The Dallas Cowboys comeback player of the year and MVPs will be…

It’s prediction time so today we ask the Sport DFW staff who will be the offensive and defensive MVPs plus talk about our picks for comeback player of the year

Jason, Dink, Dan and I will dive right in starting with Offensive MVP…

Offensive MVP

Jason: The Cowboys’ 2018 Offensive MVP will be Tyron Smith. The trendy pick is obviously Ezekiel Elliott, but Tyron Smith might be more valuable. We saw exactly how much Dallas missed him on the left side of the line in the back half of last season. Smith staying healthy is a necessity with Joe Looney and rookie Connor Williams starting in the middle, and I think he puts together a relatively injury-free year.

Reid: I applaud Jason for going outside of the box and naming Tyron Smith MVP. In fact, I agree with him. The Cowboys fell apart last season because of Smith’s injuries more than Zeke’s suspension. Those of us who pay attention know this. But at the end of the day, chicks dig the long ball and MVP voters love playmakers exponentially more than offensive linemen. I think Zeke has his best season as a pro and wins the rushing title by a fairly wide margin. He’s my MVP.

Dink: The offensive MVP will be Zeke (Period).

Dan: The offensive and defensive MVPs should be pretty easy to predict as long as both stay healthy. Ezekiel Elliott will be the main force on offense all season, and DeMarcus Lawrence should be the defensive MVP, although this may be a little less of a guarantee than Elliott.

Defensive MVP

Reid: Speaking of defensive MVP, I have to agree with Dan and say DeMarcus Lawrence. The guy is a beast as a run stopper and pass-rusher. He’s in his prime and playing for a new deal. This is the ideal situation for a huge season.

Dink: The Defensive MVP will be Sean Lee (Period).

Jason: The Cowboys’ 2018 Defensive MVP will be DeMarcus Lawrence. Lawrence is a safe pick, and the right one. His 14.5 sacks last season was good enough for second in the NFL, and he should find himself in that same category again this year. Tank Lawrence is the best player on a defensive line that is Dallas’ best under Rod Marinelli.

Comeback Player of the Year

Jason: The Cowboys’ 2018 Comeback Player of the Year will be Tyron Smith. The 8^th year left tackle only missed three games, but was clearly not himself during the back half of the season. Smith has spent the offseason rehabbing his back, and should be a lot closer to the Tyron we know than the Tyron we saw last season.

Reid: It really comes down to your definition of “comeback” . Could the player be a highly regarded pick with unrealized talent in the NFL? Assuming so, Randy Gregory and Jaylon Smith would qualify as candidates. And while I have huge expectations for Gregory, it’s Smith who I think is going to be the ultimate feel good story this year and subsequently the pick for comeback player of the year.

Dink : My comeback player of the year will be Randy Gregory. I believe in optimism, and Gregory will prove he is a true “War Daddy”.

Dan : I can see Randy Gregory being the comeback player of the year as long as he stays out of trouble.

• Published on 09/07/2018 at 17:01 PM
• Last updated at 09/10/2018 at 12:04 PM