Five Cowboys breakout candidates for 2024: Rico Dowdle and a promising young LB among those to keep an eye on

At this moment in time, the Dallas Cowboys are entering the 2024 edition of training camp, and in not too long, the regular season as a team in limbo.

The Cowboys didn't re-sign 2023 NFL MVP runner-up quarterback Dak Prescott ($55.5 million cap hit in 2024 in final year of contract, second-highest in NFL behind only Deshaun Watson's $63.8 million) or 2023 First-Team All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb ($17.991 million cap hit in 2024 in final year of contract), which hamstrung their ability to make any significant moves in free agency this offseason.

Without being able to spread two of their biggest cap hits for two of their best players out across multiple seasons down the road, that means Dallas will enter the upcoming season with almost all of their key contributors with one foot out the door in 2024. That's all thanks to not having the ability to address the rest of their roster contractually due to their dillydallying with Prescott and Lamb.

Cowboys notable free agents
2025 offseason

• QB Dak Prescott
• QB Trey Lance
• QB Cooper Rush
• RB Ezekiel Elliott
• RB Rico Dowdle
• WR CeeDee Lamb
• WR Brandin Cooks
• WR KaVontae Turpin
• RG Zack Martin
• DT Osa Odighizuwa
• DE DeMarcus Lawrence
• LB Eric Kendricks
• CB Jourdan Lewis
• S Markquese Bell
• S Juanyeh Thomas
• P Bryan Anger
• LS Trent Sieg

Since the Cowboys "all in" offseason transformed to the "get it done with less" offseason, and the team possesses less depth than it did a year ago, Dallas needs to see internal development in order to maintain the 12-win standard of the last three seasons.

With that in mind, here is a look at five Cowboys who could break out and take their games to another level and help Dallas maintain its success with a more a shallow roster next season.

Tyler Smith DAL • OT • #73 View Profile

Left guard Tyler Smith made a leap in 2023. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod after producing a 74.5 offensive grade, Pro Football Focus' ninth-best grade among guards who played at least 600 snaps. Smith excelled at paving the way in the run game, registering a 79.7 PFF run-blocking grade, sixth among NFL guards to play 600 or more snaps.

However, Smith could now raise his game to new heights entering his third NFL season at age 23 because of newfound positional stability. Since being drafted 24th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft , he cross-trained at both left tackle -- his collegiate position -- and left guard -- his NFL position -- in order to function as a failsafe for when eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith would sustain an injury.

Now that the elder Smith is on the New York Jets , the younger Smith will be focusing on left guard after Dallas drafted Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton 29th overall to be their new left tackle. Simply being able to lock in at one spot could make all the world of difference for Smith.

"I'm definitely excited," Smith said at Cowboys OTAs on May 30 when asked about knowing he will be a left guard full time. "Just knowing where I'm going to be, and what I need to improve on. Obviously, we have to stay ready because that's part of our mantra: 'Five is one.' Anything happens, everybody has to step up. I'm definitely excited to be able to work at that spot, and continue to get better each day for sure."

Cowboys three-time All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons declared that he thinks Smith can be a First-Team All-Pro player . That would certainly qualify as a breakout.

Jake Ferguson DAL • TE • #87 TAR 102 REC 71 REC YDs 761 REC TD 5 FL 0 View Profile

The No. 2 pass-catcher on the Cowboys last season wasn't veteran wideout Brandin Cooks even though he is the second wide receiver on the Dallas depth chart behind NFL receptions leader CeeDee Lamb. No, the player who ranked second in Dallas in both catches (71) and receiving yards (761) behind Lamb was tight end Jake Ferguson , who earned a Pro Bowl nod in just his second NFL season.

However, Ferguson believes he has many more levels of production he can reach.

"To me, I think I'm not even scratching my surface," Ferguson said on May 1 at the Cowboys' charity home run derby in Frisco, Texas. "There's so many things that I want to get better at and I know I can get better at. We watch film every day of different games, even the practices we're doing now and I'm like, 'OK, I can get a lot better still.'"

The tight end remained attached at the hip to quarterback Dak Prescott, particularly after practice, as the seam ball over the middle became a staple throw for the Cowboys quarterback in 2023 en route to him throwing a league-best 36 touchdown passes, five of which went to Ferguson.

"Obviously you see the jump he made from Year 1 to Year 2," Prescott said on May 1. "He's improved his intensity in his preparation just in this offseason: the way he's treated his body, the way that he's been communicating with me throughout the offseason, whether it's catching and throwing, he's a big-time playmaker for this team, this offense."

Both Prescott and Parsons, who said Ferguson "can be an All-Pro guy , " believe in their tight end's ascent. The 25-year-old former fourth-round pick (2022 NFL Draft) is grinding to ensure he validates their belief.

"In this league you can't be complacent," Ferguson said. "You've got to just keep going. You've got to keep getting better and that's what I aim to do."

Rico Dowdle DAL • RB • #23 View Profile

Rico Dowdle , an undrafted, 26-year-old running back, functioned as the Cowboys No. 2 running back behind Tony Pollard in 2023 at the age of 25, but in 2024, there's the chance he made end up leading Dallas in carries in the regular season.

"Definitely, he's had a good off season, looks great," McCarthy said at Cowboys OTAs on May 30. "You know, I think just like anytime these guys have a chance to really hone in their training. So, Rico's done an excellent job there. Very comfortable [with him]. He's very, very bright, very instinctive football player. So, he's definitely one of the the lead lead guys in the room as far as his experience here, but also his understanding of the offense."

Dowdle described his running style as similar to new/old teammate Ezekiel Elliott , and he flashed an all around style at times, like this screen play against the Arizona Cardinals last season that went from a huge loss to a near first down.

"Zeke, he's a bigger back than me, but [we are] similar style runners," Dowdle said on May 30. "I'm more of a downhill runner compared to guys like Deuce [Vaughn]. That's just not his game, but … Deuce he's a guy that can get out in space. He can can make anybody miss in the world. We all got our own attributes and things like that. … I'm all around. I think I'm more of an all around back. Catch out the backfield, run in between the tackles and outside."

Elliott himself acknowledged that he isn't the same bellcow back he once was as the NFL rushing champion early in his career, and he alluded to having eye toward preserving himself for December and January more so than needing a heavy volume of carries in the regular season. The "feed Zeke" days are over, which could provide Dowdle the space to have a breakout in 2024.

"I still view myself as a starter in this league," Elliott said at Cowboys mandatory minicamp on June 5. "But also I got to take care of my body and make sure I'm fresh for when it matters. What's that going to look like? I'm not necessarily sure, but we'll figure it out. ... I love football. I'm going to do whatever it takes for me, that I need to do to help this team win. Whatever that is."

DeMarvion Overshown DAL • LB • #13 View Profile

Dallas was so thin at linebacker last season that they ended up using safety Markquese Bell and safety Jayron Kearse at that position many times throughout 2023. The Cowboys lost Pro Bowl linebacker Leighton Vander Esch to a neck injury that resulted in an early retirement, which put a lot of pressure on a group with not too much depth.

They also were relying on Texas Longhorns speedster DeMarvion Overshown to contribute as a rookie in 2023 after they took him in the third round of the 2023 draft. Then-defensive coordinator Dan Quinn raved about his speed and versatility last offseason, but Overshown's rookie year was cut short after tearing his ACL in the preseason. Following the signing of former Pro Bowl linebacker Eric Kendricks in free agency, both he and Overshown will be counted on to lead the position in 2024. Jumping from being injured to eventually receiving starter-level reps certainly constitutes as a breakout.

"DeMo actually looks really good," McCarthy said at Cowboys OTAs on May 22. "It's respecting the timeline. If I was a doctor, which I'm not, I would say he's a little ahead of schedule."

Samuel Williams DAL • DE • #54 View Profile

One of the key depth pieces the Cowboys lost as result of Jerry Jones' inaction this offseason was defensive lineman Dorance Armstrong , a 2018 third-round pick who worked his way into becoming a reliable No. 3 at the edge position behind Parsons and Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence . Armstrong totaled a career-high 8.5 sacks in 2022 and followed up that campaign with a solid 7.5 quarterback takedowns in 2023.

However, he followed Quinn, now the Washington Commanders head coach, to Dallas' NFC East rival on a three-year, $33 million  contract with $16.125 million fully guaranteed this offseason. That opens up valuable play time for edge rusher Sam Williams, a 2022 second-round pick of the Cowboys who is 25-years-old. Williams has played in 32 of a possible 34 games since 2022, but hasn't ever started or totaled more than 4.5 sacks in a season.

Last season, he was more of a special teams player, but with more opportunity in front of him, Williams could potentially rise to becoming that No. 3 edge rusher the Cowboys need him to be.