The Dallas Cowboys are 3-3, but that is far from optimistic. With the squad barely good enough to compete in the playoffs and Dak Prescott not performing like a quarterback worth $60 million per season, it’s evident that Dallas will not win anything if they maintain the status quo.
The Cowboys will need to make at least one move at the 2024 NFL Trade Deadline that significantly upgrades one of their biggest areas of need. However, addition by subtraction might be one way to make some smaller improvements around the back end of the roster. November could be a rebirth for this team.
These 3 players have severely underperformed for Dallas, and none of the are so entrenched in the infrastructure of the team to avoid getting booted out of town. If Jerry Jones does make some changes, these three players could see either their playing time reduced to zero or earn a pink slip.
EDGE Carl Lawson
Dallas was taking a risk with Lawson, as the former pricy New York Jets pass rusher was beset by serious injuries, including an Achilles tear. This may have been Lawson’s last stop on the block, and he has shown the player who used to blow past tackles in Cincinnati may not be coming back.
Lawson has tried to fill in for a beat-up Cowboys pass rush, but he has tallied just four tackles and one-half sack. Lawson has not recorded a full sack since the 2022 season. While not entirely his fault, Dallas has to eventually switch something up, as Lawson is playing inadequately.
DT Jordan Phillips
With Mazi Smith and the rest of the Dallas defensive line doing an inadequate job of fixing the defensive line, a veteran like Phillips might be the secret ingredient, right? Wrong! Phillips has started to show is age, all while his pass rush upside has completely ebbed away.
Phillips isn’t doing anything that another garden-variety player could provide. Dallas’ depth behind him is far from impressive, but they need to consider shaking things back up when he returns. perhaps a trade for an interior playmaker might be a better way to go about improving some of the biggest issues on this roster.
CB Andrew Booth
The trade that sent Booth, a former second-round pick, from the Vikings to the Cowboys for Nahshon Wright has been a serious lose-lose for both sides. Minnesota cut Wright and stashed him on the practice squad, while Booth has put together some extremely horrid performances as an outside corner.
His 29.1 coverage grade from PFF makes him one of the worst defensive backs in the game. His Thursday Night stinker against the Giants introduced the wider NFL world to his poor play, and he hasn’t done much in the interim to change hearts and minds. The former Clemson star, who has struggled to stay healthy, is a classic case of not having enough talent to be a Cowboys starter.
