Big issues in Big D? Ranking 5 concerns Cowboys fans need to be mindful of

Everything the Dallas Cowboys say and do is analyzed with a fine-tooth comb, and that’s even before they’ve suited up for an exhibition game. We’ll take a closer look at the Cowboys to spot problems that could become major hindrances throughout the NFL season. All statistics are sourced from Football Reference.

Cornerback Trevon Diggs has become one of the most talented defensive backs in the NFL, but his 2023 campaign was cut short due to a torn ACL. CBS Sports reported in May that Diggs’ road to recovery has been encouraging, and Bleacher Report believed that he would be back for training camp.

However, in July 2024, Athlon Sports and others predicted that the Cowboys could start Diggs on the Physically Unable to Perform list, as a way of easing him back into the fold slowly. We’ll see how sharp and swift the Pro Bowler looks upon his return, but there’s a world in which he may need a little time to find his old form.

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When NFL players see others at their position getting lucrative contract extensions, it isn’t long before they start to prod their teams to fork over additional funds. CeeDee Lamb has likely been paying very close attention to the large sums of money wide receivers have caught the last few months.

With that said, it’ll be interesting to see how Lamb decides to approach training camp. He could opt to play things conservatively, as he hopes to avoid an injury that would negatively impact his negotiating power. Dallas also knows how important he is to their offense and their future, which should give Lamb a leg up in this situation.

After dabbling with other teams’ head coaching openings in previous years, former Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn elected to take the Washington Commanders’ gig this offseason. This could be an important departure for the Cowboys, as Quinn oversaw one of the best units in the NFL during his tenure.

CBS Sports analyst and former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo told Sports Illustrated that Quinn was a “home run hire” for Washington. Washington resides in Dallas’ division, and it’ll be intriguing to see if Quinn’s institutional knowledge of the Dallas’ operation gives the Cowboys fits during the teams’ two regular season matchups.

The Cowboys’ playoff failures have been dissected by seemingly every sports media outlet under the sun, including Pro Football focus and CBS Sports. Dallas knows that its season will ultimately be judged by how they perform in January. In January 2024, they were routed at home in stunning fashion by the Green Bay Packers.

As a result, it might be difficult for Dallas to get up for each and every game on their regular season schedule. Head coach Mike McCarthy might have his hands full getting his team to play hard for matchups against lower division teams, as everyone sets their sights on the postseason.

Perhaps the most glaring weakness Dallas has on their roster comes at running back. The Cowboys wanted to hand the keys to Tony Pollard, but he didn’t put the kind of campaign together they were hoping for in 2023. Pollard signed with the Tennessee Titans, which compelled Dallas to bring back Ezekiel Elliott.

Elliott doesn’t have a lot of experienced competition in the backfield, which might lead him to take on a similar role that he had during his first Dallas stint. There might be weeks where Elliott looks like his former self, but it might be unrealistic to expect that level of production for 17 games.

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