3 overrated Dallas Cowboys from the 2022 season
The Dallas Cowboys finished the season with a record 12-5 overall record and winning a playoff game, but they were unable to achieve their main objective for the year.
The front office will resume its work in the future in an effort to determine what to do next. They must also carefully consider whether anything should be done about these four players, who ended up being huge letdowns this season.
3 Cowboys who were a total disappointment in 2022
#3. Kelvin Joseph, Cornerback
Cowboys made a great selection in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft when they selected Trevon Diggs, who during his sophomore season led the NFL with 11 interceptions. The following year, they selected another cornerback in the second round with the goal of adding another starter. They chose Kelvin Joseph.
While Diggs was successful right away in Dallas, Joseph struggled as a rookie to get much field time. He was able to participate in 10 games, making two starts, recording just 16 tackles and two pass breakups. Even though he was never charged with a crime, he was then in the news for all the wrong reasons this past offseason when he was involved in a murder investigation.
Since Joseph was unable to land a starting position, that never materialized. After Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis were both placed on the IR, he even started to play more on special teams than base defense.
After Brown's injury, he made one start, but it was a forgettable game. Joseph allowed Zay Jones to score twice in a disastrous loss to Jacksonville Jaguars, including a 59-yarder that sparked the comeback.
#2. Michael Gallup, Wide Receiver
Dallas erroneously believed that Amari Cooper was unnecessary because Michael Gallup was there. Unfortunately, it appears that they overvalued Gallup and undervalued Cooper.
Gallup, a former third-round selection in 2018, has excelled as a receiver. The decline in 2021 was caused by injuries, but that was also the reason it didn't make sense to give him a five-year extension while moving on from Cooper. Despite Gallup's explosiveness, he missed most of the 2021 season due to injury, and just as he began to feel like himself again, he tore his ACL late in the season.
He missed the first three weeks of 2022 as a result, and when he returned, it was obvious he wasn't at full strength. Gallup finished with just 39 receptions for 424 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games because he lacked the same speed that allowed him to consistently advance downfield early in his career.
Noah Brown, a former seventh-round pick who had never amassed more than 184 yards in a season prior to this one, outperformed him for the majority of the season. Dallas Cowboys must decide their wide receiver strategy moving forward.
#1. Ezekiel Elliott, Running Back
Don’t let the touchdowns fool you, Ezekiel Elliott was a liability in 2022 and there wasn’t any area of the game where he outperformed Tony Pollard. Even so, Dallas continued to start Elliott and even allowed him to hog the glory once they were near the goal line.
In his seventh NFL season, Elliott had a career-worst 876 yards while averaging just 3.8 yards per attempt. He also had a career-low in receptions and yards with 17 for 92, while finishing with no touchdown receptions for the first time.
Even so, Elliott had 12 touchdowns on the ground and even boasted a streak of nine weeks straight with a score. But of course, the majority of his touchdowns were short-yardage and could have been scored just as easily by Pollard, who had a breakout campaign.
Pollard, who finally got consistent touches, finished with 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground, as well as 371 yards and three touchdown receptions. He was the leader for this offense when they needed a spark, and that was highlighted when he was injured against the 49ers and Elliott was held in check - easily.
Dallas has to decide at this point if it’s even worth keeping Elliott around due to his inflated contract. While he’s said he’s open to renegotiating, they’re going to have a hard time re-signing Pollard while paying Elliott even half of what he’s owed.
