Tag: 2023 Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys trade deadline buyers? If so, what makes the most sense?

Breaking down the Cowboys roster at wide receiver, offensive line, and cornerback to see if any trades should be in the cards. | From @cdpiglet

The Dallas Cowboys have a record of 4-2 going into their bye week, one game behind the Philadelphia Eagles for the division lead and a game and a half behind the San Francisco 49ers due to losing the tiebreaker to them head-to-head. That doesn’t sound like a bad start, but overall, it was disappointing for Dallas.

Was it disappointing enough for the club to make one or more trade deadline moves?

It isn’t just that they lost a disappointing game to the Arizona Cardinals or how they lost to the 49ers, but how the team has performed overall. The offense has struggled. The play calling is stagnant, and the offensive line has continued its poor pass blocking from last year and has been worse this season in the run game. The receivers have struggled to get separation, the team hasn’t hit many big plays, and they have performed poorly in the red zone.

The defense has had wow performances at times but has also struggled to stop the run in a few games and has not even gotten pressures like they typically can. The loss of Trevon Diggs has been a massive hit to the team overall, and at the bye, most don’t consider Dallas in the top echelon of teams like San Francisco, the Kansas City Chiefs, or Philadelphia.

Would the front office of the Cowboys go all in to trade for a player to move them into that category, though? Let’s look at the options on the Dallas roster at receiver, OL, and cornerback to see if a move at either would make sense to them.

BREAKING: Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs injured in practice

From @ArmyChiefW3: Trevon Diggs was injured in practice and was seen leaving the facility on crutches. An MRI will follow soon.

Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs was seen leaving the Cowboys practice facility using crutches. Per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, Diggs injured his knee during the one-on-one period of practice.

Diggs was said to be undergoing an MRI to determine the severity. His availability for this weekend’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, and the season, is unknown until the results of the MRI return.

When asked, quarterback Dak Prescott had this to say about his injured teammate:

Diggs inked a five-year $97 million contract extension this offseason. The deal included a $21.25 million signing bonus along with incentives that could push the deal up to as much as $104 million.

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If Diggs is unable to play this weekend, cornerbacks DaRon Bland or Jourdan Lewis could be in line to replace Diggs. Stay tuned as more will surely follow.

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Tyler Smith headlines Monday injury concerns for Cowboys

The war of attrition has begun as the Dallas Cowboys are dealing with multiple injuries of varying severity as they kick off Gians’ work. | From @ArmyChiefW3

Dallas got their week of preparation for the season opener underway on Monday, but not everything went according to plan. Cowboys starting left guard Tyler Smith walked off the practice field and was followed by head athletic trainer Joe Maurer a few moments later.

As a rookie, Smith started every game for the Cowboys last season including their two playoff games. That streak may now be in jeopardy. In what is being reported as a minor hamstring injury, his availability should become clearer once the Cowboys release their first injury report later this week.

Should Smith not be ready for week one in New York, Chuma Edoga would be the likely replacement. Rookies T.J. Bass or Asim Richards could also be in line for their first career start. Smith wasn’t the only key player requiring an injury update, as several players who have been missing practice time achieved various levels of readiness as the work week commenced.

By The Numbers: A breakdown of the Cowboys’ 53-man roster

The 53-man roster in Dallas can be explained by numbers which better identifies how the roster was constructed. | From @ArmyChiefW3

While changes can come at any moment, the Cowboys 53-man roster is mostly set. Dallas has set itself up in a way where they are no longer beholden to players whose bloated contracts have exceeded their production. They have limited their spending to solid players whose contributions match their salary and surrounded those guys with players on rookie deals.

Before the talk of the town involves breaking down the New York Giants, here’s a look at some hard numbers that give a better perspective of the 53-man roster.

Here’s why the initial 53-man roster is just that: initial

What sort of tactics can the Cowboys employ in order to retain a few players they deem worthy of development? | From @ArmyChiefW3

Trying to predict the Cowboys’ initial 53-man roster is an arbitrary exercise. The team has acquired several young prospects who likely have earned roster spots, yet finding room for them may not be possible. While spots appear locks for several players, the team has to get creative with the use of their practice squad to retain talent for future development. 

An oft-regurgitated phrase around Dallas, player evaluation is a 365-day process. The team will be strategic about who makes the initial roster, who will be sent to returnable injured reserve, who they think they can sneak onto the practice squad, and who they must protect from the vultures known as the 31 other teams looking to upgrade their rosters. It all leads to the fact that initial rosters are just that, initial.

How NFC East teams rank at the TE position heading into 2023

TEs might be an afterthought to some, but top teams have them and the NFC East is in an arms race. | From @cdpiglet

Previously an afterthought, tight ends seem to be en vogue among the league’s best teams. Almost all of the true contenders seem to have tight ends who are matchup problems for opposing defenses. The Kansas City Chiefs have Travis Kelce, the San Francisco 49ers have George Kittle, the Philadelphia Eagles are starting Dallas Goedert, and Rob Gronkowski has Super Bowl victories for both the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

NFC East teams seem to understand this. In addition to the Eagles with a top-five TE in Goedert, New York went out and got Darren Waller to pair with 2022 rookie, Daniel Bellinger. Dallas spent a second-round draft pick to add to a TE room that looks to have incredible potential. So how do they rank in comparison to each other?

NFC East teams lacking at linebacker, but here’s how they rank

Not a lot of flash inside the NFC East for the linebacker position, but if one of these groups break out, it could be a gamechanger for the division.

The NFC East may contain the NFC’s two best teams and once again could send three teams to the playoff field of seven. The Philadelphia Eagles made the Super Bowl, the Dallas Cowboys had back-to-back 12-win seasons, and the Giants won a playoff game in head coach Brian Daboll’s first season. And if the Washington Commanders can figure out their QB position, they too could be a handful to reckon with.

These teams are formidable at nearly every position, but collectively the linebacker spot is the weakest position in the division. There isn’t a single All-Pro caliber player on any team going into 2023, and the recent draft picks haven’t lived up to high expectations so far in their young careers. Here are the linebacker unit rankings in the NFC East.

How NFC East teams rank at the running back position

The NFC East plays an old school brand of football in which they run the ball and play defense, so the running back rankings could actually mean something in this division, says @cdpiglet

“Running backs don’t matter” is now a common refrain from fans everywhere, but does the NFC East subscribe to the theory? The Dallas Cowboys got out from Ezekiel Elliott’s contract, then put the franchise tag on Tony Pollard. The New York Giants hit Saquon Barkley with a franchise tag designation as well. The Washington Commanders have two running backs drafted in the top 100 picks, and the Philadelphia Eagles replaced former second-round pick Miles Sanders by signing Raashad Penny and trading for D’Andre Swift.

For this division, running the ball and playing defense is key, so not only do the running backs matter, but how well they end up performing could determine who wins the NFC East. Here is a look at how the running back rooms rank within the division.

How NFC East teams rank at the safety position

The NFC East is expected to be competitive once again, but are the safeties on each team on similar plateaus? | From @cdpiglet

The NFC East had three teams make the playoffs last season, including the Philadelphia Eagles who represented the conference in the Super Bowl. A far cry from the division once dubbed the NFC Least, due to its inability to produce a relevant contender. This group appears to be the best combination of teams in the NFC.  So what will make the difference in who emerges as the champion for 2023?

This is a breakdown of each team and how they rank position by position. The series begins with the safeties.

Is the Cowboys’ three-headed approach worthy top spot? Will the loss of Bobby McCain to the New York Giants doom the Commanders at the position? Can Xavier McKinney bounce back from a poor third season? Will the loss of both starters, including the interception leader in the league, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, set the Eagles back at all? Here is a look at how the safety rooms match up in the NFC East.

10 more late-round 2023 draft sleepers for Cowboys to consider

Are there any DaRon Bland, Tony Pollard or Dalton Schultz’s in this draft class? Here’s 10 CB/TE/RB contenders for the Cowboys to consider. | From @ProfessorO_NFL

In the first part of our two-part series , we highlighted 10 late-round sleeper prospects the Dallas Cowboys could consider in the 2023 NFL draft. That focus was on defensive line, linebackers and wide receivers. We showcased the importance of finding value in the later rounds and listed some of the Cowboys recent successes as examples of Will McClay’s Day 3 gems.  This article shifts focus to three other position groups the Cowboys could target in the later rounds: cornerback, running back and tight end.

The Cowboys have recently made additions via trade and free agency to bolster the cornerback and running back rooms but will likely still be on the lookout for more depth for both groups. Here are 10 more late-round sleeper prospects who could add depth in areas of need, with the upside to become key contributors in the near future.