The Dallas Cowboys are nearing the completion of their 2020 coaching staff, as on Friday two more names were added to the ledger. Both names are familiar, but for different reasons, as one formerly worked with the Cowboys and the other having that all-too-familiar-NFL hiring practice of a familial ring to it.
Elsewhere, offseason talent acquisition continues to move more front and center, as a one of the well-known draft prognosticators weighs in on who the Cowboys should select in April’s draft, and a keen talent evaluator identifies a handful of lesser known names for Dallas to target in free agency. Finally, one of the league’s best playmakers, Michael Vick, weighs in on what he thinks new head coach Mike McCarthy will bring to Dak Prescott’s game. All this in today’s edition of News and Notes.
2020 Mock Draft 1.0: Mel Kiper’s Early first-round mock draft :: ESPN
In Mel Kiper, Jr’s lastest mock draft the Cowboys snatched cornerback CJ Henderson out of the University of Florida.
Henderson was a two-time second-team All-SEC performer (2017, 2018) as well as receiving a first-team All-SEC nod in 2019. At 6-foot-1 and 202 pounds, he has the prototypical size one wants in a corner and has very good ball skills with six career interceptions and 20 pass break-ups.
Film room: 3 under-the-radar free agents the Cowboys should target :: Dallas Morning News
John Owning checks in with his latest film analysis installment, this time checking in on some lesser known entities who could join Dallas this offsesaon as free agents.
His focus has a definitive defensive feel to it, as he highlights two defensive tackles and a safety, Jayron Kearse.
Standing at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Kearse is a giant safety who does his best work in and around the box. Kearse’s size makes him a mismatch whenever blocked by a wide receiver, which enables him to be extremely effective in run support. He’s a reliable tackler (just four career missed tackles, per PFF) and possesses the quickness to knife into the backfield to make splash plays behind the line of scrimmage.
Check out what else he has to say as well as his two line targets.
Michael Vick believes Mike McCarthy may be ‘one of the best things’ to happen to Dak Prescott :: DMN
The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback likes the Cowboys’ hire and believes McCarthy could work wonders for Prescott. During Pro Bowl practice on Thursday, Vick had this to say regarding this recent marriage between coach and signal-caller.
“I think Dak is solid, man,” Vick said Thursday. “I love what Dak is doing. I think to have a new coach come in the building right now is probably one of the best things that could happen to him, especially getting Mike McCarthy.
“He’s an offensive genius, an offensive guru who knows the game and he will help Dak out tremendously, and the Cowboys will look different next year.”
Sports Sturm’s Friday Cowboys mailbag: Byron Jones’s future, DeMarcus Lawrence’s present, and draft talk :: The Athletic
Bob Sturm over at The Athletic hits a ton of topics as he answers reader questions. In case you don’t have a subscription, here are some highlights:
Despite his lack of interceptions, Byron Jones may continue to be a better option for the Cowboys than 2020’s draftable options. A 3-year/$42 million deal (like the one Marcus Peters got) may be a price worth paying for Jones’s skills.
Staying in the secondary, keep an eye on University of Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr. in case the Cowboys don’t land the coveted Grant Delpit out of LSU.
Don’t get suckered looking at sack totals in a vacuum and deducing that DeMarcus Lawrence is no better than Taco Charlton. The Cowboys need more sacks out of Lawrence in 2020, to be sure, but saying the two players are comparable because both logged five sacks in 2019 is just naive.
–TB
Ranking 30 Cowboys free agent decisions in 2020 :: Cowboys Wire
Plenty of personnel decisions to be made by the new coaching staff in Dallas over the next weeks and months. Cowboys Wire helpfully lists all 30 free agents and orders them for Mike McCarthy, from the lowest priority to it’s-Dak-freaking-Prescott-quit-screwing-around-and-sign-him.
–TB
Amari Cooper ‘not surprised’ by sweeping coaching changes, wants back in Dallas :: Cowboys Wire
It’s not always obvious by the solemn look that’s normally on his face, but wide receiver Amari Cooper is loving it in Dallas, and he wants to stay.
Cheeeese 📸 #ProBowl
📷 Logan Bowles/NFL pic.twitter.com/3IfkvGBcNX
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) January 23, 2020
The four-time Pro Bowler spoke about the prospect of free agency this week at the league’s all-star festivities in Orlando. “I’m just taking it day by day, ” Cooper said. “I’m not anxious, I’m not apprehensive. I’m just living life.”
The Alabama product says that an extra $1 million or $2 million in his next contract isn’t as important to him as being in the right environment. Mike McCarthy will be Cooper’s fourth head coach in a six-year career; maybe he’ll also prove to furnish “the right environment” for a sixth championship in Dallas.
–TB
Ex-Cowboys WR Dez Bryant hints at 3 ‘dream’ NFL teams he’d like to sign with :: Bleacher Report
Dez Bryant’s job hunt continues to play out on social media. After the former Cowboys receiver took to Twitter early in the week to pitch his return to Dallas, Bryant followed up on Thursday with a post subtly calling out two other organizations he’d enjoy suiting up for. Both are teams he has history with.
My dream goals… I want to suit up in the blue and silver…the black and gold or black and purple…
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) January 24, 2020
It’s assumed that the “black and gold” refers to the New Orleans Saints. Bryant signed with the Saints during the 2018 season, but tore an Achilles tendon before playing in a single game with the club. The “black and purple” must mean the Baltimore Ravens. Prior to his two-day stint with New Orleans, Bryant had reportedly received an offer from the Ravens, which he turned down… just before quarterback Lamar Jackson exploded on the scene in Baltimore.
–TB
From ‘Seeing ghosts’ to ‘Mozart’s paintings’: These are the best quotes of the NFL season :: ESPN
It was a season of soundbites in the NFL. Press conferences, in-game field-mic captures, and off-the-cuff zingers provided fans with a wealth of one-liners and countless must-hear moments throughout the 2019 campaign.
Among the gems in this compilation are two Cowboys quotes. First, Jerry Jones’s “Zeke Who?” quip that was hilarious at first, then maybe not funny at all, and finally ended up on an official T-shirt in the team pro shop.
Dak Prescott makes the list, too, for reminding teammates that spicy chicken nuggets had indeed returned to the Wendy’s menu… while in the huddle against Miami in Week 3.
–TB
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