It appears the Dallas Cowboys have hit on their biggest gamble of the 2024 NFL season
The Dallas Cowboys made big a big time gamble ahead of the 2024 NFL season: Not only did they allow Tyron Smith, Tyler Biadasz, and Stephon Gilmore walk in free agency, among others, but they did little to replace them in March. Instead, they turned to this year's draft class to fill their weak links. For […]
The Dallas Cowboys made big a big time gamble ahead of the 2024 NFL season: Not only did they allow Tyron Smith, Tyler Biadasz, and Stephon Gilmore walk in free agency, among others, but they did little to replace them in March.
Instead, they turned to this year's draft class to fill their weak links. For a team that's closer to being a Super Bowl contender than it is a full-on rebuild, that's a big gamble to make. After training camp and three preseason games, it appears they've hit big on such bets.
That's why we'll start there in this article as we look at three players in for a nice season after putting together great preseasons.
OT Tyler Guyton
This is an obvious one, but come on! Tyler Guyton looked the part from the moment he was given a chance. Concerns that arose during the draft process appear to be in the rearview mirror, at least largely so. Growing pains should be expected, but notions that he wasn't gameday ready due to a lack of technique have proven to be exaggerated. Or perhaps it was Guyton's elite work ethic that rendered them irrelevant.
Guyton has handled the likes of Micah Parsons, Maxx Crosby, and Rams' first-round rookie Jared Verse. He's in for a big rookie season and all the attention will be on him starting in Week 1 when he goes up against Myles Garrett.
OC Cooper Beebe
On a similar note, how about third-round rookie Cooper Beebe securing the starting role at center. The Cowboys knew when they picked him he had plug-and-play potential and Beebe proved them right. Heading into the regular season, he seems to have gotten the magic of snapping the ball down while still displaying the strength and overall nastiness that got him to the NFL.
Beebe is in for a nice season as he can prove to be an upgrade over Tyler Biadasz by setting the tone in the trenches. If anyone can bring back a strong running game to the Cowboys, it'll start with him.
CB Caelen Carson
The fifth-round rookie is being thrown to the fire amid DaRon Bland's foot injury that will keep him out six to eight weeks, so this could be a boom or bust scenario. But fans should keep something important in mind: The Cowboys thought of him as a third-round prospect in the NFL Draft process, per Bryan Broaddus on The Love of the Star.
And to be fair, the Cowboys have had success finding late-round cornerbacks that can be asked to contribute right away. That's what happened with DaRon Bland and Anthony Brown before him. Of course, there's a significant risk that comes with playing a rookie in Week 1.
That being said, Carson showed off throughout training camp and the preseason and he's inspired trust that he can get the job done. He'll get a lot of help from a pass rush featuring Micah Parsons, too.
