We’re one day away from a Dallas-Philadelphia face-off, and the hype for the game could not be lower. It’s the team’s first game without Dak Prescott, they have fallen to 3rd in the NFC East, and more than a few Cowboys veterans are drastically underperforming.
Is there time to turn things around? Sure, but I think we all know it’s far from likely that they do.
This season was always expected to be a step back, considering all they lost in the offseason. With the injuries factored in, it seems like too steep a mountain to climb.
With that in mind, Dallas should seriously consider replacing some slumping older players with younger backups to see what they might have there. If you’re going to lose, you might as well get something out of it for 2025.
Two Cowboys veterans in particular could, and should be benched in favor of younger options. Let’s look at these two guys and who could fill their shoes the rest of the way.
Terence Steele: Time To Experiment At Tackle
I won’t sugarcoat it here: the only logical reason behind continuing to start Terence Steele at right tackle is to have an experienced guy, and not a rookie, protecting Dak Prescott. That argument is out the window.
With Prescott down, and the season faltering, you have to start experimenting at right tackle. They have the young options to do it, they just have to commit to it.
It does not mean Steele never sees the field, you just have to see if you have anything behind him that could be a stronger option either now or in the future.
I like Steele, and his potential was sky-high before his 2022 ACL tear, but the fact is he just hasn’t been the same player since then. Dallas took the risk to pay him before seeing him return, and so far, the risk isn’t paying off.
Steele has allowed six pressures in the last two weeks alone, he ranks fifth on the entire team in penalties, and he is not showing the progress you’d hope for at this point.
So, why not give Asim Richards or Matt Waletzko a chance?
Those two have been developing in the system for a couple of seasons now, and you spent draft picks on both. Is there harm done by seeing if they are an upgrade?
The answer there is clearly no. Dallas should not run Steele out there just because of his big salary and his status as one of the Cowboys’ veterans. It’s time to give younger options a chance.
Ezekiel Elliott: Reunion Excitement Is Over
Last week, Ezekiel Elliott was suspended for a game by the team for “disciplinary” reasons. As it turns out, he had missed three team meetings through the season, and his absence on Fridays before the Falcons game was the “last straw.”
I saw quite a few Cowboys fans, including myself, asking the same question: why is he still on the roster?
Elliott, 29, has been regressing for quite a while now, and Dallas bringing him back this offseason was likely more of a nice gesture than a desperately needed move for the roster. If this is how he’s treating that opportunity, he doesn’t deserve it.
We all remember the often tumultuous early Zeke years; it felt like there was always a story going on, though many of us fans defended him through it all.
However, he’s now almost 30, he is in his ninth NFL season, and he isn’t a starting-caliber running back anymore. So, why is the organization tolerating rookie-level mishaps like this?
The team has Rico Dowdle, a young running back who deserves the chance to be the RB1, Dalvin Cook, a veteran, who is about the same level as Elliott, and Deuce Vaughn, an even younger running back who showed promise in the preseason.
At this point, there shouldn’t be any reason that Elliott gets snaps over them, and if he isn’t being helpful in the locker room as a veteran presence, he doesn’t need to be on the roster.
I was a fan of the signing this offseason, but it’s clear that this reunion is just not turning out well. It’s time to move on and start remembering the good times with Zeke.