The NFL would be a much simpler place if every player in the league experienced a linear progression throughout their career. It would make things easier on teams, fans and the players themselves, but we all know that's not truly the case for many.

In reality, each player's progression is filled with myriad highs and lows. Sometimes a player takes a big step forward, other times he takes two steps back.

This is why the idea of a sophomore slump has been embedded in our brains since college. Even though it's not always the case, the idea of a sophomore slump simply conveys that growth from year to year isn't linear. Just because a player excelled his rookie year doesn't mean the same will be true in his second season.

Nevertheless, the opposite can be true. Just because a player struggled in his rookie season doesn't mean he will struggle in his sophomore season. And just because a player excels his rookie season doesn't mean he will come crashing down to Earth in the next. What's not embedded into our collective consciousness is the idea of a "sophomore soar" -- when a second-year player outperforms his rookie season, showing noticeable improvement and growth.

With that in mind, let's take a look at a few Dallas Cowboys who will avoid the sophomore slump and instead soar in 2019.

Connor Williams, left guard

Despite the prevailing narrative surrounding his rookie year, Connor Williams wasn't as bad as many were led to believe. Sure, he had his own share of growing pains (five sacks allowed, according to Pro Football Focus), but he also displayed a high level of technique at times, especially with his hands.

Because Connor Williams lacks the core strength to anchor against the stronger DTs, he tends to try and lean on contact to compensate. Short counters that perfectly with a powerful arm-over move. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/AQofTsIgmM — John Owning (@JohnOwning) September 10, 2018

Williams' issue is that he lacked the bulk and strength to trust his anchor against power rushes, which caused a bevy of technical inadequacies to bubble up to the surface. Because he couldn't trust in his core strength to anchor against power, Williams had to be aggressive with his engagement, causing him to lean forward heavily and get his weight over his toes. While this was fine against most defensive linemen, the higher-caliber ones -- such as Carolina's Kawann Short -- took full advantage of the former Texas Longhorn.

Luckily, Williams understood his deficiencies and attacked them with vigor this offseason, bulking up to 315 pounds -- 15 pounds heavier than he was as a rookie. This additional bulk should give him more confidence in his core strength and anchor. Now that Williams has added the necessary bulk, the next step is to break the bad habits he developed last season. The additional bulk doesn't do much good if he continues to get his weight over his toes when engaging.

Here are some of #DallasCowboys LG Connor Williams' best blocks through 2018. pic.twitter.com/YhdmnCM1G9 — John Owning (@JohnOwning) November 1, 2018

Nevertheless, Williams has yet to give anyone a reason to believe he won't put in the work to make the necessary technical adjustments, as his work ethic has only been praised dating back to his college days.

While he's still a ways from joining his teammates Travis Frederick, Tyron Smith and Zack Martin as perennial Pro Bowlers and All-Pros, Williams' additional strength should unlock the rest of his skill set, making him a true asset to the offensive line instead of its weakest link.

Dorance Armstrong, defensive end

After making a lot of noise in training camp, Dorance Armstrong went quiet through the regular season. That's not to say he played poorly -- he just didn't make much of a discernible impact on the field, which isn't all that uncommon for most fourth-round picks.

From Training Camp LIVE: This is some insane bend from Dorance Armstrong. Feints with a high insane hand and drops his pad level to take a sharp path to the QB. Proper stride length allows him to keep his balance and carry his momentum around the corner. pic.twitter.com/qQjTAkF2zX — John Owning (@JohnOwning) August 14, 2018

In training camp, Armstrong appeared to be a steal, displaying impressive pass-rush ability to go along with solid ability against the run. On one rep (the clip above), Armstrong displayed freakish bend on a speed rush as he ran underneath the strike of left tackle Jake Campos while turning an incredibly tight corner on his way to the QB. The fact of the matter is that when a pass rusher can get this low while turning a tight corner on a speed rush, he's going to be exceedingly tough to block.

Unfortunately, Armstrong didn't carry his outstanding training camp over into the regular season. He had a bad tendency to run to contact when rushing the passer, making it way too easy for opposing tackles to latch onto his frame and impede his progress. Moreover, he appeared to be thinking too much when on the field, never displaying the type of athleticism that impressed throughout camp.

Entering his second season at a position packed with depth, Armstrong appears primed to take the next step and become a notable member of the defensive line rotation. With DeMarcus Lawrence recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Armstrong should get an overwhelming amount of opportunities to prove himself at left defensive end against the first-team offensive line, notably right tackle La'el Collins.

Unfortunately for Armstrong, his sophomore soar may be tougher to identify than others on this list since it will have to come in a backup role behind one of the best defensive ends in the NFL. But when Lawrence needs a breather, don't be surprised if Armstrong makes a much bigger impact than he did last season.

Michael Gallup, wide receiver

Michael Gallup's rookie year wasn't bad, but it should be remembered for what it could have been. He recorded 33 catches for 507 yards and two touchdowns, all of which ranked in the top 10 among rookie receivers, but it should have been so much more.

Gallup was one of the most inefficient receivers in the league when targeted 20-plus yards downfield, posting an abysmal 33.3 reception percentage (52nd among the 89 WRs who saw at least eight such targets).

Dak Prescott certainly deserves some blame because occasionally missed an open Gallup downfield, but Gallup's inexperience deserves a lot of the blame as well. Oftentimes, deep shots down the field (when designed) are "spot throws," meaning the quarterback is throwing to a particular spot on the field rather than in relation to the receiver's location. This is oftentimes used in concert with play-action, or any play in which the quarterback is forced to take his eyes off coverage.

On these kinds of deep shots, the pacing of the receiver's route is incredibly important, which is why receiver coaches teach every single detail of the route, from the receiver's stance to when he turns his head to look for the ball. Gallup had a tendency to turn and look for the ball too early, which slowed his pace and caused Prescott to overthrow him. At first glance, it may appear to be an inaccurate throw from Prescott, but in reality, it was actually poor pacing by Gallup.

Comparing Michael Gallup's slant routes from Week 2 and Week 14 pic.twitter.com/myDaYBW4cx — Jim Jeff (@CowboysGifs) December 18, 2018

Luckily for the Cowboys, Gallup has already proven capable of making the necessary adjustments to improve his route running. During his rookie season, Gallup demonstrated a marked improvement on his slant routes. Early in the season, Gallup lacked deception with the stems and releases of his routes, leading to a lack of separation. Later in the season -- especially after Amari Cooper's arrival -- Gallup's slant routes improved, as he did a much better job disguising his route while attacking defensive backs' leverage, enabling him to be more effective.

On the back of improved production on deep passes, a sophomore soar is well within Gallup's grasps in 2019.

Enjoy this post? More film studies:

-- Why S George Iloka will play an important role in 2019

-- Why CB Jourdan Lewis will be a key reserve in 2019

-- Why rookie RB Tony Pollard will be a versatile weapon in 2019

Twitter: @JohnOwning