With the season over, and like most, I am still upset at the end result. It is becoming more of a reality than a shock at this point.
Nonetheless, this team still has players who both surprised and disappointment me in 2023. Let's see if you agree with two of the players from both that I came up with.
Biggest Surprises
Jake Fergusson was the biggest surprise for me in 2023.
Dalton Shultz signed with the Texans last offseason, and the Cowboys were left without one of Dak Prescott's favorite targets.
He ended the season with 71 receptions for 761 yards and five touchdowns. Ferg has yet to fumble during his two years with the team.
He played in nearly 75% of offensive plays this season, which sounds ideal, but much of that was to block.
Fergie hurdle ‼️ @MundoNFL
📺: #PHIvsDAL on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/YCEDNi5Ozb pic.twitter.com/SAnOAcjTJD— NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2023
Although the playoff game against the Packers was pretty much a blowout, he led the team with he led the team with 10 receptions for 93 yards and three touchdowns.
His performance made him only the third tight end in Cowboys' franchise history with doube-digit receptions in a playoff game behind Jay Novacek and Jason Witten.
The second biggest surprise for me was Brandon Aubrey.
If you told me that this dude was going to be perfect until the last week of the season, I would have called you nuts.
Aubrey was close to breaking the most makes in a row by a field goal kicker until an attempt was blocked in week 18 by Washington.
Still, he will hold the NFL record for the most made field goals without a miss to start an NFL career at 35. Aubrey shattered the previous mark by 17 kicks, breaking former Cleveland Browns kicker Travis Coons' record of 18 set back in 2015.
The All-Pro kicker will be a bright spot going into next season for the Cowboys.
Biggest Disappointments
The biggest disappointment in 2023 for me was Michael Gallup.
This is the player the team decided to sign to a five-year 62.5 million dollar deal and trade Amari Cooper for a 5th round pick.
Gallup finished 2023 with 34 catches for 418 yards. He had favorable matchups all season long behind CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks.
This was the worst contract Dallas has signed in recent memory. It is a waste of over 60 million dollars. I would cut him this offseason and draft a cheaper younger wide receiver.
I will be honest here, and some probably won't like it.
Tony Pollard is my second disappointment.
Cowboys key free agents this off-season: RB Tony Pollard, OT Tyron Smith, CB Stephon Gilmore, C Tyler Biadasz, DE Dorance Armstrong Jr., S Jayron Kearse, CB Jourdan Lewis, DT Johnathan Hankins, DT Neville Gallimore, DE Dante Fowler Jr., OT Chuma Edoga, CB Noah Igbinoghene, RB…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 15, 2024
I was all for letting Pollard become the head back and letting Zeke walk this offseason.
Pollard and the run game was awful. Nobody feared the Cowboys ground game this season.
That is why Dak Prescott and Lamb had such great numbers, it was them two or bust.
Pollard's contract is up and if I am the Cowboys I let him walk. Bring Rico Dowdle back, and draft a running back in the 2nd or 3rd round.
Look at what the Chiefs find every year. They don't pay their running backs and they are some are the most important players on their team.
Sure DaRon Bland and others can be put in here for his record setting pick-6s, but his numbers outside of that weren't that good.
Dallas has some serious decisions to make this offseason and it starts by making some cap room, and finding some cheap young players that can make this team a bit better.
The window might be half closed, but they will get at least one more season to try and run it back.
