The Dallas Cowboys players report to Oxnard for training camp in less than a month on July 26th.
As things have quieted around the star in the last week, I looked through the roster and came up with a few bold predictions for players who might grow into a more significant role in 2023.
While my last prediction comes from a trio of players, I’m sure you can guess what it is by the title.
Before we get into them, REMEMBER they are bold predictions for a reason, so relax.
Dante Fowler Jr.
The Cowboys resigned Dante Fowler in March to a 1-year deal.
Fowler returns to a loaded defense. Dallas has so many great pass rushers everyone should feast in 2023.
Fowler dressed for all 17 regular-season games last year, recording six sacks and seven tackles for loss.
He logged those numbers without starting a single game.
The defense still features DeMarcus Lawrence, Micah Parsons, Sam Williams, and Dorance Armstrong rushing the passer.
Still, Fowler will find his way into snaps as he did in 2022, but if given a chance, he could very well have a repeat of his 2019 season, where he set his career high in sacks (11.5).
Maybe we will see him stay fresh with all the depth they have on the edge and produce the same result in 2023.
Jabril Cox
Cox is a player I really like.
Returning from an ACL injury, Cox can gain more snaps at linebacker.
Leighton Vander Esch and Damone Clark sit above him right now. Parsons also, but that is only for about 15% of the time.
Either way, Cox has had a nice start to the offseason. During some of the team’s OTAs in June, Cox broke up an end-zone pass on third and fourth goals.
This is a make-or-break year for Cox.
If he shows more promise and gains the trust at the end of the month in training camp, I think Cox could move his way into the starting lineup and play next to LVE.
A little bit of history?
Only five teams in NFL history have had three wideouts post 1,000-plus receiving yards in a single season.
The Chargers in 1980, Washington in 1989, Falcons in 1995, Colts in 2004, and the Arizona Cardinals in 2008.
Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston were the three guys that did it most recently with the Cardinals 15 years ago.
Before you call me crazy or something else, the 2019 Dallas Cowboys were ONLY 172 Randall Cobb yards away from being the sixth team in history to do this.
Amari Cooper led the Cowboys with 1,189 receiving yards that season, while Gallup had 1,107 yards, followed by Cobb, who racked up 828 yards.
So why not this group?
The same quarterback leads them, and now you move Gallup to the No. 3 and bring in Brandin Cooks, who produces 1,000 yards EVERYWHERE he goes.
We already know CeeDee Lamb is going for well over 1,000. Gallup gets an entire offseason healthy, and Cooks will do what he does, produce.
This trio of guys has a real chance to accomplish this; if not, they will be very close, assuming everyone stays healthy.