Category: News and Notes

It’s a new era in college sports, with student athletes now able to earn money on their name, image, and likeness. But not everyone thinks it’s better. Count Deion Sanders in that latter group. The Jackson State coach raises questions about what big money is doing to the small-school athlete, and whether college coaching staffs are truly equipped to handle undergrad millionaires.

Elsewhere, a look at who will be at Cowboys rookie minicamp, including two new quarterbacks… and a third kicker candidate who’s taken quite a winding road to finally get a pro tryout. We’re looking at the schedule on the eve of its full unveiling: we know when the Cowboys will head to Lambeau, we’re counting the frequent-flyer miles, and we’re putting odds on three of the biggest matchups. All that, plus one metric predicts big things for De Williams, DeMarcus Lawrence will be under more pressure to apply more pressure, and a fan favorite from Hard Knocks is back on the open market. That’s all ahead in News and Notes.

It was a day when the world was reminded what a cash cow the NFL is. There’s so much money in the business of pro football that Fox Sports has already reportedly promised a broadcasting job to Tom Brady for whenever he decides to step away from actually playing. What’s more, he’s set to earn more per year than the current record-holders (both ex-Cowboys quarterbacks) combined.

In other financial news, Amazon wants to stage a game on Black Friday so badly they’ve upped their outrageous bid to possibly make it happen this year. Also in News and Notes, we’re exploring which players currently on other teams’ bubbles might make good free agent adds in Dallas, we’re diving in to the big year ahead for safety Donovan Wilson, we’re keeping an eye on rookie linebacker Damone Clark’s rehab, and we’re checking in on a former Cowboys DB who’s now HC of his own program. All that, plus veteran pass rushers, fifth-year options, and the unlikely member of the Cowboys worth rooting for this year.

We’re taking a closer look at cornerbacks in this edition of News and Notes. First, get to know DaRon Bland, the fifth-round pick out of Fresno State. He’s one of several youngsters in the building at the position; could it be time for one of the veterans to ride off into the sunset? We explore the Kelvin Joseph situation, and could the New York Giants’ latest roster move possibly shake things up even further in Dallas?

Elsewhere, it’s schedule release week, and while select matchups continue to get trickled out, we preview a few possibilities the Cowboys need to be on the lookout for. Jerry Jones seems to have been proven not at fault in his car accident from last week, and one outlet takes the notion of a second NFL team in Dallas in a new direction with a bold suggestion about a certain billion-dollar stadium where that team might play. All that, plus getting ready for rookie minicamp and a touching Mother’s Day message for the team’s first-round draft pick from the woman who’s always had his back.

It wouldn’t be shocking if the Cowboys looked to yet another one of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s former Falcons to come in and be a role-player in Dallas. In fact, it could be a very shrewd move. We’re also looking at the offensive coordinator in this edition of News and Notes; what if, despite popular opinion, it really wasn’t some massive shift in Kellen Moore’s playcalling that caused last season’s downhill slide?

We’ve also got notes from league executives on how the Cowboys’ draft went, where the team ranks among all NFL squads with their draft haul, and profiles of two rookie defenders looking to bring a physical presence in 2022. All that, plus why Leighton Vander Esch may be “proving it” this year for a new team, what first-rounder Tyler Smith had to say to the Cowboys reporter who said he’d quit if Smith were drafted, and the strange claim from a former pizza chain CEO that Jerry Jones tried to use him to run Roger Goodell out of office. All that and more, coming right up…

There’s a heavy dose of what-ifs in this edition of News and Notes. But we start with one thing Cowboys fans now know for sure: Mike McCarthy will make his return to Lambeau Field in 2022 as the coach of the visiting Cowboys. It’s sure to be sure a surreal day for the former Packers skipper and a contentious game on the (possibly) frozen tundra. There’s also concrete video evidence of the car accident that involved team owner Jerry Jones this week. It doesn’t prove what caused the wreck, but it suggests Jones is lucky he wasn’t injured.

Now for those hypotheticals. We’re exploring ideas like whether the Cowboys might be smart to bring former rival Odell Beckham Jr. aboard as a one-year mercenary, and whether the city of Dallas could support a second NFL team the way New York and Los Angeles do. We’re also doing some serious crystal-ball gazing with the first mock draft of the 2023 season, and we’re still imagining what Von Miller and Micah Parsons as position mates might have looked like. We’re wondering what went wrong with DeMarcus Ware’s Hall of Fame invite, and we’re going inside the nerve-wracking life of an agent on day 3 of the draft. All that and more, like schedule leaks and Matt Waletzko’s big upside, coming right up…

There’s a seismic shift underway on the Dallas offensive line, as Tyron Smith and Zack Martin look to lead an increasingly younger group in 2022. Over on the D-line, the team’s second-round draft pick is one of the favorite picks of a noted tape-cruncher who’s expecting big things from De Williams. Sticking with the rookies, we’re also getting acquainted with new tight end Jake Ferguson and shining a spotlight on not one, but two undrafted free agents worth knowing.

Elsewhere, we have a look at how the Senior Bowl helped shaped the Cowboys’ 2022 draft, we’re checking receipts to see which Cowboys were among the league leaders at the cash register, and yes, we’re still a little sore about giving Amari Cooper away for peanuts. We’re looking at which three-time Super Bowl champ might be on the road to the GM’s office one day, we have an update on Jerry Jones after his midweek car accident, and we have an answer to how the Cowboys will handle the T. Smith nameplate dilemma this upcoming season. That’s all ahead in News and Notes.

It’s been a quick week since the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, as the storylines and analysis are abundant. As usual, Jerry Jones made headlines. This time, the Cowboys owner and GM flashed the Cowboys’ big board to the media and internet sleuths were able to decipher the clubs top 34 prospects, in order. While the reconstruction was a fun exercise, Jones was involved in a car accident Wednesday night that fortunately wasn’t too serious.

The rankings revealed that Dallas’ did in fact have offensive lineman Tyler Smith, the No. 24 overall selection, as their No. 16 player on their big board. Ezekiel Elliott may be the biggest beneficiary from the addition of Smith, and the Cowboys running back already had some high praise for the rookie.

Another rookie who figures to contribute early and often, WR Jalen Tolbert, had his selection by the Cowboys foreshowed, as he received a phone call from Dak Prescott days before the draft. The two hit it off, as did Tolbert with all of the Cowboys staff he interacted in the pre-draft process, which helped to eventually land him with the club in Round 3.

Find even more draft talk, rookie minicamp dates, and available free agents that fit with the Cowboys in Wednesday’s news and notes,

The Cowboys and their fans are still getting to know the team’s newest faces. One man who knows first-round pick Tyler Smith very well says he has an idea why the big man racked up so many penalties at Tulsa. And the Cowboys say they’ve reached out to many people who know Sam Williams, who has asked to be called “De”, well; they felt satisfied enough with what they heard about his past to take him in the second round.

Meanwhile, we’re getting up to speed on the second Cowboy ever drafted from Arkansas in the Jerry Jones era, we’re exploring a rumor about Malik Willis nearly being the team’s pick in the third round, and we’re previewing how soon fifth-round linebacker steal Damone Clark might see the lineup. A free agent safety is gone, 20 undrafted free agents are coming in, and we’re already looking ahead to compensatory picks for 2023. All that, plus how the draft pushed the Cowboys up the power rankings (or not) and where former Cowboys star Dez Bryant says he’d like to play next. That and more, in News and Notes.