Dallas Cowboys: 3 players who will step up this upcoming season

Tyrone Crawford, DL

Defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford saw his season get cut short due to hip bursitis, which saw him having season-ending surgery. He is still under contract for this upcoming season and will look for an opportunity to have an impact on the Cowboys’ defensive line once again.

With the contracts of defensive linemen, Quinn and Michael Bennett expiring, eyes will look to Crawford to take a step up. He had his best season in 2018 when he accumulated 5.5 sacks, 34 tackles, and 12 quarterback hits. He also defended two passes and forced one fumble.

He has the flexibility to play both on the end and the interior of the line. He has never made a Pro Bowl or had that level of stats, but with a full season and Lawrence getting most of the attention, he may have a good year.

The introduction of new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and his more aggressive approach also allows Crawford to have an opportunity to play his best season yet. If he stays healthy, he will be able to do just that.

I don’t see him playing as well as Quinn did this past season, but racking up 7.0 sacks and 40 tackles is not a far reach at all. If he can play well enough whereas teams won’t double-team Lawrence as much, then it’s a good season.

All in all, a nice season back from a season-ending injury is coming. He was missed while he was out, and now he should be hungry. Crawford will step up and help this defense bounce back to what it was two seasons ago.