The 2017 season was supposed to be the year the Dallas Cowboys finally kicked the door down. Coming off a blistering 13-3 run in 2016, the vibe around the Star in Frisco was electric. You’ve got Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, the league’s most terrifying young duo, enters Year 2. Tony Romo is officially in the broadcast booth. It felt like a changing of the guard that would lead straight to a Super Bowl.
But football isn't played on paper.
The Dallas Cowboys 2017 roster ended up being a case study in how fragile an NFL season actually is. One minute you’re the toast of the NFC, and the next, you’re 9-7 and watching the playoffs from your couch. Between legal battles, a "sophomore slump" narrative, and an offensive line that finally looked human, it was a wild ride.
The Offensive Engines: Dak, Zeke, and the Suspension
Honestly, you can't talk about this roster without mentioning the cloud that hung over it all year: Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game suspension. It was a legal circus. Zeke would be out, then he was in, then he was out again.
When he was on the field, he was still Zeke. He finished with 983 rushing yards in just 10 games. That's nearly 100 yards a game. But the games he missed? That’s where the wheels fell off.
Dak Prescott felt the heat. In 2016, everything was easy. In 2017, teams started to figure things out. His completion percentage dipped from 67.8% as a rookie to 62.9%. He threw 13 interceptions compared to just 4 the year before. People called it a slump, but looking back, he was basically trying to do too much without his best weapon.
📖 Related: Heisman Trophy Nominees 2024: The Year the System Almost Broke
The Skill Group
- Dez Bryant: This was actually Dez’s last year in Dallas. He caught 69 passes for 838 yards and 6 touchdowns. It wasn't "prime Dez," but he was still the primary threat.
- Jason Witten: The reliable safety valve. 63 catches. He was 35 years old and still outworking guys a decade younger.
- Terrance Williams: He started 14 games but didn't score a single touchdown. Zero. For a WR2, that’s... tough.
- Alfred Morris & Rod Smith: These were the guys tasked with filling Zeke’s shoes. Morris was a pro's pro, averaging 4.8 yards per carry, but he didn't have that "home run" speed.
The Great Wall of Dallas Cracks
For years, the Cowboys' offensive line was the gold standard. In 2017, the unit was still elite, but it wasn't invincible. Losing Doug Free to retirement and Ronald Leary to free agency hurt more than most fans wanted to admit.
Tyron Smith, the All-Pro left tackle, battled back and groin issues all year. He only played 13 games. Remember that nightmare game against the Falcons? Adrian Clayborn had six sacks mostly because Tyron wasn't there to stop the bleeding.
The interior was still solid with Travis Frederick at center and Zack Martin at right guard. Both made the Pro Bowl. But the revolving door at left guard between Jonathan Cooper and Byron Bell made the unit inconsistent. It’s hard to run a zone-blocking scheme when the guy next to you changes every three weeks.
A Defensive Identity Crisis
Defensively, the Dallas Cowboys 2017 roster was a mix of emerging stars and frustrating holes. Rod Marinelli was the defensive coordinator, and his "bend but don't break" style was tested constantly.
The bright spot? DeMarcus Lawrence.
👉 See also: When Was the MLS Founded? The Chaotic Truth About American Soccer's Rebirth
"Tank" finally exploded, racking up 14.5 sacks. He was a terror off the edge. On the other side, David Irving was a beast when he was on the field, recording 7 sacks in just 8 games. But "when he was on the field" was the recurring theme for that defense.
The Sean Lee Effect
It’s a cliché, but it’s true: the 2017 Cowboys lived and died by Sean Lee’s hamstrings.
When Lee played, the defense looked top-ten. When he was out, they couldn't stop a nosebleed. He missed five games, and the Cowboys went 1-4 in those contests. Jaylon Smith was in his first "real" season after that horrific knee injury in college, and while he played all 16 games, he wasn't the sideline-to-sideline burner we saw later in his career.
The "No-Name" Secondary
Dallas let Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne walk in the offseason. They went young. Very young.
- Byron Jones: Still playing safety at this point before his move to corner.
- Jeff Heath: The most polarizing player on the roster. He had 3 interceptions and always seemed to be around the ball, for better or worse.
- Chidobe Awuzie & Jourdan Lewis: The rookies. They got thrown into the fire early. Lewis actually played quite well, starting 7 games and snagging an interception.
That Infamous 2017 Draft Class
Looking back at the draft picks that joined the Dallas Cowboys 2017 roster, it’s a bit of a "what if" story.
- Taco Charlton (DE, 1st Round): The pick that will live in infamy because T.J. Watt was still on the board. Taco never really fit the scheme and had only 3 sacks as a rookie.
- Chidobe Awuzie (CB, 2nd Round): A solid player who eventually became a consistent starter, even if he didn't turn into a superstar in Dallas.
- Jourdan Lewis (CB, 3rd Round): One of the few "wins" from this class who stuck around for the long haul.
- Ryan Switzer (WR/KR, 4th Round): Everyone thought he was the next Cole Beasley. He was traded after one year.
- Xavier Woods (S, 6th Round): Incredible value for a 6th rounder. He became a staple of the secondary for years.
Why 9-7 Felt Like a Failure
The Cowboys finished 9-7. In many cities, that's a decent year. In Dallas, after a 13-3 season, it felt like the sky was falling.
✨ Don't miss: Navy Notre Dame Football: Why This Rivalry Still Hits Different
They started 2-3. Then they won three straight. Then Zeke's suspension finally kicked in, and they got blown out by the Falcons, Eagles, and Chargers in consecutive weeks. They were outscored 92-22 in that stretch.
Basically, the 2017 season was a reminder that depth matters. When you lose a Hall of Fame-level left tackle, an All-Pro running back, and your defensive signal-caller (Lee) all at once, you’re going to struggle.
If you're looking back at the Dallas Cowboys 2017 roster to settle a debate or research for a fantasy "all-time" league, keep these takeaways in mind:
- Check the Injury Splits: Always look at the stats with and without Sean Lee. It’s like looking at two different teams.
- Value the O-Line Depth: This was the year the "elite" line started to show age and injury wear, which changed how Dak had to play.
- The "Taco vs. T.J." Context: Don't just look at the stats; remember the draft-day decision that defined the front office's philosophy at the time (valuing "length" over "production").
You've got a roster that had elite talent at the top but was paper-thin in the middle. It was a bridge year that led to the eventually massive changes of 2018, including the trade for Amari Cooper.
To dig deeper into how this specific team compares to modern Cowboys squads, you should examine the 2017 defensive EPA (Expected Points Added) versus the 2023-2024 units—you'll see a massive shift in how the team generates turnovers today versus the "Marinelli era."