Dan Orlovsky: Dallas Cowboys won’t win over ten games this season

The Dallas Cowboys have had a rough offseason in regards to their roster, losing several players to free agency as they look to run back their determined pursuit to the NFC Championship game for the first time since 1995.

This week Vegas released the win total lines for each NFL team ahead of the 2024 season, placing the Cowboys at an over-under mark of 10.5 wins following three consecutive 12-win seasons. But Thursday on ESPN’s Get Up, every host selected the under on Dallas’ 2024 season win total, as former NFL quarterback and current analyst Dan Orlovsky explained to Mike Greenberg why he believes the Cowboys won’t achieve over 10 wins.

“Well they have five starters that don’t have positions filled right now, they lost their defensive coordinator,” Orlovsky said.

“Greeny, I’ll go to their offensive line. Okay? They have one known quantity or person on their offensive line, right guard Zack Martin. Tyler Smith is on their left side, we’ll see what position he plays, so you could sit here and tell me he’s gonna play one and be good at it. But that gives you at least three unknowns on their offensive line,” Orlovsky explained.

Key offensive line pieces like Tyler Biadasz and Tyron Smith found new homes this offseason, also losing players like running back Tony Pollard and defensive end Dorance Amstrong in free agency as well. And given Dallas’ overall losses and limited opportunities in the upcoming NFL Draft to replace production, Orlovsky does not see the Cowboys upholding their recent level of play.

“Let me give Cowboys’ fans a truth serum here, you’ve got three picks in the top 174 in the NFL Draft,” Orlovsky said. “So you have five starters on your football team that have roles to be filled, at least three on your offensive line are giant question marks. You only got three picks in your top 174 in the NFL Draft, so they’re a lesser football team.”

Additionally, reports this week revealed that the Dallas Cowboys are not currently negotiating a long-term contract extension with quarterback Dak Prescott ahead of the final year of his four-year, $160 million deal with the Cowboys. Suggesting that Dallas may allow Prescott to enter free agency next March when his deal expires, which would surely hurt their season win total in 2025 after Prescott earned the third Pro Bowl selection of his career last season and led the league in touchdown passes.

“And it goes back to the contract, and Dak, and what they’re gonna do,” Orlovsky said. “This is a football team that has lesser talent than they did last year, but greater expectations.”

“That doesn’t bode well in the NFL.”

Per usual, the exceptions will be high in Dallas this upcoming season. But currently on paper, there’s no question that the franchise still has some work to do this offseason if they want to come close to meeting those expectations this year.