Dallas Cowboys stock up, stock down
The Cowboys are riding high after an offseason of exceptional moves. Here’s who’s trending up—and down— before the 2023 season.
Stock up
Tony Pollard, running back: Pollard’s stock has been steadily rising since he joined the team as a fourth-round pick in 2019. His 193 carries, 55 receiving targets and 1,007 yards rushing in 2022 were career-highs even though Ezekiel Elliott led the backfield in touches.
With Elliott no longer on the team, Pollard is clearly the lead back. Second-year running back Malik Davis had just 38 carries as a rookie and 5-foot-6, 176-pound rookie Deuce Vaughn seems best suited for a complementary role.
Pollard is still recovering from a significant lower leg injury he suffered in the playoffs. According to multiple reports, he participated in the team’s recent OTAs, albeit in a limited role.
If Pollard can get healthy, he could easily lead the league in rushing yards.
CeeDee Lamb, wide receiver: Like Pollard, Lamb’s stock has only gone up since his arrival in Dallas. His targets (156), receptions (107), receiving yards (1,359) and touchdown receptions (nine) in 2022 were career-highs and top-10 marks among NFL receivers.
Lamb didn’t get much help from his fellow receivers last season. Tight end Dalton Schultz was the team’s second-leading receiver with 577 yards, 22 more than Noah Brown and 153 more than Michael Gallup.
This season, Lamb will share the field with a bona fide No. 2 receiver in Brandin Cooks. Cooks’ ability to stretch the field should open things for Lamb, who could easily have another career year in 2023.
Stock down
Michael Gallup, wide receiver: Gallup’s stock was way up in 2019-2020, when he put up 1,950 yards and 11 touchdowns on 125 catches. Since then, he has failed to reach 500 receiving yards in a season and has only six touchdown catches. Dallas traded Amari Cooper to Cleveland last year and gave Gallup a five-year, $62.5 million contract to be the team's No. 2 receiver, but he hasn't played like one.
Gallup, who suffered a torn ACL late in the 2021 season, has since restructured his deal, but his contract has no guaranteed money beyond 2023. He’ll need to play well if he wants to be back in 2024.
Kelvin Joseph, cornerback: When the Cowboys took Joseph in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the team hoped it had found an every-down starter to play opposite Trevon Diggs at cornerback. Two years later, Joseph has played sparingly and has only 36 tackles and no interceptions.
Factor in the trade for CB Stephon Gilmore and the play of CB DaRon Bland and Joseph’s days appear to be numbered in Dallas. During the team’s recent OTAs, he took reps at safety. It’s not the role the team had in mind for Joseph, but with so much talent in the secondary, it might be the only way he makes the team.
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