Predicting 2021 players whose stock rises and whose may fall

[garyo1954]

I keep coming back to this one.

Safe to say (IMHO) the biggest risers are on defense. When you are considered among the best on offense its expected you're good. And when you're good you got no place to go.
Right now its a crap shoot except to say defense.

 

[Alexander]

Biggest drop off - Dak. He has no incentive to excel now. You'll see a big drop off like Zeke after he got paid.

So Prescott is fat?

 

[jnday]

I think he’s more solid and reliable than some fans realize. I see him definitely getting a contract the Cowboys can’t afford.

For this reason, we all better hope that McGovern is ready to take over. He will offer more power at the position, but less mobility. He may be a big improvement in the power running game.

 

[jnday]

Well done Bob. I think McCarthy is gonna be a faller.

If he rises much more, he can get an offseason gig on the the TV show “My 600 Pound Life”.

 

[gimmesix]

• Hunter Niswander- this dude was a great midseason addition at punter last year. He avg 47.6 yards a punt and had a whopping 10 punts inside the 20. Having a punter with these kind of numbers helps a defense out a ton.

Don't see Niswander making the team because Anger's average wasn't much lower (46.4) and his ability to kick off saves some wear and tear on Zuerlein. Fassel has pretty much said that Anger is the front-runner, so either Anger will have to have a strong fall-off or Niswander will have to be even better than he was. (BTW, Anger had 19 punts downed inside the 20, so they were about on the same pace.)

 

[Verdict]

Off the radar players that will be a factor:

Urban: Riser. He is going to be an important part of this defense. (Free agent)

Wilson: Riser. He is going to lock down one of the safety spots.

Neal: Riser. He will be a solid specialty player. Very good addition. (Free agent)

Kazee: Riser. I think he will be the other safety. (Free agent)

Basham: Riser. Nice rotational piece. (Free agent).

This will be one of the best free agency classes we have had in a while.

Gallimore: Riser. He will take the next step this year.

 

[Stash]

For this reason, we all better hope that McGovern is ready to take over. He will offer more power at the position, but less mobility. He may be a big improvement in the power running game.

I have to think that’s the plan. But then you’ve got him up for free agency the following year as well (after the 2022 season).

 

[Whirlwin]

One of the most fun aspects of the off season is looking at the roster and trying to decide whose stock will rise and whose will fall. There will always be surprises.

With that in mind, here is a list of guys I think will emerge as young stars. In other words, these guys’ stock will be on the rise in 2021:

RISERS (emerging stars)

• Micah Parsons- I expect new DC Dan Quinn to find lots of ways to make the 12th pick in the 2021 draft a real defensive weapon. If he’s healthy all year, Parsons will be our leading tackler and probably the most exciting player to watch on defense. All the disappointed Cowboys fans on draft night are going to have to admit this guy is a beast.
• Trayvon Diggs- after an up and down rookie season, I think Diggs is going to emerge as potential pro bowl corner. Mentally and physically tough, I’m expecting a breakout season from this guy.
• Cedee Lamb- after an outstanding rookie season, Lamb can still improve a lot. He had a ton of drops last year. If he improves on that, look out. He may even become the team’s leading receiver. With Cooper and Gallup drawing some attention from defenses, Lamb could become THE guy at WR.
• Tyler Biadz- He had a decent rookie season in spurts until he got hurt. He’s not yet T- Fred material but if Zack Martin, La’El Collins and Ty Smith are all healthy, Biadz will grow a lot.
  
• Michael Gallup- so far, he’s easily been the best part of the 2018 draft. He’s become one of my favorite Cowboys. With Cooper and Lamb drawing attention, Gallup can continue his healthy 15.6 yard per reception average- one of the best in football. He’s going to garner a much bigger contract next year.
  
• Hunter Niswander- this dude was a great midseason addition at punter last year. He avg 47.6 yards a punt and had a whopping 10 punts inside the 20. Having a punter with these kind of numbers helps a defense out a ton.

FALLERS (guys that are diminishing in value- hope I’m wrong)

• Zeke Elliott- the days of Zeke having 25 carries for 150 yards are in the rear view mirror. He will still have some value for sure. But he’s never going to be 2016 Zeke again.
• Amari Cooper- Coop always has great stats, but he has a bad habit of disappearing in big games. He’s not making $20 mil a year to disappear. He will still be the best route runner in football, but he’s also still carrying those nagging foot and leg injuries that quietly sideline him too often.
  
• LVE- that nagging neck injury has robbed a very talented guy from being a top NFL LB. If he were healthy, his speed and tackling ability would make him a stud. But he’s had this neck problem since his Boise State days. That’s troubling.
• Jaylon Smith- With that contract and his awful performance last year, he certainly has incentive to get back to decent. But I just don’t have any confidence that he still has that in him. He’s a great story of perseverance but I wonder if that story is winding down. This is probably his last hurrah in Big D.

I left a lot of guys off both lists for brevity sake. Some of the bigger names like Dak, Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, etc, are people I hope will return to prominence. We will see.

Who are your risers and fallers?

I actually think Elliott it’s going to have a great season

 

[OmerV]

Biggest drop off - Dak. He has no incentive to excel now. You'll see a big drop off like Zeke after he got paid.

So, every player in the NFL drops off after getting their first big contract …..

 

[OmerV]

One of the most fun aspects of the off season is looking at the roster and trying to decide whose stock will rise and whose will fall. There will always be surprises.

With that in mind, here is a list of guys I think will emerge as young stars. In other words, these guys’ stock will be on the rise in 2021:

RISERS (emerging stars)

• Micah Parsons- I expect new DC Dan Quinn to find lots of ways to make the 12th pick in the 2021 draft a real defensive weapon. If he’s healthy all year, Parsons will be our leading tackler and probably the most exciting player to watch on defense. All the disappointed Cowboys fans on draft night are going to have to admit this guy is a beast.
• Trayvon Diggs- after an up and down rookie season, I think Diggs is going to emerge as potential pro bowl corner. Mentally and physically tough, I’m expecting a breakout season from this guy.
• Cedee Lamb- after an outstanding rookie season, Lamb can still improve a lot. He had a ton of drops last year. If he improves on that, look out. He may even become the team’s leading receiver. With Cooper and Gallup drawing some attention from defenses, Lamb could become THE guy at WR.
• Tyler Biadz- He had a decent rookie season in spurts until he got hurt. He’s not yet T- Fred material but if Zack Martin, La’El Collins and Ty Smith are all healthy, Biadz will grow a lot.
  
• Michael Gallup- so far, he’s easily been the best part of the 2018 draft. He’s become one of my favorite Cowboys. With Cooper and Lamb drawing attention, Gallup can continue his healthy 15.6 yard per reception average- one of the best in football. He’s going to garner a much bigger contract next year.
  
• Hunter Niswander- this dude was a great midseason addition at punter last year. He avg 47.6 yards a punt and had a whopping 10 punts inside the 20. Having a punter with these kind of numbers helps a defense out a ton.

FALLERS (guys that are diminishing in value- hope I’m wrong)

• Zeke Elliott- the days of Zeke having 25 carries for 150 yards are in the rear view mirror. He will still have some value for sure. But he’s never going to be 2016 Zeke again.
• Amari Cooper- Coop always has great stats, but he has a bad habit of disappearing in big games. He’s not making $20 mil a year to disappear. He will still be the best route runner in football, but he’s also still carrying those nagging foot and leg injuries that quietly sideline him too often.
  
• LVE- that nagging neck injury has robbed a very talented guy from being a top NFL LB. If he were healthy, his speed and tackling ability would make him a stud. But he’s had this neck problem since his Boise State days. That’s troubling.
• Jaylon Smith- With that contract and his awful performance last year, he certainly has incentive to get back to decent. But I just don’t have any confidence that he still has that in him. He’s a great story of perseverance but I wonder if that story is winding down. This is probably his last hurrah in Big D.

I left a lot of guys off both lists for brevity sake. Some of the bigger names like Dak, Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, etc, are people I hope will return to prominence. We will see.

Who are your risers and fallers?

Interesting topic. On your list there is the question of whether Niswander will make the team. He was very good last year, no doubt, but he has much more than just token competition for the job.

My picks:

RISERS:

Diggs: Showed signs of being outstanding last year, but also had some struggles. I think the year of experience will make a noticeable difference.
Dak: Healthy, full training camp with new staff and healthier O-Linemen should all bode well. Nevertheless, how he is perceived by many will depend on there being improvement in the team as a whole. He often gets unfairly, for not overcoming all things, but winning is the expectation, and right or wrong QB's get judged by that standard.
Gallimore: The flashes of outstanding play will hopefully be more consistent with a year of experience.


FALLERS:

Schultz: Not because I don't feel good about Schultz, but his usage will be less with Jarwin back in the picture.
Zeke: My guess is the Zeke has peaked and we won't get much more from him than last year. Not bad, but not the kind of control the game star RB the team or fans expect.

 

[INCowboysFan]

I hope you’re right, but Quinn came in and tore it up in 2019, getting 11.5 sacks in 14 games, to 5 sacks in 16 games for Lawrence.

He was definitely someone that opponents were scheming for.

Yeah, and they schemed to run right at him too. He was terrible against the run. all he cared about was getting sacks to he could cash in on one more big contract. That left his LB's hanging out to dry frequently.

 

[Stash]

Yeah, and they schemed to run right at him too. He was terrible against the run. all he cared about was getting sacks to he could cash in on one more big contract. That left his LB's hanging out to dry frequently.

From what I read about the situation, the ‘Quinn is terrible against the run’ claims were false, and unsupported by the facts and stats. His numbers against the run were right there with Lawrence.

And I know from what I’ve personally seen, Lawrence has his own number of gaffes losing outside contain and watching both running backs and quarterbacks run outside of him for big gains.

 

[catiii]

Zeke will rise on 1st down yards but will tap out on 2nd 3rd 4th lolol

 

[DanA]

Biggest risers for me are:
1. Gregory
2. Gallimore
3. Diggs
4. Lamb

Biggest fallers IMO:
1. Jaylon - I don’t think he sees nearly as much play time
2. Brown - I think he gets found out playing outside corner against better players than he is used too.
3. Tank - He seems to get injured every second year.
4. Biadasz - People IMO are sleeping on how big an issue OC could be for this team.

 

[charron]

Pretty much most backups will rise whether it's warranted or not. Highly paid starters will fall. Such is the life of an NFL player.