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Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
The Dallas Cowboys fell short of playoff success in 2021, but they did claim the NFC East title for the first time since 2018. Heading into 2022, they’ll be looking for bigger things.
Dallas’ push for a postseason run won’t be easy. The Philadelphia Eagles were also a playoff team last season and have since added a dangerous new weapon in wideout A.J. Brown. The Cowboys, meanwhile, parted with key contributors Randy Gregory, Amari Cooper, La’el Collins, Connor Williams and Cedrick Wilson Jr.
Mainstays such as Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, DeMarcus Lawrence and 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons are in place, of course, but not all of the roster is settled.
Below, we’ll look at three key position battles to follow during the remainder of organized team activities (OTAs), minicamp and training camp.
Which players are involved? What’s at stake over the next few months? Let’s dive in.
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Terence SteeleIcon Sportswire/Getty Images
Losing both Williams and Collins left Dallas with some shuffling to do along the offensive line. Left tackle Tyron Smith, right guard Zack Martin and center Tyler Biadasz are back, but left guard and right tackle are question marks.
Presumably, rookie first-round pick Tyler Smith will slot in at one of the two spots. He played left tackle at Tulsa, but the Cowboys plan to first try him at left guard while developing him as a potential Smith replacement.
“Smith will get an opportunity to hit the field at some other spots at well. He’ll compete on that left side: left guard, left tackle,” vice president Stephen Jones said on the PFT PM Podcast (h/t Nick Shook of NFL.com).
Smith will face competition from veteran Connor McGovern, and if he’s better suited for tackle, Dallas will have to consider playing him on the right side. Terence Steele, who started 27 games at tackle over the past two years, should get the first shot at replacing Collins long-term.
However, Steele will face competition from rookie fifth-round pick Matt Waletzko and perhaps Smith as well.
Experience and draft status will both play roles as Dallas looks to solidify its line, but finding the best starting five ahead of Week 1 regardless of these factors will be paramount.
Expect an honest and open competition at both guard and tackle this summer.
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Dorance ArmstrongIcon Sportswire/Getty Images
With Gregory leaving for the Denver Broncos in free agency, Dallas will likely look to complement Lawrence and Parsons with a committee of edge-rushers. Someone will have to be the top complement, though, and the Cowboys have several intriguing options.
Among them are free-agent addition Dante Fowler Jr., 2021 breakthrough defender Dorance Armstrong and rookie second-round pick Sam Williams. Armstrong tallied five sacks and 22 quarterback pressures in 2021.
Williams projects as an athletic multi-positional rusher in the mold of Parsons—though not nearly as polished.
“His pass-rushing repertoire is clearly limited right now,” Derrik Klassen of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. “Williams would be best as a heavy outside linebacker on a defense that likes to move its pieces around up front often to give him chances to win inside.”
The Cowboys have a solid pass-rushing tandem in Lawrence and Parsons, and the team logged 41 sacks in 2021. However, there’s room for improvement, and replacing Gregory is a must.
Dallas will be aided greatly by establishing depth and finding the right pass-rushing rotation in camp.
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Jalen TolbertJustin Casterline/Getty Images
After trading Cooper and losing Wilson in free agency, the Cowboys have some questions among their receiving corps.
Third-year wideout CeeDee Lamb will replace Cooper as the new No. 1 option, and the Cowboys are confident in his ability. Franchise owner Jerry Jones told Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that Lamb will be a more a complete No. 1 receiver in “production, in the huddle and off the field.”
However, with Lamb taking over the No. 1 spot and Michael Gallup still recovering from a torn ACL, there is no clear No. 2 on the roster. That’s where the competition comes in, as players such as free-agent addition James Washington, Simi Fehoko, Noah Brown and rookie third-round pick Jalen Tolbert vie for the role.
There is no clear front-runner.
Tolbert, a small-school product out of South Alabama, has loads of potential but is unproven. Fehoko and Brown have primarily been bit players in the Dallas offense, while Washington is coming off an underwhelming 285-yard season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Someone from the group will have to emerge as the temporary No. 2 target. Dallas also needs a new primary slot option with Wilson departing for the Miami Dolphins.
The depth chart will be easier to sort once Gallup is back to 100 percent. There’s work to do in the meantime, though, as Dallas seeks a placeholder on the perimeter and a new slot specialist.
*Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.
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