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I was just talking with a friend about how this team needs more "dogs." You know, those players like Michael Irvin who are wired differently. Obviously, though, we can't see all the dynamics of the locker room, practice field, cafeteria, etc., so who do you see as the new top dogs on this team? – H. Melvin/Ocean City, NJ
Nick: While his name hasn't been mentioned in your question, one of the players who fits that description is now in Jacksonville. He might have been one of the smallest players on the team but Jourdan Lewis was definitely one of those "dogs" and the Cowboys' defense fed off of that.
Who replaces him in the slot is a big question? But who replaces that mentality is another? The same could be said for DeMarcus Lawrence, who is now in Seattle. While Micah Parsons is still the best player and has the most "dog" in him, although he calls himself a lion, there still needs to be some help.
I look at guy like Kenneth Murray to help with that. I think he's a fiery player who can be that kind of guy on defense. And on offense, is it too early for Tyler Booker to be that guy? I know he's a rookie but if he's talking about taking his opponent's will to play football away from them, then he's got that mentality. The Cowboys need that and much more from him right away.
Patrik: This is a wonderful question in a year that's now seen the Cowboys permanently wave goodbye to Tyron Smith, Zack Martin and DeMarcus Lawrence, and watched Jourdan Lewis take his talents to the Jaguars in free agency. That's a lot of canine energy no longer on the roster, and CeeDee Lamb leads differently, with action and not necessarily verbally, the same being true of DaRon Bland — still dogs by every measurement of the word, though not as vocal as someone like Michael Irvin. That task falls where it has fallen since 2016, on the lap of Dak Prescott, the biggest dog in the locker room ... and everybody knows it.
From there, if you're looking for vocal, animated leaders who also perform on the field, I'd add names like Micah Parsons, Jake Ferguson, DeMarvion Overshown, Donovan Wilson, Juanyeh Thomas and Israel Mukuamu, to name a few. Sam Williams also has that in him, in spades, and Dante Fowler is back to put his stamp on that category. Tyler Smith is of the same ilk as, say, Tyron Smith (quiet enforcer). This is all to say that, even before figuring out which newcomers will show their teeth, the Cowboys aren't lacking for dogs on this roster, regardless of how you personally choose to measure it.
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