Category: 2023 Draft

Good, Bad, Ugly: Deep-ball patience pays off, lack of LB depth concerning in Thanksgiving win

From @ToddBrock24f7: The 45-10 final only looked like a romp. While plenty went right for Dallas, there is much to address before the hardest stretch of games.

A win over Washington was just the satisfying ending that Cowboys fans were hoping to end their holiday with. But despite the 45-10 final that looks great on paper, anyone who watched the game knows it was actually very close for most of the afternoon.

Dallas overcame a shaky start- perhaps due to the short week of prep- and finally got their offense on track, thanks to a patient approach to one particular aspect of the play sheet. The defense, however, gave up uncharacteristic numbers that may cause concern with a slate of tough opponents coming up. And penalties and a missed kick are among the other items worth noting as the all-important third “trimester” of the regular season is about to begin.

You know about the turkey-leg touchdown celly and DaRon Bland’s record-breaking moment, but here’s a deeper look at what really made up the good, the bad, and the ugly after the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day victory.

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Here’s who the Cowboys should’ve drafted in 2023 for immediate help

A look at what would have happened if Dallas knew how rookies would play early in their careers and focused on winning now with their draft haul. A way-too-soon Cowboys 2023 redraft shows who could’ve helped. | From @KDDrummondNFL

While normally it takes multiple seasons to judge a draft class, that isn’t necessarily the case for every situation. One of those is the 2023 Dallas Cowboys, who built themselves to compete for a championship this year.

Dallas’ draft class may have long term potential, but with the club already sitting in the fringe when it comes to the No. 1 seed race, it isn’t tough to see how a quicker impactful class could have been beneficial.

So while Mazi Smith, Luke Schoonmaker, Deuce Vaughn and an injured DeMarvion Overshown can eventually prove their worth, here’s a collection of rookies who were available and are thriving at positions Dallas could use some help.

Here’s a Cowboys-specific 2023 redraft from players who were available at the time Dallas picked, but they passed up on. Dallas had eight picks from their haul, how many of those players made it back to the organization?

Do the Cowboys regret drafting Schoonmaker instead of Torrence?

Given the troubles the Cowboys have experienced across the O-line, will they come to regret picking a Luke Schoonmaker over O’Cyrus Torrence? @ReidDHanson wonders if they do already.

When the Cowboys went on the clock at Pick No. 58 in the 2023 NFL draft, they had a decision to make. Do they address the position group they almost picked in the first round, when they were debating between DT Mazi Smith and OL Andrew Bergeron? Or do they address the TE position that appeared to have an immediate opening and a waning number of players left on the board?

As everyone knows, Dallas opted for the second option, selecting TE Luke Schoonmaker in the second round instead of Florida OL O’Cyrus Torrence, and kicking the can on their offensive line concerns. It was a decision questioned at the time and three weeks into the regular season, it’s a decision that’s being questioned even more so today.

The Cowboys offensive line situation has been an adventure in 2023. Tyler Smith missed the first two games of the season nursing a hamstring. Various bumps and bruises over those first two weeks forced three other unproven linemen onto the field as well.

Then in Week 3, Tyler Biadasz, Tyron Smith and Zack Martin were all sidelined with their own injuries. Just three weeks in, only one lineman has started all three games at the same position; Terence Steele at RT.

At this point, there’s no question the Cowboys could have used another good offensive lineman on the roster. The Dallas reserves have put up a noble effort, but effort isn’t what wins games.

Head coach Mike McCarthy essentially admitted to a conservative offensive gameplan because of the status of his offensive line. That attack only netted the Cowboys one touchdown in five trips to the red zone.

One can conclude a better offensive line would have resulted in a much different result in Arizona and a much more secure future going forward.

4 Downs: Explosive plays blow up in Cowboys’ faces in Week 3 loss

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys uncharacteristically gave up some big plays that cost them Sunday. They did plenty of shooting themselves in the foot, too.

If you’re looking for the plays that cost Dallas their Week 3 game at Arizona, you’ll have your pick from a very long list as the previously unbeaten and top-ranked Cowboys looked lost for most of Sunday’s contest. Playing behind a patchworked offensive line, Dak Prescott led a largely ineffective passing game, and Micah Parsons helmed a defensive unit that played flat and uninterested in their first game without Trevon Diggs.

A staggering 13 penalties on the day gifted the Cardinals over 100 yards of field position. But the Redbirds were moving the ball quite well on their own- even without the help of the men in black and white- to the tune of 200-plus rushing yards and a total of seven explosive plays of 20 yards or more.

In a game that saw the Cardinals come in as double-digit home underdogs, it was the Cowboys who had to play catch-up, and they did right up until the game’s final minutes. What looked to be the easiest game of the first half of the Cowboys’ schedule turned out to be their first loss of 2023, an embarrassing 28-16 stumble that could very well come back to haunt them come December and January.

And when they look back at their latest debacle in the desert, these four plays will be among those that sting the most.

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What we learned about Cowboys in 40-0 rout of Giants

The Dallas Cowboys dominated in all three phases in their Week 1 win over the New York Giants, here’s what else we learned in the victory. | From @BenGrimaldi

The Dallas Cowboys gave the New York Giants a beatdown of epic proportions in their 40-0 Week 1 win. Even the most ardent Cowboys homer couldn’t have seen this dominating performance coming, not after the starters didn’t play in the preseason, with the offense ushering in a pseudo-new system, and with Mike McCarthy now calling plays.

Yet here the Cowboys are, sitting at 1-0 with perhaps the best Week 1 performance in the NFL. Only one team scored 40 points to open the 2023 campaign, only one team scored in all three phases, only one defense had seven sacks, and only one team had a shutout on Sunday. The Cowboys were them.

Here’s what we learned about Dallas in the Week 1 blowout victory.

New documentary shows Cowboys’ draft night debate over Mazi Smith, offensive lineman

From @ToddBrock24f7: “NFL Draft: The Pick is In” shows Dallas almost taking Syracuse OL Matthew Bergeron and how a call from the Chiefs nudged the discussion.

A new documentary taking football fans inside draft weekend like never before is set to premiere on Roku on Friday, Aug. 25. NFL Draft: The Pick is In will feature four teams- including the Cowboys- going through the three days of the 2023 draft, with camera crews having had extensive access to both the inner workings of the front offices and the prospects themselves as they wait to hear their names called.

A clip released to social media prior to the documentary’s debut offers a fascinating glimpse into how the Cowboys brass settled on Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith with their first-round selection, how they debated internally over taking another offensive lineman, and how a last-minute phone call from the defending Super Bowl champs almost changed everything.

In the short clip, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sets the table by telling the staffers assembled in the team’s draft room that the players ranked 12th and 13th on their board are both still available as they near their time on the clock.

One of those prospects is Syracuse lineman Matthew Bergeron. Smith is the other. Jones opens the discussion by claiming, “Mazi would create a dynamic that we do not have now,” and saying he’s ready to turn in Smith’s card.

But Jones then opens up the floor for comments, asking the coaches and scouts in the room to try to change his mind.

As Dallas imagines an offensive line with their left tackle (Tyler Smith), left guard (Bergeron), and center (Tyler Biadasz) all 25 years old or younger and all being long-term staples for the team, Buffalo trades up to select tight end Dalton Kincaid, who was believed at the time to be a prime Cowboys target.

Will McClay, Cowboys vice president of player personnel casts a vote for Smith, explaining how he “helps us now and in the future.” Jones reiterates what a “hell of a strategic pick” a nose tackle would be. Head coach Mike McCarthy unequivocally states that Smith makes the run defense better immediately.

And then the phone rings, with the Chiefs offering to trade their first-round pick (31st overall) and their third-round pick (95th overall) to take the Cowboys’ spot at 26.

But Jones wonders if trading back five spots means both Smith and Bergeron go elsewhere.

“Without trying to influence anybody here,” he says, “I’m sick as [expletive] if we miss both these guys.”

McCarthy backs him up, reminding the room that fixing the run defense was the prime directive of the entire offseason.

And the decision is made; the Cowboys select Smith with the 26th pick.

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Bergeron eventually goes to Atlanta early in the second round. The Chiefs keep the 31st pick to select Kansas State edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah and then deal away that third-round pick the next night, moving up a few slots to take Oklahoma offensive lineman Wanya Morris at 92.

It’s high-stakes drama within a documentary that also promises to feature 2023 rookies Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, C.J. Stroud, and Devon Witherspoon, among others. First-year Cowboys DeMarvion Overshown and Deuce Vaughn should also get plenty of screen time.

NFL Draft: The Pick is In was produced for Roku by NFL Films and Skydance Sports. Skydance will also be behind the forthcoming docu-series (as yet untitled) chronicling Jones’s life and the rise of the Cowboys under his ownership, charting the journey from a team that was losing over $1 million a month to the most valuable sports franchise on the planet.

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Cowboys to spread carries around among all 4 young RBs vs Jaguars, per McCarthy

From @ToddBrock24f7: Rico Dowdle, Malik Davis, Deuce Vaughn, and Hunter Luepke will all get looks Saturday with Ronald Jones unlikely to go, says Mike McCarthy.

Saturday night’s preseason opener will give Cowboys coaches their first gametime looks at a whole host of players. Everyone who takes the field against Jacksonville will be evaluated, from quarterbacks Cooper Rush and Will Grier as they vie for the QB2 spot to Brandon Aubrey, who tries to convince the front office that they can stop worrying about the kicker position.

But one of the most wide-open battle royales will be at running back. Tony Pollard’s slot as the lead ballcarrier is secure, but this weekend’s exhibition game will start to settle the matter of who will back him up once the regular season commences.

There are five men looking to climb the depth chart at RB. But one of them, Ronald Jones may be sitting out this first showcase opportunity. The veteran sustained a groin injury last weekend and has not practiced since.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said things didn’t look good for the all-important Thursday practice, either.

“I don’t see Ronald going today,” the coach said during the day’s press conference. “If he doesn’t go today, he won’t go Saturday.”

That leaves Rico Dowdle, Malik Davis, rookie Deuce Vaughn, and fullback UDFA Hunter Luepke to split the team’s rushing attack when the Jaguars pay their visit to AT&T Stadium.

McCarthy believes there will be plenty of carries to go around.

“I really don’t think it’s going to be a challenge at all, especially now that RoJo’s not going to be going Saturday, unless something changes big-time here in the next 24 to 36 hours,” McCarthy told reporters. “I think there’ll be plenty for all those guys.”

Which one of them breaks out of the pack remains to be seen. But McCarthy believes that the organization has done a great job of bringing in very versatile candidates who can truly do it all out of the backfield.

“Guys you have to scheme for and [who can] play in certain schemes obviously limits you. If you look at these young backs, all four have very instinctive run ability between the tackles,” the coach explained. “At the end of the day, you’ve got run at people, downhill. You’re only going to get outside so many times. This game, running the football and pass protection, it happens between the C-gaps.”

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Whether it’s the elusive 5-foot-6-incher- Vaughn- or a big 238-pound bruiser like Leupke or someone in between, McCarthy is clear on what he wants to see.

“You want them to be dynamic with the ball in their hands.”

Four young rushers will get their chances to do just that for the Cowboys on Saturday night.

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NFL to hold supplemental draft; Purdue WR declared eligible

From @ToddBrock24f7: Would the Cowboys spend a 2024 draft pick to land Milton Wright this summer? The league will hold its first supplemental draft since 2019.

The Cowboys- along with the other 31 teams in the league will get one more crack at adding collegiate talent next month.

The NFL has reportedly announced that the 2023 supplemental draft will take place virtually on July 11, as per Dane Brugler of The Athletic. The league’s last supplemental draft took place in 2019.

The supplemental draft was designed to accommodate players in unique situations, like being declared ineligible for the upcoming college football season after the regular draft has already taken place. Rather than staying in limbo for a year, a player in those circumstances could formally petition the league to be included in the supplemental draft.

That’s what happened to Purdue wide receiver Milton Wright. He recorded 57 receptions for 732 yards and seven touchdowns in 2021 and would have been the Boilermakers’ top returning receiver in 2022, but he was declared academically ineligible last May and subsequently left the school’s program.

Over three seasons in West Lafayette, he caught 99 balls for 1,325 yards and 10 total touchdowns over 27 games.

A native of Louisville, Wright stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 195 pounds. He’s listed as having a a 4.5 40 time and was thought to perhaps eventually be a Day Two pick had he remained eligible.

As of Friday afternoon, Wright is the only player to have been approved by the league for the supplemental draft, but there could be others before July 11.

For the draft itself, the league’s teams are divided into three groups based on how they finished in the previous season: non-playoff teams with six or fewer wins, non-playoff teams with more than six wins, and playoff teams. Within each group, a draft order is decided by a weighted lottery that gives teams with fewer wins a higher pick.

Teams then blindly submit bids for eligible players, stating the round that team would assign the given player. The team highest in the order who submits the earliest-round bid gets him, and the club then forfeits their pick in that same round in the next regular draft.

The Cowboys have overhauled the top of their WR corps this offseason by trading for Brandin Cooks back in March. He is expected to start opposite CeeDee Lamb, with Michael Gallup also fully healthy and back in the mix after a January 2022 ACL tear.

Past those three, the Cowboys have lots of young question marks at receiver. Second-year man Jalen Tolbert is said to be having a strong offseason, as is Simi Fehoko. Return specialist KaVonate Turpin is thought to be in line for more reps on offense as a pass-catcher. Jalen Brooks was selected out of South Carolina in the seventh round of the regular draft, while Jose Barbon, David Durden, Jalen Moreno-Cropper, and John Stephens Jr. were added as undrafted free agents. Dontario Drummond and Dennis Houston, from last year’s practice squad, are still with the team as well.

The supplemental draft has unearthed a few notable names historically. Wide receiver Josh Gordon was taken by Cleveland in 2012, quarterback Terrelle Pryor was drafted by the Raiders in 2011, and Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter was selected by the Vikings in 1987. Linebacker Brian Bosworth and quarterback Bernie Kosar went in the 1987 and 1985 supplemental drafts respectively, both as first-rounders.

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Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson was the last NFL player taken in a supplemental draft. A fifth-rounder in 2019, he is still with Arizona.

The Cowboys have used the supplemental draft five times in the past. They spent a first-round pick on quarterback Steve Walsh in 1989, famously hedging their bet that No. 1 overall pick Troy Aikman, taken just a few months earlier, might not work out. Running back Mike Lowman (1989), tight end John Davis (1994), defensive tackle Darren Benson (1995), and nose tackle Josh Brent (2010) were also supplemental draft picks by the Cowboys.

Whether the Dallas front office thinks enough of Wright to spend a 2024 draft pick on him to add to their long list of depth receivers is unknown.

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WATCH: Cowboys rookie Deuce Vaughn gets first look at NFL uniform

From @ToddBrock24f7: Vaughn and Luke Schoonmaker were chosen for the NFLPA’s Rookie Premiere as among the league’s most marketable first-year players for 2023.

They have yet to take an actual snap in an NFL game, but Cowboys rookies Luke Schoonmaker and Deuce Vaughn have already gotten a taste of the VIP treatment.

The tight end and running back draft picks were among a group of 45 newcomers to take part in the NFLPA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles over the weekend. The annual event, now in its 29th year, is staged by the marketing and business licensing arm of the players association and is meant “to educate rookie players about the business aspects of football and help them launch their endorsement careers.”

This year, players had the chance to connect with corporate partners like Fanatics, EA Sports, Pepsi, and DraftKings with an eye toward building relationships and creating marketing opportunities. Panini America, the event’s presenting sponsor, also got the rookies to sign their first batch of football cards to be released in their first year in the pros.

One of the highlights of the weekend was a group photo shoot, held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

For sixth-round selection Deuce Vaughn, the event also gave him his first look at his official Cowboys uniform.

There’s no guarantee that Vaughn will keep the No. 42 jersey or even make the final Cowboys roster, but the NFLPA inviting him to the Rookie Premiere is a clear sign that the diminutive running back is seen as one of the most marketable first-year players for 2023.

According the players association, “players are selected for the Rookie Premiere based on factors such as college performance, draft status, position, and marketability, all of which affect trading card value.”

Schoonmaker, the Michigan tight end taken in the second round, was also included in the weekend’s activities, and it seems as though he and Vaughn already have a head start on bonding as first-year Cowboys teammates.

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Totally Asim: Cowboys’ Day 3 draft pick could blossom under OL coaching in Dallas

From @ToddBrock24f7: Asim Richards saw a quantum leap after a coaching change at North Carolina. He’s primed to do it again in the Cowboys’ vaunted OL system.

Yes, it’s pronounced awesome, at least if your accent is from the right part of the country.

Now Asim (AH-sim) Richards hopes to live up to that billing after being selected by the Cowboys in the fifth round of this year’s draft. And while his numbers as a North Carolina senior were impressive enough on their own, it may have been something else that really caught the eye of the Dallas staff.

Richards came to offensive line play late, transitioning away from defensive end and tight end for his senior year of high school. As a freshman in Chapel Hill, he was mostly a backup. From 2020 to 2022, though, he started his final 34 games, and he went from the line’s weak link as a sophomore to the unit’s leader as a senior.

Richards played over 1,000 offensive snaps in 2022 at left tackle and allowed just three sacks against stiff conference competition. He was named to the All-ACC’s third team as a result.

Something had changed dramatically along the way- namely, the coaching Richards was getting at his position. Jack Bicknell took over OL duties for the Tar Heels’ 2022 season, and it unlocked a whole new level for the Philadelphia native.

“He came in, told us that we can be more physical, get down lower, and that we don’t have to be so passive,” Richards explained last November. “And it really changed the culture of the O-line room.

“It’s about being more aggressive,” he added. “Like with pass blocking, not waiting for them to get there; you can go out and attack… And with run blocking, just getting your hands in the right spot. Keep driving your feet, being more physical.”

That one-year quantum leap hints at even more untapped potential still hidden beneath the surface, just waiting to be drawn out of the 22-year-old by the right coaches.

Mike Solari, in his first year as OL coach for the Cowboys, started the lessons right out of the gate, putting Richards at guard during rookie minicamp. After playing all but one college game at left tackle (and the other at left guard), it will be yet another series of adjustments for the 6-foot-4-inch Richards.

But he’s ready to make an impression on his coaches no matter the assignment.

“I can play wherever,” Richards said shortly after being drafted 169th overall.

The Cowboys may take him up on that. Mike McCarthy’s first comments about Richards referenced his versatility.

“He definitely has position flex, so I think the biggest thing,” the coach explained on draft weekend, “is the ability to play tackle and move down to guard. Position flex is so important.”

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Bulking up may also help the rookie. At 307 pounds, Richards is on the light end of the Cowboys’ preferred range for offensive linemen. UNC coach Mack Brown said improving his strength is Richards’s biggest need; the elite strength and conditioning staff in Dallas can certainly help with that.

But to start, Richards simply wants to show his new coaches he’s ready, willing, and able to take their tutoring.

“You really just have to go out there and give effort, effort, effort,” he said after his first minicamp sessions. “Go out there and run and fly around. I know they try and keep us fresh, but really go out there and fly around, give effort, and if you show that, then you’re gonna be just fine. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Richards may be coming in as low man on the totem pole, behind Cowboys OL stalwarts Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, Terence Steele, and Tyler Smith. And he’ll have to battle alongside veterans like Josh Ball, Matt Farniok, Matt Waletzko, and Chuma Edoga just to make the roster. But Richards has already shown a knack for learning and then translating that coaching to exponential power on the field. If he can do it in the pros, too, he could quickly prove to be a steal of a fifth-round draft pick and maybe even a long-term answer for the Cowboys up front.

And that would be awesome indeed.

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