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The NFL offseason is almost over, and Dallas Cowboys football is right around the corner.
The team reports to camp next week, and a handful of players need to use the next month to make an impact.
Not only will players improve their stock, but some will also see theirs fall because of the progress of others around them.
More than anything, though, I have a list of players who I am excited to watch.
Deuce Vaughn
Deuce Vaughn will have his stock go through the roof starting next week.
The backup role at running back is his for the taking.
Outside Vaughn, the Cowboys have Ronald Jones, Malik Davis, and Rico Dowdle.
Jones is the only guy with real success thus far, and even after his 978 yards as the lead back for the Buccaneers in 2020, he has not seen much game action since.
Vaughn was not heavily recruited out of Cedar Ridge High School in Texas, where he rushed for 4,405 yards during his career.
Of the Power Five schools that wanted to bring him in, only K-State wanted him to be an every-down running back.
In 2021, Vaughn became the first Kansas State player voted onto the AP All-America first team in 15 years.
There's so many highlights from Deuce Vaughn's career at Kansas State, but this first one is so underratedly nasty.
Gives the DB a little taste of what's to come, and then serves him the main course. Table for 6.pic.twitter.com/Dw12EjhrNf
— Laurie Horesh
(@LaurieHoresh) April 29, 2023
He was labeled as an all-purpose player. That year, he was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. AP named him a first-teamer again in 2022.
Vaughn has every chance to take the bull by its horns and earn the carries behind Tony Pollard in 2023.
Brandin Cooks
It has been almost FIVE months since the Cowboys traded for Brandin Cooks, and people still think this won't impact Dallas.
Cooks is a walking 1000-yard machine.
He produces everywhere he goes. He is now the fastest wideout on the team, and if this team scored 30 points a game in 2022 with Noah Brown and Dennis Houston, this will be fun.
New Cowboys WR Brandin Cooks, who has played with Tom Brady and Drew Brees, with some high praise for Dak Prescott pic.twitter.com/wvRPyAF33a
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 4, 2023
You replace Brown and Houston with Cooks and Michael Gallup.
Starting next week, we will finally see videos of Cooks working with the offense, and I am so ready for him to electrify.
Mazi Smith
Mazi Smith has been forgotten about already. He hasn't, but man, it sure feels like it!
The first-round pick for the Cowboys in the 2023 draft will add a well-needed addition to the defensive line this season.
Smith a run-stuffing defensive tackle, and the Cowboys need it desperately.
#Cowboys DT Mazi Smith highlights: pic.twitter.com/oISnMgcPbr
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) April 28, 2023
The Cowboys' defensive line is now loaded.
With them bringing Hankins back and having DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons.
Wow, I'm excited.
I understand plenty of others will make us go crazy, good and bad, but these are my three favorites to watch starting next week.
If this team can avoid the injury bug, they win the NFC East.
They won 12 games last year, and they got BETTER. Adding Cooks and Stephon Gilmore.
They get Gallup back for an entire offseason after his ACL injury; this sounds fun.
Say whatever you want about Dak Prescott, but he had the worst year of his career in 2022 and still scored 30 a game.
He will be just fine, and 2023 is going to be fun.
I can't wait for next week!
More must-reads:
- New Bears WR Rome Odunze 'hating the Packers' already
- Four NFL Draft 'projects' with the best chance to develop into stars
- The '100 catches in an NFL season' quiz
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