AugustUpdate Camp News |
Staff Rankings
| Config Cheat Sheet
| STOMP
Draft Strategies | Depth Charts | Mock Drafts | SOS | Tools | ADP
Diehards Staff Experts Poll | Draft Simulator | University Videos
Draft Strategies | Depth Charts | Mock Drafts | SOS | Tools | ADP
Diehards Staff Experts Poll | Draft Simulator | University Videos
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 | |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Go To: FlashUpdate / August Update Main Page
| Dallas Cowboys |
|
Go To: Off-season Team Review
|
| Most Recent News Updates: |
| DAL -- Cowboys Could Still Be Looking For Help At RB (9/01/13:30 CT) |
| DAL -- Time In San Francisco Didn't Go As Lance Expected (8/30/00:20 CT) |
| DAL -- Dowdle Most Likely RB2 Behind Pollard; Ferguson A Looming Playmaker (8/27/16:36 CT) |
| DAL -- Grier Gets His Chance To Shine In Win Over Raiders (8/27/00:09 CT) |
| DAL -- Jones: Adding Lance Has Nothing To Do With Prescott's Contract (8/26/18:30 CT) |
| DAL -- Grier Reportedly Set To Play Every Snap Vs. Raiders (8/26/09:08 CT) |
| DAL -- More On Cowboys Acquiring Lance From 49ers (8/26/00:52 CT) |
| DAL -- Cowboys Acquiring Trey Lance From 49ers (8/25/18:25 CT) |
| DAL -- Prescott Comfortable Despite Zero Exhibition Action (8/25/01:08 CT) |
| DAL -- Tolbert Earns Fourth Receiver Job (8/22/20:12 CT) |
| DAL -- Tolbert Gaining Confidence... And It's Showing(8/21/18:41 CT) |
| DAL -- Cowboys Fear Rookie LB Overshown Tore An ACL (8/20/09:13 CT) |
| DAL -- Rush, Grier Have Moments Vs. Seattle As Starters Sit Again (8/20/00:33 CT) |
| DAL -- Cooks Turning Out To Be All We Expected In Dallas (8/18/15:42 CT) |
| DAL -- How Will Cowboys' RB Depth Play Out? (8/17/16:55 CT) |
| DAL -- Vaughn Makes Some Waves In Exhibition Opener (8/15/00:05 CT) |
| DAL -- Cowboys, Martin Agree To Restructured Contract (8/14/14:17 CT) |
| DAL -- Prescott's Pass Without An INT Streak Ends At 91 (8/09/01:02 CT) |
| DAL -- Prescott Has High Hopes With McCarthy Calling Plays (8/08/18:58 CT) |
| DAL -- Ferguson Looking Like The Clear TE1 Early In Camp (8/08/00:41 CT) |
| DAL -- Pollard Sits Out Practice Due To Personal Issue (8/08/00:22 CT) |
| DAL -- Prescott Unlikely To See Any Exhibition Action (8/08/00:10 CT) |
| DAL -- PK Vizcaino Released After Poor Start In Camp (8/08/00:04 CT) |
| DAL -- Initial Issues And Injuries Of Note (8/08/00:00 CT) |
Current News Updates
9/01 According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, we shouldn't be surprised if Dallas adds a running back at some point. Graziano went on to notes it's not likely to be an earth-shattering addition. The Cowboys weren't in on Dalvin Cook or Jonathan Taylor at the contracts those backs were commanding. They weren't even one of the teams that brought in Kareem Hunt for a workout when teams were doing that. If they add a big name to the RB room, it'll be at a significant discount. Regardless, with Rico Dowdle and undersized rookie Deuce Vaughn as the primary backups to Tony Pollard (whose workload the team wants to manage to keep him most effective), the room might benefit from a veteran back. Pollard's 193 carries ranked 23rd in the NFL last season while he shared work with Ezekiel Elliott, and he has not had north of 200 carries in any collegiate or pro season. Fortunately for the bargain-hunting Cowboys, running back contracts are really low right now. If someone like, say, Leonard Fournette (just as an example, not to say they're interested in him specifically) were to decide he wanted to play for a contender on a low-level deal, that could make some sense.8/30 The 49ers expected Trey Lance to be their franchise quarterback when they traded three first-round picks and a third-rounder to the Dolphins in 2021 to move up to No. 3. Lance expected to be the 49ers’ starting quarterback for a long time. The marriage lasted only two years, four starts and 262 snaps before the 49ers sent him to the Cowboys for a fourth-round draft pick. “It’s not how I expected it to go,” Lance said Tuesday, via Schuyler Dixon of the Associated Press. “It’s not how I think a lot of people expected it to go. But I believe that everything happens for a reason. I think I’m here for a reason. Regardless of what it is, just want to try to find a way to help the team.” Lance learned Wednesday that Sam Darnold beat him out for the backup quarterback job behind Brock Purdy. Two days later, he was with the Cowboys. “That conversation obviously wasn’t something I wanted to hear, but that’s the reality of the situation,” Lance said of learning he was No. 3 on the depth chart. “Obviously, it was tough, but for me it was trying to figure out what was next and what’s going to happen in the future. I really tried to not expect anything one way or another, but I can say that when I heard ‘Cowboys,’ I had a big smile on my face. I was very excited to be here. ...” Lance works out in Fort Worth in the offseason, so he already has familiarity with the area. Now, it’s home. He joins a quarterbacks room with Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush, and Prescott has shown no reservation about the Cowboys acquiring the No. 3 overall pick in 2021. “He welcomed me with open arms,” Lance said of Prescott. “This morning was the first time I ran into him, but that meant a lot to me. This business is crazy. But for me, I’m not looking forward at all. I’m really trying to take it one day at a time. He’s a guy who has obviously played at a very high level for a very long time. Nothing but tons of respect for him, as I think he deserves and gets from across the league. So for me, just trying to learn everything I possibly can from him.” 8/27 According to ESPN.com's Todd Archer, Rico Dowdle has done more to earn the No. 2 job behind Tony Pollard than the rest of the depth chart at the position. Deuce Vaughn has opened eyes with his work. He is undersized (5-5), but that has not been an issue in practices or the preseason games. Archer went on to suggest the goal is to sneak Malik Davis onto the practice squad and have him be on the game-day roster Week 1 anyway. Veteran Ronald Jones is suspended the first two games, so the Cowboys have time to worry about a roster spot -- if needed -- for him. ... At tight end, rookie Luke Schoonmaker is starting to come on after opening camp on the non-football injury list, but Dak Prescott believes Jake Ferguson is ready to be a bona fide playmaker. 8/27 Will Grier had a hand in four touchdowns in a 31-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in a preseason finale Saturday night, a day after the Cowboys appeared to fill his third-string role by acquiring Trey Lance in a trade with San Francisco. With star quarterback Dak Prescott calling the plays, Grier threw for 305 yards with two TDs and ran for 54 yards with two more scores in what might have been his final act with the Cowboys after two seasons behind backup Cooper Rush. After Grier's 15-yard scoring pass to rookie running back Hunter Luepke for a 21-10 lead late in the first half, Prescott pumped his fists the same he way does after his own TDs and celebrated with OC Brian Schottenheimer and HC Mike McCarthy. “It’s a great time,” Prescott said. “It’s not just playing the game, it’s being able to impact it every which way. Obviously knowing that this is a big night for Will, I was just trying to make him comfortable. ..." Grier, whose only two regular-season games came as a rookie with Carolina in 2019, took every snap for the Cowboys with Rush entrenched in the role behind Prescott. Luepke, who was Lance's teammate at North Dakota State, had 118 scrimmage yards (58 rushing, 60 receiving). Grier was 29 of 35 passing. ... Almost every Dallas starter didn't play at all in the preseason. Many who saw extensive action have tenuous roster situations similar to Grier's, including Williams (six carries, 54 yards) and Dallas running back Malik Davis (10 carries, 42 yards). The Cowboys sat Rico Dowdle and rookie Deuce Vaughn, an indication they are filling the two spots behind lead back Tony Pollard. ... Barring a late change, the Cowboys are set to start the season with unproven 28-year-old rookie Brandon Aubrey, who missed from 59 yards in the first half but made one from the same distance after the break. Dallas had a kicking misadventure in the playoffs last season when Brett Maher missed four consecutive extra points in a 31-14 wild-card win at Tampa Bay. ... Dallas opens the regular season on the road on Sept. 10, traveling to plan against the New York Giants in the first Sunday night game. ... You can access complete stats for Saturday's Week 3 exhibition finale via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore. 8/26 Following upo on the ongoing story. ... The Cowboys insist their decision to acquire Trey Lance in a trade with the 49ers had nothing to do with Dak Prescott and everything to do with their pre-draft evaluation of Lance. Prescott has a salary cap charge of $59.4 million looming for 2024, the final year of his contract, and he has no-trade and no-tag clauses in his deal. It took the Cowboys almost two years to sign Prescott to a four-year, $160 million deal in 2021. But Cowboys owner Jerry Jones downplayed the idea that the trade for Lance gives the team leverage with their starting quarterback. “Didn’t cross my mind — period — about an impact here regarding Dak,” Jones said before Saturday night’s preseason game against the Raiders. “I know that Dak wants to do anything we can do to improve this team. We’re going to do it. The facts are the decision to bring in as high a quality of talent as we could and that’s a young talent. ... We’ve been trying to do what we did today. ... Almost every draft.” Jones said the team did not communicate with Prescott that they were trading for Lance, who Dallas graded as a second-round pick before the 49ers took him No. 3 overall in 2021, Todd Archer of ESPN reports. 8/26 The Cowboys will keep three quarterbacks on their roster: Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush and Trey Lance. That gives them one of the best quarterback rooms in the league. It also means the end of the road for Will Grier in Dallas after two seasons. Team officials spoke to Grier before the deal for Lance went public, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. They informed him the team will release him next week, but he will get to play every down in Saturday’s preseason game against the Raiders. The final preseason game thus will serve as an audition for Grier with the other 31 teams. As Profootballtalk.com reminded readers, the Cowboys claimed Grier off waivers from the Panthers on Sept. 1, 2021, but he never played a down in two seasons in Dallas. His only career action came in his rookie season of 2019 with Carolina when he started two games and passed for 228 yards and threw four interceptions. The Panthers made him a third-round pick in 2019. 8/26 When it became obvious that the 49ers would trade quarterback Trey Lance, the best options consisted of teams that potentially needed a better backup — or that needed a potential answer for the future. As Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio contends, the Cowboys didn’t need a better backup. Cooper Rush, who re-signed with a two-year, $5 million deal, has proven he can get it done when needed. But the Cowboys possibly need a potential answer for the future. Or, at a minimum, they need to create the impression that they have one. It’s not because the Cowboys are ambivalent about starter Dak Prescott, as the Vikings seem to be about Kirk Cousins. This is about Dak’s contract, which has put the Cowboys in a tough spot and which potentially forces the Cowboys to give him market value again, in 2024. Prescott’s four-year, $160 million deal has a massive cap charge of $59.4 million looming for 2024. Many assumed at the outset of the offseason that, eventually, the Cowboys and Dak would work out an extension. But if Dak wants market-level pay without market-level performance, that makes things a little tricky for the Cowboys. Enter Lance, who gives the Cowboys a low-cost fall-back option in the event that Prescott potentially persists in wanting another top-of-market deal in early 2024. The Cowboys could trade or, in theory, release Dak. None of his $34 million in 2024 pay is guaranteed. Per Florio, the cap charge if they keep Dak without a new deal is $59.455 million. The cap charge if they cut him or trade him before June 1 is $61.915 million. Dak once again has the Cowboys over a barrel. Lance, and his relatively low compensation package (compared to Dak’s), becomes an affordable replacement in 2024, if they cant work out a deal for Dak. That’s not to mean the Cowboys would prefer to swap out Prescott for Lance. But they need to have a Plan B, or Plan A will drive too hard of a bargain. ... Remember: After this season, Dallas will get to decide on Lance's fifth-year option for 2025. 8/25 The 49ers are sending their former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a mid-round, per multiple sources. We'll be following up. 8/25 Dak Prescott is one of a handful of starting quarterbacks who will get no snaps in the preseason. The Cowboys quarterback put a positive spin on it, saying Thursday it has allowed him to get a head start on Week 1. Dallas opens the season at the Giants on Sept. 10. “Understanding that I wasn’t playing in the preseason a week ago allowed me to move forward and watch some of their past games, our history with them,” Prescott said, via Nick Harris of the team website. “You’ve got to prepare. It’s game one. You want to start off hot and start off the right way, and when you’ve got the time, you’ve got to use it. ...” As Profootballtalk.com notes, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers are among the league’s quarterbacks who have played or will play this preseason, and it’s safe to assume they already are looking ahead at their season openers, too. But Prescott is in a better place than he has been the past few years heading into the season opener. He has not played in the preseason since 2019. The NFL didn’t play any preseason games in 2020 because of the pandemic, and then Prescott was working his way back from a fractured ankle in the 2021 preseason and a shoulder injury last preseason. Prescott said he feels “much different” about where he is and where the Cowboys are than a year ago. “I feel great about where we are,” Prescott said. “Much different than last year. I think we’ve said it all offseason, spring and in training camp, we’re in a much better place right now than we were at this time last year with the installation and the details of everything. It’s about making sure we’re crossing our T’s and dotting our I’s in this next week before we go in.” 8/22 According to Pro Football Talk, Cowboys second-year wide receiver Jalen Tolbert has reportedly earned the fourth receiver job on the Cowboys. He will be behind CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup. 8/21 WR Jalen Tolbert had a disappointing rookie season, but the 2022 third-round pick’s second summer with the team has been more promising. Tolbert regularly drew positive reviews during training camp practices and his four catches for 66 yards in Saturday night’s game against the Seahawks were another strong showing. Tolbert only had two catches as a rookie and said after Saturday’s game that the improved results are a result of his growing confidence in himself. “I am just building on what I have been trying to build on the whole training camp,” Tolbert said, via a transcript from the Seahawks. “Continuing to grow and build confidence in playing, and playing fast. It was fun to go out there, compete and show what I can do.” HC Mike McCarthy also cited confidence as the reason why Tolbert has put together more impressive results than he did last season. “Absolutely. Yeah, I mean, just the confidence number one,” McCarthy said. “It just jumps off the field. I think that’s really attributed to his hard work. He’s had a heck of an offseason. He’s cashing in on opportunities. He’s going up and making plays. I like the instinct of plays, the scramble plays, the extended plays. So I just think it shows you how much he’s grown. He’s on the same page as the quarterbacks, so I thought he had a nice night. ...” As Profootballtalk.com notes, CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Michael Gallup are the top three wideouts in Dallas. Tolbert’s summer has him in position for the No. 4 job. Should his confidence continue to grow, that role might expand as well. 8/20 Dallas may have suffered a significant loss with rookie linebacker DeMarvion Overshown leaving in the first quarter with a left knee injury. The Cowboys are concerned that rookie suffered a season-ending ACL injury during their preseason game against Seattle, per Dallas Morning News staffer Michael Gehlken. Overshown was hurt making a tackle on Seattle’s Zach Charbonnet and walked off the field under his own power before riding a cart to the locker room. Overshown was a third-round pick out of Texas. Offensive tackle Matt Waletzko (shoulder), TE John Stephens (knee) and S Sheldrick Redwine (hamstring) also didn’t return. “We had a couple young guys go down and you just say your prayers and hopefully the imaging points in the right direction,” HC Mike McCarthy said. 8/20 Dak Prescott’s backup, Cooper Rush, played into the second quarter of Saturday night's game against the Seahawks and was 9 of 14 for 96 yards and threw a 6-yard touchdown to Rico Dowdle. Deuce Vaughn continued to show his electric elusiveness, scampering 14 yards for a touchdown the first time he touched the ball early in the third quarter to pull Dallas within 17-14. But Dallas would get no closer. Will Grier was 13 of 18 for 136 yards, but was intercepted at the goal line. Grier also took a 20-yard sack on fourth-and-3 at the Seattle 28 inside the final two minutes. Dallas left the majority of its starters on the sideline as spectators for a second-straight week. 8/18 The Athletic’s Jon Machota believes Brandin Cooks “should be the favorite” to finish second on the Cowboys in targets. As Rotoworld notes, Machota didn’t stop at targets either. He also pegged Cooks as the team’s second leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Rotoworld went on to contend that while this isn’t much of a surprise, it does look like there could be a notable gap between Cooks and Michael Gallup this year. Cooks has had a strong camp while Gallup is coming off a down year. The ultimate ADP outperformer, Cooks has a path to get away with it again in 2023. 8/17 Since 2019, the Cowboys always felt they had proper running back depth behind Ezekiel Elliott. Tony Pollard was so good in his first training camp that year that it prompted owner and general manager Jerry Jones to jokingly say, “Zeke, who?” while Elliott held out for a large contract. With his speed and elusiveness, Pollard was a perfect complement to Elliott’s strength and power, eventually supplanting Elliott as the Cowboys’ lead back last season, a move some believe should have been made sooner. In March, the Cowboys released Elliott (who joined the Patriots Monday) and placed the franchise tag on Pollard to secure his play for at least 2023, but do they have the requisite depth behind him as they enter the season? Ronald Jones was signed in free agency in March, but he is facing a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. In addition, he suffered a groin injury in practice that could limit his preseason work. That leaves the Cowboys with Rico Dowdle, Malik Davis and Deuce Vaughn as the top contenders behind Pollard. ... As ESPN.com's Todd Archer notes, whatever happened in the preseason opener against the Jaguars was not going to settle the winner, but Vaughn had the best day with eight carries for 50 yards and a touchdown. Dowdle had six carries for 21 yards but fumbled on a 24-yard catch at the Jaguars' 1-yard line. Davis had just 3 yards on four carries as the Cowboys’ backup offensive line had a difficult time against Jacksonville’s starters. Vaughn, who is just 5-5, wanted to show what he did at Kansas State could convert to the NFL. What did he prove? “Just that I belong,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing for myself -- coming in and proving the people that believe in me right. It doesn’t stop now.” With two preseason games and Pollard unlikely to get any work before the opener, as coach Mike McCarthy protects his regulars, the backup running backs won’t lack for opportunities. Dowdle has been with the Cowboys since 2020 and Davis since last season, but they were in the shadows of Elliott and Pollard. Dowdle has seven carries for 24 yards in his career, but he hasn't carried the ball since 2020 because of hip and ankle injuries. Davis played in 12 games as an undrafted rookie in 2022, finishing with 38 carries for 161 yards and a touchdown. Vaughn’s diminutive size is a drawback when it comes to pass protection, but he has shown a willingness to get the job done in camp. Plus, McCarthy said they will make sure he is not asked to block 250-pound edge players by himself often. But Prescott likes what Vaughn has shown in the passing game. “He’s got some stuff. He’s special,” Prescott said. “He’s another receiver. One of the best, probably, pass-catchers or most natural pass-catchers I can say that we have on the team. ...” However it plays out, the deployment of the backup running back figures to be different this season. From 2016 to 2019, the Cowboys’ running game was almost exclusively about Elliott. In 2016, ’18 and ’19, Elliott had more than 300 carries and the second-leading running back topped out at 86 carries. In 2017, Alfred Morris had 115 carries because Elliott was suspended six games. From 2020 to 2022, Pollard’s carries increased from 101 to 130 to 193. Excluding 2017 when Elliott was suspended, the Cowboys have not had three running backs with at least 50 carries in a season since 2010 when Felix Jones had 185, Marion Barber 113 and Tashard Choice 66. In McCarthy’s 13 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, he had three running backs with at least 50 carries four times (2007, 2012, 2016, 2017). 8/15 As NFL.com put it, "Five feet and five inches of excitement hit the ground running on Saturday. ..." Highlighted by a 4-yard touchdown run, the ballyhooed preseason debut of diminutive rookie running back Deuce Vaughn was a promising one. At game's end, he had 50 yards on eight carries, three receptions for 9 yards and a nice 30-yard kick return. Vaughn has gone from a feel-good draft story to a training camp favorite, disappearing behind his blockers and reappearing with chunk gains. Vaughn's versatility and big-play potential should make him a contributor. However, the Cowboys still have issues in the RB room. Rico Dowdle and Malik Davis did not inspire confidence, and Tony Pollard is still a question mark as he comes back from a broken leg. Ezekiel Elliott's best seasons as a runner were way behind him, but he was still of major value in pass protection. Dazzling as Vaughn appeared at times, Dallas could be best served kicking the tires on adding a veteran back. 8/14 According to Adam Schefter, the Dallas Cowboys and G Zack Martin have agreed to a restructured contract. 8/09 According to ESPN.com's Todd Archer, Dak Prescott's streak of 91 passes without an interception in team and 7-on-7 drills has came to an end. He threw three picks Tuesday, two of which were intercepted by Trevon Diggs. Diggs opened team drills with an amazing grab after Prescott sprinted away from trouble and tried to find CeeDee Lamb near the sideline. Prescott tried to get Simi Fehoko deep two series later, but Diggs was able to undercut the throw. Diggs nearly had a third interception on a red zone throw but he could not hold on to the ball in the back of the end zone. Facing fourth-and-third, Prescott had to let loose a pass under duress that Leighton Vander Esch picked off. In six padded practices, Prescott has, unofficially, completed 87 of 141 passes in team and 7-on-7 drills. 8/08 Dak Prescott is feeling confident heading into the 2023 season, after the departure of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and head coach Mike McCarthy’s decision to handle play calling himself. Prescott said McCarthy has added new wrinkles to the Cowboys’ offense that are making him more comfortable running the show than ever before. “Just crazy amount of details,” Prescott told Yahoo Sports. “Guys are on the same page, just being very open and communicating. That has been a world of difference.” Prescott believes he’ll be take chances while cutting down on turnovers. “I keep saying ‘aggressive nature,’ but it’s aggressive in the play calls with a great purpose in it,” Prescott said. “‘Hey, if that’s not there, you know the reads, just get down to it. Very clear and concise about getting to a play that I feel most comfortable with. If I don’t like that look, whether it’s a run play or a pass play, I have so many plays and things in my back pocket that I’m almost obligated to get to because I know what he’s looking for in his plays. If the [expected look] is not the defense that I get, I’ll feel comfortable and know: ‘Hey, I need to get to this play because it’s better for everybody.’” As Profootballtalk.com suggests, the Cowboys hope the changes they’ve made on offense will prove to be better for everybody, and that with Prescott playing some of the best football of his career, they’ll improve on last year’s 12-5 mark. 8/08 The Athletic’s Jon Machota reports (via Rotoworld) Jake Ferguson is “the clear No. 1" TE for the Cowboys. ... While rookie Luke Schoonmaker was expected to challenge Ferguson for the starting job in training camp, the newcomer has been sidelined in recent days with a plantar fasciitis injury. As Machota notes, Ferguson should see a significant uptick in targets with Dalton Schultz now in Houston, but there are lots of targets in this offense, including CeeDee Lamb, Tony Pollard, Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup. 8/08 Tony Pollard was not practicing Monday (8/7) because of personal reasons. CeeDee Lamb also was not in pads in what ESPN.com's Todd Archer suggests could be day of rest. With Ronald Jones (groin) not practicing, Rico Dowdle, Malik Davis, Deuce Vaughn and Hunter Luepke got a lot of work. Remember, this injury is another setback for Jones, who will be suspended for the first two games of the regular season because of a violation of the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances. 8/08 Dak Prescott has not played in the preseason since 2019. It appears he will go another year without seeing action in the exhibition season. Head coach Mike McCarthy said he has not made a final determination but is “leaning” against playing Prescott in any of the three games leading into the regular season. “We talked about it, but I haven’t made a decision,” McCarthy told Schuyler Dixon of the Associated Press. “I’m leaning toward not. If I had to bet, I’d bet on no. But I don’t bet. ..." As Profootballtalk.com reminded readers, the NFL didn’t play any preseason games in 2020 because of the pandemic, and then Prescott was working his way back from a fractured ankle in the 2021 preseason and a shoulder injury last preseason. He is fully healthy now, and the Cowboys want to keep him that way until opening day, even though they have a semi-new “Texas Coast” offense and a new play caller in McCarthy. The Cowboys have three quarterbacks on the roster, leaving Cooper Rush and Will Grier to get all the preseason snaps if Prescott doesn’t play. “We have it all written up,” McCarthy said. “We have two plans, and that’s kind of normal. In the first game, we’ll look at a certain combination. In the second game, we may flip one or two guys. I feel good about the responsibility and the way we have it outlined. We’ll have three games to work it.” 8/08 The kicking battle in Dallas started out with Tristan Vizcaino vs. Brandon Aubrey. That's changing. According to multiple reports, the Cowboys will release Vizcaino from their 90-man roster. Vizcaino ended last season on the practice squad in Dallas and re-signed with the team in February. He appeared in games with the Cardinals and Patriots earlier in the season. He was 2-of-2 on field goals and 3-of-3 on extra points. Word from Cowboys camp has been that both Vizcaino and Aubrey have been shaky in practice this summer and both kickers struggled in the team’s last practice. According to the Dallas Morning News, Vizcaino only hit 50 percent (4 of 8) of his field goals on Saturday (8/5) and all four of his misses came from inside 40 yards, including the 38-yarder. ... Last year, the Cowboys rolled into camp with two unproven kickers and ended up having a late-camp workout in which Brett Maher won the job. Maher set the team record for points in a season, but he could not make an extra point late in the year. Seems likely further moves at the position will come, although owner Jerry Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy made it clear Aubrey is a young kicker and they plan to “make sure he gets the reps” this summer. 8/08 Dallas kept their offensive coordinator search in-house after parting ways with Kellen Moore by handing the job to Brian Schottenheimer, who served as team consultant during the 2022 season. The 49-year-old coach has spent 12 of his 22 years in the NFL as an offensive coordinator, most recently with the Seattle Seahawks from 2018 to 2020. While head coach Mike McCarthy will take over play-calling, Schottenheimer will have a role in directing an offense that led the league in total yards and points per game just two seasons ago. How much of a difference will that make? Dak Prescott has put a number on it. "Right now, Mike told me [about] 20-30 percent change," Prescott said recently. "I think if anything, it's things that need to be changed. It's great to dial in, fix some things, get sharper and crisper. ..." Prescott threw a league-leading 15 interceptions in 12 regular-season games and another two in two post-season games. That's too many for the Cowboys to get to where they want to go. Look for that to be a focal point as the team moves forward without Moore and without Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield. Elliott's release puts Tony Pollard in the primary role and locks him in as a fantasy RB1. ... Worth noting: The addition of Brandin Cook as WR2 should benefit Prescott and it won’t hurt CeeDee Lamb, who will benefit from an effective threat opposite him.
|
 Team Review
Fantasy Grade: 6+
Despite en injury-marred and shaky season from quarter-back Dak Prescott. the Dallas Cowboys won 12 games and made the postseason in 2022. But after coming up short of the ultimate goal once again, there were some big changes in Big 0 in the offseason. The first was the release of long-time running back Ezekiel Elliott, which appears to open the door for Tony Pollard to serve as the Cowboys' lead back in 2023 —provided he can recover from the injury that ended his 2022 season. Team owner Jerry Jones told reporters that he's confident that will happen. = Last year was supposed to be a celebration in Denver — a return to prominence under Russell Wilson. Instead, The Broncos were one of the lowest-scoring teams in the entire NFL, and Wilson's first year with the team was a disaster. There's a new head coach in Denver now in Sean Payton, and Matthew Berry of NBC Sports reported that Wilson's footing in Denver isn't exactly solid. E 'Speaking of big name QBs coming off down years, more than one person mentioned to me that Russell Wilson is 'He's an integral part of looking forward," said Jones. "I feel very confident that he can have the kind of recovery that won't minimize or potentially impact, negatively, how he plays.' If Pollard were to receive a featured back workload, the sky could be the limit — he was ninth in PPR points last year sharing carries with Elliott. But Pollard is also com-ing off a major injury and has never carried the ball even 200 times in a season — it won't be at all surprising if the Cowboys add another running back at some time over the summer. It could even be Elliott. There's a new face in the receiving game — the lack of a viable No. 2 receiver opposite superstar CeeDee Lamb spurred the Cowboys to swing a trade for veteran wideout Brandin Cooks. It marked the fourth time in his career that Cooks has been traded, but Prescott told reporters that he's glad to have the six-time 1,000-yard wideout in town. "The moment that guy showed up, just watching him in workouts and how he carries himself from dell-to-drill, what he does pre-workout and post-workout to take care of his body to have that speed; Prescott said. 'When you throw it to him. it stands out, his speed is different from many others." Then there's Prescott, who tied for the league lead in interceptions (15) last year despite playing in just 12 games. However, as David Heiman wrote for Fox Sports, Prescott remains one of the NFC's best quarterbacks. Prescott has helped the Cowboys to 12.5 records in back-to-back seasons, running a top-5 scoring offense each time,' he said. -His 60 touchdown passes rank second in the conference over the past two seasons. Only Jalen Hurts has a better career interception rate. as Prescott's career number of 2 percent puts him even with Jared Goff and Derek Carr, ahead of Kirk Cousins and Matthew Stafford." In Lamb, Cooks and Michael Gallup, The weapons are there at wide receiver for Prescott. If he can cut down on the turnovers this season, Prescott could be a prime fantasy target for managers who like to wait to draft a quarterback. |
|
2023 Off-Season News & Views
Click here for Complete set of News & ViewsClick here for earlier off-season items |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||