Category: 2020 Mock Drafts

Cowboys News Links: CBA looks to add 7th playoff spot, 17th game

The Dallas Cowboys defense will look different in 2020. Gil Brandt’s top five all time Cowboys quarterbacks, breaking down the QB position

The NFL is frantically trying to reach labor peace so that all of the owners can focus in building talent for the 2020 season. With the new league year now less than a month away, collective bargaining talks are ongoing to try and work out a deal ahead of the expiration of the current CBA, after the 2020 season. The league is destined to take in gobs of more money, with a new TV deal on the way following 2021, and the legalization of gambling in states all across the country; there are proposals to have sports books located at several stadiums for in-game wagers.

On Wednesday, word came out there are likely to be two additional money-making provisions that will alter the NFL landscape. There is talk that the league, with the NFLPA needing to sign off, will add not just a 17th regular season game (taking away one preseason contest), but also add a seventh playoff team in each conference.

The sports world, for some reason, broke out in disgust and panic about the change, as if there hasn’t been many changes to the playoff structure as the league has evolved over the decades.

In 1978 (h/t @FrankieKen28), 10 of 28 teams made the playoffs (35.7%). In 1990, 12 of 28 teams made it (42.9%). In 2002, 12 of 32 teams were in the dance (37.5%) and now in 2020, 14 of 32 teams will reach the postseason (43.8%). Did any Cowboys fans have a problem with the playoff legitimacy of the 1990s?

A discussion of everything that’s on the table with the new CBA begins our link roundup.

What we know about where things stand with the NFL CBA negotiations :: USA Today

Mike Jones outlines all of the things already agreed upon (17th game, 7th playoff spot, increase in player’s percentage of revenue), and all of the things left to work out (mimimum salaries, less practice, funding rule that is big roadblock to fully guaranteed contracts).

Cowboys’ decisions on defense, special teams: Tricky keeping Byron Jones :: ESPN

Todd Archer makes the case for keeping most of the big-name bubble guys in these units, including Byron Jones, Robert Quinn, Sean Lee, Jeff Heath, and Kai Forbath… but not Michael Bennett.

Mailbag: Concern building for Vander Esch? :: The Mothership

Staff writer David Helman says, “I haven’t talked to anyone inside the organization who is overly worried about Leighton’s availability.”

Could DE Robert Quinn join Rod Marinelli with the Raiders? :: Inside the Star

Following the lead of Raiders Wire’s Marcus Mosher, ItS ponders if Quinn might look to reunite with the defensive coordinator who helped spark his 11.5-sack 2019 campaign with the Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys roster breakdown: Wide receiver is the most complex situation :: Blogging the Boys

This deep dive into the team’s receiving corps takes a look at who’s locked up, who’s entering free agency, who’s out there on the market, who’s available in the draft… and how Dez Bryant adds a major X factor to the whole thing.

What’s behind a perfect stiff-arm? :: NFL.com

Ezekiel Elliott joins Derrick Henry and Mark Ingram in this video that explores the favorite get-off-me move of running backs, including the nuts and bolts of delivering the blow, the sweet spot for its effective placement, and which of their past stiff-arms stands out as most memorable.

2020 Free Agency: Predicting landing spots for every PFF top-50 free agent :: ProFootballFocus

The outlet breaks out their crystal ball and forecasts that the Cowboys will sign Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper to cha-chingworthy new deals, bring in defensive tackle Mike Daniels for a reunion with Mike McCarthy, and let Byron Jones go… to Las Vegas.

 

 

Cowboys 2020 NFL mock draft roundup: Check out all the new names showing up for Dallas :: Blogging The Boys

BTB takes a look at 11 different opinions on where the Dallas Cowboys will go with pick number 17 in the NFL draft.

Dallas PD issues statement that Amari Cooper is fine :: Pro Football Talk

In a crazy story that surfaced all over social media today, Pro Football Talk with the help of Amari Cooper himself clear up any rumors of a possible shooting.

QB Overview: How Quickly Can Dak Be Signed? :: The Mothership

Looking at big changes to the coaching staff and also addresses the back up behind the eventually signed Dak Prescott.

Agent’s Take: Target prices for Tom Brady, Dak Prescott and other 2020 free agent quarterbacks :: CBS Sports

Former NFL agent Joel Corry breaks down what he thinks it will take for Prescott to remain in Dallas.

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Safe House: ESPN’s Kiper shores up Cowboys defensive backyard in Mock Draft 2.0

The Dallas Cowboys are once again linked to a safety in a national mock.

There is an obvious theme at this point of the offseason which has emerged. The Dallas Cowboys are going to take a safety with their first-round pick. Now, everyone knows things are very much in the air when it comes to the litany of offseason moves ahead of Dallas. Yet, with no idea whether or not the corner, wide receiver or defensive end will return, the safe picks have Dallas choosing a safety with No. 17.

Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN’s long-time draft analyst, doesn’t dive into the danger end of the pool in his latest mock draft, either. Available on ESPN Insider (pay wall), Kiper selects Alabama safety Xavier McKinney for Dallas.

Still on the board at those other positions of interest?

  • CB CJ Henderson, Florida (No. 20 Jacksonville)
  • WR Tee Higgins, Clemson (No. 21 Philadelphia)
  • WR Henry Ruggs III, Alabama (No. 22 Buffalo)
  • CB Noah Igbinoghene, Auburn (No. 24 New Orleans)
  • S Antoine Winfield, Jr., Minnesota (No. 25 Minnesota)
  • DT Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M (No. 27 Seattle)
  • DE Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State (No. 29 Tennessee)
  • WR Justin Jefferson, LSU (No. 30 Green Bay)
  • S Grant Delpit, LSU (No. 31 San Francisco 49ers)

News: Tyrone Crawford cut candidate, Dak-Kirk Spiderman.gif

Every day brings the NFL one step closer to the two most important offseason resources; the draft and free agency. With over $70 million in cap space and numerous big-name free agents, it can be argued no team has a bigger offseason ahead of them …

Every day brings the NFL one step closer to the two most important offseason resources; the draft and free agency. With over $70 million in cap space and numerous big-name free agents, it can be argued no team has a bigger offseason ahead of them than the Dallas Cowboys.

Tyrone Crawford is a candidate to be released, but defensive line needs some attention. With tons of mock drafts in the works, see what players the draft experts are most commonly selecting for the Cowboys. How is the Dak Prescott situation is similar to that of a former NFC East QB? All this and more, here in the News and Notes.

NFC cut candidates: David Johnson, Everson Griffen to the market? :: NFL.com

The Cowboys’ Tyrone Crawford, along with 15 other players, was listed as a strong candidate to be released this offseason.

Crawford, now on the wrong side of 30 years old, has been reliable and consistent for the majority of his tenure in Dallas. Last year injuries afforded Crawford only four games, the lowest number of his career. The main reason Dallas would move on from the once Cowboys’ captain would be financial, as cutting Crawford before the season starts would save the Cowboys around $8 million in cap space.

–AH

Cowboys roster breakdown: Work needed to keep defensive end from becoming a weakness :: Blogging The Boys

In Blogging The Boys’ latest installment of their roster breakdown they take a look defensive end and the possible changes the Cowboys could make at the position. The position group is headlined by Demarcus Lawrence, who fortunately for Dallas, was signed to a long term deal last offseason. After Lawrence, things start to fall off pretty quick at DE.

Robert Quinn, the starter at defensive end opposite of Lawrence, had an excellent year rushing the passer for the Cowboys, but he is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Whether Quinn is re-signed or not, the Cowboys will have to fill in the roster at defensive end somehow. This breakdown lists possible free agent and draft options the Cowboys have at defensive end.

To view the other positional roster breakdowns for the Cowboys here are the links: linebackers, safety, cornerback.

–AH

Mock Draft Roundup: Early Favorites For No. 17 :: DallasCowboys.com

The NFL draft is getting closer and closer, meaning that speculation and projections are starting to heat up. DallasCowboys.com created a list of 15 expert’s projected selection for the Cowboys first round pick (#17). While it is impossible to know what exactly a team will do in free agency and what exactly their biggest needs will be, experts have gotten better and better at knowing who and what teams are looking for.

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

For Dallas,  the biggest trends were that 13 of the 15 projections were defensive backs, while all 15 projected selections played their college ball in the SEC. Safeties Xavier Mckinney (pictured above) from Alabama and Grant Delpit from LSU were the most common, each appearing five times on the list. WR Henry Ruggs III, CB’s Krisitan Fulton and C.J. Henderson, and DT Javon Kinlaw rounded out the selections.

–AH

Dak Prescott situation turning into a Kirk Cousins standoff? :: Blogging The Boys

With the Dak Prescott contract negotiation still ongoing, the situation has started to remind people of former NFC East quarterback, Kirk Cousins’ contract with the Washington Redskins. Cousins and Washington both stood firm at the numbers each side wanted, and the result was Cousins playing two years on the franchise tag before ultimately leaving for the Minnesota Vikings. If the Cowboys believe Prescott is the long term answer they could look at the Cousins situation as a forewarning of franchise tagging their star QB.

–AH

Cowboys offseason guide 2020: Key free agents, team needs, targets, salary cap & draft pick :: Sporting News

This offseason has been, and will continue to be a very exciting one in Dallas. There are set to be tons of changes all over the field. While all this info is scattered on sites, this offseason guide from Sporting News does a good job providing all the offseason info one might need on one screen.

–AH

Five 2020 offseason moves for NFC teams: Bill Barnwell predicts trades, free agency, cuts :: ESPN

Barnwell examined every NFC team and listed five moves each should make, in his opinion. The Cowboys’ top priority, according to Barnwell, is to re-sign Dak Prescott. While the offseason isn’t always this cut and dry, Barnwell lays out a realistic plan for Dallas to reload their roster to continue the search for postseason success. A tag for Amari Cooper, help for Lawrence, replacements at safety and tight end round out the list.

–AH

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Todd McShay mock draft 2.0 has Cowboys choosing Xavier McKinney over Grant Delpit

The Cowboys need help at the safety position, but ESPN’s Todd McShay thinks they’ll bypass the one most fans are clamoring for.

Grant Delpit got all the safety love, it seemed, from NFL teams who closed out 2019 looking to bolster their back ends in 2020. Playing for the national champs certainly helped catapult the two-time consensus All-America selection and Jim Thorpe Award winner into the spotlight. Even causal fans who may have tuned to see what all the Joe Burrow fuss was about probably came away impressed by the ballhawking defensive back who’ll certainly be a first-round talent come April.

Draft guru Todd McShay, in his most-recently-updated mock (paywall), indeed thinks Dallas will go with an SEC safety to provide the team some much-needed secondary help. But with the 17th overall pick, he has the Cowboys zigging when everyone expects them to zag.

Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama

Jerry Jones has quite an offseason ahead of him. Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, Robert Quinn and Byron Jones headline a talented — and expensive — list of players headed toward free agency. If cornerback Jones is one of the odd men out, a secondary that mostly held passing offenses at bay but struggled to produce takeaways gets weaker. And the Cowboys have needed a safety since the days when Roy Williams and Darren Woodson roamed the defensive backfield. McKinney has some range as a deep safety — he pulled in three interceptions on the back end for Bama last season.

McShay believes the Cowboys will actually pass on Delpit, leaving him on the board to land in New England with the 23rd pick.

McKinney, bidding farewell to Tuscaloosa as a junior, is listed as a 6-foot-1-inch 200-pounder. He played in 13 games as a true freshman coming out of Roswell, Georgia. He became a starter for the Crimson Tide as a sophomore and ended the season as MVP of the 2018 Orange Bowl. Last season, he recorded 95 tackles, 3 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles to go with his three interceptions. He was named first-team All-SEC for those efforts.

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2020 Draft: Top 4 early contenders for Cowboys at No. 17

Dallas has a world of options in the draft and an unknown set of needs. Here are 4 candidates emerging as best fits at the end of January.

The Dallas Cowboys have a multitude of needs in 2020. The question will remain open, at least through March, if they will work on improving those areas without veteran help or what they will leave to improve during April’s draft.

The conventional wisdom is to fill holes during free agency so you can draft freely come April, but with 30 free agents, the Cowboys are going to have a lot of holes to fill. Of course, mock drafts exist in a vacuum of free agency help during the first two-plus months of the calendar year. For now, the assumption is that open holes remain that way and for the Cowboys, this opens up endless possibilities.

Dallas could use help at several levels of both offense and defense this offseason.

Running back is taken care of, with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard inked for the next three years (Elliott for seven, but his guarantees run out after 2022). The offensive line is good for a few seasons, though the club could look to improve the backup depth. Assuming Dak Prescott is resigned. Dallas won’t be looking to make a major investment at quarterback, either.

Wide receiver and tight end, though, have their share of question marks for Dallas. Amari Cooper isn’t signed, Randall Cobb is out of contract and Jason Witten is likely leaving the club. Only Michael Gallup and RFA Blake Jarwin are guaranteed to return to the passing game.

On defense, there are more questions than answers. DeMarcus Lawrence is the only starting defensive lineman who is guaranteed to return. Robert Quinn, Maliek Collins, Antwaun Woods and Michael Bennett are all up in the air as free agents of some kind.

Linebacker depth is a question, and both Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch regressed, though the club is invested in both so heavily they’ll each get the 2020 season, at least, to prove their bounce back-ability.  In the secondary, there’s a lot of questions with all of the corners (starting with Byron Jones) either out of contract or entering their walk year, Jeff Heath’s contract is finally up and there’s room to add talent besides Xavier Woods.

All of this, at least until some free agents are inked, lead to four regular objects of affection for the Cowboys to select at No. 17, according to mock drafts.

Defensive Tackle Javon Kinlaw (South Carolina)

Wide Receiver Henry Ruggs III (Alabama)

Safety Xavier McKinney (Alabama)

Safety Grant Delpit (LSU)

The majority of mock drafts, at least until the combine results start shuffling prospects around, are looking to deliver one of these four players to Dallas.

Kinlaw is the longshot to be available. He’s a highly disruptive player with a high ceiling as a pass-rushing interior lineman. The way he gets to Dallas could be the injury route, as he has knee concerns that knocked him out of Senior Bowl week after two practices. Ruggs is a speed-demon wide receiver the Cowboys thought they had in Tavon Austin when he was healthy enough to be on the field the last two seasons.

The safeties . . . well, Dallas has neglected the position for so long it’s become laughable.

Over at NFL.com, where they have a multitude of draft analysts to match the multitude of positional openings, there are conflicting opinions on where Dallas goes first. Bucky Brooks thinks the Cowboys should roll with the speedy WR Ruggs.

Adding speed, quickness and playmaking ability to the receiving corps could be a priority with several gifted free agents poised to hit the market.

Meanwhile, Lance Zierlein rolls with McKinney on the back-end.

Assuming Dallas locks up pending free agent Byron Jones, McKinney would give the ‘Boys a versatile, interchangeable safety who can also line up over the slot.

An interesting note is that both analysts had the other’s pick available when Dallas was on the clock. Zierlein could’ve shipped them Ruggs, Brooks could’ve assigned McKinney.

Kinlaw was gone in both (No. 9 in Zierlein’s mock, No. 14 in Brooks’), and Delpit was available in both.

Certainly, the Cowboys could look at other positions, or other players at these positions. The needs are numerous at this time of year and the options are plentiful.

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2020 Mock Drafts: Brugler, Jeremiah find safety valves for Cowboys

With mock draft season in full effect, possible targets are beginning to surface for the Dallas Cowboys at oft-ignored positions.

Three months and change until the 2020 NFL Draft kicks off in Las Vegas. Between now and then, there will be mock drafts aplenty from every corner of the internet. After a draft season that came and went without much fan fare for the Dallas Cowboys, they’re back in the mix as they own their first round pick this year, a welcome sight.

It is still early in the process, and the media will continue to catch up with what scouts have known for some time, but it’s always good to get familiar with the names being associated not only with the Cowboys, but the general range of players who will likely be available when they are on the clock.

The early contenders who could end up in Dallas in late April come from two positions that the Cowboys have ignored over the years: defensive tackle and safety. The consensus targets at the moment seem to be on the back end at safety. Both Dane Brugler and Daniel Jeremiah have identified Dallas as a potential landing spot for a safety, though they disagree on the which one.

From Brugler’s most recent mock at The Athletic:

17. Dallas Cowboys — Grant Delpit, FS, LSU
The Cowboys have neglected to upgrade their safeties for years, but there is a decent chance that the first player at the position will be drafted by the Cowboys. Delpit was an up-and-down performer in 2019 (in coverage and in run support), but his awareness and range are traits worth betting on.

Jeremiah, for NFL.com, has Delpit going six picks later to the New England Patriots.

In his stead, he’s chosen who he believes is the top safety prospect, Xavier McKinney out of Alabama, calling him “the best safety in the draft.”

The last time a safety was the apple of owner Jerry Jones’s eye was in 1992, when Darren Woodson, who is somehow not in the Hall of Fame, was taken at pick No. 37. Since then, the Cowboys haven’t spent more than a fourth round pick at the position, and frankly, it shows.

Another obvious position of need is defensive tackle. However, the last time a first round pick was spent on an interior defensive lineman was in 1991, when they selected not one, but two different players at the position. The first was Russell Maryland, who was taken No. 1 overall by way of trade, and Kelvin Pritchett at No. 20, though he was immediately traded to the Detroit Lions to recoup the cost of moving up earlier in the round.

The name to keep an eye on is Javon Kinlaw, the defensive tackle out of South Carolina. With new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan in the mix, it’s unclear what, if any, major shifts there will be in terms of the kind of players the Cowboys will covet up front, but Kinlaw has the requisite talent.

However, there is this concern that that Bryan Broaddus shared on Twitter earlier:

Broaddus is no longer with the team’s media wing, but he’s been able to pinpoint draft targets in Dallas in the past to the point where who the team selected was little more than a fait accompli.

It would take a significant shift in philosophy for any of the aforementioned players to wind up in Dallas down the road. But with a new regime in the fold, what the Cowboys will do seems, for the first time in a long while, up in the air.

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Safety Hazard: New 2020 mock draft finds great fit for Cowboys out the SEC

We checked in with The Draft Network’s Jonah Tuls on his latest mock, where he sends a certain SEC safety the #Cowboys way.

The Dallas Cowboys’ safety issue has been on full display the last couple of weeks. Really, it’s been all year. Really, it’s been a couple of years. There’s no question that Xavier Woods is a keeper and over the last several games has started to put forth the type of performance predicted for him from way back in January. The other safety position? Whew, that’s been a problem.

Jeff Heath has been bad, really bad, but for Cowboys fans who thought it couldn’t get worse, it actually did when Darian Thompson stepped in for an injured Heath against the Detroit Lions. Backup quarterback Jeff Driskel targeted Thompson on almost every big passing play the Lions had. The Cowboys need an upgrade, and they will likely have to wait until April’s draft to do so, considering they may still not want to spend at the position.

Draft analyst Jonah Tuls may have a solution for that.

In his latest 2020 mock for The Draft Network, Tuls assigns the Cowboys a potential star safety from the SEC; one Grant Delpit of LSU.

Now, Cowboys fans will probably still be hopeful the team can work out a trade with the New York Jets for another LSU safety, Jamal Adams. The two sides talked before the trade deadline but the Jets were asking for far more than Dallas was willing to give. If that continues to be the case and Dallas still has their first rounder come draft weekend, Tuls sees Delpit as being a great addition for the Cowboys.

Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys Wire caught up with our former contributor to pick his brain on Delpit and some other things surrounding the Cowboys and the upcoming 2020 draft.

Cowboys Wire: You mocked LSU super safety Grant Delpit to the Cowboys in your latest mock for The Draft Network. Talk to us about what he brings to the table the Cowboys would like, and what are some question marks where he’ll need to improve in the pro game.

Jonah Tuls: Grant Delpit provides something the Cowboys haven’t had at the safety position in over a decade — elite playmaking ability. With his combination of sideline to sideline range and short-area quickness, he is ready to make an impact in both man and zone coverage. The Cowboys haven’t had a difference-making cover safety in years, and Delpit would be a perfect fit for Kris Richard’s attacking defense.

The biggest question mark with Delpit’s game is his finishing consistency in the open field. He plays super aggressive as a run defender, and that often works to his detriment. His playmaking prowess will likely overshadow this flaw in the draft process, but changing speeds as a tackler is something he needs to take care of.

CW: Let’s assume Dallas makes the playoffs and do draft in the 20s like you have them. Who are some of the other players you have mocked in the first round that you feel would be good fits for the Cowboys and where they are lacking right now.

Tuls: Other positions of interest for the Cowboys in the first round are defensive tackle and cornerback. Two players come to mind here — South Carolina DT Javon Kinlaw and Alabama CB Trevon Diggs.

Kinlaw is an athletic freak as an interior pass rusher who can play on all three downs as either a one or three technique. I get the feeling he will be long gone by the time Dallas picks, but he fits right up the alley of what this front office looks for in a defensive tackle.

Diggs is the prototypical Kris Richard cornerback. It is rare to find 6’2 boundary players who can move, stay in phase in man coverage, and find the ball as well as Diggs does. With all the free agency questions surrounding this position for the team, I think this could be the year where Richard finally gets his guy at cornerback in the early rounds.

CW: Outside of those names, who are some other players you think could be good fits for the Cowboys and go between picks 20 and 60? I think we’re likely looking at a need to replace Randall Cobb in the slot, Jeff Heath at safety (though I still love Donovan Wilson).

Can you give us a quick preview of who could fill those holes in that range?

Tuls: There are a ton of slot wide receivers in this draft class that will be in the Day 2 range. If you’re looking for players who can stretch the field with their speed, similar to Mecole Hardman from last year, look no further than Penn State’s KJ Hamler and Texas’ Devin Duvernay. I know Dallas was interested in Hardman last year, so it would make sense for this team to go back to that archetype next April.

If the Cowboys wait to address safety on Day 2, some names to keep in mind are Texas’ Brandon Jones and Cal’s Ashtyn Davis. Both players fit the mold of what this front office looks for, in terms of their physical profiles. Jones and Davis are interchangeable safety prospects who have range, athleticism, and run support production.

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