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Although Dak Prescott was initially meant to be a back-up in his rookie season out of Mississippi State, he came in for an injured Tony Romo and never looked back. That same year, the young Dallas Cowboys quarterback went on to win the 2016 Rookie of the Year and has since been to two Pro Bowls.
After a 2021 season spent coming back from an ankle injury that cut his previous season short, Prescott bounced back and helped the Cowboys win the division along with a playoff berth. Of course, the team's enormously improved defense should get most of the credit.
Former NFL defensive end Marcus Spears took to ESPN’s First take with Stephen A. Smith to express his opinion on the Cowboys' status going into the draft. With a clear need for offensive line help and a wide receiver or two to go along with CeeDee Lamb, the team needs more than a healthy Prescott to take the next step.
“This team is not better right now. The Dallas Cowboys are not better. We see the departures, but more importantly, we see Randy Gregory leave, who was phenomenal last year before he got injured.
Spears continued:
"The offensive line needs to get picks and Dak just came out and said he feels better; it’s gonna be a normal offseason. That doesn’t have a damn thing to do with the Cowboys being better. They do not have an offensive line right now, that's intact, that gives you enough confidence that they will be a really good team, or even better than they were last year.
"Amari Cooper is gone. And I know everybody talks about he wasn't worth $20 million. He was worth something. You ain't better without him right now.”
Will Dak Prescott get the weapons he needs to lead the Cowboys to the next level?
Whether or not Amari Cooper was worth the $20 million price tag, the fact remains, now that the Cowboys have finally figured out their defense, their offense seems to be lacking. With Prescott starting the upcoming season healthier than he’s been in some time, his success will be predicated on the talent around him.
Aside from their needs, running back Ezekiel Elliott is not the same talent he was in his first couple of seasons. It’ll be interesting to see what moves the Cowboys make in the draft.
