The Dallas Cowboys have officially trimmed the fat now that Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline is officially in the rearview. Head coach Mike McCarthy & Co. said goodbye to several players as they gun for a Super Bowl this season, including notable names like Peyton Hendershot, Eric Scott Jr., and Viliami Fehoko Jr.
But even though the roster is locked in, everyone's spot in the lineup isn't equal. While some players have more leeway, others are still on thin ice despite surviving roster cuts — whether that's because they failed to show up in the preseason or because there's a log jam at a certain position.
Either way, these five Cowboys must find a way to step up after surviving this year's 53-man roster deadline.
1. Ezekiel Elliott, RB
After a brief trip to New England, fan-favorite rusher Ezekiel Elliott returned to the Cowboys on a one-year deal this offseason. The No. 3 rusher in franchise history is coming off a lackluster season with the Patriots that saw him record a career-low in carries (184), rushing yards (642), and touchdowns (3).
While those are far from the worst numbers league-wide, it isn't the output that Cowboys fans are used to seeing from the ex-Ohio State Buckeye.
But even if he's lost a step, Elliott is still poised to be Dallas' RB1 come Week 1. Will that be a good idea? Time will tell.
It's hard to predict which version of Elliott will show up on the field this season. While he looked decent at times throughout training camp, the fact that he didn't suit up for any preseason action means we've yet to see him in an actual football game since January. Even if the Cowboys' offense is still among the best in the league, there's only so much that Dak Prescott and the offensive line can do to elevate Elliott.
With fellow rushers Rico Dowdle and Royce Freeman waiting in the wings, a slow start could see Elliott lose the No. 1 RB job quickly. That's why he should step up before it's too late.
2. Luke Schoonmaker, TE
One of the Cowboys' more surprising moves on Tuesday was that of trading tight end Peyton Hendershot to the Kansas City Chiefs. The former Indiana Hoosier — who joined the franchise as an undrafted free agent in 2022 — was released after only tallying four catches for 38 receiving yards without a touchdown.
After missing most of last year with an ankle injury, some Dallas fans thought Hendershot would be given another chance to prove himself. Clearly, that isn't the case.
With Hendershot now out of town, Luke Schoonmaker is set to be the Cowboys' TE2 behind Jake Ferguson. But just because the former 2023 second-rounder survived the axe doesn't mean that his future is secure.
After all, it isn't as if Schoonmaker had the most productive 2023 campaign.
Despite suiting up in all 17 contests, the ex-Michigan pass-catcher only finished with eight receptions on 15 targets for 65 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Not only did his 53.3% catch rate leave much to be desired, but he also finished the year with an uninspiring 49.8 offense grade on Pro Football Focus — the 12th-worst grade among 72 eligible TEs.
While I'm not suggesting that the Cowboys will move on from Schoonmaker tomorrow, it's clear that he has to be better if he wants to be an offensive mainstay.
3. Trey Lance, QB
Cowboys fans headed into the NFL offseason hoping to see what Trey Lance was made of. After all, the former 2021 third-overall pick didn't see any regular-season action after being traded to Dallas from the San Francisco 49ers last summer.
Fortunately, Lance managed to step up in spades. The North Dakota State product ended the preseason slate with an NFL-leading 662 passing yards — over 100 more than the closest player. He also paced his peers (regardless of position) with 168 rushing yards on 24 carries, finding the end zone twice along the way.
So, why is Lance still on thin ice?
To start, he hasn't started a regular-season game since 2022 and has only thrown 420 non-preseason passing attempts since the 2018 college football season. There's just no telling if he has what it takes to step up when it counts.
Secondly, there's also the fact that he still threw for five interceptions in the Cowboys' preseason finale. Even though exhibition games are meaningless at the end of the day, it's just extremely hard to find much to be positive about when it comes to that many giveaways.
Lance is also entering the final year of his contract, meaning he can't afford to make any mistakes. Prescott's future in Dallas still isn't confirmed just yet, so if Lance wants to potentially be in QB1 contention next year, he must take advantage of every opportunity whether that happens in practice or during an actual game.
4. Jalen Tolbert, WR
CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks will open the season as the Cowboys' top wide receivers, however, the pecking order beyond the duo is up for debate. When it comes to the WR3 role, many Dallas supporters are hoping that third-year playmaker Jalen Tolbert can step up to fill the job.
Tolbert, a former 2022 third-round pick, was a solid pass-catcher for America's Team last season. After an underwhelming rookie performance, the former South Alabama receiver turned 22 receptions into 268 receiving yards and two touchdowns across 17 games.
With that in mind, Tolbert could afford to work on his consistency. The 25-year-old WR may have tallied four performances of 49-plus receiving yards last season, but he also finished nine of his performances with fewer than 10 yards. He also went on two streaks where he failed to find the end zone for at least seven consecutive games.
Any Cowboys hoping to see if Tolbert's consistency improved have been left disappointed this summer. Mike McCarthy's staff opted to keep Tolbert (and the rest of the starters) out of the preseason action. In other words, we won't know if he made any serious leaps until Dallas faces the Cleveland Browns in Week 1.
With Lamb looking to ramp up following the end of his contract holdout and Cooks still being banged up, it's clear that Tolbert must elevate his performance, or else the passing attack could suffer.
5. Al-Quadin Muhammad, DE
As the Cowboys released defensive linemen like Viliami Fehoko and Durrell Johnson, Al-Quadin Muhammad managed to slip through the cracks. The 29-year-old pass rusher signed with the Cowboys at the beginning of the month after failing to garner attention earlier this offseason.
Muhammad was a decent presence on Dallas' defensive line this preseason. Playing a total of 97 downs across three appearances, the ex-Miami Hurricane registered eight pressures, two solo tackles, and three run stops. His efforts saw PFF give him an overall defense grade of 78.5.
But as solid as Muhammad was this once, there are some concerns going forward. For starters, he's still suspended for Week 1 after violating the league's Performance-Enhancing Drug policy last season. Even if it's his first offense, the fact that he was also suspended in college suggests that he might have off-field issues.
Secondly, Muhammad hasn't even played a regular-season game since 2022, having spent the entirety of last year on the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad. Even then, it's worth noting that he only played to a career-worst 53.9 defense grade when he spent 16 games with the Chicago Bears two years ago.
If Muhammad shows up in Week 2 and looks out of place, his spot in the Cowboys' lineup could be in jeopardy. Dallas only needs players who are ready to help end the Super Bowl drought. If Muhammad isn't ready to be a part of the solution, he can step aside and let someone else step up.
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