Cowboys stock up stock down after Week 5: Tony Pollard climbs

Stock up: Dorance Armstrong, EDGE

There are several players on the defense who are contributing but many of them were supposed to. Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs, for example, are doing what everyone expected them to do. Parsons, especially, has been phenomenal and is putting himself in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year discussion — especially after shaking off an injury to sack Matthew Stafford twice. But he’s had some unexpected help.

Dorance Armstrong started this last game out with a strip sack, which turned into a DeMarcus Lawrence touchdown. During the following series, he blocked a punt and recovered the ball. This set the offense up for three points despite not being able to move the ball.

Through five games, Armstrong has four sacks — which is just one shy of his career high. He would have tied that personal best had it not been for a flag that negated a sack he had on Daniel Jones a couple of weeks ago.

Armstrong has blossomed into a solid starter, which wasn’t what many expected when he was turned to following the loss of Randy Gregory.

Stock down: Dalton Schultz, TE

One of the reasons Dallas traded Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns was the fact that Dalton Schultz needed a new deal. The breakout tight end had 808 yards and eight touchdowns on 78 receptions a season ago and was hit with the franchise tag when a deal wasn’t reached.

Now, making north of $10 million, Schultz has been a non-factor in five games. He did miss one contest with an injury and was slowed down again this past Sunday, but on the year he’s caught just 9-of-17 targets for 80 yards.

That 8.9 yards per reception is 2019 Jason Witten-esque and it’s not going to help Schultz land the long-term deal he desires, especially now that the offense has proven they can succeed even when he doesn’t.