With no major coaching changes left to make, the focus for Dallas must shift to free agency. The Cowboy’s have five Pro Bowl players or former Pro Bowl players in their pending free agent class, so it makes sense these negotiations will generate a lot of headlines. Today’s news discuss the Wide receiver market, including two Cowboys, as well as the latest on talks with Dak Prescott.
You might have already seen LSU Safety Grant Delpit projected to go to the Cowboys in the first round, but continue reading to see why his teammate could also be an option. Plus, Tony Pollard receives some credit for his impressive rookie season, and Jaylon Smith is making positive waves on and off the field. Here are the News and Notes for Friday, February 7, 2020.
Jaylon Smith featured on The Today Show :: DallasCowboys.com
Smith had a productive 2019 season for Dallas, as he found his way to his first Pro Bowl. Smith’s contributions, however, haven’t been limited to just the football field. Smith talked to NBC’s Morgan Radford about how he is creating opportunities for others through his creation of MEI, or the Minority Entrepreneurship Institute.
It connecs investors with minority-owned enterprises to help push them to the next level.
“My passion and purpose is, how can I help my people. You look at all these Fortune 500 companies, billionaires, the majority of them are white males. So for me it’s about attacking that, and being able to close that gap, this to make ultimately make the world a better place for Black, Brown, Latino. That’s why I started MEI.”
MEI has an annual competition and last year had over 70 entrants with three winning over $200,000 in investments. Smith has pledged over $2.5 million to MEI.
The MEI Marketplace is expanding to the Dallas area July 2020 ! More to come… #EnterpriseBeatsPovertyhttps://t.co/VayJcVQUwM
— Jaylon Smith (@thejaylonsmith) January 31, 2020
To invest, apply, or learn more please visit jaylonsmith.com/mei.
–AH
Cowboys RB Tony Pollard finished 2019 as PFF’s second-best graded rookie running back :: Blogging The Boys
Without a 2019 first-round pick, it was paramount the Cowboys find value at their other picks. After only a few short games into the season, it became clear that Tony Pollard would be that. Unfortunately he wasn’t used nearly as much as he could have been in tandem with Ezekiel Elliott.
PFF released their grades for rookie RB’s, and Pollard graded out as the second best, only behind the Raiders’ Josh Jacobs. The elusive Pollard provides a different skillset than the punishing Elliott. Pollard averaged an excellent 5.3 yards per carry on 20 percent of the Dallas carries. Pollard’s role and ability are sure to grow as he enters his sophomore NFL season.
Highest graded rookie RBs
1. Josh Jacobs – 87.2
2. Tony Pollard – 82.9
3. Alexander Mattison – 69.9 pic.twitter.com/ny7i1FuC0P— PFF (@PFF) February 6, 2020
–AH
The NFL’s top 10 RBs entering 2020: Where does the Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott rank among the league’s best? :: Dallas Morning News
Elliott comes in second on this top 10 running back list by the indispensable John Owning. The player ahead of him is Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the choice, as Elliott lacks the volume in the passing game that his counterpart possesses. What Elliott has proven, however, is an incredible amount of durability that has kept him in this exact conversation for four consecutive years since entering the league.
–TT
Ezekiel Elliott’s peers help prove why he is transcendent at his position :: Cowboys Wire
Cowboys Wire takes on the rabble-roused crowd that believes running backs don’t matter. He admits that in most cases, almost all cases, the running backs who have received big contracts shouldn’t have, as rumors abound the Rams and Cardinals are looking to rid themselves of recent deals for Todd Gurley and David Johnson.
The article systematically takes on the consistency since Day 1 and durability throughout his life that shows why Elliott was a wise investment while the others, including Leveon Bell, were questionable. Tying it together with a look at Elliott being the only back through the last four years to constantly produce and it’s the white paper for arguments those who support Elliott should always keep in their back pockets.
— KD
4-Round Cowboys Mock Draft: Superstar WR and potential FA tag decisions :: Cowboys Wire
Mock drafts are a mixed bag. The scenarios are often bit of a reach and this particular one might be exactly that. This time the Cowboys come away with the consensus top receiver from the draft at No. 17. Here he is the fourth receiver off the board which seems impossible, but it’s not as if wild things haven’t taken place on draft night. This is about as good as a draft night gets in Dallas. Click through to see all the players the Cowboys were able to get their hands on.
–TT
NFL Free Agency 2020: Predicting Where the Top WRs Will Land :: Bleacher Report
Two of the Cowboy’s most important free agents come at the wide receiver position this year; Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb. Cooper is coming off a career year and Cobb is very familiar with new head coach Mike McCarthy from their seven years together in Green Bay, so WR seem to have plenty of motivation to stay in Dallas.
Bleacher Report listed eight of the best WR in the upcoming free agent class. The Cowboys’ Cooper checked in at No. 1 and Cobb at No. 3 on said list. Dallas would like to keep both but need to be prepared to fill the gaps next to up-and-coming Michael Gallup if they are not able to come to terms with Cooper and Cobb. Some names listed that could be options in Dallas include Emmanuel Sanders, Robby Anderson, AJ Green, and others. Dallas has also shown mutual interest in a possible Dez Bryant return.
–AH
Cowboys 2020 draft prospect: Edge K’Lavon Chaisson could bolster the pass rush :: Blogging The Boys
Like many other teams, free agency will be a big determining factor in how the Cowboys will approach the 2020 NFL draft. Secondary and defensive line are the two most clear needs for Dallas, and one of those positions could slide into first priority based on how the Cowboys’ staff handles negotiations with key free agents like corenerback Byron Jones and defensive end Robert Quinn.
Chasisson is a name that has skyrocketed up draft boards in recent weeks after a great end of the season with national champion LSU. He is a versatile edge player who flashes in pass-rush scenarios and plays solid gap football in defending the run. While names like Grant Delpit and Javon Kinlaw are mocked left and right to the Cowboys, Chaisson could be exactly what Dallas needs, especially should they move on from Robert Quinn.
–AH
Cowboys’ ‘fixing-to-heat-up’, $33M-average talk for Prescott deal has an asterisk :: CowboysWire
The Prescott contract negotiations are on of the hottest topics of the offseason, and they may be about to intensify. In a recent report by the Star-Telegram it was confirmed that Prescott turned down a $33 million a year deal in September; a figure that would place Prescott into the top-five paid NFL players annually.
VP Stephen Jones spoke about how he believes the talk will ramp up to another level soon, as the Jones family knows how important it is to get their QB under contract long term. Our own Tony Thompson and K.D. Drummond examine the updates in Prescott’s situation and the contract details that could be keeping the deal from coming together.
–AH
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