FRISCO, Texas -- Strange business, the NFL.

One day, you are teammates with a guy, sweating, bleeding, aching with him. The next, he’s gone.

Over the past few years, the Dallas Cowboys have seen some notable departures. First to go was DeMarcus Ware after the 2013 season. Then it was DeMarco Murray after the 2014 season. Tony Romo left after the 2016 season. In a span of less than a month of this offseason, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten are gone.

Ware is the franchise leader in sacks. Murray has the most rushing yards in a season by a Cowboys running back. Romo is the franchise leader in passing yards and touchdown passes. Bryant is the franchise leader in touchdown catches.

Witten is the franchise leader in receptions, receiving yards, games played, games started, consecutive games played, most catches in a game and even a few more.

The Cowboys missed Ware, Murray and Romo in the year after the separation. They will miss Bryant and Witten in 2018.

For Witten, the departure cuts deeper because of what he meant as a leader. The standing ovation Witten's former teammates gave him after his 16-minute retirement speech last week showed the weight Witten carried in the locker room. The stirring open letter from a number of teammates spoke to the bond he carried with most of what Cowboys coach Jason Garrett calls the leadership council.

Replacing Witten’s leadership is probably more important than replacing him on the field.

So who becomes that guy?

Dak Prescott immediately comes to mind. Just by the nature of the quarterback position, Prescott already carries a leadership role. Since he took over from Romo in 2016 as a rookie, he has carried himself like a veteran, understanding the responsibilities.

A strong third season for Prescott is important for himself and the team. Next offseason is the first time the Cowboys can sign him to a long-term, mega-extension. If he excels the way he did as a rookie, Dallas has no choice but to sign him for the future. If he has a season similar to 2017, the Cowboys can opt to wait on a decision.

Well before the start of the offseason program in mid-April, Prescott was a fixture at The Star for the captains’ workouts. Before that, the 24-year-old spent time in Southern California, working out, fine-tuning his throwing motion and dropping 10 pounds.

There has always been a seriousness to Prescott’s approach that belies his age.

With Witten gone, more will be expected of him; more eyes inside the building will be watching him.

They will be watching Sean Lee as well. In some ways, he and Witten have similar approaches. To steal the line that Ben Hogan created and Witten adopted, he too believes, “the secret is in the dirt.” To the outside, most of Lee’s leadership had been by example, but on the Amazon Prime series “All or Nothing,” on the Cowboys’ 2017 season, it’s clear Lee leads with his words, too.

With Witten, Lee would defer to the elder statesman, backing Witten up in every stance. Without Witten, Lee becomes the elder statesman of sorts, and his voice will have to carry from the defensive meeting rooms to the entire team.

In his retirement speech, Witten said he was leaving to pass the torch to the next generation of Cowboys.

In his final few years, he said he was energized by the “young bucks.”

“I am proud of what we did together. Now it’s your turn to lead,” Witten said Thursday, looking down at his ex-teammates. “I know you are ready. You have earned that right and respect. I challenge you take it to the next level and do it in a way that makes all of us proud.”

It won’t just be Prescott and Lee filling the void. The Cowboys are confident in their leaders across the room, from offensive linemen Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin, defensive linemen Tyrone Crawford and DeMarcus Lawrence, and defensive backs Jeff Heath and Byron Jones.

But Prescott and Lee will become the consciences of the Cowboys’ locker room just the way Witten was for so many years.