Tag: 2021 Player Profiles

Rico Dowdle’s injury robs him of opportunity to expand role with Cowboys

The Cowboys had an apparent ace in the hole in case of injury, but his own setback leaves Rico Dowdle on the sideline for the entire season. | From @NoHuddle

The top two running backs atop the Dallas Cowboys depth chart were never in doubt. Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard are among the most talented duos in the league at their position and the front office brought in nobody that could be considered competition. Still, combine the short shelf life of ball carriers with a 17th game and a third running back is an absolute necessity.

Rico Dowdle had that spot seemingly locked up for the entirety of the offseason. He was the kind of low budget option teams crave. A running back who could play in a pinch and also contribute on special teams. Unfortunately his season ended before it ever started, with a hip injury that landed him on injured reserve.

Our player profile countdown continues with No. 34, RB Rico Dowdle.

Nahshon Wright could be key to draft class as Cowboys swung for the fences

The Cowboys double-dipped at the corner store in a draft deep at the position. Did they make the right choice in the third round? That all depends on how quickly the Oregon State product can live up to his surprise draft pedigree. | From @NoHuddle

Draft day surprises are nothing new to seasoned NFL fans and in April’s annual event the expectations were that they would come early and often due to the pandemic wiping out such a large percentage of the data-gathering activities. For the Dallas Cowboys faithful, there was no more surprising selection than that of Oregon State cornerback Nahshon Wright who went pick No. 99 in the third round.

There was hemming and hawing, teeth gnashing and pen throwing as armchair experts decried the pick with their chests puffed out knowing for sure there were better prospects available. But for Dallas, and particularly defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, they coveted a played that fit their specific prototype.

Wright is tall and long. He measures 6-foor-4 and is seen as uniquely suited to the kind of Cover-3 defense the secondary will often find itself in. It was a unit in desperate need of a talent infusion and the rookie from the Pacific Northwest is looking to carve out a role for himself.

Our player profile countdown continues with No. 40, Nahshon Wright.

Keanu Neal’s new home suits him well, at linebacker and with the Cowboys

The conversion to linebacker has gone well for Neal, who looks to be an integral part to the reshaping of Dallas’ defense in 2021. Keke has a new home. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys were in a weird spot when it came to the linebacker position during 2021 free agency. Leighton Vander Esch had just concluded another injury-laden season. Jaylon Smith was being defiant to calls for improvement in his play by telling fans and media to watch his tape; as if people were just making up things to complain about. Sean Lee was clearly on the verge of retiring even if he didn’t admit it to himself yet. The club had several free agents down roster who weren’t much consideration to be primary parts of a rotation. The group had generally looked lost after a season under Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator and Scott McCurley.

In came Dan Quinn, who assigned assistant head coach George Edwards to the linebacker group. As the free agency bonanza began, the Cowboys reached out to a former Quinn draft pick at the safety position; but to play linebacker. Keanu Neal, come on down.

The player profile countdown continues with No. 42.

Jake McQuaide looks to replace Cowboys cult hero as long snapper of the present

After the departure of L.P. Ladouceur, LS Jake McQuaide will need to be perfect to not draw any ire in 2021. | From @CDBurnett7

The Dallas Cowboys haven’t had to worry about a long snapper since 2005. L.P. Ladouceur owned the starting role for 16 years but the Cowboys decided over the offseason that two-time Pro Bowler Jake McQuaide would assume the role. He has huge shoes to fill after the consistency Ladouceur showed for almost two decades.

McQuaide has connections to the coaching staff, playing under second-year special teams coordinator John Fassel while with the Rams organization. Working together for more than half a decade, it makes sense the pair would find their way back together soon enough. McQuaide is part of a full special teams overhaul made by Fassel, who also brought in kicker Greg Zuerlein to get familiar guys around him.

The pressure to be perfect is there for McQuaide after Ladouceur’s departure and in a position like long snapper, there is no room for error.

Our player profile countdown series continues with No. 44, Jake McQuaide.

The NFL let Jabril Cox fall into the Cowboys’ laps; he projects to make them pay in short order

In an alternate reality, Cox could’ve been on Dallas’ roster by the draft’s second round. Now he has all the motivation along with talent. A look at his circumstances and backstory. | From @CDPiglet

The Dallas Cowboys drafted Jabril Cox in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, a spot almost no draft expert expected him to reach. When Cox was a just North Dakota State prospect, then maybe he could have been considered a Day 3 candidate due to his playing at a small school against lesser competition. Once Cox transferred to LSU to increase the competition level and then acquitted himself nicely, while losing almost no drop in play, he had catapulted his stock in most eyes to Day 2 pick.

At picks 75, 84, and 99 there were many people in the Cowboys draft room calling for Cox to be the pick at those points. Dallas went elsewhere at all three spots due to the drafting of Micah Parsons in the first round to fill their linebacker room. Cox, to everybody’s surprise, fell to Dallas at pick No. 115 and the club couldn’t resist pulling the trigger.

Initially Cox was seeing just third-team snaps in training camp and not getting much run on special teams, but he began making his mark in preseason games. Cox was already seen as the Cowboys’ best value pick and he has been making a case for the realization of his impact to be sooner than his draft pedigree calls for.

The next player in our 2021 player profile countdown is No. 48, linebacker Jabril Cox.