Relying on these players could mean trouble for the Cowboys in 2025

As we all should know by now, this 2025 Dallas Cowboys team could and should look a lot different from the last few seasons.

With a new coaching staff under first year head coach Brain Schottenheimer, this team has over 20 pending free agents. That is a huge problem. It means that guys who are on the back burner may get a chance to play more than they should.

I am not even sure if Jerry will try and bring back guys like Jourdan Lewis or Osa Odighizuwa, but he should, because guys like that will not be easy to replace in the draft. Although that is exactly what Jerry Jones wants to do, just draft a cheap replacement and hope it hits.

With that said, it will mean some players who are currently under contract are going to have to possibly see the field more than they do, or just flat out need to play better!

The #Cowboys four lowest-graded defenders via PFF this year:

Mazi Smith - 34.8
Caelen Carson - 39.7
Marist Liufau - 50.1
Marshawn Kneeland - 50.8

(Min. 200 snaps) https://t.co/ytAVHWphKw
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) January 7, 2025

Mazi Smith

The first name is obvious, Mazi Smith has to play like his first round status for more than 3 games a season.

There was a point in the 2024 season where some, including myself, thought that maybe he got it figured out.

As encouraging as that was, he still ended his second season far short of the expectations Dallas had when they made him a Round 1 pick in 2023.

Smith finished with 41 tackles and one sack. As a first round pick, those can’t be your numbers in your second full season. I don’t care about the sacks, but really?

His numbers were far superior to what he recorded as a rookie but he was still ranked 117th out of 118 defensive tackles by Pro Football Focus. Yes, second to last!

Dallas needs to find a nose tackle who can give them more snaps because Smith isn’t ready to be the full-time starter.

Donovan Wilson

We have to call it like we see it, Donovan Wilson did not have a good year a season ago.

Wilson signed a three-year extension for $21 million before the 2023 season, and he earned it.

The year before, Wilson had his best season as a pro with 101 tackles (seven tackles for loss), five sacks, an interception, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.

I’m so tired of watching Donovan Wilson be 5 yards away every time his man catches the ball
— ✭STX Mario✭ (@_STXMario) December 10, 2024

Wilson is a player that could have just had a bad year in 2024, but Matt Erberflus, recently named defensive coordinator, plays a fairly straight forward brand of football.

He values consistent, disciplined play by his defenders, being a stickler for run fits and demanding reliable play in coverage. It doesn’t particularly fit Wilson’s brand of play since he’s at his best crashing downhill with a certain aura of reckless abandon.

A Wide Receiver

We have to be honest with ourselves here, this team is going to be asking Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks or Jonathan Mingo to be a productive wide out in 2025.

That is just brutal.

Brandin Cooks is going to be a free agent, and sure, Dallas will probably draft another cheap guy in like the 3rd or 4th round, but if they don’t take one in the first, one of these three guys are going to be asked to increase their snap count by a good number.

Jalen Tolbert regardless of what people say, I am fine with for now, but the other two, I would rather not see them unless the Cowboys are either up or down 30.

Trading a 4th round pick for him was once again a Jerry Jones idea that was an awful one.

Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on @SASportsStar on trading for WR Jonathan Mingo, who practiced with the Cowboys for the first time today: “We’re still trying to see if we can get some packages for him for (Sunday’s) game.

“He’s a guy that can help us this year as well, but certainly…
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 7, 2024

Mingo did nothing to help his case as he recorded five receptions on 16 targerts for 46 yards. That 31.3 catch percentage is tough to look at.

The sixth-round pick caught 10 of 14 passes (71.4 percent catch rate) for 102 yards. He deserves the snaps but Jones will probably push Mingo on Schottenheimer.