Dak Prescott, Cowboys Still Aren't True Contenders in NFC After Brandin Cooks Trade
For the fourth time in his career, Brandin Cooks will join a new team via trade. This time, he's headed to the Dallas Cowboys. Though the 29-year-old wideout can still make splash plays with his speed, he's not the missing piece to propel the Cowboys into Super Bowl contention.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Dallas sent a 2023 fifth-rounder and a 2024 sixth-rounder to the Houston Texans in exchange for Cooks.
In terms of value, that's a win for the Cowboys.
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Cooks has eclipsed 1,037 receiving yards in six out of nine seasons. With an upgrade at quarterback from Davis Mills to Dak Prescott, he can flirt with another 1,000-plus-yard campaign.
While Cowboys fans should be excited about Cooks and how he could open up the field for wideouts CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, they should remain wary about Prescott for multiple reasons.
Prescott threw 13 interceptions between Week 12 and Dallas' loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round this past season. He finished the 2022 term tied with Mills for a league-leading 15 interceptions in the regular season. Prescott must improve his efficiency in the pocket, and the Cowboys can help him with another top-10 ground attack.
Dallas cut Ezekiel Elliott, a plodding running back at this stage in his career. He averaged a career-low 3.8 yards per carry this past campaign. The team used the non-exclusive franchise tag on running back Tony Pollard, who underwent surgery on his fractured left fibula and high ankle sprain in January.
Per ESPN's Todd Archer, Pollard "should be full strength" before training camp, but Dallas needs someone to complement him in the backfield. In addition to coming off a serious injury, he hasn't logged more than 193 carries in a single campaign.
Through four seasons, Pollard has shared touches with Elliott. Perhaps he can take on a bigger workload in the latter's absence, though the Cowboys should bring in another ball-carrier to lighten his touch volume. Malik Davis, who went undrafted out of Florida last year and recorded 38 rush attempts for 161 yards and a touchdown, must do a lot more to carve out a role in the rushing rotation.
Because of Prescott's recent rash of interceptions, new Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer may believe less is more effective in the passing game, which would elevate the importance of the ground attack.
Perhaps Dallas should consider a move up from the No. 26 spot for Texas product Bijan Robinson or take a long look at Zach Charbonnet in the second round.
In Bleacher Report's post-NFL Scouting Combine big board rankings, Robinson ranks fourth overall among all 2023 prospects with a 9.0 grade. He's also listed as the running back with the best vision, best hands and best on third downs.
Because of the low position value of running backs, Robinson may be available after the top 10 picks. If he slips to the middle of the first round, the Cowboys may get aggressive in an attempt to acquire him.
Compared to Robinson, Charbonnet isn't as athletic or explosive, but he runs with great balance and power. His traits would complement Pollard, who's a big-play running back with above-average agility and quickness.
As an alternative to the draft, the Cowboys can also make a push to sign Leonard Fournette if they feel he has enough gas left in the tank for 12-14 carries per game behind a healthy offensive line. Keep in mind, he has less mileage on his legs with 1,132 rush attempts in his career compared to Elliott's 1,881 career rush attempts.
On top of Prescott's recent tendency to turn the ball over, don't forget he's missed 17 games over the past three campaigns because of injuries. Schottenheimer may want his quarterback to throw fewer than 600 times to preserve him for the length of the season, which underscores the need for a two-man backfield.
Aside from a void to fill at running back, Dallas will likely lose tight end Dalton Schultz in free agency. Sure, Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot played well in spots, and Schultz had a couple of brain fart moments late in the team's playoff loss to the 49ers, but the free-agent tight end became a viable red-zone option over the previous three seasons, hauling in 14 of 17 touchdown passes within 20 yards of the goal.
The Cowboys must figure out how to replace Schultz's production, assuming he signs elsewhere. They can sign a young and experienced player such as Austin Hooper, Irv Smith Jr. or Foster Moreau or take a look at top prospects coming out of college who had notable receiving numbers last year like Michael Mayer (Notre Dame), Dalton Kincaid (Utah) or Darnell Washington (Georgia).
Either way, Prescott needs a reliable big-bodied target near the end zone because Cooks isn't going to help in that area. He's a 5'10", 183-pound receiver with six or fewer touchdown receptions in each of the previous five terms.
This offseason, the Cowboys have taken steps to push themselves past the NFC Divisional Round for the first time since 1995. They acquired cornerback Stephon Gilmore from the Indianapolis Colts, retained key starters in linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and safety Donovan Wilson, and added much-needed speed in the passing game with the trade for Cooks.
But Dallas has to check off a couple of more boxes with legitimate questions around Prescott's ability to lead this club to a Super Bowl.
The Cowboys don't have a "Prescott problem," but his recent underwhelming playoff performances against the 49ers suggest that he won't get this team over the hump without an elite-level supporting cast.
With Elliott's departure and the likely loss of Schultz in free agency, the Cowboys must retool their backfield and find a big pass-catching target who can make his presence felt inside the opponent's 20-yard line. If a Prescott-led offense doesn't have those two elements, he could fall short in another postseason appearance against a top-notch defense.
The Cowboys have taken a proactive approach in addressing issues on both sides of the ball, but they have more work to do this offseason if they want to represent the NFC in Super Bowl 58.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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