This article is part of our Team Previews series.
Dallas Cowboys 
Dak Prescott's injury and one of the league's worst defenses doomed the Cowboys in 2020, but a new defensive coordinator in Dan Quinn and a massive infusion of draft capital were used to address the latter issue. With Prescott back, the key to this year might be better health along the offensive line.
Offseason Moves
Key Acquisitions
- Keanu Neal – LB (from Falcons)
Will fill a hybrid LB/S role and knows Dan Quinn's defense well.
- Micah Parsons – LB (Rd. 1, No. 12 – Penn State)
Immediate upgrade in the middle over fragile and erratic incumbents.
- Kelvin Joseph – CB (Rd. 2, No. 44 – Kentucky)
Speed and length make him a starting option opposite Trevon Diggs.
Key Losses
- Andy Dalton – QB (to Bears)
Veteran's departure leaves a hole behind Dak Prescott on the depth chart.
- Chidobe Awuzie – CB (to Bengals)
The athletic 2017 second-round pick never blossomed with the Cowboys.
- Aldon Smith – DE (to Seahawks)
Faded late in comeback season and now faces off-field issues.
- Xavier Woods – S (to Vikings)
Three-year starter was solid against the run, but Dallas needed more.
- Cameron Erving – OT (to Panthers)
Versatile depth lineman started five games in 2020.
A Look Under the Hood
Head Coach: Mike McCarthy (Year 2)
Offensive Coordinator: Kellen Moore (Year 3) - Air Coryell scheme
Defensive Coordinator: Dan Quinn (Year 1) - 4-3 scheme
2021 Vegas Projected Wins: 9.5 (T-11th)
2020 Record: 6-10
2020 Points Scored: 395 (17th)
2020 Points Allowed: 473 (28th)
2020 Point Differential: -78 (25th)
2020 Run-Play Rate: 38.6 percent (21st)
2020 Offensive Snaps: 1,113 (2nd)
2020 PFF O-Line Ranking: No. 27
Projected 2021 Depth Chart
QB: Dak Prescott / Garrett Gilbert
RB: Ezekiel Elliott / Tony Pollard
WR1: Amari Cooper / Simi Fehoko
WR2: Michael Gallup / Cedrick Wilson
WR3: CeeDee Lamb / Noah Brown
TE: Blake Jarwin / Dalton Schultz / Jeremy Sprinkle
O-Line: LT Tyron Smith / LG Connor Williams / C Tyler Biadasz / RG Zack Martin / RT La'el Collins (RotoWire Rank: No. 6)
Kicker: Greg Zuerlein
Top Storylines
Is this Offense Truly Elite?
For four games before Dak Prescott fractured his ankle Week 5, the Cowboys had one of the most dynamic offenses in the league, putting up 31.5 points and 509.5 yards per game. In the 11 contests with anybody else getting the start under center, they averaged 21.1 points and 319 yards. Prescott's personal production was just as eye-popping, as he was on pace for nearly 6,000 passing yards and 40 total touchdowns when he suffered his season-ending injury.
Even if the quarterback is fully healthy again by the 2021 season opener, as expected, there's no guarantee that perfect storm of circumstances will repeat itself. The defense, which was historically bad in some areas last year, should be improved, creating less incentive for the aerial attack to sling it around in perpetual comeback attempts. A healthier offensive line also might help the running game bounce back, as Zack Martin, Tyron Smith and La'el Collins missed a combined 36 games last season, but giving Prescott more time in the pocket can't hurt his performance, either.
With a trio of elite wideouts returning, Kellen Moore still calling the shots as offensive coordinator and Ezekiel Elliott a capable receiving back, Prescott once again has the talent around him to thrive, even if the Cowboys' game scripts aren't quite as conducive for huge numbers.
How Much Does Zeke Have Left in the Tank?
With the focus on Dak Prescott and the passing game through the first month of the season, Ezekiel Elliott found himself in something closer to a supporting role in a Cowboys offense that once was built around him. There was plenty of production to go around, though, and through five weeks the 25-year-old running back had six total touchdowns and was averaging better than 100 yards from scrimmage per game.
However, his 4.1 yards per carry was the lowest of his career, and once Prescott was out of the picture, Elliott's numbers sagged. Elliott didn't top 100 yards in a game or return to the end zone again until after the team's Week 10 bye.
The team's patchwork offensive line certainly was a factor – as was a disastrous defense that forced the team to air it out even more than it wanted to – and Elliott seemed to have his usual burst and power. He just had fewer touches to work with and fewer holes to exploit with his carries.
His hefty career workload should catch up to him sooner or later, but for now he still seems quite capable of handling a starter's volume in the Cowboys backfield, even if Mike McCarthy's scheme doesn't afford the kind of volume he grew accustomed to in the Jason Garrett era. Tony Pollard is a solid backup, but Elliott isn't quite ready to become an afterthought in the Dallas attack.
Lamb Coming in Like a Lion
When the Cowboys selected CeeDee Lamb with the 17th overall pick in the 2020 Draft, it seemed like a luxury pick for an offense that already had Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup at the top of the wide receiver depth chart, and a solid pass catcher out of the backfield in Ezekiel Elliott.
Lamb very quickly showed that he wasn't going to take a back seat as a developmental project to his more seasoned colleagues, however, recording his first 100-yard game Week 2 and his first multi-touchdown game Week 4. His early chemistry with Dak Prescott created hopes of a record-breaking rookie campaign.
Prescott's injury dashed those hopes, and of the three wideouts, Lamb arguably saw his numbers take the biggest hit with other QBs under center, as his yards per target went from 10.8 in five games with Prescott to 7.1 per game in 11 games without him. That said, the first number topped Cooper's 7.7 yards per target by a wide mark over the first five weeks, and Lamb's volume during that stretch was significantly higher than Gallup's (40 targets to 28).
Heading into his second season and with Prescott healthy again, Lamb's elite blend of physical traits and ball skills could have him poised to not only become the No. 1 option in Dallas, but a breakout star, despite the stiff competition for looks.
Barometer
⬆️ Rising: WR CeeDee Lamb
As a rookie last season, Lamb was on pace for more than 90 catches and 1,300 yards when Dak Prescott went down. With a year of experience under his belt and his QB back in the saddle, the sky could be the limit for Lamb.
⬇️ Falling: TE Dalton Schultz
The 2018 fourth-round pick stepped up with a remarkably good campaign following Blake Jarwin's season-ending ACL tear Week 1, but neither tight end has much upside as long as both are in the picture for Dallas.
😴 Sleeper: RB Tony Pollard
Pollard wasn't as explosive in his sophomore NFL campaign as he was as a rookie, but he still showed big-play ability and remains an Ezekiel Elliott injury away from a three-down role in the Cowboys' high-octane scheme.
🌟 Pivotal Player: Dak Prescott
If you define MVP as "the player whose absence hurts his team the most," then Prescott had a strong case for the award in 2020. The Cowboys' scoring dropped more than 10 points per game without him, and his ankle injury effectively ended the team's season Week 5. Prescott's return to full health makes Dallas a contender in the NFC East.
Medical Tent
QB Dak Prescott
Prescott's ankle injury in Week 5 last year not only ended his season, it paved the way for the Cowboys' own slide as a team as a parade of backup quarterbacks couldn't maintain the high level of offensive efficiency needed to overcome the team's atrocious defense. Heading into his sixth season and with a huge contract extension in his pocket, Prescott will look to pick up where he left off. Even with a healthier O-line in front of him and improvement from dynamic second-year wideout CeeDee Lamb, however, Prescott could have a tough time matching last year's pace of over 370 passing yards a game.
WR Amari Cooper
The 27-year-old underwent ankle surgery in January, and a slow recovery forced the Cowboys to place him on the PUP list at the beginning of training camp, setting back his prep for the season. Cooper has been very productive in 41 career contests for the Cowboys since being acquired from the Raiders, posting a 16-game average of 87-1,182-7 on 127 targets. But Lamb is younger and arguably more talented and could push his way into the top spot in the passing game if Cooper isn't fully up to speed by Week 1.
TE Blake Jarwin
Jarwin played only 25 snaps last year before suffering a torn ACL and missing the rest of the campaign. In Jarwin's absence, Dalton Schultz stepped up as a solid option. Jarwin is the more talented pass catcher of the two, averaging 8.7 yards per target in 2018-19 to Schultz's 6.9 mark last year, so a return to full health should put him right back on top of the depth chart at tight end. With Prescott back under center, Jarwin may be positioned for a mini-breakout, even with significant competition for targets from the Cowboys' all-world receiving corps.
Job Battle
While injury issues on offense were a big part of why the Cowboys wound up with double-digit losses, the defense was a mess, too, as only the Lions, Jaguars, Raiders and Vikings allowed more points on the season. All three levels had problems, but the linebacking corps was the biggest disappointment given the group's star power.
Jaylon Smith, a second-round pick in 2016, racked up fantasy-friendly numbers but was a liability in pass coverage and too often blew his assignments. That was still better than Leighton Vander Esch, a 2018 first-rounder who missed six games due to injury and was a shadow of the player who set a franchise rookie record for tackles.
Former Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn takes over as the new defensive coordinator, and Dallas also selected Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons with the 12th overall pick in this year's draft, adding another premium athlete to the mix. Parsons has the talent to follow in the footsteps of Deion Jones and Bobby Wagner, middle linebackers who excelled in Quinn's system, but how snaps will be allotted among the trio and who lines up where may not be clear even by Week 1, as all three are capable of being the lead dog if healthy and focused.
