Cowboys News: Jerry talks Pitts ‘infatuation,’ Sean Lee’s future, Dak’s progress

Also, last-minute mock mania, how COVID affected scouting, how history says Dallas will draft, and Jerry’s star-clad helicopter.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has famously (over)shared what he thinks of when he’s in bed, what he dreams of at night, and even players he thinks about in the shower. But on Tuesday, he was quick to shoot down a story he is reportedly “infatuated” with Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. Jones was so adamant, in fact, that he may have inadvertently revealed that the team won’t be trading up to draft Pitts on Thursday night, one possibility that some draft pundits had considered.

The team owner also had plenty to say about linebacker Sean Lee, who seems to have a place at the Cowboys table whenever he’s ready. At the same press conference, coach Mike McCarthy updated the media on the status of Dak Prescott in his injury rehab efforts. There’s still plenty of draft-day strategy to dissect as the first round is nearly here; check out Cowboys Wire’s look at what Dallas’s history in the draft has to say about what they’ll do this year. More mocks forecast names to watch during the Cowboys’ ten picks, and explore how scouting during the pandemic could make for a wild and wacky draft. And finally, an inside look at the star-clad helicopter that serves as a state-of-the-art billboard for the Cowboys brand.

Cowboys News: Class of 2018 lessons, possible trade calls for 10th pick

Plus, more mocks, looks at Caleb Farley and the backup QB position, a new position-specific helmet, and entertainment for the ’21 draft.

Lots of hand-wringing across Cowboys Nation right now over what the organization could, should, and might do in the 2021 NFL draft. New mock drafts from some heavy hitters have some hypothetical answers, and even the team website gets into the spirit with a profile of one highly-touted (if somewhat risky) prospect as well as the possibility of drafting another backup to quarterback to Dak Prescott. And the front office’s No. 2 man says the club has started getting calls about the No. 10 selection slot. But is the draft even the way to actually build long-term success in today’s NFL? The Cowboys’ rookie class of just three short years ago suggests it may not be.

Elsewhere in the news, a Dallas DB faces a two-game suspension to start 2021, a new position-specific helmet shows promise for linemen, musical acts have been secured for each night of the draft party in Cleveland, and the Cowboys’ approach to “voluntary” offseason workouts may be a harbinger of how other teams start doing business in the future. That’s all coming right up in this edition of News and Notes.

Full 2-round mock draft sees WFT, Bears move for QB, Cowboys bail on 10, return to Round 1

From a team to team perspective, what will each realistically do to improve their teams for 2021 and beyond.

This NFL offseason has been crazier than normal as quarterbacks —whether at the top of the draft, through trades, or in free agency — have made this build up to the 2021 draft an interesting one. As next week approaches, quarterback still has a grapple on what even non-QB-needy teams have in front of them as so much scrambling could take place on draft night.

Teams have gone through most pro days now and are putting together draft boards, identifying their last flagged prospects and finalizing strategies. Deciding what medicals and off-field issues impact which players and how much that changes their board is an integral part of the decision-making process that goes far beyond talent and projection. In this full. two-round mock draft, the ramifications of the quarterback search and prospects with question marks bear out in an intriguing dance. Trades make things spicy.

Cowboys News: Will Aldon Smith return? Will Dan Quinn’s mojo?

Discussed are ideas on the possible returns of both Gerald McCoy and Aldon Smith as well as Dan Quinn’s impact as new Defensive Coordinator.

Free agency is just around the corner and the Cowboys are definitely in need of some help. Not only is Dallas negotiating with quarterback Dak Prescott but there’s a possibility of resigning Gerald McCoy after his season-ending injury last year. Another name being discussed to return is Aldon Smith. Pass rushers don’t come cheap though and Smith could be an important keepsake for the team.

How will Dan Quinn end up helping Dallas improve their defense? Will a change from safety back to cornerback ignite Reggie Robinson’s career? How can Demarcus Lawrence help the Cowboys pay Prescott?

Here’s Friday’s News and Notes.

2021 NFL draft: Mock draft 2.0

Trevor Lawrence remains at the top, but did the Senior Bowl change anything? Plus, how do Deshaun Watson and Matthew Stafford alter plans?

The 2021 NFL draft may be months away, but perhaps the biggest pre-draft of this cycle is in the books: The 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl. With the NFL canceling the scouting combine, the Senior Bowl will be the only centralized scouting event prior to the draft. Pro days will still take place, but without the combine, teams are going to have to trust the individual events and not the standardized testing the combine offers.

That being said, did the Senior Bowl really change anything? We won’t know for sure in a few months, but that does not mean we can try to answer that question through everyone’s favorite medium: The mock draft. Here is Touchdown Wire’s Mock Draft 2.0.

*Note: The current draft order is set through the Buffalo Bills at 30. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are picking in the 31st spot as the Kansas City Chiefs, picking at 32, are favored in Super Bowl LV.