Man, 2017 was a strange time to be a Cowboys fan. Honestly, coming off that 13-3 magical run in 2016, expectations were basically through the roof. People weren't just hoping for a playoff spot; they were booking Super Bowl flights. But the Dallas Cowboys 2017 lineup ended up being this weird, volatile mix of elite talent and absolute chaos that never quite clicked the same way twice.
It wasn't just about the players on the field. It was about who wasn't on the field.
You had the whole Ezekiel Elliott legal saga hanging over the building like a dark cloud for months. Then you had injuries to the "unbreakable" offensive line. By the time the dust settled on a 9-7 season, it felt like a massive missed opportunity. If you look back at the depth chart now, it’s a fascinating snapshot of a franchise in transition, caught between the Romo era’s sunset and the Dak/Zeke era’s high noon.
The Offense: A Great Wall With Cracks
The core of the Dallas Cowboys 2017 lineup was supposed to be the offensive line. It was the identity of the team. We’re talking about Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, and Zack Martin—three All-Pro anchors. But for the first time in a while, that unit felt human.
Tyron Smith started battling those chronic back and groin issues that would unfortunately define the later half of his career. When he was out, things got ugly. Fast. Remember the "Adrian Clayborn Game" against the Falcons? Chaz Green and Byron Bell were tasked with protecting Dak Prescott’s blind side, and it was a literal disaster. Clayborn had six sacks in a single game. Six! It showed everyone that while the 2017 lineup had elite peaks, the depth was dangerously thin.
Dak Prescott was entering his sophomore year. He wasn't the "Rookie of the Year" Dak anymore; defenses had tape on him. He finished the year with 3,324 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Those picks were a big jump from his rookie season. He looked tentative at times, especially when the pocket started collapsing.
The Skill Positions: Beyond Zeke
Ezekiel Elliott was the engine. Even with the six-game suspension that eventually kicked in late in the season, he still managed 983 rushing yards. Think about that. He almost hit a thousand yards while missing more than a third of the season. When he was out, the team leaned on Alfred Morris and Rod Smith. They weren't bad—Rod Smith actually had some explosive moments—but they didn't command the eight-man boxes that Zeke did.
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The receiving corps was... interesting. This was the twilight of the Dez Bryant era in Dallas.
- Dez Bryant: 69 catches, 838 yards, 6 TDs.
- Terrance Williams: The guy who somehow didn't catch a single touchdown all year despite playing 16 games.
- Cole Beasley: The reliable "Sauce" in the slot, though his numbers took a dip from 2016.
- Jason Witten: Still the security blanket, hauling in 63 passes.
Dez was clearly losing a step of explosiveness, and the chemistry between him and Dak just wasn't there. It was a lot of back-shoulder fades that didn't connect and contested catches that ended up as incompletions. It felt like the team was trying to force an old offensive style onto a young quarterback who preferred a different rhythm.
The Defense: Rod Marinelli’s "Bend Don’t Break" Project
Defensively, the Dallas Cowboys 2017 lineup was a work in progress. It was the year DeMarcus Lawrence finally exploded. "Tank" had 14.5 sacks and basically lived in the opposing backfield. He was the one consistent bright spot on a line that was otherwise trying to find itself.
Maliek Collins and David Irving provided some interior pressure—Irving was a beast when he was actually on the field—but the consistency wasn't there.
The Linebacker Soul
Sean Lee was the heart of the entire defense. It's a cliché, but the stats backed it up: when Sean Lee played, the Cowboys won. When he was hurt (which was often), the defense looked lost. Jaylon Smith was also there, incredibly playing his first full season after that devastating knee injury at Notre Dame. He wasn't "Old Jaylon" yet—he was playing in a heavy brace and looked a bit stiff—but the fact that he was in the 2017 lineup at all was a medical miracle. Anthony Hitchens was the unsung hero of that group, cleaning up a lot of messes before he eventually left for Kansas City.
The No-Name Secondary
This was the year the Cowboys went young in the backfield. They let veterans like Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne walk. Instead, they leaned on:
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- Byron Jones: Still playing safety at the time before his eventual move to lockdown corner.
- Jeff Heath: The guy everyone loved to criticize but who somehow always forced a turnover when you needed it.
- The Rookies: Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, and Xavier Woods.
It was a trial by fire. Lewis and Awuzie showed flashes of being legitimate starters, but as a unit, they were prone to giving up big chunks of yardage. They were learning on the fly against guys like Odell Beckham Jr. and Alshon Jeffery.
Special Teams and Coaching: The Garrett Era Staleness
Jason Garrett’s "process" was in full swing. Looking back, 2017 was perhaps the year fans really started to sour on the coaching staff’s lack of adjustments. Scott Linehan’s offense felt predictable. Rod Marinelli’s defense was predictable.
On special teams, Dan Bailey—usually "Mr. Automatic"—started dealing with a groin injury. He missed four games and uncharacteristically missed five field goals that year. For a team that lost several close games, losing that kicking reliability was a gut punch. Chris Jones was still booming punts, though, which was one of the few things you could count on.
Why the 2017 Lineup Underachieved
If you look at the raw talent in the Dallas Cowboys 2017 lineup, they should have been a 11 or 12-win team. So why 9-7?
It was the lack of a "Plan B."
When Zeke was suspended, the offense didn't evolve; it just tried to do "Zeke things" with Alfred Morris. When Tyron Smith went down, the coaching staff didn't give the backup tackles enough help with chips or tight end blocks until the game was already over. It was a rigid approach in a league that requires fluidity.
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Also, the schedule was brutal. They had to play the AFC West and the NFC West. Getting blown out by the Broncos early in the year set a weird tone. Then there was that heartbreaker against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers—standard Cowboys stuff, honestly—where the defense couldn't hold a lead with less than a minute left.
Lessons from the 2017 Depth Chart
Looking back at this roster teaches us a lot about team building. You can't just have stars; you need "functional depth." The 2017 Cowboys had the stars, but the gap between the starters and the backups was a canyon.
It was also the beginning of the end for the "Three Greats" on the line. Shortly after, Travis Frederick was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, and the unit was never truly the same again. The 2017 season was the last time we really saw that specific iteration of the Dallas Cowboys 2017 lineup try to run it back.
Key Stats to Remember:
- Dak Prescott: 13 interceptions (up from 4 in 2016).
- DeMarcus Lawrence: 14.5 sacks (breakout year).
- Ezekiel Elliott: 122.9 scrimmage yards per game (led the league).
- Team Penalty Yards: 1,014 yards (discipline was an issue).
What You Can Take Away Today
If you’re analyzing modern rosters or even building a fantasy dynasty team, the 2017 Cowboys are a perfect case study.
- Prioritize Swing Tackles: Never assume your elite left tackle will play 17 games. The 2017 Cowboys' failure to have a viable backup for Tyron Smith cost them at least two wins.
- Schematic Flexibility: If your star RB is out, you have to change the passing concepts. Using Dak as a pocket passer without the threat of Zeke didn't work because the receivers couldn't create enough separation.
- The Value of the Slot: This was one of the last years where Cole Beasley was the primary chain-mover. Today's NFL has moved toward even more versatile slot weapons, but the 2017 lineup showed how much a young QB relies on that middle-of-the-field safety valve.
The 2017 season wasn't a total failure, but it was a reality check. It proved that 2016 wasn't just the start of a dynasty—it was a perfect storm that required health, luck, and a lack of drama to maintain. None of those three things showed up in 2017.
To really understand where the Cowboys are now, you have to look at the scars from that 2017 campaign. It’s why the front office became so obsessed with drafting offensive line depth and why they eventually moved on from the "star" receiver model of Dez Bryant to a more route-running-focused room. The 2017 lineup was a bridge between the old way of doing things and the modern era.
For anyone digging into the archives, remember that the 9-7 record doesn't tell the whole story. It was a season of "what ifs" and "almosts" defined by a lineup that was too top-heavy for its own good. If you're looking for more specific game-by-game breakdowns or player grades from that era, checking out Pro Football Reference or the film rooms at Blogging The Boys is a great next step to see how individual players graded out during that rollercoaster of a year.