Only four teams are left in the race for Super Bowl LVIII as the conference championship weekend approaches.
The Dallas Cowboys were hoping to make at least an NFC championship appearance for the first time since 1995, but they are now starting early preparations for 2024.
This year could be a make-or-break for certain individuals on the team.
Every team shares the same goal during the off-season – upgrading their rosters. Although the Cowboys have a lot of talent in all three phases, even playoff-caliber teams know there is always room for improvement.
This article will discuss three positions the Cowboys could upgrade in 2024.
Wide Receiver
The Dallas Cowboys' receiver room in 2024 could look different than it does now.
The group starts with the all-pro CeeDee Lamb and ends with the NFL's leading receiver in receptions.
Last offseason, Dallas recognized the need for a second option and addressed it by trading for Brandin Cooks.
Cooks, a veteran in his 10th season, finished with 54 receptions, 657 yards, and eight touchdowns. However, he only had two games with 70 or more receiving yards and didn't score a touchdown until Week 6 against the Chargers.
Cooks will turn 31 this year and is entering the final year of his contract, meaning the Cowboys must consider younger options to play the number two role alongside Lamb.
Regarding younger options, the Dallas Cowboys have Jalen Tolbert and Michael Gallup.
Tolbert was drafted by the team in 2022 with the belief that he could at least become the third-best option for quarterback Dak Prescott.
However, despite being in his second year, Tolbert has only managed to haul in 22 receptions, gained 268 receiving yards, and scored two touchdowns. On the bright side, this is two more touchdowns than he scored in his rookie season.
Meanwhile, coming off his 6th season, Gallup was poised to be the number two option heading into the 2022 season.
Still, since coming off ACL surgery, Gallup's production has declined, finishing the last two years with 73 receptions, 842 receiving yards, and six touchdowns.
Gallup is currently in the middle of a 5-year $57.5 million contract.
However, the Cowboys could part with Gallup after the June 1 release and save $9.5 million in cap space.
The remaining unit members are KaVontae Turpin, known for his exceptional abilities as a returner, along with Jalen Brooks and David Durden.
The Cowboys are aware that the second and third options for the position are yet to be finalized, which could potentially lead to new additions to the team to intensify the competition at the receiver position.
Running Back
Heading into the 2023 season, the Cowboys took the field for the first time without Ezekiel Elliott.
Instead, Dallas handed the keys of the backfield to pro bowler Tony Pollard, who was coming off a breakout 2022 campaign and rightfully looked like the obvious option at RB1.
Dallas decided to use the franchise tag on Pollard but could not agree on an extension.
Despite this, there were high expectations for Pollard, who in 2022 rushed for 1,007 yards and scored nine touchdowns. He also added 39 receptions for 371 receiving yards and three touchdowns during the 2022 season.
During 2023, Pollard's performance was somewhat similar.
He accumulated 1,005 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, and 55 receptions for 311 receiving yards.
Although the numbers don't seem too bad, Pollard only achieved a single 100-yard rushing performance in a Week 3 loss to the Cardinals, and he scored just two touchdowns in his initial 10 games.
Now, the Cowboys are currently facing the decision of whether to keep or let go of their 5-year veteran running back.
Rico Dowdle, who also saw plenty of action last season, is set to hit the open market, leaving Dallas with only one remaining option in the backfield – second-year back Deuce Vaughn.
Therefore, Dallas will now evaluate all possible options to strengthen their backfield for 2024.
Offensive Line
Let's start with the good. Zack Martin continues to be a once-in-a-lifetime talent, Tyler Smith is a star, Terence Steele is above average, and when healthy, Tyron Smith is still elite.
Injuries have been a real issue for the Cowboys offensive line, making it difficult for the starting five to gain the necessary experience playing together.
With Tyron Smith, Tyler Smith, and Terence Steele all missing games, Tyler Biadasz is the only one to play in all but one game, and Zack Martin dodging an injury scare vs. Buffalo, it's no wonder that building continuity has been a challenge.
The Cowboys' offensive line faced a tough challenge during a four-game stretch against Seattle, Philadelphia, Buffalo, and Miami, as they allowed 14 sacks.
This poor performance followed a promising streak of only one sack allowed in the three games prior.
The team struggled especially against opponents with top-tier defensive line talent, such as the San Francisco 49ers, who sacked quarterback Dak Prescott five times.
The Eagles also proved a difficult matchup for the unit, recording nine sacks in two games against them.
It's important to remember that during the 2023 offseason, Dallas did not do much to address their line.
They only selected Asim Richards in the fifth round of the draft.
The crucial question is whether Dallas will keep future hall-of-famer Tyron Smith, who is currently 33.
Although Smith is still an effective player, he is often plagued by injuries and has not played a full season since 2015.
If Dallas decided to let Smith go, finding a new left tackle would become their top priority. Furthermore, the lack of depth is also a significant concern.
Overall, the unit is vulnerable to injuries.
Dallas needs to find reliable backup players to support their starting five, just like any good lineup in a basketball team that needs a solid bench.
