Dallas Cowboys: 4 significant losses Dak Prescott must overcome

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4. Will the Dallas Cowboys let Dak’s security blanket walk out the door?

A good tight end is hard to come by in the NFL. The chess piece that are too big for corners to cover but too fast for linebackers/safeties. There are not many game-changing tight ends and when a quarterback finds one, they automatically, by default, becomes the “security blanket”. Mahomes has Kelce. Purdy had Kittle and Lamar has Mark Andrews.

That’s exactly what Dalton Schultz was for Dak Prescott for the last three seasons. Averaging 66 receptions, 666 yards and 17 total receiving touchdowns is a testament to Dalton’s relationship, connection and trust that he has earned with the signal caller.

Last offseason, Dak watched from the sideline as his number one receiver (Amari Cooper) was cast off to the dog pound better known as Cleveland, OH. It was a much easier pill to swallow knowing that the Dallas Cowboys wanted to elevate CeeDee Lamb into that number one receiver role. Where will Dak turn when he’s looking for number 86 and he is no longer there to bail him out? What’s the plan for Dalton?

If Dalton leaves in free agency, that will change the way Dak operates in the pocket. It took Dak and Dalton two seasons before the rapport that everyone sees on the field started to show itself.  Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot will be fine players for the Dallas Cowboys, but fans should temper expectations.

It will not be an overnight success and the fruits of their labor may need some time to produce. Whether Dak admits or not, if Dalton walks out that door, the impact will be felt. Whether or not it’s marginalized by the replacements will be something to watch out for.

Change Impact Meter: 6 out of 10

The changes won’t end there. Many additional personnel changes are expected over the next few weeks as well, all sure to have an impact in 2023.