Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys: 5 Most important offensive players for 2017

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:55 p.m. ET

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The Dallas Cowboys had a rebirth of excellence on the offense in 2016. Headed into the 2017 season, who needs to step up to match that performance?

With the Dallas Cowboys being the reigning NFC East champions and coming off a season where they finished with 13 wins, the franchise had a boom in scoring due to new talent providing a spark.

Looking back at the 2016 season, the Cowboys were fifth in points per game (26.3), fifth in yards per game (376.7) and second in rushing yards per game (149.8). The team was also 23rd in passing yards per game (226.9), and overall the Cowboys totaled 6,027 yards of offense, averaging 6.0 yards per game.

All of that was last season, though, and now as the Cowboys look to meet and exceed their success from last year, that means there are players on the roster who will have to be better than they were from last year as well.

Rookies Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott undoubtedly set the bar high for themselves as they enter their sophomore seasons at the professional level. Meanwhile, players like Dez Bryant will look to stay healthy. Then a player like Cole Beasley will hope to replicate the newfound success he enjoyed in 2016.

Though last season should be deemed a great success in the right direction, there is still the question as to who are the Top 5 most important players on the Cowboys offensive roster headed into the 2017 season. Here is that list.

Nov 24, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys tackle Tyron Smith (77) in action during the game against the Washington Redskins at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys defeat the Redskins 31-26. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

5. Tyron Smith — Left Tackle

The service provided by left tackle Tyron Smith is very much needed, especially since he's possibly the best at what he does in the NFL. Teammate Zack Martin recently said on The Hawk Cast that "If God had to make a left tackle, he would make him like Tyron Smith."

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That is high praise for any player, but Martin is correct in his statement as Smith has been dominant since entering the league as a 20-year old in 2011 when he was drafted ninth overall. This past season, Smith played in 13 of 16 regular season games, and throughout his career he's played all 16 games four times and 15 games once, giving him 92 career regular-season games played.

What the All-Pro caliber Smith brings to the Cowboys is a near guarantee that quarterback Dak Prescott will be protected from the left side. And if he does get hit, most likely it won't be coming from the man that Smith is in charge of blocking, making him one of the most important players on the offense.

Not just with his pass protection that he provides, but Smith is also an important run blocker, making life easier on the edge for Ezekiel Elliott. Basically, it is simply said when Smith is on the field for the Cowboys, he's going to make life easier for all the skilled position players.

Dec 1, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Travis Frederick (72) during a game at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Cowboys defeated the Vikings 17-15. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

4. Travis Frederick — Center

The center position is underrated by many, but the Cowboys have maybe the best center in the entire league, and many teams in the NFL would give almost anything to have on their roster a player as skilled as All-Pro Travis Frederick.

With every play starting with Frederick snapping the ball, getting the ball to Prescott is the foremost important part of the offense. Having a player like Frederick being right in the middle of the action on the offensive line should give the Cowboys and fans peace of mind.

If not for Frederick and the rest of the line, there is no way the rushing game is as revitalized as it has been the past three years with three different running backs rushing for over 1,000 yards in DeMarco Murray (2014), Darren McFadden (2015) and Ezekiel Elliott (2016). Plus, with Elliott as a rookie, he set some very high standards after year one with the blocking help of Frederick at center.

The Cowboys have a great advantage with the skilled Frederick at center. As long as he plays up to a high level like he has already in his NFL career, the Cowboys should continue to be a top-tier offensive line.

Jan 15, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant (88) makes a touchdown catch against Green Bay Packers cornerback LaDarius Gunter (36) in the NFC Divisional playoff game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

3. Dez Bryant — Wide Receiver

The Cowboys have won games without Dez Bryant on the field with recent injuries, but the former first-round selection does need to be playing at a very high level this upcoming season. He needs to, because if Dallas wants to repeat in the division and then go further in the playoffs, Bryant need to be on the field.

Bryant missed three games last season with injuries. But even with those injuries — plus the Cowboys running the football more and having a rookie quarterback one season ago — he still managed to catch 50 passes (96 targets) for 796 yards and eight touchdowns.

The past two seasons have seen Bryant miss 10 games with injuries, and his last 1,000-yard receiving season was back in 2014 where he last played in all 16 games. That season, the Cowboys even had an 1,800-yard rusher on their roster, and Bryant still managed to catch 88 passes for 1,320 yards and a career-high 16 touchdowns.

According to Pro-Football-Reference, has been down the past two seasons, 43.1 percent in 2015 and 52.1 in 2016. During his 2014 campaign, Bryant had a catch percentage of 64.7 percent.

Bryant first needs stay on the field more than he has the past two seasons. Injuries happen in the NFL. But with the rest of the NFC East bolstering their respective defensive backfields the past couple offseasons, having Bryant playing at a high level is a must for the Cowboys. They'll need to have their No. 1 receiver making plays in the inevitable crunch times the Cowboys face late in games this upcoming season.

Dec 18, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) runs with the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

2. Ezekiel Elliott — Running Back

In what is going to be his second season in the NFL, running back Ezekiel Elliott will need to be the same player this year, but even possibly at a higher level in 2016 when he had a rookie season for the ages. Even without playing in the regular-season finale last season, Elliott led the NFL in rushes (322), overall rushing yards (1,631) and rushing yards per game (108.7) at the age of 21 years old.

Elliott also scored 15 rushing touchdowns and one receiving score to go with his 32 receptions for 363 yards. It should go without saying Elliott took full advantage of the great offensive line provided for him, and he used his athletic ability and rushing prowess to take the Cowboys to the next level when it came to running the football.

Though it will be a very tough feat, Elliott will need to play at as high of a, or possibly even higher, level than he did in his first NFL season. Even as good as he was, Elliott has the talent and athletic ability to be an even better player than he was a season ago.

Watching Elliott will be very exciting for not just Cowboys fans, but football fans in general. Elliott has the abilities to take the Cowboys back to the very top of the NFL, showing just how great of importance he is to the offense this upcoming season.

Dec 18, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) high fives tackle Tyron Smith (77) in the huddle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

1. Dak Prescott — Quarterback

The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, Dak Prescott is the most important player on the Cowboys roster for the upcoming 2017 season. For one, he must avoid a "sophomore slump" season for this team to be successful. And secondly, Prescott must throw a touchdown pass earlier in the season than he did a year ago.

Prescott is coming off an excellent rookie season where he completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 3,667 yards with 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions for a QB Rating of 104.9. Those numbers are great for not just a rookie, but even better for a first-year quarterback that was third on the depth chart when training camp began last year.

What is worrisome about Prescott and makes him the most important player on the offense of the Cowboys is the fact the depth behind him isn't what could be described as "comfortable." With Kellen Moore coming off an injury and rookies Cooper Rush and Austin Appleby also battling for roster spots this summer, there's little proven talent (or talent) behind him.

The Cowboys need Prescott on the field more than any other offense player on their roster in 2017. Having stability and talent at quarterback makes this offense move and produce effectively. Remember how poor the Cowboys offense was with the merry-go-round at quarterback in 2015 when Tony Romo was injured? It could be worse if Prescott goes down.

After Romo was injured again last preseason, Prescott stepped in, took over the offense, and the rest is history. Having the running game of the Cowboys helps, as does the offensive line and veteran leadership of Jason Witten. Prescott brings a calmness to the offense, and as the second-year quarterback prepares for the season, the Cowboys are in very good hands.