The Dallas Cowboys seem to be in the middle of an internal struggle and this doesn’t feel like the ideal way to head into a 2024 campaign where Jerry Jones said his team was “all-in” when it comes to making a run at a Super Bowl that has alluded the franchise for so long.
Last season felt different, Mike McCarthy took over play calling and Dak Prescott put up one of his best statistical years, leading the MVP conversation for most of the regular season.
Prescott closed out the 2023 regular season ranked in the top five in several major categories for NFL QB. He entered the playoff matchup against the Green Bay Packers with 4,516 yards (3rd), 36 touchdowns (1st), 9 interceptions and a QB rating of 72.5 (2nd).
Finally, Prescott and CeeDee Lamb found the perfect chemistry and emerged as arguably the top QB/WR tandem in the league.
Beyond Dak Prescott and the explosive offense that averaged 389 yards and 30 points per game and finished with 77 touchdowns in the regular season, the Dallas Cowboys had a defense that finished the season ranked 5th in the NFL.
After another disappointing early exit in the playoffs, the Dallas brass entered the offseason with more question marks than answers.
When Jones decided to run it back in 2024 with McCarthy as head coach and Prescott as QB, all expectations were the Cowboys would extend their franchise QB to open up cap room to bring in new talent to replace the players that departed in free agency.
Instead, the Dallas Brass has done virtually nothing since the end of the 2023 season. It’s been reported that Prescott will play out the final year of his current contract, limiting the team in a major way when it comes to adding talent via free agency.
So far, the Cowboys have lost starting running back Tony Pollard, starting tackle Tyron Smith and wide receiver Michal Gallup just to name a few players who joined new teams in free agency.
Dallas Cowboys Can Expect Potential Holdout From CeeDee Lamb
It literally feels like Jones and company are doing everything wrong. They should have extended All-Pro WR CeeDee Lamb by now, but like every other decision this offseason, have opted to do nothing.
Lamb is due a massive contract extension as he enters the final season of his rookie contract, and Dallas Morning News reporter Michael Gehlken reported on April 8 that a contract holdout is possible.
At this point, it’s safe to say the Cowboys have to have an above average NFL Draft if they are going to make a run at the Lombardi Trophy in 2024.
According to Bleacher Report, Dallas is likely to select a replacement for Gallup in the NFL Draft.
Bleacher Report’s NFL team has released their latest three-round mock draft, and it features an offense-heavy approach. After drafting two pieces for the offensive line, the Dallas Cowboys are projected to add Oregon WR prospect Troy Franklin in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Franklin was the standout receiver on the Ducks’ explosive 2023 offense. While he isn’t quite receiving the same hype as names like Malik Nabors, he’s clearly a talented player.
As a like-for-like replacement, Franklin and Gallup are not perfectly similar. But Franklin is an outside WR through and through, and his ability to catch the long ball would assist the rest of the Dallas Cowboys’ offense.
According to Sports Reference, Troy Franklin caught 61 passes for 891 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. While his volume numbers weren’t insane, averaging 14.6 yards per reception and scoring 9 times is a great rate of production.
“The Dallas Cowboys will start their spring workout program April 15,” Gehlken explained. “Barring a contract extension that, when complete, is expected to make Lamb the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history, Lamb won’t take the field. At least, that is the precedent he appears certain to follow.”
It seems likely that Dallas will extend Lamb, but it’s still not ideal to deal with a holdout. Considering that the team isn’t extending QB Dak Prescott anytime soon, more contract issues and the drama that stems from that isn’t helping the morale of Cowboys fans.
Dallas Cowboys Predicted To Replace Michel Gallup With Explosive WR Troy Franklin
But it’s his final season in Eugene, Oregon that should excite or scare NFL fans. He kicked the heat up in 2023 with 81 receptions, 1383 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. Franklin averaged 17.1 yards per catch along the way.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared him to New Orleans Saint star Chris Olave, but it’s the analyst’s description that makes him seem like a natural fit with the Dallas Cowboys that could fill a major void on offense.
