Training camp is almost here, and while the Dallas Cowboys are still playing games with CeeDee Lamb, other players have a whole lot to prove in 2024, or it might be time to take the loss from them and move on.
These players might be different from yours, but I am sure you will agree with some of my points on why each of these players should feel the pressure of all the eyes watching them when the season finally gets here.
Mazi Smith
The first player on everybody’s list should be Mazi Smith.
Smith was the No. 28 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Cowboys have struggled with stopping the run over the last few years and many thought drafting Smith could at least help, even as a rookie.
Well, a lot of us were wrong because he was a huge disappointment in his rookie season.
Smith hardly saw the field, and when he was out there, he didn’t do anything significant. He was often slow off the snap and played underweight—although that was said to be due to Dan Quinn’s preference.
Seems like a lot of things were his fault…
With all of the losses the Cowboys suffered to the defensive line in free agency, most heading over to Washington with Quinn, Smith will need to step up in 2024. Smith only had 304 snaps and 15 tackles in 2023.
That is not good enough for a first-round pick.
It seems that Mike Zimmer has a play for him in 2024, so we will have to wait and see if he can produce. A lot of pressure is on Mazi Smith this season.
Luke Schoonmaker
How about Luke Schoomaker, who had an underwhelming rookie season? He was drafted in the second round in 2023.
This tight end room has a lot of talent staring him right in the face. I would feel very uneasy if I were Schoonmaker heading into this season.
He caught only eight passes for 65 yards and two touchdowns last season; that is not good enough to hold a roster spot, no matter who you are.
Jake Ferguson is the future tight end for this team, but the room is loaded with others who could very well take Schoon’s place if he does not perform.
Luke Schoonmaker is a great blocker but if he does not become a vertical threat in the passing game it will be time for him to go after 2024.
Another problem he has is that he seems to always be hurt.
Sam Williams
The role of Sam Williams will increase in 2024, and he needs to grab the bull by its horns.
In a crowded room last season headlined by Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, along with veterans Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler, Williams has still managed 4.0 and 4.5 sacks in the two seasons.
Fowler and Armstrong are both gone.
This team has not done anything in free agency, which means that Williams needs to prove himself in 2024.
The problem with Sam Williams is those penalties.
He was third on the team last year with seven and only played 300 snaps. That is not ideal. If he can clean those up and prove he can be more than just a pass rusher, he could have a solid 2024.
A lot of pressure is on Sam Williams because of what the team lost. He has to be ready to prove he can handle it starting in September.
Of course, Dak Prescott, any of the running backs, and others are under pressure, too. We already know this. We have talked about Dak and some others more than enough with everything going on.
I think Sam Williams has a big year in 2024, Luke Schoonmaker probably doesn’t do much, and Mazi Smith is a question mark.
Let’s see if Mike Zimmer can make a bigger impact on them than Dan Quinn did.