Cowboys mailbag: Jonathan Taylor trade, Jourdan Lewis fit, and the loss of Dalton Schultz

Every week, we will be taking questions on Twitter and Facebook about Dallas Cowboys players and other questions surrounding the team. So let’s get right into it.

“Thoughts on the idea of Jonathan Taylor trading to the Cowboys?”

(Jess Warren via Facebook)

Mike: I’m out on this idea. Ignore the fact the Indianapolis Colts have placed him on PUP which tells us about his health, he’s also in a contract dispute which is something that could follow him wherever he gets traded. Would the Cowboys really want to trade for a player with durability concerns at a volatile position that could hold out a season or two later when he demands more money? He’s a fine running back for sure and would upgrade the position, but he comes with way too many problems and questions.

Brandon: As much as it would be another piece added to the puzzle for the Cowboys this season on offense, it’s not ideal to trade for Taylor. Given the impending contracts for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, Taylor’s looking for a new contract Dallas can’t afford.

Secondly, Taylor is on the PUP list for injury and has previously dealt with injuries during his time with the Colts. He is as talented as they come in the league, but if the Cowboys wanted to hand out a moderate contract to a veteran running back, it would be Tony Pollard before anyone else.

“Where does Jourdan Lewis feature in the lineup?”

(Rich Gillett via Facebook)

Mike: He’s back in practice and on the active roster, and that’s great news. Lewis is actually a veteran for Dallas now, which is crazy to say. He’s been here for quite some time so he adds a level of leadership and experience at the position which is vital. Next to that, we’ve seen how Lewis isn’t afraid of getting involved in run stopping, but more important is his pass coverage against running backs. Go back to 2018 against the New Orleans Saints, he took Alvin Kamara out the game. He’s an outstanding slot corner and offers depth at a position which could be important as the season draws on.

Brandon: I think he’ll be used in various ways to cover running backs running routes to giving DaRon Bland some rest working in the slot. It might be some time before Lewis is back on the field in a full-time role, as the coaching staff most likely wants to ease him coming off the foot injury.

The fact he wasn’t put on PUP to start the season and is an active member of the 53-man roster is excellent to see. However, this year, there could be scenarios where the Cowboys want to go heavy at the safety position to mitigate the lack of depth at the linebacker position.

In that case, I could see a scenario where Lewis is inactive on game day if he can’t get on the field to play special teams. It might come down to who the coaching staff would prefer to be active—Eric Scott Jr. or Lewis.

“Do you think letting Dalton Schultz leave could play a big factor in the team making the Super Bowl or not?”

(@SportsMania8 via X)

Mike: This is kind of asking which came first with the chicken or the egg. Was Dak able to get high levels of production from Schultz because he’s that good, or was Schultz a product of Dak? To put it into perspective, Schultz played 16 games without Dak during his time at Dallas. In those games without Dak at quarterback, Schultz scored two touchdowns and had more than 50-yards of receiving in a game only twice. Now that could be scheme driven, as well trust from the backup quarterbacks like Andy Dalton or Cooper Rush. But it could also be that Dak is quick enough to get through his reads and go quickly to his check-down option. Jake Ferguson has improved from last year, and given all the other options on this offense, if there was a failure with this offense producing, it wouldn’t be down to Schultz not being on the roster.

Brandon: Not at all. Everything we’ve seen from Jake Ferguson shows that he could pick up right where Schultz left off. That’s not to take anything away from Schultz and what he meant to the offense over the previous seasons, but it’s a testament to the work Ferguson has put in this offseason.

The intriguing part of having Ferguson be the starter this season is figuring out where his floor and ceiling are as a player. Could he be the next Travis Kelce or the next Geoff Swaim? It might take the entire season to figure that out, but it won’t hinder the Cowboys from making a Super Bowl run.

“Are Dak and Mike McCarthy on notice this year?”

(@fredflunk via X)

Mike: Not at all. When you stop and look at it, Mike McCarthy has done really well as head coach. Sure he had a losing season in 2020, but that was the pandemic season and was tough on everyone, so you need to give him a pass there. But the last two seasons he’s steered the team to back-to-back 12 win seasons. That’s impressive. As for Dak, the front office is already looking into his next contract and getting ready to make offers. That’s all the information we need to know on what they think of him as their starting quarterback beyond this season.

Brandon: I don’t believe so. Now, everything would be on the table if the team craters and goes 0-7. However, if McCarthy has another 12-win season, a playoff berth, and loses in the Divisional Round again, I believe he’s still the Cowboys head coach in 2024.

McCarthy has helped develop a ton of young talent on this team, and it continues to grow. The players love his “player first” mentality with coaching; he cares for them and their health. As for Dak Prescott, I think he’ll be here for the next five seasons as a quarterback, given that could be the range of a new contract.

As much as the players like McCarthy as their coach, they love and respect No. 4 equally as their leader. Both men should be here for the foreseeable future unless something catastrophic happens.

Poll Of The Week: Finally, we asked you which team wins this weekend. Here are the results and our take on the poll.

Mike: Ok so my prediction. Cowboys win 31-17, Brandin Cooks has a field day out there and Rico Dowdle surprises fans in both his running and receiving abilities. The Cowboys defense shows it’s even better than last year, and Brandon Aubrey stays perfect on the day.

Brandon: I was shocked the poll didn’t reach 100 percent in favor of a Cowboys victory, but maybe a few Giants fans slipped into the voting booth. I believe Mike McCarthy bucks the trend of losing in Week 1 for the first time as the head coach of the Cowboys, and Dallas wins 27-20. Dak Prescott plays a clean game, and Tony Pollard has over 100 yards and one touchdown, along with Deuce Vaughn getting a receiving touchdown.

Be sure to check Blogging The Boys as well as @kenfigkowboy and @brandoniswrite on X and also Facebook for the weekly post, asking for your questions to include in the weekly mailbag. Also, check for the Poll of The Week on X. Many thanks to everyone that sends in your questions and votes.