In just over a month, America’s Team will be faced with plenty of big decisions in pursuit of their sixth Super Bowl. The decisions are and will be polarizing but pivotal to success in 2020.
If defense wins championships, the Dallas Cowboys may have to brace themselves to enter 2020 without one of their key members of the secondary. NFL.com ranks the 2019 rookie groups in the NFC East. Legends Tony Dorsett and Emmitt Smith weigh in on the big decision Jason Witten will face. Everyone knows that you need plenty of salary cap space to make significant moves in the off-season. Is the team ready to free Blake Jarwin? All this and more in this edition of News and Notes.
CB overview: How it might look without Jones :: The Mothership
The team’s website takes on a position-by-position breakdown of the Dallas roster, including one of 2020’s major question marks. Al Harris, one of the Cowboys’ two new defensive backs coaches, will likely work with cornerbacks and says he is focused on looking for “football players.”
Byron Jones fits that bill, but his future with the club is in doubt. It’s looking increasingly probable that Jones will test the waters of free agency, and while the team would like to retain the Pro Bowler, they probably won’t break the bank to do it. Letting Jones walk might bump cornerback up the priority list come draft day.
–TB
32 NFL players who could use a fresh start this offseason, from QBS to injured stars :: ESPN
The Worldwide Leader asked its NFL Nation reporters to toss out one name from each roster of a player who could benefit from a change of scenery. Maybe it’s a big name in need of a second act, maybe it’s a diamond in the rough who’s lost in the wrong system, maybe it’s in the best financial interest of the team or the player to move on.
For Dallas, it’s lack of production. Todd Archer says wide receiver Tavon Austin simply hasn’t contributed much over two seasons as a Cowboy. With only so many touches on offense to go around, Austin needed to make his mark on special teams. Thus far, he hasn’t. Archer speculates that the team could find someone younger or cheaper (or both) to do so moving forward.
–TB
NFC East rookie grades: QBs power Giants’, Redskins’ classes :: NFL.com
Final grades have been handed out for each 2019 rookie group in the NFL. The Cowboys finished at the bottom of the class in the NFC East.
From the disappointing first year of Trysten Hill, the injuries that kept Connor McGovern and Jalen Jelks off the field entirely, and Mike Jackson and Mike Weber ending up with new clubs, the Cowboys’ 2019 draft class earned a collective C-minus. That mark ranked Dallas well below all their divisional mates.
The lone bright spots? The promise shown by Tony Pollard in a light-duty role and the free agent signing of undrafted offensive lineman Brandon Knight, who was the only Cowboys rookie to start a game last season.
–TB
If Jason Witten moves on, Emmitt Smith, Tony Dorsett know the feeling :: ESPN
Todd Archer caught up to past legendary Cowboys to see how they felt about leaving the silver and blue after years of historic status. Former Cowboys Hall of Fame running backs Tony Dorsett and Emmitt Smith chimed in on why they left and how they felt after the fact.
“I thought I had more in the tank,” Smith said from Super Bowl LIV during a promotion for Marriott. “I felt like I still was a 1,000- to 1,200-yard back, and I felt like I could continue [to] do that.” Smith and Jerry Jones mutually parted ways after Bill Parcells was brought in and clearly wanted to go in a different direction.
Witten is about to go face to face with a very similar situation in just a few weeks.
–DS
Deep Dive into the Dallas Cowboys 2020 Salary Cap :: Inside the Star
There have been a lot of narratives as to what the Cowboys could, should and will do with their near $80 million dollars in cap space in the 2020 off-season.
It’s no secret that Dallas has three players at the top of their “to-do” list in quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver Amari Cooper, and corner back Byron Jones. John Williams of Inside the Star breaks down a plethora of moves the Cowboys can make to free up space.
–DS
TE Overview: Are Cowboys Ready To See Jarwin? :: The Mothership
On March 18 the Cowboys will be faced with nearly 25 unrestricted free agents to make decisions about. One player that they won’t have to worry about, contract wise, is tight end Blake Jarwin. However, with the looming decision to be made about Cowboys legendary tight end Jason Witten, it could be time to give Jarwin more of a role.
–DS
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