Voting on a Cowboys MVP for the disappointing 2017 season

It’s sunk in by now, the Dallas Cowboys will miss the playoffs this year, and they turned in a very disappointing, uneven, mystifying season. We’ll spend plenty of time (in fact we already have) trying to diagnose just what went wrong, who to blame, and how to fix it. That’s what we do. But let’s go in the other direction just for a moment, and try to determine the Cowboys MVP, the player that did what they could to keep the Cowboys afloat this season.

We’ll dispense with guys who should be on the list, but didn’t make it this year for various reasons.

Dak Prescott - The quarterback who is supposed to be your franchise guy should always be in consideration for MVP. Instead, Prescott turned in a baffling season that has left many wondering just how good he is. He’ll get a shot at redeeming himself next year, but this year was one to forget.

Tyron Smith - When he is healthy he is in the running for the Cowboys best player on the roster. This year nagging injuries kept him out of a few games and limited his effectiveness during others. He’s still a great left tackle, but 2017 wasn’t one of his best seasons.

Dan Bailey - Usually your kicker isn’t in the running for an MVP, but Dan Bailey is a special kicker. An injury changed that this year as he struggled after coming back from a groin issue.

Now let’s get to actual candidates:

DeMarcus Lawrence - He has 14.5 sacks on the year, and was an absolute monster in the first half of the year. He slowed down a bit as the season wore on in terms of sacks, but he still played the run extremely well and was getting held on just about every other play even though it was never called.

Travis Frederick - Frederick is recognized as one of the best, if not the best, center in the league. Nothing he did this year should take away from that. His durability is also a great asset.

Zack Martin - Just like Frederick, among the best in the league at his position and rarely misses any snaps. He and Frederick would likely split votes since they are so similar. Maybe we should call them one person like Track Marterick!

Sean Lee - Here’s where we get into a little controversy. One the one hand, Lee single-handedly elevates the Cowboys defense; while the offense was falling apart, the defense actually kept them in some games. On the other hand, his inability to stay healthy calls into question whether he can be the MVP.

Ezekiel Elliott - Another controversial proposition. Can a guy who missed six games be the MVP? Depending on how you think about his suspension could play a role in your MVP vote, but he certainly changed the Cowboys offense when he played, except for the Denver and Seattle games.

Who do you think is the MVP of this season? Vote in the poll and hit the comments.