Should these Dallas Cowboys Players Get Their Jobs Back?
For the second straight year, the Dallas Cowboys are seeing some their best players miss time. Injuries started in the preseason and continued through the first week of the season. It isn't enough to lose one great player, but 4 high quality starters is ridiculous. The good news has been that the team hasn't missed […]
For the second straight year, the Dallas Cowboys are seeing some their best players miss time. Injuries started in the preseason and continued through the first week of the season.
It isn't enough to lose one great player, but 4 high quality starters is ridiculous.
The good news has been that the team hasn't missed a beat in their time gone. On on the other side, we have to ask the question that's been surrounding them. "Should they get their jobs back?"
It makes sense to ask. The players who are stepping in are excelling.
We had an early season example of this after Donovan Wilson missed 4 games this year. Jayron Kearse has filled in and is having a breakout season playing as a safety/linebacker hybrid player.
On the other side, it would relegate some of the team's best players from full-time contributors to role players. Roles that theoretically would hurt the Cowboys not getting all their best players on the field.
That was just a sample of what would come.
Neville Gallimore was the first to go down, which was a huge blow. The Dallas Cowboys' best defensive tackle returning after a promising rookie season suffered an elbow injury, leaving the defensive tackle spot open.
In his stay, rookie Osa Odighizuwa has become the starting 3-tech and is exceling. Odighizuwa, paired with Micah Parsons and Randy Gregory have formed one of the most dominant pass rushes in the league so far.
Odighizuwa is playing too well to take off the field for Gallimore. However, assuming he's fully healthy, there's no question he is one of the team's best interior defensive tackles. Gallimore will have to either learn to play nose, or be content as a rotational 3T behind Odighizuwa.
Staying on the defensive line is who was thought to be the team's lone elite defensive player in DeMarcus Lawrence. There isn't just one player who's played in his spot across from Randy Gregory.
Tarell Basham, Dorance Armstrong and rookies Chauncey Golston and Micah Parsons have all gotten time. Parsons being the unquestioned best player of the group.
Parsons' future on this team might be best served as an edge rusher, rather than an interior linebacker. DeMarcus Lawrence doesn't have the same skillset to get to the quarterback, but is an elite run defender and should come in to his old role.
However, he's also someone to monitor once the offseason comes. Free agency is going to make the Dallas Cowboys make a lot of tough choices. Choices like Michael Gallup, who the offense has gotten by without.
Cedrick Wilson stepped up as the new WR3, and filled in as expected. He's come up with some big catches, and Dak Prescott is completing 73.7% of his passes targeting Wilson.
He doesn't have the same combination of speed and strength that Gallup has, but Wilson is showing he's get just as strong of hands, and a great connection with their quarterback.
Gallup's value might take a hit with how well the offense has done without him, but like Lawrence, his job is safe. For now.
The player who's job is being questioned the most, is the player who many thought the team would struggle the most without. La'el Collins is under contract, and is the team's starting right tackle. Despite Terrance Steele showing significant growth from year 1 to year 2.
Steele has come in and played admirably and it gives hope that the team's swing tackle can play to this level. It should be noted, that the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff had a lot to do with this.
As Mauricio Rodriguez put it "The Cowboys haven’t shied away from using 12 personnel, being one of only five NFL teams to line up in 12 personnel more than 30% of the time."
We also need to consider lining up next to Zack Martin. Having Martin aligned next to him, telling him where to go in audible situations, and dealing with bull rush has been a factor. So much so that even if the Cowboys don't bench Collins, both players could factor into the team's future.
All these players who have stepped in have done an excellent job. Enough that it has earned some a bigger role moving forward, regardless of returns from injury. Some have even done well enough that it could make some players' contracts expendable in 2022.
In the meantime, having too many good players is a great problem to have.
