Tag: 2024 Dallas Cowboys

Jamal Adams may be cut by Seahawks, could the Cowboys be a landing spot?

Now that the price is likely low, @ReidDHanson wonders might the Cowboys be interested in a low risk/high reward addition if Jamal Adams is cut in Seattle?

The year was 2020 and Donald Trump and Joe Biden were battling it out for the U.S. presidency. Jamal Adams, a fourth-year safety for the Jets, was growing displeased with his situation in New York. The All-Pro had become disgruntled with contract negotiations to the point of demanding a trade, and the Cowboys were one of the teams linked to him.

Adams, a native of Lewisville, TX, had Dallas on his short list of teams he’d be interested in joining. Not since Earl Thomas gave the Seahawks the bird was there such a sure thing heading to the Cowboys. And like the Thomas situation, nothing ever materialized between the two parties even when it seemed almost inevitable at one point.

It proved to be a bullet well dodged for Dallas as Thomas ended up with the Seattle Seahawks. Now, with history repeating itself with the presidential race, could the Cowboys once again be looking into Adams?

According to reports, Dallas had previously attempted to trade for Adams to no avail. Their interest was clear even if compensation appeared to be miles apart. Adams became the talk of town in Cowboys Nation.

Coincidently, it was Thomas’ former team, Seattle, who ended up winning (winning?) the bidding war, sending two first round picks, a third rounder and Bradley McDougald to the Jets in return for a fourth round pick the NFL’s next great safety.

Things got worse as time went on. After grading in the top-five in 2018 and 2019, Adams graded no higher than 53rd (by PFF) over the next four seasons. Grading 88th out 95 in 2023, Adams hit an all-time low in performance grades, paving the way to a potential cut this offseason.

Adams never looked right in Seattle’s defense and while his sack totals earned him Pro Bowl honors his first year with the Seahawks, his overall play wasn’t up to previous standards.

With a cap number of $26, 916,666 in 2024, Seattle can save $17,122,000 by releasing Adams and designating him a post June 1 cut (per OTC).  At just 28-years-old, the three-time Pro Bowler seemingly has plenty of tread left on his tires. The only question is – is Adams still a car worth driving?

According to Pete Carroll, Adams was dealing with a torn quadricep all season in 2023.

It would explain his poor play to some extent but certainly doesn’t explain everything. Adams declined in all phases of the game since joining Seattle. It wasn’t a one-year regression.

Adams, typically thought of as a box player in New York, wasn’t always used in this capacity in Seattle. In 2021 he actually took more free safety snaps than box safety snaps and things looked awkward.

In 2023 Adams moved back to a predominantly box role, but plagued by a season-long injury things still looked bad. Adams had a missed tackle percentage of 15.8% (career high) and gave up a passer rating of 111.7 when targeted (also a career high).

Mike Zimmer, the Cowboys new defensive coordinator and renowned secondary specialist, could see Adams as high-end player needing a change of scenery. Or he could see a scheme-specific player who doesn’t fit what the Cowboys are trying to build in 2024.

If cut, Adams won’t command top dollar on the market so the risk in signing him would likely be low. And with so many talented safeties on the Cowboys’ roster, Dallas wouldn’t be obligated to force him on the field if he didn’t legitimately look like a good option.

A union between Adams and the Cowboys is probably a long shot but with the price likely at an all-time low, maybe a low risk/high reward agreement can be made.

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Jimmy Johnson and the advisory board should steer Cowboys’ focus here

The Cowboys may have renewed focus in rebuilding their offensive and defensive lines with Jimmy Johnson now advising them.

Jimmy Johnson is back in the inner circle. Sure, he’s now finally in the Cowboys Ring of Honor. His exclusion up until now has been laughably absurd. But no, that’s not the inner circle being referred to here. Back in Jerry Jones’ good graces, Johnson is now in Jones’ inner circle and is even said be on an advisory board of sorts.

Likely less official than the name indicates, an advisory role is a good step in the right direction for the franchise. The Cowboys haven’t found meaningful postseason success in almost 30 years. Consulting the last person who built a Super Bowl winning roster in Dallas is the least Jones can do.

How much weight that direction carries is another story. Are these just causal conversations or is Jones really seeking direction from his advisory board?

Some of the advice Johnson is giving Jones probably goes without saying.  Mental toughness and discipline have been issues for years on the Cowboys. There’s no way Johnson would have tolerated some of the mistakes that have become common place as of late. Besides, when’s the last time a boomer passed up the opportunity to critique the discipline of “the kids these days?”

Linebacker size is another area that almost goes without saying. The Cowboys were severely undersized in the box last season, and they paid for it. It’s led discussions all winter and is something sure to be addressed at various points of the offseason with or without Johnson’s advice.

Thinking back to his era of success, Johnson could be preaching a return to the running game. While the modern game leans heavily in favor of the passing game, the running game isn’t without its value. It’s the basis for which the Cowboys were built under Johnson and could be a direction he’s trying to point Jones going forward.

Yet there’s one trait that truly stands out on the Cowboys of old. Something Johnson worked hard to create and something that was executed with brilliance. A trait that propelled the Cowboys to three Super Bowls (two with Johnson at the helm) and something they’ve never been able to reproduce.

Dominant offensive and defensive lines.

While statements like “establish the run” may be dated and unsupported, statements like “control the trenches” are always applicable. The sun doesn’t set on this principle.

WR Michael Gallup named the Cowboys most likely cap casualty in 2024

According to recent lists the Cowboys veteran WR, Michael Gallup, is their most likely cut this offseason – here’s the how and why behind it. | From @ReidDHanson

Tis the season for roster cuts. Whether a team is flush with cap space or over the allowed limits, the early part of the offseason is fat trimming time. Sometimes the names are surprising, other times the names are quite obvious. For the Cowboys, it’s the latter category.

Michael Gallup, named the Cowboys player most likely to be cut this offseason by The Athletic, is coming off his third consecutive season with less than 40 receptions and less than 500 yards. Slated to count $13,850,000 against the salary cap in 2024, his compensation has seemingly far surpassed his production.

The Cowboys can save $9,500,000 by designating Gallup a post June-1 cut per OTC. Given the Cowboys currently sit $21,570,700 over the cap, it provides instant relief to the bottom line. When packaged with a handful of other extensions and restructurings, it’s money that can be used to upgrade the elsewhere on the roster.

Since suffering a knee injury in Week 17 of the 2021 season, Gallup has struggled to regain form. Gallup had long held an identity as a downfield sideline weapon and contested ball wizard, but the injury seemingly robbed him of that ability. Since 2019, Gallup’s yardage totals have consistently declined year over year, making his release a fairly predictable action this offseason.

Gallup, drafted in the third round of the 2018 draft, was handed a near-impossible job from the start. The Cowboys, having just moved on from Dez Bryant, were suddenly employing a WR-by-committee approach to their offense that season. And much of that committee weight fell on the shoulders of their rookie receiver from Colorado State.

Like most mid-round WRs, Gallup struggled with consistency his rookie season. While he managed 33 receptions for 507 yards over the course of the year, it was clear by the trade deadline the committee approach wasn’t working in Dallas. The Cowboys shipped off a first-round pick for Amari Cooper and Gallup was relieved of much of the burden which not long before had been irresponsibly bestowed on him.

As WR2 Gallup thrived. In 2019 he logged his only +1,000-yard season of his career. He served as an excellent complement to Cooper and could work from a variety of places including the ultra-physical X position.

The good times didn’t last for Gallup. Dallas drafted CeeDee Lamb in 2020, bumping Gallup down to WR3 and reducing his overall opportunities. Then a season-ending injury to Dak Prescott took a slice out of those opportunities even more as the Cowboys prolific passing attack got shelved with Prescott sidelined.

2023 served as a final chance for Gallup to prove he’d rebounded from that knee injury that had plagued him for so long. Sadly, it only reaffirmed what the Cowboys had already feared.

With younger players on the roster eager to develop bigger roles in Dallas, Gallup has become a high-priced progress stopper. His departure this offseason – a forgone conclusion.

With very few significantly sized long-term deals on the books, there aren’t any other obvious cuts this offseason. Gallup is the obvious choice here for reasons outside of his control. He was once a very good player with a handful of jaw-dropping highlight catches. He should always be remembered fondly even if things seem destined to end poorly.

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Proceed with Caution: Cowboys can’t make same swing tackle mistake

The situation at LT for the Cowboys proved the Cowboys need a starting quality reserve is needed and there no short cuts or cheap fixes. | From @ReidDHanson

A year ago, the Cowboys found themselves in quite the dilemma. On one hand they had their generational LT under contract and eager to go. On the other hand, they had his injury history, averaging just 5.6 games over the last three seasons. When healthy, Tyron Smith was as good as there was in the NFL. Problem was he was rarely healthy.

The solution was a reworked deal which saved the team money. With any luck that money could be reinvested in a veteran backup OT who could fill in for the inevitable missed games. But since starting quality OTs are always seemingly in short supply, the Cowboys took aim a player many labeled a bust.

The Cowboys signed the maligned Chuma Edoga as the solution to their problems at LT.

Edoga, once a third-round pick, hadn’t lived up to his draft day expectations. Many wondered if he was better suited for an OG role given his struggles on the edge. The Cowboys entered the situation with an open mind because they were hoping for one of their previous mid-rounders, Josh Ball or Matt Waltezko, to make the jump.

They did not.

Instead of finding one clear solution to the problem at backup LT, they threw numbers at the issue. Nothing stuck. Waletzko, Ball and Edoga all failed in their own way to be a viable backup to Smith. Thankfully Smith had a resurgent season in 2023, only missing 4 games and keeping the damage of his absences down to a minimum.

In 2024, the Cowboys face a similar dilemma. With Smith a free agent, they are not only faced with the issue as to whether they should bring him back, but also who should they tab as his certain-to-be-used backup.

Smith had a top-five season in 2023, so as long as the terms are right, the Cowboys would be wise to bring him back. But also given his availability issues, they’d be wise to invest heavily in a backup because there’s a good chance Smith will miss more snaps than he’ll play,averaging just 503 snaps played per year since 2020.

This is not the usual OL6 situation in Dallas.

If Smith is a starter on the team, OL6 needs to be seen as a starter as well. Edoga taught the Cowboys cheap solutions don’t exist. Money or high-end draft capital needs to be spent because LT is one of the most important positions on the field and all indications are Smith will miss time.

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Cowboys’ best Zimmer-style LB may not be back in 2024

Leighton Vander Esch fits the Mike Zimmer mold as a LB but neck issues may prevent him from returning to the Cowboys and the NFL. | From @ReidDHanson

There’s good news and bad news: The good news is the Cowboys new defensive coordinator wants to fix an issue that plagued the defense in 2023. The bad news is the perfect solution on the roster may not be returning.

When asked about the Cowboys most obvious change under Zimmer in 2024, both Nick Eatman and Patrik Walker pointed to the linebacker position. It’s a sentiment echoed by many in the industry, refencing Zimmer’s time in Minnesota and previous stops in Cincinnati and Dallas many years prior.

Zimmer likes big LBs. He likes guys who can hit, fill gaps, and keep passing windows narrow. He likes smart guys who know their assignments and execute their assignments. No guess work. No hero ball.

Truth be told, long and rangy LBs have never truly fallen out of fashion in the NFL but as the potency of the passing game has increased, so too has the prioritization of speed and coverage. This prioritization has paved the way for undersized LBs and even tweeners to break through. Look no further than Markquese Bell and Jayron Kearse who served tweener roles in Dallas under Dan Quinn.

Yet, for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction, and in the NFL that means offenses have taken notice of all the undersized players in the box and adapted accordingly. While the passing game is still king in the NFL, the running the ball is back en vogue.

Shanahan offenses in particular have been masters of running the ball behind various personnel mismatches. And it’s no secret offenses stemming from the Shanahan coaching tree have had high degree of success against the Cowboys in both phases of the game.

Zimmer, on the other hand, has been successful against those Shanahan offenses and one of the reasons why is the linebackers he uses within his system aren’t easy mismatched in the running game or liabilities in the passing game.

Unfortunately for the Cowboys, the LB that best fits Zimmer’s brand of LB play is none other than Leighton Vander Esch. Vander Esch, 6-foot-4, 256-pounds, is Dallas biggest LB and also arguably the most disciplined. The veteran playmaker is the leader of the unit in both brains and brawn. After he fell to injury last season the falloff in play was significant. Not just from his vacated spot but in the play across the LB ranks.

It’s that very injury which may prevent the 28-year-old from returning to field. While everything is pure speculation at this point, Vander Esch has a history of serious back/neck injuries and suffers from cervical spinal stenosis. Jerry Jones indicated Vander Esch’s long-term future was in jeopardy when the Cowboys placed him on IR last season, and nothing said publicly since has indicated otherwise.

Fixing the LB issue in Dallas is going to take some work. It’s not just a one or two man overhaul but potentially an overhaul of the entire unit. That’s not to say there isn’t optimism around DeMarvion Overshown or Damone Clark, but even they come with risk and varying degrees on concern in regards to size, experience, and discipline.

One thing is clear – before any LB overhaul can find success the Cowboys have to fix their issues on the defensive line. A LB is only as good as the lineman in front of him so it’s important the Cowboys find something in free agency to shore up the middle. Luckily for them this is a strong DT free agent class.

The Cowboys have the perfect Zimmer LB on the roster. Unfortunately, there’s a better than zero chance he’ll never play the game again.

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3 great Cowboys draft prospects for Mike Zimmer’s defense

The Dallas draft team is great at getting prospects that fit with what their coaches will run. Here are some players that could fit what Zimmer likes in his style of defense. | From @cdpiglet

Under Will McClay’s stewardship, the Dallas Cowboys have been excellent at listening to their coaches for what they need in draft prospects to fit the scheme they want to run. Rod Marinelli wanted penetrating defensive tackles that could play the run on the way to the quarterback and large, lengthy defensive ends. It didn’t always work out, but the team drafted players like Demarcus Lawrence, Taco Charlton, and Trysten Hill.

Kris Richard was a co-defensive coordinator for Dallas in 2018 and 2019, and the Cowboys adapted to his belief in corners above 6-foot and 200 pounds. Dan Quinn was able to bring in versatile defensive prospects. Cornerbacks that could play safety, safeties that could be hybrid linebackers, linebackers who could pass rush, and defensive ends that could move inside to defensive tackle. Dallas drafted guys like Micah Parsons, Israel Mukuamu, Chauncey Golston, DeMarvion Overshown, and Viliami Fehoko Jr., and their undrafted free agents included Markquese Bell, Juanyeh Thomas and Tyrus Wheat as well.

Now Mike Zimmer is the new DC, and he has his likes and dislikes. Cornerbacks who are good in man coverage, can play press and tackle, linebackers who can blitz and cover, defensive tackles who clog up the run lanes, and safeties who are bright on the back end but can also bring pressure when necessary. The NFL draft is just over two months away and here’s a look at three prospects who fit the mold.

Ranking the top-10 free agent DTs who fit the Cowboys needs in 2024

Defensive tackle is a position the Cowboys need to drastically improve at in 2024 so we look at the top-10 free agent fits in Dallas. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys have a handful of needs they need to address over the 2024 offseason but perhaps none more urgent than that of the defensive tackle position. The Dallas defense was routinely manhandled inside in 2023 and struggled to keep blockers from reaching the second level and overpowering their already undersized LB corps.

Bigger LBs will help the Cowboys run defense in 2024 but if the interior linemen can’t do more to keep them free of blockers, size will only help them so much. Since LB performance is directly linked to the DT play in front of them (much like RB success is dependent on run blocking), fixing the DT has to be the highest defensive priority over the offseason.

The Cowboys are expected to re-sign internal free agent Johnathan Hankins, but that won’t be enough. Hankins was good as a rotational player but his value in Cowboys’ circles tends to be a bit inflated. Dallas needs a clear upgrade inside and while they remain optimistic about Mazi Smith’s future, they can’t bank on him to be any more than a rotational player himself in Year 2.

Unlike previous top-10 free agent lists like RB and WR, DT is a position the Cowboys need to address primarily through free agency. They need a game-ready starter if they want to improve in 2024 and can’t wait for a rookie to develop.

Not just as a run stopper but interior pressure player. Once again this season, the Cowboys overworked Osa Odighizuwa, and once again this season, he appeared to fade down the stretch. Adding a pass rush presence inside will help Dallas get more from him when games matter most.

The Cowboys could go a number of directions in free agency but based on the Cowboys’ needs and the options available, here are the 10 best fits.

Asim Richard’s versatility could mean an intriguing future with Cowboys

Richards didn’t contribute much as a rookie but his future is bright and he could be the Cowboys top swing OL in the 2024 season, says @ReidDHanson.

When the Cowboys drafted Asim Richards from North Carolina in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft, many called it a steal. The 38-game starter had a track record of success in college. He was a technically sound prospect with loads of experience and proven durability. It was believed the main thing he lacked, strength, was something a year in the weight room could fix.

For roughly three years the Cowboys have been trying to turn a Day 3 draft pick into a viable NFL OT. There is reason to believe the third time is the charm with Dallas’ selection of Richards. Looking at contributions, he’s already ahead of his two Day 3 predecessors.

Josh Ball was selected No. 138 in the 2021 draft. After suffering a soft tissue injury in the hip/groin area, he landed on IR contributing zero snaps his rookie season. Matt Waletzko was then selected 155th in the 2022 draft but he only gave Dallas one offensive snap in his rookie year. Richards’ 39 snaps his rookie season are modest but technically blow both of the other guys’ rookie numbers out of the water.

It’s not the snaps he did get, but rather the reports coming from around the team that lead many to be optimistic about Richards’ future.

Gaining experience, however miniscule, at LG, RG, and LT should payoff down the road. Richards, 6-foot-4, 307-pounds, might not have fit Dallas’ prototype at OT but his 35-inch arms put him in rarefied air as a tackle prospect (pro day measurement).

Former draft pick Eric Scott could find new life under Cowboys’ Mike Zimmer

Eric Scott didn’t contribute for the Cowboys as a rookie, but with roster changes and Mike Zimmer on board, he could break through in 2024. | From @ReidDHanson

The 2023 NFL draft was full of surprises for Cowboys fans. From the selection of a defensive tackle in the first round, to the seemingly panic-driven over-drafting of a TE in the second, to the c ‘est la vie approach to the RB position, Dallas did much to spark heated discussions across the fanbase.

But for as unpredictable and controversial as many of their decisions were that fateful weekend, one selection stood out amongst the rest as particularly puzzling: sixth round pick Eric Scott Jr. from Southern Miss.

When the Cowboys picked Scott, draft analysts went scrambling. Franticly flipping through notes, sharing panicked looks, and filling the broadcast with enough empty words and sound fillers to make even the most hardened speech teacher cringe.

Dane Brugler, the benchmark in all things draft, had Scott listed as his 60th ranked CB in the class. He only profiled the top 46. Many were at a loss for words, especially because the Cowboys didn’t just sit back and settle for Scott, they aggressively pursued him.

Trading a 2024 fifth-round pick to Kansas City, the Cowboys jumped into the top of the sixth and selected a hardly-known CB just nine spots after selecting Asim Richards in the fifth. It’s possible a spirited discussion at the Richards pick led to an “ok then, let’s try to pick them both” type of situation.

Regardless, it was clear the Cowboys wanted Scott and saw something most draft experts did not. It made him a fun storyline to follow in minicamps and the preseason and will likely make him a fun one again in 2024, even if he is seen as the forgotten draft pick from the 2023 class.

Scott graded out as a big, strong, athletically gifted prospect in the draft process. But a reported quad injury tanked his 40-time, causing him to fall on many boards. The Cowboys saw him as one of the most explosive players in the draft. That explosiveness, a trait they value greatly, was seen from Scott early in his offseason work in Dallas.

The 6-foot-1, 204-pound CB, was a standout in OTAs. With Trevon Diggs and Nahshon Wright sitting out, Scott got first-team reps and showed many in attendance why the Cowboys moved up for him. Eventually the logjam at CB and his rawness as a prospect caught up for him and Scott’s rookie season essentially served as a redshirt year for the 25-year-old prospect.

In 2024 the scene has changed considerably. Stephon Gilmore and Jourdan Lewis are both free agents and Dan Quinn has been replaced by Mike Zimmer. Opportunities on the roster should be there for Scott and the scheme of Zimmer should work to Scott’s advantage as well.

Zimmer loves big physical CBs who can play man, play the ball, and make tackles in space. That’s Scott. A full year in the Cowboys program and a full offseason to absorb Zimmer’s schemes will allow Scott to start on a level playing field with the other supportive DBs on the roster.

It’s likely Scott won’t be challenging for a top-3 spot anytime soon, but a strong presence on special teams will go a long way in carving out a depth role in 2024. Scott played predominantly on the boundary in college, taking 499 snaps outside, compared to just 48 as a slot/box player in 2022. But if he can prove capable of inside/outside versatility it could be all he needs to jump to the top of the reserve pecking order.

He’s a fun player to think about in Zimmer’s defense and someone everyone should have an eye on over the summer.

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Can Viliami Fehoko go from forgotten draft pick to Cowboys DL contributor?

Viliami Fehoko didn’t contribute for the Cowboys as a rookie but there’s reason to believe he’ll be a regular contributor on the DL in 2024. | From @ReidDHanson

With the 27th pick in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft, the Cowboys made a very Cowboys-esque pick when they selected defensive lineman Viliami Fehoko out of San Jose State. The 6-foot-4, 263-pound no-nonsense prospect offered up a well-rounded game with the versatility to play along the defensive line.

Serving essentially as a red shirt season, 2023 was a chance for Fehoko to hone technique and bulk up. Without seeing game action, Fehoko’s rookie season was extremely disappointing and to many appeared like a bust. It’s a fair assessment considering some in the draft community were calling him one of the most underrated prospects at his position leading up to the draft. Even if he was a Day 3 pick, expectations were high for the rookie. He’ll now get an offseason to do whatever’s necessary to become an actual on-field contributor in 2024.

The Cowboys have a history of targeting defensive linemen with position flex in the middle rounds of the draft. It allows them to use the player outside in various techniques or reduce inside in more of a penetration role. Fehoko’s size and playing style likened him to Chauncey Golston as a prospect. Golston was another college DE Dallas has used in multiple capacities since joining the team.

But unlike Golston, a spot wasn’t readily available for Fehoko. The Cowboys were rich in DE talent and the limited number of active roster spots they had available at DT didn’t allow for a project player like Fehoko to see action.