Category: 2025 season

Dallas Cowboys aspire to build an elite Eagles-level offensive line

The eagles just proved the offensive line is the key to success for the Cowboys in 2025, says @ReidDHanson.

The Philadelphia Eagles just won the Super Bowl after winning the conference two of the last three seasons . They laid claim to the NFL’s highest honor on the backs of their offensive line.

The Eagles O-line made things easy for the plethora of playmakers wearing midnight green on Sunday night in New Orleans. Saquon Barkley might get most of the credit for the Eagles’ dominant ground game, but those who’ve been paying attention know the offensive line is the real hero in Philadelphia this season.

The Eagles success has given the Dallas Cowboys something to aspire to in 2025.

Not only is Klayton Adams, Dallas’ new offensive coordinator, one of the NFL’s best offensive line coaches, but the Cowboys new actual offensive line coach, Conor Riley, is also highly regarded in his role. As if that wasn’t enough, the Cowboys holdover tight end coach, Lunda Wells, is a respected offensive line mind as well.The Cowboys have a clear focus on their offensive line this offseason and they have all the money-backed moves to prove it.

Whether the Cowboys can bridge that gap between them and the Eagles in a single offseason remains to be seen. Philadelphia won Pro Football Focus’ honors for being the top offensive line in the NFL in 2024 while the Cowboys finished ranked just 25th.  The Eagles also finished in the top 10 in both pass block win rate and run block win rate, while the Cowboys only cracked the top 10 in run block win rate. To the surprise of no one, the Cowboys’ pass protection rated just 24th in this ESPN metric.

It should be no surprise Jalen Hurts had the longest time to throw (TTT) in the NFL last season, averaging 3.23 seconds per drop back. Cooper Rush (2.36 seconds) and Dak Prescott (2.64 seconds) finished in the NFL’s bottom seven (of those playing at least 20 percent of the snaps) in 2024.

When kept clean, Hurts posted a 92.8 offensive grade, good for top five in the NFL. When under pressure he was third worst.

Hurts was just a hair above Daniel Jones when playing under pressure, company no self-respecting quarterback wants to find themselves amongst. All Hurts did in the Super Bowl was win MVP, being one of the most OL-dependent players in the NFL.

Hurts still had to perform, but it’s a similar ask to that of the Kyle Shanahan QBs in San Francisco.

Barkley dominated the NFL in yards before contact behind his elite offensive line; it was them who deserve the bulk of the credit for his historic season, opening holes and keeping him clean and untouched for so long, down after down.

Barkley was still a beast as a runner, finishing No. 6 in yards after contact/attempt in 2024, but Rico Dowdle also finished in the top 10 in this RB specific performance stat and he’s hardly considered elite .

There’s a lesson the Eagles have taught Dallas this season and a blueprint for success the new coaching staff seems particularly qualified to follow. It’s all about the offensive line and the Cowboys seem to finally understand that.

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Cowboys dead last in NFC spending at this position, just $3 million before free agency, draft

A review of what the Cowboys have at RB, what they’ll do once the league year starts with free agency and the draft.

The Cowboys have completed the mission. After heavily investing in the running back position in both draft and financial capital, things have bottomed out. In 2016, Dallas invested the No. 4 overall pick on the position, drafting Ezekiel Elliott. Three years later they invested financially making him the highest paid player in the history of the position.

Four years after that, while still carrying $just under $6 million in dead money after releasing Elliott, they slapped a $10 million franchise tag on Tony Pollard. Still, even in 2024, they still had $6.4 million in space being used by Elliott’s old contract. So it is just now that they’ve landed on the less invested side of things in that regard.

And landed their with authority, it might be added. The Cowboys churned out another 1,000 yard rusher, but he is a free agent, leaving just three players with under 100 total carries amongst them remaining on the roster.

So what comes next?

Rostered: $3.09 million in cap space

The Cowboys have three players under contract for 2025, Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis and Hunter Luepke, who count for only $3.09 million in cap space. That’s the lowest total among all NFC teams and 30th overall.

None of the three backs have proven much, with only Luepke feeling like he has a great chance to stick.

Pending Free Agents

Rico Dowdle, the team’s starter the majority of the season and bell cow the last half of it, hits free agency for the first time. Undrafted in 2020, an injury stole his 2021 season and it took him until this year to become a consistent contributor. He’s seen as the fourth or fifth-best back available in free agency after averaging 4.6 yards a carry on his way to 1.079 rushing yards with another 249 through the air.

Dowdle’s average is a true representation of what to expect on any given carry, as his longest run was just 27 yards and he rarely broke off big gains.

The Cowboys are likely looking for someone with more juice to lead the way in their new play-action based system.

Prediction: Dowdle signs elsewhere.

External Free Agents

The Cowboys are likely going to want to meet all types of runners on their offseason roster before making their way to the draft. Luepke is the short-yardage guy, and he’s expected to make the 2025 roster regardless. Davis has the all-around label and Vaughn… well Vaughn has a touching story.

The Cowboys will likely be looking for a speed merchant style of back, but more than likely at a discount.

Prediction: Jordan Mason could see free agency this year. He’s a restricted free agent but was undrafted and it would be a big ask for the 49ers to offer him a second-round tender while also paying Christian McCaffrey big money. If he comes free, he’s the guy that would make a ton of sense to spend the NFL version of the mid-level exception on. A two year, $7 million deal with two void yearsbmay get him in the fold.

2025 NFL Draft

The Cowboys are expected to be players in the market for a top running back in a deep class. Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty may slide down to No. 12 and make the decision very hard on Will McClay and company.

If not, Omarion Hampton (UNC) and Treyveon Henderson (OSU) could be second and third-round targets who offer breakaway speed at any given moment.

Prediction: The Cowboys go elsewhere with their top pick, Hampton is snatched before they hit the clock in Round 2 and Henderson is the pick in Round 3.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni makes Hail Mary try at retaining Kellen Moore

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni made a Hail Mary try at retaining Kellen Moore after their Super Bowl championship: ‘Let’s run this (expletive) back’

You can’t hate a guy for trying. With another Super Bowl victory in hand and grinning players and coaches all around him, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni took a moment to try and sustain his success a little longer.

Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore put on a show in Sunday night’s runaway win over the Kansas City Chiefs, as did veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Sirianni thanked both of them in his postgame speech but he also made a last-second, maybe halfhearted plea to Moore with green confetti raining down around him from the postgame stage.

“Kellen, you know, let’s run this (expletive) back, Kellen,” Sirianni laughed, preparing to accept the Lombardi Trophy. “Let’s run this back.”

Moore’s looming departure for the New Orleans Saints has been the elephant in the room all week. It’s been repeatedly reported that Moore is expected to become the Saints’ next head coach now that the Super Bowl is behind him, but nothing is guaranteed until he’s signed his contract. Moore will fly back to Philadelphia on Monday with the Eagles and celebrate their championship win a little longer before turning his attention back to New Orleans.

So Sirianni will have some time to work to keep his team together. Let’s see if it makes a difference.

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Kellen Moore’s stunning Super Bowl blowout is a big Saints selling point

It’s one thing to advertise your new head coach as someone who got to the Super Bowl. What Kellen Moore achieved is something else altogether:

It’s one thing to advertise your new head coach as someone who got to the Super Bowl. That message in itself resonates with young star talents like Chris Olave — but what Kellen Moore achieved on Sunday night is something else altogether. The Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator put on a clinic in Super Bowl LIX, preparing his offense to handle one of the NFL’s greatest defenses. And this performance has to be music to the New Orleans Saints’ ears.

Moore faced off with Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and turned the clock back to 2012, when Spags’ Saints defense allowed 440 yards per game. They gave up 345 total yards to the Eagles after allowing just 320 this season. Moore’s unit put up 33 of Philly’s 40 points (not counting a pick-six by rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean), largely thanks to good play from Jalen Hurts in the pocket. A notoriously poor passer against the blitz, Hurts hung in tough against the Chiefs pass rush Spagnuolo has tooled into sending extra pressure.

You can bet Moore walking into the locker room with a Super Bowl ring on his finger will command attention. He still has to accept the Saints job, of course, but that’s long been the expectation. You play to win the game, and to get to this stage, and to win it all like Moore just did. That credibility matters in the NFL.

Outscoring the two-time Super Bowl champs and spoiling their shot at a three-peat is impressive. Doing it inside the Caesars Superdome where the Saints play their home games is meaningful. If the Saints can seal the deal and get Moore to sign a contract? If nothing else it would be a huge shift in vibes from where this team has been. Now let’s see them get across the goal line.

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Kellen Moore will fly back to Philly after the Super Bowl

Report: Kellen Moore is set to fly back to Philadelphia after the Super Bowl, before continuing talks for the Saints head coach job

There is something of a new development in the New Orleans Saints head coaching search, as their primary candidate Kellen Moore will be flying back home with the Philadelphia Eagles following Super Bowl LIX, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Given the game is being held in New Orleans and played at the Saints’ home stadium, it had been speculated Moore may stay behind to try and work out a deal first. But this will not be the case.

Whether Moore is celebrating a championship win with his teammates or working on exit interviews, he’ll put a pin on this Eagles season before turning attention back to the Saints.

This gives New Orleans some time to prepare for what could be the final meeting, and when it comes down to it, what they hope is the discussion that gets things over the line. While they cannot hire him until after the Super Bowl anyways, he has become the far-and-away favorite for the job as the Saints will be the last team of the cycle to hire a head coach.

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ESPN: Kellen Moore to accept Saints job ‘barring an unexpected breakdown’

All signs have pointed to Kellen Moore being the next Saints head coach, and the latest report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter is greater confirmation:

The New Orleans Saints are expected to take another meeting after the Super Bowl with Kellen Moore. All signs point to that being a mere formality with the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator expected to accept the team’s head coaching job.

This has been the case for the last week since the Saints told other candidates the decision at head coach will be put off until after Super Bowl LIX. This positioned Moore as the obvious favorite. Then, reports of Moore beginning to build a coaching staff surfaced, which showcases a high level of mutual interest.

The latest update from ESPN’s Adam Schefter serves as a confirmation of previous assumptions. Schefter reported the expectation is the Saints and Moore will finalize a deal after the Super Bowl “barring an unexpected breakdown in contract talks.” Schefter said all of this during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show early this week, but now he’s putting it in writing.

Finances being the only potential hurdle between the two sides is a great sign of where they are. As the two sit down after the Super Bowl, that shouldn’t be a hard thing to come to terms with.

New Orleans has been aggressive in their pursuit of Moore, and it should be expected for them to compensate him appropriately.

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Cowboys $91 million position predicted to be addressed in both draft, free agency

A review of what the Cowboys have at QB, what they’ll do once the league year starts with free agency and the draft.

With the 2024 NFL season concluding Sunday, it’s now time for all 32 teams to turn their attention to the 2025 season.  There is approximately just one month’s time for teams to finalize their game plans of how they want to attack the offseason and for the Dallas Cowboys, there’s a lot of work to be done.

The team has configured the majority of their new coaching staff, led by new head coach Brian Schottenheimer and his new coordinators Klayton Adams and Matt Eberflus. Personnel director Will McClay has been extended for five more seasons and now the attention needs to turn to fixing the roster that resulted in a 7-10 regular season record. Everything starts at the top, and in the NFL that’s the quarterback position.

Rostered: $90.9 million in cap space

The Cowboys have two players under contract for 2025, starter Dak Prescott and backup Will Grier.

Prescott enters the first year of his four-year extension signed at the beginning of last season worth $240 million. Currently he is set to take up $89.9 million of cap space, with the salary cap expected to come in around $272.5 million in 2025. Clearly the Cowboys aren’t going to allow one player to eat up one-third of their cap space and the team will restructure the deal, as was intended when it was signed.

Restructuring Prescott’s base salary ($47.75 million) can be done all at once, or as cap space is needed. The minimum base salary for a player with Prescott’s experience (7+ years) is $1.255 million. Up to $46.5 million of salary can be spread evenly over five years (four contract years and the first of four void years already built in) meaning the club could shave up to $37.2 million off of Prescott’s 2025 cap hit.

Grier is a placeholder, signed well after Prescott was lost for the year, and is no guarantee to make the club, or even training camp for that matter. He’s currently on the books for the league minimum of $1.17 million and has a cap hit of $1.03 million.

Prediction: Restructure Prescott, Grier is a camp body with a shot.

Pending Free Agents

Prescott’s primary backups for the last two seasons, Cooper Rush and Trey Lance, are both pending free agents. Dallas traded for Lance, giving up a 2024 fourth-round pick in 2023, and gave him no opportunity to prove he could be a viable backup whatsoever, giving them little game evidence to decide on.

Rush was given plenty of opportunity and again proved to be a capable bus driver who is mistake prone but able to win some games. Rush has a career 9-5 record with a 2:1 TD:INT ratio, going 4-4 last year with a career worst 40.8 QBR.

There will likely be some team interested in bringing Lance in to give the young guy a shot and likely some team interested in having Rush around while they groom a young QB out of the draft. There’s arguments for either or neither to be back in Dallas, but not both.

Prediction: Both sign elsewhere.

External Free Agents

There’s a limited amount of intriguing QBs in free agency this year, and the Cowboys aren’t going to be looking to spend significant space on a backup with so many other needs. Failures elsewhere, such as Justin Fields, Mac Jones and Daniel Jones, will probably have a market that prices the Cowboys out.

Prediction: Sign Jameis Winston, two-year, $7.5 million (void years), $2 million cap hit

2025 NFL Draft

The Cowboys could have gone in multiple directions with their head coaching hire, but clearly were looking for stability with the staff that has worked with Prescott. Any idea the club would be looking to escape Prescott’s contract soon and draft an heir apparent to groom went out the window with Schotty’s hire.

That doesn’t mean the club will be out on QB in the draft though, as it makes sense to draft and develop a future backup.

Prediction: Use one of their four fifth-round picks to draft a QB, such as Louisville’s Tyler Shough.

B/R says Saints should reunite college teammates with two high-ceiling trades

B/R sees Mazi Smith and David Ojabo as top trade targets for the Saints. These would be low risk trades that require minimal compensation

The New Orleans Saints aren’t in the best position to grab a lot of talent in free agency or through trade this offseason due to being cash strapped. Bleacher Report’s scouting department does have a couple of players New Orleans could trade for.

The department broke down the three top trade targets for each team. For the Saints, they chose draft picks, David Ojabo and Mazi Smith. Trading for one of the two former Michigan Wolverines are the type of moves that New Orleans may have to settle for. Bleacher Report’s scouts see these defensive linemen as players with “a high ceiling and could wind up helping a team like the Saints.”

A speed rusher and a run stuffer. That’s what the Saints need and these players are prototypes for it. Even if it doesn’t work, they give you much needed depth. Ojabo is on the last year of his deal and Smith has two years remaining. These are short term moves that could become long-term with productivity.

Neither one of these moves would prevent the Saints from making more impact moves along the defensive line in the first three rounds of the NFL draft. These could even be draft-day trades. Because they haven’t lived up to expectations, Ojabo and Smith may only demand a Day 3 pick. It wouldn’t require much and at the worst, would fill out the roster.

Smith has played all 34 games he’s been eligible for with the Dallas Cowboys, but he’s been miscast after being asked to drop a lot of weight his rookie year and then told to pack it back on the following summer. His career has been an up-and-down roller coaster because of it. As for Ojabo? Injuries have limited him to just 18 games in three years, but he’s bagged four sacks and a couple of forced fumbles. Snaps are hard to come by in Baltimore’s defense. Depending on how the Saints fill out their new coaching staff, he could have better opportunities in New Orleans.

The Saints need to get younger. Ojabo will be 25 in May and Smith turns 24 a month later. They were both better prospects coming out of college than anyone who will be available when the Saints are picking in the later rounds of this year’s NFL draft. These are exactly the kind of low-risk, high-reward moves the team should be exploring. We’ll see if either of them are actually on the trade block this spring.

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Options emerge as DC for Kellen Moore if he becomes Saints head coach

ESPN reports there are two candidates emerging as options for defensive coordinator on Kellen Moore’s New Orleans Saints staff — assuming he takes the job:

The New Orleans Saints have cleared house on their coaching staff, as they now have vacancies at most of the major positions. One of the ones that most recently opened up was at defensive coordinator, as Joe Woods has left for the Las Vegas Raiders to join Pete Carroll’s staff.

The likely scenario here is that the Saints have chosen to let many of their coaches seek out other positions, laterally or otherwise, to allow whoever their new head coach may be to select their own staff altogether. Given Kellen Moore is the frontrunner for the position as of now, he has received much speculation when it comes to adding further staff behind him.

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, there are two candidates who are seen as likely fits for the defensive coordinator spot: “Two names I’ve heard as possibilities at defensive coordinator are 49ers assistant coach Brandon Staley and Buccaneers outside linebackers coach George Edwards. Both have history with Moore — Staley hired Moore as his offensive coordinator with the Chargers in 2023, and Moore overlapped with Edwards in Dallas.”

Fowler also notes Matt Eberflus and Klayton Adams as options that could have come to fruition if not already hired by the Cowboys. Staley has been one of the names thrown around for a little while now given the direct connection, however Edwards is somewhat of a new addition to the group. He has extensive experience in the league including three stints as a defensive coordinator previously, so he could very well be in the running here as well.

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Saints coach candidate has ‘ton of respect’ for QB Derek Carr

There have been rumors about Kellen Moore not liking the Saints QB situation, but when asked, the head coach candidate said he has ‘a ton of respect’ for Derek Carr:

As the attention on Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is in full focus this week in New Orleans before Super Bowl LIX, many local media members have been able to get a gauge for what he thinks of the Saints organization and more specifically, his thoughts on quarterback Derek Carr.

Moore, as a former Boise State standout, was asked about his matchup with Carr back in college, (a 57-7 blowout win for his Broncos) but quickly shifted to give praise to Carr and his body of work in the league.

“I’ve known Derek for a long time, tons of respect for him as a quarterback in this league. He’s had a tremendous career and done a lot of really good things,” Moore told reporters this week.

There were some reports prior to this statement regarding Moore’s potential concerns in the Saints quarterback room, however it is just about a guarantee that Carr will be the teams signal caller if Moore does take the teams head coaching job. Carr as his contract stands, will account for $51.5 million of the team’s salary cap for next season. If Carr was to be cut prior to June 1, the team would take on $50.1 million in dead money, meaning the team is more likely to restructure Carr’s and keep him than to move on from him at anytime in the near future. At least Moore is a fan of Carr’s game, if the Saints are indeed able to hire him as their new head coach.

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