Despite making some personnel changes this offseason, the Dallas Cowboys look like they will have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL once again. Last season, Dallas was fourth in points scored and 11th in yardage gained despite not having starting quarterback Dak Prescott for five games because of an injury.
However, when Prescott was in the lineup, he struggled mightily with turnovers. That was a thorn in the side of the team as they came in bunches and at inopportune times, throwing 15 interceptions in only 12 games.
In the Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers, the turnovers popped up again as he threw two interceptions after a flawless performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the weekend prior. By all accounts, it would be fair to call Prescott the team’s offensive X-factor in 2023.
However, that isn’t the direction that Jared Dubin of CBS Sports went. Instead, Dubin selected a newcomer, wide receiver Brandin Cooks, as the team’s offensive x-factor for the upcoming season.
“Last offseason, the Cowboys cut ties with Amari Cooper. Whether it was because they thought he was overpaid or because of personality and chemistry differences, it did not work out. Dallas basically had CeeDee Lamb and then A Bunch of Guys at wide receiver. Michael Gallup was not himself coming back from a torn ACL. James Washington wasn’t going to be the solution, but he broke his foot in training camp anyway. Third-round pick Jalen Tolbert was a non-factor. Noah Brown ended up being the team’s second-best receiver until T.Y. Hilton was signed off the street. Enter Cooks, who the Cowboys acquired for a ludicrously low price even while getting the Texans to take on some of his contract. Giving the team a real No. 2 wideout across from Lamb — especially one who has deep speed — should open things up considerably for an offense that needs to figure out a way to keep opposing defenses from condensing the field on it in big games.”
Cooks is going to have a major role in the Cowboys’ offense in 2023. He was brought on to take pressure off of CeeDee Lamb and to give Prescott another reliable option in the passing game with Noah Brown and tight end Dalton Schultz both departing, signing deals with the Houston Texans.
With experience as a true No. 1 option, Cooks should thrive with the attention that teams are going to put on Lamb, a rising star in the league. The best asset that Cooks brings to the table is speed, which the Cowboys were lacking last season.
It is somewhat surprising that Dallas was able to find so much success without a consistent downfield threat on the team. That will change with Cooks in the fold as he can easily take the top off of the defense, opening things up for the rest of his teammates to find success.
