3 burning questions for the Cowboys offense heading into free company

Free company is per week away and it gained’t be lengthy earlier than all the questions we’ve been pondering currently will slowly be revealed. Yesterday, we supplied a complete 2023 offseason guide for the Dallas Cowboys that provides up some concepts of what the crew ought to do over the subsequent few months. However, as we embark on the free agent spending frenzy that’s about to happen (not by the Cowboys nevertheless), there are nonetheless some essential questions hanging over our heads. Listed here are three burning questions which have been on the minds of Cowboys Nation.

Why are the Cowboys contemplating hanging on to Zeke?

It appears quite obvious that the Cowboys’ once-star operating again has misplaced his juice as his yearly manufacturing continues to plummet. It’s taken them some time, however the crew has lastly injected extra Tony Pollard into the offense and it’s paid off. The 25-year-old operating again is coming off his finest season the place he earned Pro Bowl honors. The Cowboys entrance workplace has made it clear that Pollard will probably be part of the crew in 2023, and in all chance be slapped with the franchise tag.

So, if Pollard is the man, why preserve Elliott round? He has a $10.9 million base wage this upcoming season, however that gained’t stand. If Zeke performs for the Cowboys this 12 months, it’ll come at a decreased pay charge. However even nonetheless, why would the crew even throw a couple of million his means? Do they really feel Elliott’s declining play was attributed to not being at full well being? It looks like it could be quite simple to complement his contributions to the crew simply by including a brand new rookie operating again that may come tremendous low-cost.

The one cause the Cowboys must be contemplating that is if they’ve some sixth sense that he’ll convey one thing further to the desk that’s been lacking these previous couple of years. Financially, Elliott’s not due any extra assured cash so any further wage they offer him at this level will simply add to his general value. From a bookkeeping perspective, protecting him round one other 12 months permits all his bonus cash ($11.8 million) to be unfold out over three years quite than two if he was designated a post-June 1st lower.

Are Dalton Schultz’ enjoying days over in Dallas?

When speaking in regards to the franchise tag, the entrance workplace particularly acknowledged that it won’t essentially be Pollard who will get it. If that’s true, then meaning they’re entertaining the thought of Schultz as properly as a result of no different free agent even sniffs round that dialog. However even that’s a stretch as a result of it’s arduous to think about the crew ponying up the money for Schultz after they produce other wants. Not solely that, however the rookie tight ends final season, Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot, had nice years and look as much as the duty of taking over a bigger function in 2023.

Schultz doesn’t possess any eye-popping athleticism that screams “pay him the massive bucks” however he does present a really dependable security web for his quarterback. There will probably be patrons in Schultz and whereas he won’t set a brand new marketplace for tight ends, it will likely be greater than the Cowboys are keen to pay.

A crew with a younger quarterback would profit from a seasoned professional like Schultz, however the Cowboys can get by with out him. Plus, there’s some good expertise on this 12 months’s draft class. Have a look at Utah’s Dalton Kincaid. His talent set already seems to be like an skilled Schultz and that first identify is simply baiting groups to assume that. There’s additionally Michigan’s Luke Schoonmaker who brings that in-line talent set with an untapped pass-catching capability. If that’s not Schultzy-like, we don’t know what’s.

Is it value it to maintain Tyron Smith round?

All of us love Tyron Smith, and if all of us had our druthers, we’d like to have extra of him. Sadly, not having sufficient of him is what’s harm this crew in recent times. When the 21-year-old pup joined the squad again in 2011, he was the poster little one for reliability. The stud left sort out solely missed one sport over this primary 5 years within the league. Sadly, he hasn’t performed a full season since, lacking time in seven straight seasons. And making issues worse, he’s missed a complete of 35 video games during the last three years. Mainly, he’s missed two of the final three seasons.

When he’s on the sphere, there’s no denying he’s an asset. He will not be the dominant left sort out he as soon as was, however any crew would gladly like to have him shield their edge. What makes this determination tough is that he carries a base wage of $13.6 million this season and that’s fairly costly for a man who isn’t an odds-on favourite to make it by means of the 12 months unscathed.

The Cowboys have an amazing up-and-coming star in Tyler Smith who, due to Tyron’s fragility, began all 17 video games and performed in essentially the most offensive snaps of anybody on the crew final 12 months. Additionally they have Terence Steele who will obtain a second-round tender and an eventual contract extension. His restoration is coming alongside nice and each the younger TS’s would be the future bookends of this offensive line. May the Cowboys nonetheless use some depth at sort out? Completely, however not for a value of $13.6 million. If the crew is ready to work a pay restructure, then we’ll be signing a very totally different tune.