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Dallas Cowboys: 5 players who must improve in 2018

By Steven Mullenax

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 31: Wide receiver Torrey Smith #82 of the Philadelphia Eagles attempts a catch against strong safety Xavier Woods #25 of the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field on December 31, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 31: Wide receiver Torrey Smith #82 of the Philadelphia Eagles attempts a catch against strong safety Xavier Woods #25 of the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field on December 31, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Heading into the new season, here are five Dallas Cowboys players who absolutely must step up their game in 2018 for America’s Team to find success.

The offseason has seen the Dallas Cowboys go through significant changes, both within their coaching staff and along their roster. Some of these changes will require certain players to step up their individual games in order for America’s Team to find success in 2018.

Here is a list of five Cowboy players that I absolutely believe must improve on their performances from 2017 in order for this team to return to playoff relevance.

Dak Prescott, Quarterback

This one is fairly obvious. After suffering a mild sophomore slump in 2017, the third-year quarterback is clearly under pressure to improve every aspect of his game going into the new season. Without tight end Jason Witten as a security blanket or wide receiver Dez Bryant no longer around to blame, the onus of the Cowboys’ aerial attack falls squarely on the broad shoulders of Prescott.

Cole Beasley, Wide Receiver

Arguably the top slot receiver in the NFL looked downright lackluster in 2017. After leading the Cowboys in catches (75) and receiving yardage (833) the year before, Beasley was all but invisible last season. With the receiver corps experiencing a complete reconstruction, Dallas will need their diminutive dynamo to find his game again … and fast.

Maliek Collins, Defensive Tackle

Suffering yet another foot injury, the former third round pick has had numerous obstacles to overcome during his first two seasons in Dallas. But Collins was able to recover quickly from a similar injury in 2016 to post a surprising rookie campaign that included amassing 5.0 sacks, the second highest total on the roster that year.

Desperately needing a stabilizing force to lockdown the interior of their defensive line, the Cowboys will have to hope this third-year defender shakes off his poor sophomore performance and lives up to the potential he flashed as a rookie.

Xavier Woods, Safety

Despite moving former starting safety Byron Jones back to cornerback earlier this offseason, the Cowboys opted not to sign a free agent or draft a prospect to fill that void. Their refusal to address the position is a big vote of confidence for Woods. The 2017 sixth round selection is currently penciled in to start at safety beside veteran Jeff Heath. The club clearly loves this kid, as this is a pretty significant gamble on their part.

Next: The top 10 Dallas Cowboys to never win a Super Bowl

Any Tight End

At this point, the Cowboys are attempting the “scattershot approach” for finding a replacement for the irreplaceable Jason Witten. They’ll throw tight ends Geoff Swaim, Rico Gathers, Blake Jarwin and rookie Dalton Schultz on the field as see which one of them stick. Early predictions believe it could be Schultz who emerges as the starter come Week One. But logic dictates that Dallas will use various combinations of these tight ends throughout the season. But I doubt the Cowboys are done addressing this need either.

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