5 Cowboys on Thin Ice With Mike McCarthy Staying in Dallas

The Dallas Cowboys have made the controversial decision to retain Mike McCarthy as the team's head coach for the 2024 season. As McCarthy looks to earn a second contract, he knows this squad's unfortunate postseason results can't continue.

That means making changes on both the coaching and player side to ensure he fulfills Jerry Jones' Super Bowl dream.

With that in mind, here are five Cowboys on thin ice with McCarthy coming back for another year.

1. Deuce Vaughn

The Cowboys entered the 2023 season looking to prove they were just fine without veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott. Following some exciting preseason flashes, rookie Deuce Vaughn was seen as one big reason this RB room would keep chugging.

Unfortunately, the production from the backfield didn't go as expected, and neither did Vaughn's inaugural season.

The electric playmaking Vaughn showed at Kansas State struggled to directly translate to the pros. He recorded a lackluster 40 yards on 20 carries over the first five games while serving as one of Tony Pollard's main counterparts.

However, Vaughn was then demoted in mid-October, as McCarthy and co. made him inactive for Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers. That allowed Rico Dowdle to secure a tighter grip on the RB2 job, meanwhile practice squad RB Malik Davis stepped into Vaughn's role.

Vaughn eventually ended the 2023 season with more games made inactive (10) than active (seven), which is a concerning sign. It's clear he didn't earn the staff's confidence this year despite having an obvious opportunity to do so.

It'd be no surprise if McCarthy and co. make Vaughn earn his roster spot for 2024. He has little invested in him as a sixth-round pick, and quality RB depth is pretty cheap these days, providing an easy replacement path if he fails to impress.

2. Luke Schoonmaker

Fellow rookie Luke Schoonmaker does have more invested in him as a second-round pick, but the pressure will still be on him going into next year.

The departure of Dalton Schultz this past offseason created a huge hole on the depth chart that any tight end on the roster would have a chance to fill. Many hoped Schoonmaker, with his lofty draft status, would be the one to step up.

Yet, it was instead Jake Ferguson who emerged in a massive way for this offseason. The Wisconsin product blew his 2022 numbers out of the water with a whopping 71 receptions, 761 yards and 5 touchdowns during this campaign.

Just on numbers alone he was the Cowboys' second-best receiving option, and his role as a safety valve for Dak Prescott only solidified his importance to this offense.

Meanwhile, Schoonmaker was a complete afterthought with just 8 receptions and 65 yards despite playing in all 17 games. Those paltry stats already have fans worried he's in a bust territory, especially considering the quality players around the league who were found after him in this year's draft.

Now Schoonmaker will head into 2024 needing to prove the doubters wrong. However, he'll be hard-pressed to do that considering Ferguson is going to enter camp as the clear favorite for the starting job, both because of his production and his strong connection with Dak Prescott.

McCarthy is going to play the guy who gives him the best chance to compete. We know Ferguson can help this squad win games, but Schoonmaker having that same impact remains a mystery right now.

3. Michael Gallup

I think it's safe to call wide receiver Michael Gallup one of the biggest disappointments in Dallas this past season.

Following a 2022 campaign where he was clearly still working himself back to 100% after his ACL tear, there was optimism Gallup would regain the form that made the Cowboys confident in handing him a big-money extension.

Instead, Gallup's production continued to be mediocre. Despite Dallas putting even more of an emphasis on the passing game, the wideout finished with a meager 34 receptions, 418 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Even worse, Gallup suited up in all 17 contests this year, and his numbers across the board were still lower than his hampered 2022 production (39/424/4 in 14 games).

Gallup putting up average WR3 stats isn't good enough when he's being paid like a clear-cut No. 2 on his five-year, $57 mllion extension. That contract does present a possible out for this upcoming season, though. The Colorado State product would only cost $4.35 million in dead cap space if he's designated as a post-June 1 cut, compared to just over $13 million if released normally before that date.

Spending wisely is one of the biggest things a contender can do when balancing limited cap space and a roster full of highly paid stars. Gallup doesn't provide anything that couldn't be cheaply replaced, either by a veteran free agent or a 2024 draft pick.

McCarthy would be smart to consider if a move here could help better optimize his personnel for next season.

4. Eric Scott / 5. Noah Igbinoghene

What a difficult year it was for cornerbacks Eric Scott Jr. and Noah Igbinoghene.

Scott was taken in the sixth round of the 2023 draft to help provide some depth to this CB room, while Igbinoghene was acquired in the Kelvin Joseph trade with the Miami Dolphins at the end of the preseason to fulfill that same goal.

Unfortunately, neither guy ended up contributing much. Scott didn't get a chance to make his NFL debut at any point during the 2023 campaign, as he was made inactive for every contest. Meanwhile, Igbinoghene joined him on the bench more often than not, as the vet suited up in just five contests for Dallas.

Even a blocked kick return for touchdown in Week 1 didn't help Igbinoghene crack this rotation on a consistent basis.

More concerningly for these guys is the fact the Cowboys had numerous injuries to key cornerbacks all season, and they still didn't play much (or at all most weeks).

Igbinoghene's now set to free agency, which makes a split easy for Dallas. Scott has a sixth-round pick contract keeping him in town for now, but if he couldn't get playing time for a win-now squad, what's going to be different with the same goal and an even shorter leash for McCarthy in 2024?

Factor in the return of Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland's emergence leading to a big role next campaign, and it could be another long year on the bench for Scott, if he even survives the preseason.

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