It’s the bye week as the Dallas Cowboys get a chance to rest up, and that provides a perfect opportunity to draw up a midseason progress report. There has been a lot to like over the first eight weeks of the season and we have created a list of players worth talking about.

This week on The Star Seminar, my podcast partner (Rabblerousr) and I had three Cowboys experts on our show to discuss the performance of certain players. We had Pro Football Focus’ John Owning, Girls Talk, ‘Boys Talk co-host Jess Nevarez, and Dallas Cowboys dot com TV host Kyle Youmans on to help us create a Dean’s List, a list of honorable mentions, and players who are on Athletic Probation.

Today, we highlight excellence with five players who made the honor roll.

The Dean’s List

MICAH PARSONS

John Owning was first up to select a player to make the honor roll and decisions don’t get much easier as he selected the Cowboys' most talented player on the roster. Here is what he had to say about Micah Parsons.

“His impact on defense has been one of the tent poles of the Cowboys' successful start. His ability to not only generate pressure but to alter offensive blocking schemes has made life easier for the rest of the Cowboys. His hustle has been infectious. His impact has been incredible and that is why he’s almost the unanimous consensus Defensive Player of the Year.”

DAK PRESCOTT

Jess Nevarez wanted to also pick Parsons (I mean, who wouldn’t), but since we wanted to spread the love, she went with the team’s most important player on the other side of the ball, Dak Prescott. That’s bold considering Dak has only been on the field for three games thus far. Here is what she had to say.

“Although he hasn’t been on the field that much, that hasn’t stopped him from being a locker room leader. He’s an impact player whether it be on the field or off. The Bears’ game was setting the standard for what Dak Prescott has. Every team needs a leader and without that leader, what do you have?”

TONY POLLARD

Kyle Youmans said he didn’t have to dig very deep for his selection as he handed off his honor roll pick to the Cowboys' dynamic running back, Tony Pollard. Here is what he had to say about TP.

“He’s already had two games with over 100 yards rushing, including five of the six longest plays of the season for the Cowboys. He’s been consistent throughout the season. You talk about a guy who continues to beg for more of an opportunity and more of a role, give me Tony Pollard as someone who has exceeded expectations.”

ZACK MARTIN

Rabblerousr is an old-school guy, so it should come as no surprise that he gives love to one of the elders on this Cowboys roster, Zack Martin. Of course, the team’s All-Pro right guard deserves every bit of it. Here is what Rabs had to say about what Martin has done this season.

“He’s the best offensive player on this team. The Cowboys have a young offensive line, they don’t have a lot of continuity, and he’s seen a lot of turnover in recent years. He’s been the frontman for a band of studio musicians, but they’ve been rock’n. They’ve been steady in the run game even with Cooper Rush playing the majority of the games, and that’s really hard to do when defenses aren’t respecting the passing game.”

DEMARCUS LAWRENCE

I made the final selection to the Dean’s list, and it wouldn’t feel complete without including DeMarcus Lawrence. He’s a guy who is often overlooked, but the veteran pass rusher shows up week in and week out. Here is what I had to say about Lawrence.

“DeMarcus Lawrence is one of those guys who it’s not always easy to see what he does because statistically, he doesn’t light it up, but if you watch the film closely, he is so disruptive. Tank is so difficult to deal with and it changes how opposing offenses try to come at the Cowboys' defense. You got Micah here and Tank there, those guys just wreak havoc.”

That’s our Dean’s list. Do you agree with our choices? Who do you think deserves top honors so far this season?

Make sure to stay tuned for parts two and three of this midseason progress report as we discuss some honorable mentions of some players who have surprised us with their performance as well as identify players who need improvement. Keep your eyes out for those articles real soon.