It's not just a talent thing. Coaches can play favorites, or favor older players, or just flat out get the depth chart wrong.
Damien Berry got more carries than Lamar Miller
Mike James got more carries than Duke Johnson
Mark Walton basically buried Gus Edwards & Travis Homer on the depth chart
I can see the coaches feeling Dallas & Cam were better. If the coaches felt they felt Burns & Murphy were better than Lingard - then the coaches are worse than we think they are.
It was always a weird situation surrounding Lingard, so I can't see any way this was strictly a talent thing.