The stars of the Dallas Cowboys are well-known. With the top-end talent on the roster being looked upon to bear the brunt of the load in 2024, it will still take a full-team approach if they are going to be considered a real threat this season.

While there are varying expectations for players up and down the roster, here are three players who have a chance to be better than expected, and perhaps have a bigger impact than some originally thought.

Three Cowboys primed to be better than some think in 2024

Israel Mukuamu

When it comes to versatility and the ability to be a plus player on the roster, not many provided more upside than defensive back Israel Mukuamu. The now veteran secondary player has played all over the defensive back end, and with new leadership under control this year, he has a chance to be used perhaps in the manner he should have been all along.

It’s clear that he has a unique skill set that Dallas should be taking advantage of. From his long and athletic frame to his ability to play safety, nickel corner, and boundary corner, there isn’t much that he can’t do in the secondary.

With DaRon Bland’s absence, we may get a chance to see Izzy play cornerback on the outside more than we initially thought. That being his more natural position, where he played in college, it could be good for the Cowboys and their depth.

Chauncey Golston

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When you think of Dallas pass rushers, the first name that comes to mind may not be Chauncey Golston. However, the former EDGE-turned-defensive tackle is now once again being called upon to line up out wide.

With Sam Williams gone for the season, the Cowboys have been scrambling to find pass rush depth, and while they have added pieces to the mix to help, one of the main keys was on the roster all along in Golston.

Don’t be surprised if he is able to show production both in the pass rush and in the run game, as Golston is a big, physical player who has shown quality ability in limited action.

Luke Schoonmaker

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This will be a controversial one, but something that is very possible to happen. Luke Schoonmaker is coming into his second season with many within the fan base ready to, if they haven’t already, write him off. With other weapons on the roster, he has become a forgotten man, and that’s something you may want to rescind before it’s too late.

Schoonmaker has talent and the ability to produce in the NFL. It will take him staying healthy and making the most of his opportunities to do so. He’s under the microscope this season, and that’s okay as the fanbase opts for a show me, don’t tell me approach to last year’s second-round pick.

He may never be a high-end piece for this team, but that doesn’t mean he can’t exceed expectations this season. Look for Schoonmaker to surprise some people this year, even if it is only marginally.

DALLAS — Days after Dallas Police Officer Darron Burks was shot and killed while on patrol, the vast community of those who knew and loved him was still in shock. 

As many as a hundred people gathered Sunday at the South Central Police District along Camp Wisdom Road in Dallas to share fond memories of the beloved classmate, teammate and friend. 

Following nearly two decades as an educator, Burks shifted his career to focus on the community in another civic-minded career. When he was killed, he’d spent just eight months as a police officer for the Dallas Police Department. 

While a steady stream of people laid flowers, balloons, flags and other memorabilia to remember the fallen officer, the group gathered in front of the memorial promptly at 4:04 p.m., representing his membership within the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., to remember the fallen officer. 

Burks joined the organization as a student at Paul Quinn College and his longtime friends said he always moved with character and integrity. 

“What a lot of y’all don’t know is that he was a righteous person all the way. Everything he tried to do in life was right. He lived his life right. He served his community right. When he taught students in the classroom in the educational career field that he chose. He did that right,” said Ken Frazier, fraternity brother and friend for more than 20 years. 

While Burks made his mark in the classroom for nearly two decades as an educator, few were surprised when he became a police officer 

“That was the career field that he chose to do, serving and protecting others who could not protect themselves, serving people who were less fortunate, the underprivileged. No matter what your socioeconomic background may have been, Burks was that type of person who would fill that gap and say, ‘Hey, if you need a helping hand, I’m here to give it all free to you,’” Frazier said.

Grief and disbelief still hung in the air as people cried, prayed and laughed through more tears. However, the community of supporters and a group of friends who’d become more like family vowed to remember Burks for the purposeful life he’d lived, rather than the tragic manner in which he died. 

“I wish more people could be like him, including myself. Right. Some attributes of his life and his character. It gives us something, you know, gives us all something to strive for,” said Chastity Colomb. 

A couple that knew Burks from his time at Paul Quinn College wanted their young daughter to see and hear the legacy that he left.

Former football teammate Billy Walker laughed with tears in his eyes as he remembered their college days. 

“You couldn’t find a flaw [and] He’s definitely going to be missed, especially by me,” he said. 

His wife De’Andrea Walker Lacy, also a classmate at Paul Quinn, grasped their daughter’s hand as they looked over the memorial. 

“I just let her know that those are the type of people in life that you want to meet and those are the type of people in life that you can take advice from. You can learn from a person like Officer Burks,” she said. 

A celebration of life service is planned for September 7 at Watermark Church in Dallas. 

DALLAS – Dallas Fire-Rescue is mourning the off-duty death of a firefighter.

Driver-Engineer Jimmy Small died on Wednesday, according to the Dallas Black Firefighters Association.

Small began working for Dallas Fire-Rescue in April 2017.

He most recently worked as a rescue driver at Station 52 in West Oak Cliff.

The circumstances around Small’s death are under investigation.

“Please keep his family, and the members of this department, in your thoughts and prayers as they search for closure,” wrote Dallas Fire-Rescue in a post online.