Cowboys news: Quality depth means talented players will be cut from team

Here’s why this veteran edge rusher is now on the Cowboys’ roster bubble - Reid Hanson, Cowboys Wire

The amount of depth along the edge means the team will inevitably be letting go of some talented rushers as the depth chart gets sorted out.

When the Cowboys lost Randy Gregory in the offseason of 2022, they had to scramble. They were banking on their former second-round pick to start in their EDGE rotation so losing him at the 11th hour required quick thinking to rebound.

Dallas pivoted, inking Dorance Armstrong to a two-year contract immediately. To complete the triage, they then turned their attention to a free agent veteran with strong ties to Dan Quinn, Dante Fowler Jr.

As luck would have it, everything fell into place in 2022. Micah Parsons would go on to have an All-Pro season. DeMarcus Lawrence would have yet another brilliant campaign. Armstrong posted career numbers and rookie Sam Williams looked like a bona fide steal as a second rounder. And Fowler was every bit as advertised as the veteran pass-rushing specialist.

The best part is, all five return in 2023.

If everyone stays healthy through training camp they may have a real champaign problem on their hands – more players than snaps available. It’s only natural to look for the odd man out in their circumstance and the way things look today it may be Fowler.

3 burning questions on offense the Cowboys must answer during training camp - Joey Pollizze, The Landry Hat

If the team can answer these three questions, 2023 could be super sweet when it’s all said and done.

The Dallas Cowboys offense will look a little different in 2023. They lost three starters this offseason and did very little to replace them.

Dallas released Ezekiel Elliott in March after the running back spent seven seasons with the team, and both Dalton Schultz and Connor McGovern walked in free agency. Schultz put up 2,000 receiving yards over the past three seasons, while McGovern started 15 games for the team in 2022.

3. How will the offensive line shake out?

Just like last season, the Cowboys will enter training camp without a set offensive line in place. Tyler Smith eventually made his way to the starting unit as a rookie in 2022 when Tyron Smith suffered a torn hamstring during camp.

2. Where does Luke Schoonmaker fit in on offense?

Schultz’s departure from the team this offseason opens the door for bigger roles for Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot. Ferguson was selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and Hendershot signed as an undrafted free agent the same year.

1. Who’s RB2 behind Tony Pollard?

For the past couple of seasons, it was easy to predict how the Cowboys’ backfield would shake out at the top. Elliott and Pollard would be the team’s 1-2 punch and account for almost all of Dallas’ touches in the run game.

Hot Takes for Dak Prescott, More Cowboys Stars Ahead of Training Camp - Alex Ballentine, Bleacher Report

Checking these three boxes below more than likely would mean plenty of victories are ahead in 2023.

Heading into 2023, it feels like Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys are the forgotten contenders in the NFC.

As we prepare for the final stretch of the offseason and head toward training camp, here are three bold takes for the stars on the Cowboys roster.

Dak Prescott Will Return to Pro Bowl Form

That supporting cast should be a lot better this season. Brandin Cooks could be the piece of the puzzle that was missing last season. He’s a legitimate field-stretching second receiver who can take some pressure off CeeDee Lamb and give Prescott a legitimate second weapon to find against good secondaries.

CeeDee Lamb Will Eclipse 1,500 Yards

The volume isn’t going anywhere. Cooks is a perfect pairing for Lamb’s production because he isn’t good enough to force a more even split of targets, but he is good enough to take attention away.

Trevon Diggs Will Be All-Pro Again

Diggs still has superstar potential and should be considered one of the best cover corners in the game. But it was also fairly easy for teams to avoid throwing his way with Anthony Brown lining up across from him.

Stephon Gilmore should help alleviate that problem. The veteran corner can still play at a high level, and teams will have to think twice about simply avoiding Diggs.

Cowboys ‘Steal’ Eric Scott Jr.: Could Rookie Push to Start? - Isaiah Deanda Delgado, Cowboys SI.com

A certain 2023 sixth-rounder is getting plenty of hype, and it wouldn’t shock many to see him play meaningful snaps this upcoming season.

The Dallas Cowboys may have struck gold on Day 3 of the NFL Draft yet again by selecting the sixth-round cornerback Eric Scott Jr. out of Southern Mississippi.

During minicamp, Scott Jr. impressed Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn so much that the newcomer ran with the first-team defense in the absence of some of the presumed cornerback starters, such as 2021 All-Pro Trevon Diggs. CowboysSI.com observed Scott’s work and visited with him in the locker room; Dallas really might have something there ... And the national media is picking up on this, too. Nearing training camp, Bleacher Report recently declared Scott Jr., a “Rookie to Watch.”

“Eric Scott Jr. isn’t likely to crack the starting lineup for the Cowboys, but he earned the attention of Quinn with the way he stepped up in OTAs,” BR said. “Scott has a lot of work to do, but it will be interesting to see if he can climb the depth chart after standing out early.”

BR is making quite a leap here; Scott isn’t on a level with Diggs or Stephon Gilmore or DaRon Bland; we’re probably talking about him fighting for a uniform on Sundays so he can play special teams. But that will still mark an accomplishment.

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