(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)
With the playoffs now all but mathematically out of reach, what would you like to see the Cowboys accomplish over these last four games? With an eye toward next season, are there any questions you think need to be answered? – Michael Sanchez/Albuquerque, NM
Nick: The good thing about the question - which is really a bad thing overall - is the Cowboys don't really have to go out of their way to get these questions answered. They are forced to see some of these young guys on the field, because of injuries.
The quarterback situation is a weird one, so I'm really just going to pass on that. Yeah, we all want to see more of Trey Lance, but all you're doing is probably letting him audition for another team. If the Cowboys truly want to finish this strong and win the games, then Cooper Rush gives them the best chance. But I will say that we can see more of Lance in special situations, especially around the goal line. I'd like to see more of that.
Other players that need to be evaluated here down the stretch - Jonathan Mingo of course, You gave the Panthers a fourth-round pick. To get some value here, he has to be an experienced player by next year. To do that, he has to get some reps here and hopefully a catchable pass. They still need to build some confidence in Tyler Guyton moving into next year. But these other players, Hoffman, Bass, Spann-Ford, Mukuamu, Liufau ... they're getting to see them because they basically have to play them.
Patrik: I've been on the Evaluation Train for weeks now, and I'm still steering that — even more so after seeing the team move to 5-8 on the season and literal zero percent chance of making the playoffs if they lose two of their final four games, and less than one percent if the lose a single one of those four. Cooper Rush and Trey Lance are both free agents next year, and so is Will Grier following his return.
Which one presents the best option for QB2 behind Dak Prescott in 2025? I need to know, especially from a youth perspective at the position. Unleash Lance and Grier is what I'm getting at there.
And while you're at it, throw Deuce Vaughn on the field to see, once and for all, if you can figure out a role for him going forward, and what of Dalvin Cook? Defensively, start ramping up reps for guys like Kemon Hall and Tyrus Wheat so they can use those in your favor in 2025, in the event of injury at their respective position, so forth and so on. Everybody aboard the Evaluation Train. Choo choo...
Mailbag
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