The Dallas Cowboys have a solid collection of young players waiting in the wings, as Jerry Jones and Will McClay have continued to consistently churn out some very solid draft prospects and keep the team competitive despite their relative lack of activity in free agency.
What could be cause for some concern is the fact that the Cowboys can't afford to go too deep into their developmental well. After all, not all of these players are going to be part of the long-term future in Dallas if this team turns it around.
Zooming out a bit, three Cowboys stand out as players that the team needs to keep working with, and it might not be the worst idea in the world to cut off a few other players who haven't flashed as much and focus their efforts elsewhere.
3 young players the Dallas Cowboys must develop, and 3 to dump
Develop: LB DeMarvion Overshown
Overshown hasn't been healthy very often, but his performance at his peak has been encouraging enough to warrant more attention. At his best, Overshown profiles as someone who could be one of the best blitzing linebackers in the league.
Dump: CB Shavon Revel Jr.
It may sound harsh to dump a second-year third-round pick who is coming off an injury, but the Cowboys could be ready to rip that Band-Aid off. Revel has already had the heat turned up on him with veterans Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick added to the mix, while Dallas drafted another toolsy outside cornerback in Devin Moore.
Develop: WR Ryan Flournoy
Flournoy emerged from tiny Southeast Missouri State to become one of the team's more intriguing pass-catching options. With Dallas unlikely to add more receivers if they pay George Pickens, Flournoy's continued emergence as a No. 3 wide receiver would be a major win for this franchise.
Dump: EDGE Sam Williams
The Cowboys gave Williams the duration of his rookie contract to justify his second-round selection, and he never came close to looking like that type of player. He might be back in Dallas, but with new players locked in ahead of him, Williams is not a part of the long-term future.
Develop: OT Nate Thomas
The Cowboys need to decide if Tyler Guyton is going to be the left tackle of the future, and if Thomas beats him out, that could give them the answer they need. Thomas could force his way into Dallas' long-term plans by proving to be at least worthwhile depth on the offensive line.
Dump: DT Jay Toia
Even though Toia played such a limited number of snaps as a seventh-round rookie, Pro Football Focus painted a very concerning picture of his performance with a grade under 30.0 last season. His draft status doesn't guarantee him a ton of wiggle room.
Add us as a preferred source on Google