Category: 2024 training camp

Cowboys work out gambler and Parsons ex-teammate, Jets castoff to replace latest ACL victim

Dallas is searching for a speedy edge rusher to help lessen the burden after losing Sam Williams for the season. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Leave no stone unturned. When doing a recent 53-man roster prediction as the Dallas Cowboys move to Week 2 of 2024 training camp, one thing became clear. They don’t really have an in-house replacement for defensive end Sam Williams.

Williams was lost for the season after tearing his ACL and MCL last week, becoming the fifth Cowboys player in the las calendar year to suffer the knee injury. He was going to be an integral figure in the edge rush rotation, as defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer planned to move Micah Parsons around more than he had been the last two seasons. Now the role opposite DeMarcus Lawrence’s run-anchor DE spot is open and on Thursday the Cowboys will  search for help filling it.

Second-round rookie Marshawn Kneeland is Lawrence’s heir apparent and doesn’t possess a similar skillset to Williams and Parsons, and there isn’t another player on the roster who appears ready for a role that substantial. Therefore Will McClay and the front office have gone about trying to find outside help, bringing in four players for workouts. It’s an interesting group of contenders.

The biggest name is Carl Lawson; one of eight edge rushers Cowboys Wire identified as leading candidates to be considered. Lawson was a fourth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017 and has spent the last three seasons with the New York Jets. He missed much of the season dealing with a back injury that had him in and out of the lineup through the first half of the season. In 2022 he had seven sacks.

Also part of the workout is Shaka Toney, who was banned from the NFL for the 2023 season due to gambling. The former Penn State Nittany Lion who teamed up with Parsons in college was a seventh-round pick of the Washington Commanders in 2021. He has 1.5 career sacks in his two years.

Al-Quadin Muhammad (2017 Saints pick, 12 career sacks) and Justin Hollins (2019 Broncos pick, 10.5 career sacks) will also attend the Oxnard, CA workout.

Does size matter? Crowds at Cowboys camp becomes talking point

Are diminished training camp crowds something that should matter to the Dallas Cowboys? | From @BenGrimaldi

The Dallas Cowboys are the biggest brand in the NFL, and all American sports, recently valued at $9 billion. Team owner Jerry Jones has played a major role in catapulting America’s Team into the forefront of the football world, regardless of their performance. Year after year, Cowboys fans keep coming back to a team that hasn’t made it close to the pinnacle of the sport in 28 seasons. That’s a lifetime for a franchise that had gotten used to success.

During this time of futility, fans want to believe in Jones and his desire to win. Jones is famous for saying there isn’t a check he wouldn’t write to get the Cowboys another Super Bowl, but his words continue to ring hollow as the team remains dormant during free agency. On Tuesday, conversation around whether or not fans have had enough surfaced online.

This offseason was a particularly quiet one as the organization barely made a move in the open market and failed to re-sign any of their priorities to extensions.  The lack of urgency this offseason has led many fans to feel less enthusiastic about the Cowboys’ prospects for the 2024 season.

However, as down as many team backers had seemed to be on social media, that didn’t stop diehard fans from buying tickets to see their beloved Cowboys. The team sold out their season tickets, allegedly faster than any other team in the league; something the Joneses happily brought up at training camps opening press conference.

 

That enthusiasm was seemingly backed up early in camp when there were crowds lining for the opening practices in Oxnard. There were masses of people waiting to get a look at the 2024 Cowboys and to get autographs from Jones and their favorite players.

However, after the opening sessions and the initial weekend passed, the first real workout saw the crowds drastically diminished.

Cowboys beat reporters pointed out how empty the stands were for the first padded practice of camp.

As Leslie notes, even with the crowds for the opening few days, attendance has been lower compared to camps in the past. The question is, should it matter?

While many fans and beat writers have noticed the dwindling support in the stands, just as many have pointed out that practice is where the focus should be. The work being done on the field is what matters, not who isn’t on hand to watch.

Although Cowboys fans seem to be split on the crowds and if it matters to them, it might mean something to Jerry and Stephen Jones. The product on the field and the teams success should be paramount to anything else, but the Joneses played a large role in this controversy by bragging about their ticket sales. In doing so, they brought credence to those who believe the Joneses top priority is making money, not winning games.

If the Joneses didn’t bring up their ticket sales, this likely wouldn’t have been much of a story. But in making selling all their season tickets in record fashion a talking point, they allowed people to throw it back in their faces. If it’s fine to talk about fan interest with ticket sales, it’s fair game to point out the lack of attendance in training camp.

Reality hasn’t changed on either side. Fans want the organization to do everything they can to put the best team on the field and use their resources to do so. They want the Cowboys to win games, and hopefully, a Super Bowl.

Ownership can say they want to win, but they’ve shown more of a preference for making money and keeping it in their pockets. Until they show more of a willingness to go ‘all-in’ and spend their cap dollars to the max to do so, they’ll continue to get backlash.

The crowds in training camp don’t matter to the product on the field, but it’s something the Joneses surely notice.

You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi

21 best photos from Cowboys’ 1st padded practice of 2024

With Trevon Diggs return being marked by the pads coming on, here’s a look at the best photos from Practice No. 5. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The pads came on Tuesday, marking the very first, fully physical exercise of the 2024 season for the Dallas Cowboys. Mike McCarthy had his team going through the motions during the first four practices which began last week Thursday before taking Monday off; acclimating the troops to the rhythm of the regular season.

On Tuesday they got back to work wearing their shells, a key indicator that things are going to be ratcheted up a notch or two. Joining the fray is Trevon Diggs, cleared to practice in full for the first time since tearing his ACL last September. Diggs was activated from the PUP list and joined his friends in Mike Zimmer’s new-look defense that is changing up from Dan Quinn’s tenure.

Here’s a look at some of the best captures from Tuesday’s on-field work.

Mazi Smith showing both good and bad in Cowboys training camp

Pump the breaks on Mazi Smith’s highlights because his main role on the Cowboys is supposed to be as a run-stopper. | From @ReidDHanson

To say the pressure is on Mazi Smith in training camp this summer, is a bit of an understatement. The Cowboys first-round pick in 2023 is coming off a massively disappointing rookie campaign. The Michigan defensive tackle logged the lowest number of defensive snaps for a Dallas first-round rookie since Bobby Carpenter back in 2006.

After doing very little to address the position in free agency and the draft, the Cowboys have painted themselves into a corner with Smith. Despite grading as one of the worst DTs in the NFL last year, Dallas has essentially handed a starting job over to the second-year player. The 23-year-old finds himself penciled in at the 1-technique spot next to Osa Odighizuwa, sparking a “Smith or bust” mentality in Cowboys Country.

Not surprisingly, Smith’s training camp has offered some good news as well as some bad news. The good news is Smith looks bigger and far more explosive off the snap. A year ago, he lost too much weight and was still often the last man off the ball. Now he’s thicker and nearly leading the pack off the snap.

Next, he’s showcasing some of the raw power that landed him No. 1 on Brice Feldman’s Freaks List. Smith is finally playing a little like the powerful and explosive player he was draft to be.

The bad news is that’s not enough.

When discussing Smith on his Love of the Star podcast, Bryan Broaddus pointed out Smith still has a balance issue to contend with. He often gets stuck on one foot, losing his leverage and subsequently taken out of the play.

There’s also an issue with Smith’s confidence. Smith noticeably suffered in this aspect as a rookie and his confidence seems to remain fragile today. Bobby Belt stated, “He seems discouraged,” while Broaddus added Smith is “super tough on himself.”

Onlookers have been treated to highlights of Smith pushing the pocket in training camp and showing the promise he rarely showed as a rookie.

Those eager to see positives have seen them. Smith is penciled into such a vital role in 2024 the Cowboys will find themselves up a creek if he doesn’t move significantly in a positive direction.

Unfortunately, majority of his highlights are in plays he gets to play the aggressor (i.e. as a pass rusher). In plays he gets attacked, like in the running game, his balance gets called into question. Pass protection requires offensive linemen to step back and Smith to charge forward. Run blocking isn’t so passive for an offensive lineman.

This is an important distinction to make because, as a 1-tech DT, Smith’s primary responsibility will be holding up against the run. On passing downs he’ll likely leave the field altogether, making his progress as a pass rusher and pocket collapser somewhat moot.

This isn’t to say his progress isn’t important. It’s just to point out it might not be as significant in regular season application as it might seem in these training camp drills where he’s rushing the passer.

The real test for Smith will be against the run this preseason. Can he maintain his gap integrity? Can he hold up against a good blocker? What about a double team?

It’s great Smith’s pushing the pocket while rushing the passer. All progress must be celebrated, but the Cowboys need Smith to be a serviceable run-stopper and until he shows that, 1-tech is still a major issue on this team.

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Cowboys activate Trevon Diggs from PUP as pads come on

Mike Zimmer welcomes back his premier cornerback option after almost a year on the sideline recovering. | From @KDDrummondNFL

In the immortal words of Bruce Buffer and the Imagine Dragons, and the HuckaBucks if you’re a fan of DC go-go, It’s Time! The Dallas Cowboys have activated cornerback Trevon Diggs off the Physically Unable to Perform list, allowing him to be a full participant in 2024 training camp.

On the first day of padded practice, and Day 5 of their live practices, the Cowboys are finally able to unveil their premier All-Pro duo at the position, pairing Diggs with DaRon Bland.  Diggs, who suffered an ACL tear in practice leading up to Week 3 last season, has recovered to the point that he’ll be able to practice with no restrictions.

Diggs led the NFL in interceptions in 2021 with 11, the most in the league since 1981. He had three in 2022, but many feel he was much more solid in coverage in that campaign, as interceptions are close to just 1% of the snaps a defender sees.

Diggs started last year even better through two games, allowing just two catches for 26 yards on eight targets while hauling in another interception and forcing a fumble while recording a run stop.

Pairing Diggs with Bland, who moved into the boundary position opposite Stephon Gilmore when the former went down, gives Dallas what will hopefully be a dynamic duo that can quickly acclimate to new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s new, complicated scheme.

Who is Tyron Billy-Johnson? Why do Cowboys fans need to know him?

WR Tyron Billy-Johnson has been dropping jaws in Cowboys camp and is leading a race to a roster spot. | From @ReidDHanson

Every year, fans and media try to predict who will be a standout, surprising everyone in training camp to ultimately claim a spot on the final 53-man roster. Every year someone is missed. For all the time spent writing about David Durden, Jalen Moreno-Cropper and Ryan Flournoy (all of whom are still very much in the mix), someone like Tyron Billy-Johnson slips through the cracks.

Billy-Johnson, an undrafted free agent in 2019, has been a daily guest on the training camp highlight reel this summer. Showcasing his 4.36 speed, he’s been a consistent deep threat in Oxnard, creating separation and tracking the ball en route to big plays.

The journeyman receiver first joined Dallas last summer, flashing during camp and earning a place on the practice squad in the process. Since then, he’s honed his skills, displaying a better knowledge of the route tree while putting his 6-foot-1, 193-pound frame to work.

The 28-year-old prospect is a bit long in the tooth for a developmental player, but by no means should be ruled out. Billy-Johnson has 23 career receptions for 422 yards and three touchdowns. By production standards, that makes him the Cowboys third-most experienced WR on the roster.

While Jalen Tolbert seems to have a nice early grasp on the WR3 role, roster spots are certainly up for grabs in Dallas. Billy-Johnson joins Jalen Brooks in the race for a key role in the WR corps. Billy-Johnson has kick return ability and a little position flex within the WR ranks.

The Cowboys can use some high-end speed at the WR position. KaVontae Turpin is a burner, but at 5-foot-7, 153-pounds, he’s never been much of a contributor at WR. Aside from Brandin Cooks, Billy-Johnson is the only other WR who legitimately makes safeties sweat.

Cowboys fans need to know Billy-Johnson because, as things stand today, he’s right inside the roster bubble. It’s hard not to put the speedster in the Cowboys’ top-five right now so he’s someone everyone should have a keen eye on as camp progresses.

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50 Best pics from Cowboys first week of 2024 training camp

A look at some of the action from Oxnard, CA as 2024 Cowboys camp kicked off.

The Dallas Cowboys are set to begin their second week of 2024 training camp after their first day off on Monday. It was a hectic week, as usual, for the organization, which hosted their annual fan events, an opening press conference and four days worth of practice. For players, it’s always great to return to Oxnard, CA where the weather is much more tolerable than July and August in the Texas heat.

For the fans, getting their first glimpse at the 2024 roster, interacting with former players, veterans and the staff and front office is often a dream come true. Take a look at some of the best photo captures from the USA Today Images team from several of the days in Hotel California.

Cowboys replace jettisoned former 1st-round pick with flier from 49ers

Dallas is taking a second look at a player who was with the club in 2020, but most recently tried to latch on in SF. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Cowboys swapped out one down roster cornerback for another Sunday. Former Oakland Raiders first-round pick and most recently of the UFL, Gareon Conley was cut loose from Dallas’ 90-man roster. After being out of the league for a few years, Conley was looking to latch on with the Cowboys for the year.

Apparently not as the former Ohio State Buckeye star was unable to find footing and has reportedly hinted that he may retire from football. Out with the older, in with the newer, apparently. Dallas wasted no time filling the roster hole, putting a waiver claim in on a fomer player, Kemon Hall, most recently of the San Francisco 49ers training camp.

Hall spent the last month and a half of the 2023 season on the 49ers practice squad and was rewarded with a futures contract to work with the team through the offseason, but that came to an end on Saturday. Dallas placed a roster claim, which awards a player to teams in draft order (until after the first month of the regular season).

Hall was originally a Chargers UDFA in 2019 before spending time with the Vikings, Saints and Dallas. In December 2020, Hall was added to the Cowboys’ practice squad for the remainder of the season, but failed to capitalize on his Futures contract the following year.

Hall has appeared in 18 career games with 8 combined tackles and a fumble recovery.

Cowboys’ Sam Williams taken off on cart, will have MRI

The third-year defensive end suffered a leg injury on just the fourth day of training camp. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys are not considered as deep at edge rusher as they have been in recent years, at least not with proven depth. Their 1-2 punch of Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence is as formidable a duo as any in the NFL, but behind them they lost a ton of experience in the offseason.

Gone are Dorance Armstrong, Jr. and Dante Fowler, owners of 26 sacks combined over the last two seasons. Replacing them were third-year defensive end Sam Williams and second-round rookie draft pick Marshawn Kneeland. There’s a lot of promise between the two but now that may be in doubt as Williams left Sunday’s practice on a cart.

Williams suffered an apparent leg injury during special teams drills and has been taken to get an MRI.

The team doesn’t sound hopeful as owner Jerry Jones said, “We don’t like what we saw.”

 

Williams has yet to start a game in his career, but the 2022 second-round pick from Ole Miss was expected to be next up in the rotation after four and 4.5 sacks in each of his first two seasons. Williams has had a propensity for both dominant and boneheaded plays since joining the league, and the prevailing hope was moving to Mike Zimmer’s show would lead to more discipline in his approach.

Now the Cowboys are left waiting to hear some hopefully good news as their first major injury concern during training camp 2024 has occurred.

Durrell Johnson, Villiami Fehoko and Tyrus Wheat are behind Williams and Kneeland on the depth chart.

Dallas is coming off of three consecutive 12-5 campaigns but has changed defenses to try and be more consistent. With plans to play Parsons more as a linebacker blitzer, Williams is key to their approach.

Cowboys release former 1st-round pick before Day 4 of camp practices

The Cowboys gave the former Ohio State Buckeye a shot, but he was unable to capitalize and will now be a free agent. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys gave it a chance, but have decided to move in another direction. The organization kicked the tires on former Oakland Raiders first-round pick Gareon Conley this summer, hoping to unearth the potential that made him a tantalizing prospect during the 2017 draft season. The former Ohio State cornerback was taken No. 24 overall.

He lasted three years in the league , playing through 2019 and was most recently in the UFL, where he caught the attention of Dallas’ pro scouts. Unfortunately it looks like he did not show enough to the coaching staff and was released on Sunday.

Conley was trying to earn a spot on a top-heavy cornerback depth chart headlined by Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland, two All-Pro cornerbacks. Diggs has yet to practice, being placed on the PUP list following his early-2023 ACL tear that knocked him out of the final 15 games of last season.

He’s expected to be back to practice sooner rather than later. Aside from the two interception kings, Dallas also has Jourdan Lewis and Caelen Carson locked in for roster spots, with a competition for fifth and further on the chart.