As the Dallas Cowboys look to turn the page from an embarrassing end of the 2023 season, “Amercia’s Team” looks to do something in 2024 that they haven’t been able to do in nearly 30 years.
A franchise that was once considered the team of the ’90s is now fully entrenched in a long Super Bowl drought while having every move under a microscope.
Can Dak Prescott and the Cowboys Bounce Back After an Embarrassing Season?
When looking at the Cowboys ahead of the 2024 season, you would never imagine that the team is fresh off three consecutive 12-5 seasons.
Despite winning 36 games in that timeframe, the Cowboys have little to no playoff success to show for it, and that is ultimately the bottom line for this franchise heading into this season.
Those around the NFL concede that this is a good football team. However, are they good enough? That appears to be the question that looms large.
Anything short of an NFC Championship Game appearance will almost certainty start a dominoe effect that could see sweeping changes for the Cowboys.
A lot of pressure comes with being a Cowboy, and so do expectations. The fanbase appears to be fed up with the playoff failures. And with a lot of disappointment over the last three decades, many are choosing to take the “show me, don’t tell me” route, and you can’t blame them.
Cowboys’ Projected Depth Chart
Quarterback (3)
Starter: Dak Prescott
Backups: Cooper Rush, Trey Lance
Running Back (4)
Starters: Ezekiel Elliott
Backups: Rico Dowdle, Royce Freeman, Hunter Leupke
Wide Receiver (6)
Starters: CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Jalen Tolbert
Backups: KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks, Ryan Flournoy
Tight End (4)
Starter: Jake Ferguson
Backups: Luke Schoonmaker, John Stephens Jr., Brevyn Spann-Ford
Offensive Line (9)
Starters: Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Brock Hoffman, Zack Martin, Terence Steele
Backups: Chuma Edoga, T.J. Bass, Cooper Beebe, Asim Richards
Defensive Tackle (5)
Starters: Osa Odighizuwa, Mazi Smith
Backups: Chauncey Golston, Justin Rogers, Carl Davis
EDGE (5)
Starters: Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence
Backups: Marshawn Kneeland, Tyrus Wheat, Al-Quadin Muhammad
Linebacker (5)
Starters: Eric Kendricks, DeMarvion Overshown, Damone Clark
Backups: Marist Liufau, Willie Harvey Jr.
Secondary (9)
Starters: Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland, Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson
Backups: Jourdan Lewis, Caelen Carson, Markquese Bell, Juanyeh Thomas, C.J. Goodwin
Special Teams (3)
Kicker: Brandon Aubrey
Punter: Bryan Angers
Long Snapper: Trent Sieg
Cowboys Roster Changes
The Cowboys’ plan for this offseason was clear: They weren’t going to be active in the free agency market, and they were going to once again lean on the draft to develop and ready their younger players for an increased role.
It’s how they have chosen to operate over the last decade or so. But with Jerry Jones’s talk of being “all-in,” many fans thought they might approach things a bit differently this time around.
They didn’t, and now the Cowboys enter 2024 with less talent on paper than the team that was embarrassed on their home field in the NFC Wild Card Round last year.
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They lost players such as Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler, and Tyler Biadasz to the Commanders while adding only one substantial free agent, linebacker Eric Kendricks.
Jones and Co. say it’s by design, as they plan to pay their players instead of outsiders.
However, the pursuit of signing Lamb and Prescott has been anything but easy, setting up frustration amongst the fanbase.
Players Added:
- LB Eric Kendricks
- RB Royce Freeman
- RB Ezekiel Elliott
- LB Willie Harvey Jr.
Players Lost:
- LT Tyron Smith
- RB Tony Pollard
- EDGE Dorance Armstrong
- EDGE Dante Fowler
- DT Neville Gallimore
- CB Noah Igbinoghene
- DT Jonathan Hankins
2024 Draft Class:
- 1st round, 29th pick: OL Tyler Guyton
- 2nd round, 56th pick: EDGE Marshawn Kneeland
- 3rd round, 73rd pick:OL Cooper Beebe
- 3rd round, 87th pick: LB Marist Liufau
- 5th round, 174th pick: CB Caelen Carson
- 6th round, 216th pick: WR Ryan Flournoy
- 7th round, 233rd pick: OL Nathan Thomas
- 7th round, 244th pick: DT Justin Rogers
Cowboys Coaching Staff
The Cowboys’ coaching staff has seen some big changes this year, most notably on the defense.
With former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn now the head coach of the Washington Commanders, Mike Zimmer takes over and brings many new faces to the defensive staff for 2024.
Defensive backs coach Al Harris and linebackers coach Scott McCurley are the most notable holdovers from the previous staff. However, the group has a new identity and feel while some familiar faces have been added.
The Cowboys convinced Zimmer to return to the NFL after spending two years as a consultant with Jackson State and Colorado. Zimmer returns to Dallas after a previous 12-year stint with the Cowboys from 1994 through 2006.
Along with Zimmer, he brings long-time defensive assistant Paul Guenther, a former Cincinnati Bengals and Las Vegas Raiders DC. Guenther was a senior defensive assistant on Zimmer’s 2021 staff in Minnesota, and he will take over as the Cowboys’ defensive run game coordinator.
Another new name but familiar face is assistant defensive line coach Greg Ellis, who spent all but one year of his 12-year career playing for the Cowboys after they drafted him in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft.
The Cowboys’ offensive group looks to remain high-octane, while the defense brings in new blood and fresh philosophies as it tries to get the most out of a group that, at times, looked like one of the best in the NFL.
- Mike McCarthy, Head Coach
- Mike Zimmer, Defensive Coordinator
- Brian Schottenheimer, Offensive Coordinator
- John Fassel, Special Teams Coordinator
- Jeff Blasko, Run Game Coordinator/RB Coach
- Ramon Chinyoung, Quality Control/Assistant OL
- Ryan Feder, Game Management/Assistant Quarterbacks
- Evan Harrington, Offensive Assistant
- Chase Haslett, Pass Game Specialist
- Robert Prince, WRs Coach/Pass Game Coordinator
- Steve Shimko, Offensive Assistant/Quality Control
- Justin Rudd, Coaching Operations Manager/Football Analytics
- Mike Solari, OL Coach
- Scott Tolzien, QBs Coach
- Lunda Wells, TEs Coach
- Paul Guenther, Defensive Run Game Coordinator
- Jeff Zgonina, DL Coach
- Greg Ellis, Quality Control/Assistant DL
- Al Harris, DBs Coach/Assistant Head Coach
- Cannon Matthews, Safeties
- Cristian Garcia, Assitant DBs/Quality Control
- Scott McCurley, LBs Coach
- Eric Simonelli, Quality Control/Head Coach Assistant
- Darian Thompson, Quality Control/Assistant LBs
- Rayna Stewart, Assistant Special Teams
Cowboys 2024 Season Schedule
One of the few things that stands out about the Cowboys’ 2024 season is that, on paper, it looks like it will be no cakewalk.
When looking at it a little closer, that becomes more evident with each passing week, and it’s confirmed by Pro Football Network’s Strength of Schedule, which has Dallas’ right in the middle as the 18th hardest in the NFL.
With a first month that includes a season opener at the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, followed soon after by a tough home test against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3, the Cowboys are not easing into the season by any stretch.
- Week 1: at Cleveland Browns (Sun. 9/8, 4:25 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 2: vs. New Orleans Saints (Sun. 9/15, 1:00 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 3: vs. Baltimore Ravens (Sun. 9/22, 4:25 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 4: at New York Giants (Thurs. 9/26, 8:15 p.m. on Prime Video)
- Week 5: at Pittsburgh Steelers (Sun. 10/6, 8:20 p.m. on NBC)
- Week 6: vs. Detroit Lions (Sun. 10/13, 4:25 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 7: BYE
- Week 8: at San Francisco 49ers (Sun. 10/27, 8:20 p.m. on NBC)
- Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons (Sun. 11/3, 1:00 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 10: vs. Philadelphia Eagles (Sun. 11/10, 4:25 p.m. on CBS)
- Week 11: vs. Houston Texans (Mon. 11/18, 8:15 p.m. on ESPN)
- Week 12: at Washington Commanders (Sun. 11/24, 1:00 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 13: vs. New York Giants (Thurs. 11/28, 4:30 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 14: Cincinnati Bengals (Mon. 12/9, 8:15 p.m. on ESPN)
- Week 15: at Carolina Panthers (Sun. 12/15, 1:00 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 16: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sun. 12/22, 8:20 p.m. on NBC)
- Week 17: at Philadelphia Eagles (Sun. 12/29, 4:25 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 18: vs. Washington Commanders (TBD)
2024 Season Prediction for the Cowboys
When looking at Dallas and the way the season ended last year, coupled with the team’s lack of aggressiveness this offseason, it’s easy to understand why people are skeptical of this year’s team.
With a head coach in a lame-duck year, uncertainty around many of their star players, and no real plan to acquire outside talent, the Cowboys are worse on paper than this time last year.
Add in that the schedule looks to be more challenging than last year, expecting the Cowboys to fall short of a fourth-consecutive 12-5 season seems fair.
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However, despite the doom and gloom that has centered around this team this offseason, there is still undeniable talent littered throughout the roster.
Prescott is coming off of a career year, and so is Lamb. Couple that with Ferguson at tight end, who appears to be a budding star, and the veteran Cooks, who looks completely comfortable in Year 2 of this offense, and this group has a chance to still be one of the better units in the NFL, despite the question marks at running back.
On the other hand, Zimmer and the staff have the players excited about what they can be this year. With a more concerted effort to play assignment-based football and with more complexity in the scheme, the Cowboys’ defense could be a group that maxes out its potential in 2024.
Diggs is back from his ACL tear, the young linebackers like Overshown and Clark look ready to level up, and pass rushers Parsons and Lawrence are as steady as they come.
Yes, there is a real possibility this team can take a step back record-wise this season, but there is far too much talent to expect that drop to be that far off from where they were last year.
Ultimately, however, the regular season means very little to this franchise at this point. Regardless of their record, the Cowboys need to find a way into the playoffs and produce there. Otherwise, there could be wide-sweeping changes made for America’s Team next year.
Record Prediction: 11-6 (2nd in the NFC East)
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