We won’t see anyone on the roster this year make an impact like Dak Prescott did in his return last season, but Dallas still has players who could bounce back in a big way.
The first player that jumps off the screen is Michael Gallup.
The lack of Gallup will be on the forefront for a few games until he returns to the lineup. I have hopes for Noah Brown or Simi Fehoko, but neither compares to what Gallup brings at the WR position. With Amari Cooper gone, CeeDee Lamb moves to WR1, and Jalen Tolbert will help but will make more of an impact as WR3.
Gallup is incredibly talented, and his ability to highpoint the football is among the best in the league. The timetable for his return is still in question, but if Dallas can win two out of the first three or go 1-and-1 without him, that is a win. By the time he returns, the Cowboys should know what they have in Brown and Fehoko, and that should allow them to ease Gallup back to the WR2 role and move those players back behind Tolbert.
DeMarcus Lawrence was activated on December 2nd last season, but he only played seven games. Lawrence is not what he once was when he had double-digit sacks in 2017 and 2018. Lawrence will still create attention when his hand is in the dirt, and it will help Micah Parsons put pressure on the offense. He might do enough numbers-wise for people to put him on the list, but being on the field will play a huge factor.
The Cowboys’ offense is going to be better than people imagine. You can put Ezekiel Elliott in the topic of conversation when talking about a comeback player. He had a bad year a season ago and still ran for 1,000 yards. He looks better, is not hurt, and Tony Pollard will help.
Anthony Barr is another name on defense to keep an eye on. He has played 13 games in the last two seasons, and if he can stay healthy could have a solid comeback campaign.
Dallas has a handful of players that can have a comeback season and stand alone at the top of the list, but whose comeback year will mean the most?