson, DE. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Jalen Jelks, DE. Not enough snaps to qualify.
LINEBACKER
Jaylon Smith. Grade: C+. Smith made his first Pro Bowl but regressed from a strong 2018 season. He led the team in tackles, but there just weren’t as many big plays in big moments as the year before, and he struggled in coverage.
Leighton Vander Esch. Grade: C+. This was a year Vander Esch probably would like to forget. He struggled to open the season and then ended up being sidelined because of a neck injury. Linebacker was supposed to be arguably the Cowboys’ strongest position group in 2019. It ended up being average at best.
Sean Lee. Grade: B-. He’s not the Pro Bowl player he once was, but Lee showed up at some big moments late in the season. He might choose to retire, but there appears to be enough gas left in the tank for him to continue contributing.
Joe Thomas. Grade: C+. Thomas was a solid backup on defense and contributor on special teams. His 33 tackles were second-most in his five-year career.
Justin March. Grade: C. The majority of his work continued to be on special teams, recording 12 tackles in 16 games.
Chris Covington. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Luke Gifford. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Malcolm Smith. Not enough snaps to qualify.
DEFENSIVE BACK
Byron Jones, CB. Grade: B. Although he probably wasn’t as good as his Pro Bowl season a year ago, Jones was still Dallas’ top defensive back. Turnovers continue to be the only thing missing from his game. And even that isn’t expected to matter when he becomes one of the highest-paid players at his position this offseason.
Chidobe Awuzie, CB. Grade: C. It obviously wasn’t a good look to get benched in the first quarter of the biggest game of the year like Awuzie did in Philly. He didn’t have his best season, but it also wasn’t as bad as some make it seem.
Jourdan Lewis, CB. Grade: B. Lewis’ playing time increased after Anthony Brown was lost for the season. He seemed to make the most of his opportunities, tying for the team lead with two interceptions and recording four sacks.
Anthony Brown, CB. Grade: C+. Injuries prevented Brown from building on what had been a solid start to his career. It would make sense to re-sign him if the price is right.
C.J. Goodwin, CB. Grade: C. One of the Cowboys’ top special teams contributors, who made nine tackles in 16 games.
Xavier Woods, S. Grade: C+. Woods entered the season with lofty expectations after intercepting three passes during training camp. He picked off two during the season, but there just weren’t as many big plays on the back end as expected from Dallas’ starting free safety.
Jeff Heath, S. Grade: C. Heath has been a solid player for the Cowboys. He has been reliable, and the defense has been better when he’s on the field. But it’ll be interesting to see how the new coaching staff views the position. Heath is a free agent, and the new staff could look to move in another direction as soon as the first round of the draft.
Darian Thompson, S. Grade: C. Thompson was a solid reserve player, starting four games and playing in 15. He finished tied for ninth on the team with 45 tackles.
Donovan Wilson, S. Grade: C. Mainly used on special teams, Wilson didn’t see much playing time on defense. The rookie showed glimpses of his upside during the preseason when he picked off three passes in four games.
Kavon Frazier, S. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Donovan Olumba, CB. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Deante Burton, CB. Not enough snaps to qualify.
There’s a good debate to be had over whether the 2019 Cowboys were actually as talented as many thought they were on paper. The season was a huge disappointment, so from that prism, it’s easy to conclude they may have been oversold.
Looking back, there are quite a few players who didn’t play up to expectations. Heck, there are entire position groups that underachieved. Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones believe the talent is there. That’s why there’s a new coaching staff coming in but no plans to significantly overhaul the roster.
Here’s a brief breakdown of how each individual Cowboys player did in 2019. The grades are based on their performance relative to what was expected from them entering the season.
QUARTERBACK
Dak Prescott. Grade: B+. An argument can be made that Prescott deserved a higher grade considering 2019 was his best statistical season. He set career highs with 30 touchdown passes and 4,902 yards. Midway through the season, his name was being mentioned in MVP discussions. But the Cowboys didn’t make the playoffs and his play dropped off down the stretch in losses to the Patriots, Bills, Bears and Eagles.
Cooper Rush. Not enough snaps to qualify.
RUNNING BACK
Ezekiel Elliott. Grade: B. Elliott played in every game, finishing fourth league-wide in rushing with 1,357 yards. The explosive runs were missing during the first 10 games, but he started hitting his stride down the stretch, recording three carries of 30-or-more yards during the final five games. Elliott was named to his third Pro Bowl in four seasons.
Tony Pollard. Grade: B-. When given opportunities, Pollard showed that he could be an excellent complement to Elliott. The Cowboys need to find more ways to get last year’s fourth-round pick involved in both the running and passing games.
Jamize Olawale. Grade: C. There were signs in training camp that Olawale was going to be more involved in the offense, but that never materialized during the season. He did not run the ball or catch a pass, as most of his snaps came on special teams.
WIDE RECEIVER
Amari Cooper. Grade: B. Based on stats alone, it was a career year for Cooper. He posted career highs in yards (1,189) and touchdowns (eight). But he wasn’t much of a factor in key moments down the stretch. Cooper finished without a catch on two targets at New England. He only had four catches on 12 targets in the must-win game at Philadelphia.
Randall Cobb. Grade: B+. He was an excellent No. 3 receiver in his first year in Dallas, catching 55 passes for 828 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games. Cobb immediately fit well with Prescott and the offense. It makes a lot of sense for the Cowboys to try to re-sign the veteran receiver, who played under Mike McCarthy for seven years in Green Bay.
Michael Gallup. Grade: B. He missed two games yet still finished with over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns. There’s still plenty of room for growth, but the signs are there that the Cowboys have an excellent No. 2 receiver with the potential to be a No. 1 one day. Gallup showed great potential in his rookie season and built on that in 2019.
Tavon Austin. Grade: C+. He didn’t make an impact every week but made key plays in the Cowboys’ two biggest wins of the season: at home against the Eagles and Rams. He didn’t create much as a punt returner, but there weren’t many opportunities on a special teams unit that might have been the NFL’s worst.
Devin Smith. Grade: C+. After catching five passes for 113 yards and a touchdown in the first three weeks of the season, it certainly seemed like Smith was going to be a part of the offense going forward. But he didn’t play much after that as the Cowboys elected to go with better special teams contributors with their final active wide receiver spot.
Ventell Bryant. Grade: C+. A solid special teams contributor who scored a 15-yard touchdown on his only reception in 12 games.
Cedrick Wilson. Not enough snaps to qualify.
TIGHT END
Jason Witten. Grade: B-. After spending a year in the Monday Night Football booth, Witten returned to start all 16 games, catching 63 passes for 529 yards and four touchdowns — stats similar to what he put up in 2017. He’s no longer a Pro Bowl player, but Witten still found ways to contribute in the passing game, particularly in the red zone.
Blake Jarwin. Grade: B. Jarwin’s stats were similar to last season, finishing with 31 receptions for 365 yards and three touchdowns. He continues to improve and deserves more opportunities in the passing game. Good things seem to happen when he’s targeted.
Dalton Schultz. Grade: C. The Cowboys’ best blocking tight end didn’t do much as a receiver, catching only one pass for six yards. It’s difficult to predict more targets for Schultz in the future because even if Witten retires, the Cowboys would likely target another pass-catcher at the position in free agency or the draft.
OFFENSIVE LINE
La’el Collins, RT. Grade: A-. Collins signed a contract extension and delivered in 2019 with the best of his five NFL seasons.
Zack Martin, RG. Grade: A. Martin continued to be one of the game’s best offensive linemen. He’s been in the league six years, and he’s made All-Pro and the Pro Bowl all six seasons.
Travis Frederick, C. Grade: B. His first season back from Guillain–Barré syndrome got off to a slow start. But Frederick seemed to improve throughout and ended up making his fifth Pro Bowl in seven seasons.
Connor Williams, LG. Grade: C-. For the second consecutive year, Williams opened the season as the team’s starting left guard. A knee injury forced his season to end prematurely. Williams will likely be in competition for the starting left guard spot when the team heads to California for training camp in July.
Tyron Smith, LT. Grade: B-. It wasn’t Smith’s best season, but it was still good enough to earn another Pro Bowl invite. Injuries have likely prevented him from being as dominant as he was in the past, but he’s still a very good player at one of the game’s most important positions.
Joe Looney, C/G. Grade: C+. Looney is a valuable veteran backup who started the season finale at left guard.
Xavier Su’a-Filo, G. Grade: C. He had his ups and downs last season as he played in 11 games, starting four at left guard.
Cameron Fleming, T. Grade: C. A solid veteran who has been best utilized at swing tackle. He started three games last season and six over the last two years. Looney, Su’a-Filo and Fleming are all solid, dependable backups.
Brandon Knight, T. Grade: C+. A good young player who showed some upside while playing in seven games, starting one.
Connor McGovern, G. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Adam Redmond, C/G. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Mitch Hyatt, T. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Cody Wichmann, G. Not enough snaps to qualify.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kai Forbath, K. Grade: B+. Some of Forbath’s kickoffs were an adventure, but he was 10-for-10 on his field-goal attempts and 10-for-10 on extra points after being signed late in the season.
Brett Maher, K. Grade: D. His powerful leg was valuable at times, but ultimately Maher just didn’t make enough field goals inside of 50 yards. He went one-of-five from 40 to 49 and missed two-of-eight inside of 40.
L.P. Ladouceur, LS. Grade: B. Long snappers are usually doing a good job when you don’t hear their name. Ladouceur is about as solid as they come.
Chris Jones, P. Grade: C-. Jones posted a career-low average of 41.6 yards per punt last season. He had 18 punts downed inside the 20 after 17 the year before. In 2017, though, Jones had 34 punts downed inside the 20.
DEFENSIVE LINE
DeMarcus Lawrence, DE. Grade: B-. He took a lot of criticism because he only came up with five sacks, but Lawrence played better than many think. Despite the extra attention he often receives, Lawrence was still a major factor against the run and pass.
Robert Quinn, DE. Grade: B. He led the team in sacks with 11.5 and will likely make himself a lot of money in free agency because of his pass-rushing skills. Quinn’s not the all-around DE that Lawrence is, but he can still get after QBs at an elite level.
Maliek Collins, DT. Grade: C+. The Cowboys’ three-technique tackle started every game, recording four sacks. Collins has set himself up pretty well to cash in during free agency. Depending on the system the Cowboys plan on running, it would make some sense to bring Collins back.
Michael Bennett, DE/DT. Grade: C. Dallas was looking for a spark when signing Bennett mid-season, hoping he could replace what they lost with Tyrone Crawford out for the year. Bennett made some nice plays, but the defensive line just never quite clicked despite all the talent the group had on paper.
Antwaun Woods, DT. Grade: C. The Cowboys needed Woods to repeat what he did the year before at the one-tech spot when he started 15 games as a run-stopper up the middle. But he missed six games because of injury in 2019, leading to an inconsistent season.
Dorance Armstrong, DE. Grade: C. For the second consecutive year, Armstrong played in 15 games as a backup behind Lawrence. His snaps were limited but he recorded two sacks.
Kerry Hyder, DE. Grade: C+. Hyder ended up being a solid free-agent addition. He played in every game, filled roles at multiple positions and was fifth on the team in QB pressures.
Christian Covington, DT. Grade: C+. Another solid free-agent addition that didn’t cost the Cowboys much and played in all 16 games.
Trysten Hill, DT. Grade: D. It was a disappointing rookie season for Dallas’ second-round draft pick. Hill played in only seven games. The Cowboys made the pick hoping he could be their three-technique DT of the future. Maybe a new coaching staff will help him find more success.
Tyrone Crawford, DE/DT. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Joe Jackson, DE. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Jalen Jelks, DE. Not enough snaps to qualify.
LINEBACKER
Jaylon Smith. Grade: C+. Smith made his first Pro Bowl but regressed from a strong 2018 season. He led the team in tackles, but there just weren’t as many big plays in big moments as the year before, and he struggled in coverage.
Leighton Vander Esch. Grade: C+. This was a year Vander Esch probably would like to forget. He struggled to open the season and then ended up being sidelined because of a neck injury. Linebacker was supposed to be arguably the Cowboys’ strongest position group in 2019. It ended up being average at best.
Sean Lee. Grade: B-. He’s not the Pro Bowl player he once was, but Lee showed up at some big moments late in the season. He might choose to retire, but there appears to be enough gas left in the tank for him to continue contributing.
Joe Thomas. Grade: C+. Thomas was a solid backup on defense and contributor on special teams. His 33 tackles were second-most in his five-year career.
Justin March. Grade: C. The majority of his work continued to be on special teams, recording 12 tackles in 16 games.
Chris Covington. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Luke Gifford. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Malcolm Smith. Not enough snaps to qualify.
DEFENSIVE BACK
Byron Jones, CB. Grade: B. Although he probably wasn’t as good as his Pro Bowl season a year ago, Jones was still Dallas’ top defensive back. Turnovers continue to be the only thing missing from his game. And even that isn’t expected to matter when he becomes one of the highest-paid players at his position this offseason.
Chidobe Awuzie, CB. Grade: C. It obviously wasn’t a good look to get benched in the first quarter of the biggest game of the year like Awuzie did in Philly. He didn’t have his best season, but it also wasn’t as bad as some make it seem.
Jourdan Lewis, CB. Grade: B. Lewis’ playing time increased after Anthony Brown was lost for the season. He seemed to make the most of his opportunities, tying for the team lead with two interceptions and recording four sacks.
Anthony Brown, CB. Grade: C+. Injuries prevented Brown from building on what had been a solid start to his career. It would make sense to re-sign him if the price is right.
C.J. Goodwin, CB. Grade: C. One of the Cowboys’ top special teams contributors, who made nine tackles in 16 games.
Xavier Woods, S. Grade: C+. Woods entered the season with lofty expectations after intercepting three passes during training camp. He picked off two during the season, but there just weren’t as many big plays on the back end as expected from Dallas’ starting free safety.
Jeff Heath, S. Grade: C. Heath has been a solid player for the Cowboys. He has been reliable, and the defense has been better when he’s on the field. But it’ll be interesting to see how the new coaching staff views the position. Heath is a free agent, and the new staff could look to move in another direction as soon as the first round of the draft.
Darian Thompson, S. Grade: C. Thompson was a solid reserve player, starting four games and playing in 15. He finished tied for ninth on the team with 45 tackles.
Donovan Wilson, S. Grade: C. Mainly used on special teams, Wilson didn’t see much playing time on defense. The rookie showed glimpses of his upside during the preseason when he picked off three passes in four games.
Kavon Frazier, S. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Donovan Olumba, CB. Not enough snaps to qualify.
Deante Burton, CB. Not enough snaps to qualify.