Tag: Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys aspire to build an elite Eagles-level offensive line

The eagles just proved the offensive line is the key to success for the Cowboys in 2025, says @ReidDHanson.

The Philadelphia Eagles just won the Super Bowl after winning the conference two of the last three seasons . They laid claim to the NFL’s highest honor on the backs of their offensive line.

The Eagles O-line made things easy for the plethora of playmakers wearing midnight green on Sunday night in New Orleans. Saquon Barkley might get most of the credit for the Eagles’ dominant ground game, but those who’ve been paying attention know the offensive line is the real hero in Philadelphia this season.

The Eagles success has given the Dallas Cowboys something to aspire to in 2025.

Not only is Klayton Adams, Dallas’ new offensive coordinator, one of the NFL’s best offensive line coaches, but the Cowboys new actual offensive line coach, Conor Riley, is also highly regarded in his role. As if that wasn’t enough, the Cowboys holdover tight end coach, Lunda Wells, is a respected offensive line mind as well.The Cowboys have a clear focus on their offensive line this offseason and they have all the money-backed moves to prove it.

Whether the Cowboys can bridge that gap between them and the Eagles in a single offseason remains to be seen. Philadelphia won Pro Football Focus’ honors for being the top offensive line in the NFL in 2024 while the Cowboys finished ranked just 25th.  The Eagles also finished in the top 10 in both pass block win rate and run block win rate, while the Cowboys only cracked the top 10 in run block win rate. To the surprise of no one, the Cowboys’ pass protection rated just 24th in this ESPN metric.

It should be no surprise Jalen Hurts had the longest time to throw (TTT) in the NFL last season, averaging 3.23 seconds per drop back. Cooper Rush (2.36 seconds) and Dak Prescott (2.64 seconds) finished in the NFL’s bottom seven (of those playing at least 20 percent of the snaps) in 2024.

When kept clean, Hurts posted a 92.8 offensive grade, good for top five in the NFL. When under pressure he was third worst.

Hurts was just a hair above Daniel Jones when playing under pressure, company no self-respecting quarterback wants to find themselves amongst. All Hurts did in the Super Bowl was win MVP, being one of the most OL-dependent players in the NFL.

Hurts still had to perform, but it’s a similar ask to that of the Kyle Shanahan QBs in San Francisco.

Barkley dominated the NFL in yards before contact behind his elite offensive line; it was them who deserve the bulk of the credit for his historic season, opening holes and keeping him clean and untouched for so long, down after down.

Barkley was still a beast as a runner, finishing No. 6 in yards after contact/attempt in 2024, but Rico Dowdle also finished in the top 10 in this RB specific performance stat and he’s hardly considered elite .

There’s a lesson the Eagles have taught Dallas this season and a blueprint for success the new coaching staff seems particularly qualified to follow. It’s all about the offensive line and the Cowboys seem to finally understand that.

Related articles

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Cowboys dead last in NFC spending at this position, just $3 million before free agency, draft

A review of what the Cowboys have at RB, what they’ll do once the league year starts with free agency and the draft.

The Cowboys have completed the mission. After heavily investing in the running back position in both draft and financial capital, things have bottomed out. In 2016, Dallas invested the No. 4 overall pick on the position, drafting Ezekiel Elliott. Three years later they invested financially making him the highest paid player in the history of the position.

Four years after that, while still carrying $just under $6 million in dead money after releasing Elliott, they slapped a $10 million franchise tag on Tony Pollard. Still, even in 2024, they still had $6.4 million in space being used by Elliott’s old contract. So it is just now that they’ve landed on the less invested side of things in that regard.

And landed their with authority, it might be added. The Cowboys churned out another 1,000 yard rusher, but he is a free agent, leaving just three players with under 100 total carries amongst them remaining on the roster.

So what comes next?

Rostered: $3.09 million in cap space

The Cowboys have three players under contract for 2025, Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis and Hunter Luepke, who count for only $3.09 million in cap space. That’s the lowest total among all NFC teams and 30th overall.

None of the three backs have proven much, with only Luepke feeling like he has a great chance to stick.

Pending Free Agents

Rico Dowdle, the team’s starter the majority of the season and bell cow the last half of it, hits free agency for the first time. Undrafted in 2020, an injury stole his 2021 season and it took him until this year to become a consistent contributor. He’s seen as the fourth or fifth-best back available in free agency after averaging 4.6 yards a carry on his way to 1.079 rushing yards with another 249 through the air.

Dowdle’s average is a true representation of what to expect on any given carry, as his longest run was just 27 yards and he rarely broke off big gains.

The Cowboys are likely looking for someone with more juice to lead the way in their new play-action based system.

Prediction: Dowdle signs elsewhere.

External Free Agents

The Cowboys are likely going to want to meet all types of runners on their offseason roster before making their way to the draft. Luepke is the short-yardage guy, and he’s expected to make the 2025 roster regardless. Davis has the all-around label and Vaughn… well Vaughn has a touching story.

The Cowboys will likely be looking for a speed merchant style of back, but more than likely at a discount.

Prediction: Jordan Mason could see free agency this year. He’s a restricted free agent but was undrafted and it would be a big ask for the 49ers to offer him a second-round tender while also paying Christian McCaffrey big money. If he comes free, he’s the guy that would make a ton of sense to spend the NFL version of the mid-level exception on. A two year, $7 million deal with two void yearsbmay get him in the fold.

2025 NFL Draft

The Cowboys are expected to be players in the market for a top running back in a deep class. Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty may slide down to No. 12 and make the decision very hard on Will McClay and company.

If not, Omarion Hampton (UNC) and Treyveon Henderson (OSU) could be second and third-round targets who offer breakaway speed at any given moment.

Prediction: The Cowboys go elsewhere with their top pick, Hampton is snatched before they hit the clock in Round 2 and Henderson is the pick in Round 3.

WATCH: Did Cowboys legend Jimmy Johnson just retire from TV in weird A.I. segment before Super Bowl?

From @ToddBrock24f7: A lengthy computer-generated tribute had viewers wondering if Jimmy Johnson is stepping away from his ‘NFL on Fox’ studio job.

Jimmy Johnson has seen quite a few of his biggest life moments unfold on live television.

The former coach who took over the doormat Cowboys in 1989 and then turned them into one of the most dominant teams in NFL history with back-to-back Super Bowl wins learned he was going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame while on the air at Fox Sports. Then he found out he was finally being put into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor in the same way.

On Sunday, a lengthy video tribute to Johnson that recapped his entire football life in emotional detail had viewers of Super Bowl LIX’s pregame show thinking another big reveal was coming from the 81-year-old.

So… did Johnson just retire… or not???

The NFL on Fox crew set up the piece as “a one-of-a-kind look back” at Johnson’s legendary career, using artificial intelligence. Then, using computer-generated effects, a CGI Johnson strode onto the field at a virtual AT&T Stadium.

With Johnson’s digitally-altered voice providing the narration, the next four and a half minutes took viewers back in time to Johnson’s days as an defensive lineman at Arkansas in 1964. A young-looking Johnson avatar told his own story of his college days, including his friendship with teammate Jerry Jones and the national championship their team won.

A tour through his college coaching stops followed, foreshadowing his later pairing with Terry Bradshaw (then a Johnson recruit at Louisiana Tech) and recalling the famous “Hail Flutie” play that shocked the world while Johnson was on staff at Miami.

His AI self sporting a touch of grey in his perfectly-coifed hair (not to mention that sweet Apex jacket, for those that remember), Johnson next walked viewers through the dramatic turnaround he engineered as Cowboys head coach in the early 1990s.

His Dolphins stint earned a mention, but the piece ended with the real Johnson in footage that looked to be shot at the real AT&T Stadium, being welcomed back to the set by his real deskmates. After a quick moment between the modern-day Johnson and his 21-year-old self, it was back to the live Super Bowl set in New Orleans, where an emotional Johnson was in tears.

What followed was strange, to say the least, The coach, in a shaky voice, went on to thank a long list of people for his career in the game, including his family and the players and coaches he’s worked with along the way.

Johnson’s co-hosts were gathered around the set and took turns practically eulogizing the legendary coach and waxing very poetic about his life, his character, and how much they all loved him.

It sounded for all the world like a big farewell was coming. Curt Menefee even asked after all the gushing, “Was that goodbye?”

“One day at a time, Curt. One day at a time,” was Johnson’s reply.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Social media was divided about what they had just seen.

Johnson has recently hinted at hanging up his microphone. He told Awful Announcing just this week, “I used to say ‘One more year,’ and then it got to be, ‘Well, I don’t know,’ and now it’s ‘One more day at a time.’ I never know. I’ll just see how I feel here going into next year.”

So was it just high-tech filler for the pregame show or was it a retirement announcement?

No one seems to know. Maybe not even Johnson.

Whether you found Johnson’s AI video tribute incredibly moving and heartfelt or incredibly creepy and weird, nearly everybody found the whole thing at least a little confusing.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[lawrence-newsletter]

ESPN: Kellen Moore to accept Saints job ‘barring an unexpected breakdown’

All signs have pointed to Kellen Moore being the next Saints head coach, and the latest report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter is greater confirmation:

The New Orleans Saints are expected to take another meeting after the Super Bowl with Kellen Moore. All signs point to that being a mere formality with the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator expected to accept the team’s head coaching job.

This has been the case for the last week since the Saints told other candidates the decision at head coach will be put off until after Super Bowl LIX. This positioned Moore as the obvious favorite. Then, reports of Moore beginning to build a coaching staff surfaced, which showcases a high level of mutual interest.

The latest update from ESPN’s Adam Schefter serves as a confirmation of previous assumptions. Schefter reported the expectation is the Saints and Moore will finalize a deal after the Super Bowl “barring an unexpected breakdown in contract talks.” Schefter said all of this during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show early this week, but now he’s putting it in writing.

Finances being the only potential hurdle between the two sides is a great sign of where they are. As the two sit down after the Super Bowl, that shouldn’t be a hard thing to come to terms with.

New Orleans has been aggressive in their pursuit of Moore, and it should be expected for them to compensate him appropriately.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Cowboys shipped Super Bowl starting WR, different OT in ESPN’s 2024 redraft

In a 2024 NFL draft do-over, Dallas lands an exciting playmaker from in state and then circles back around on OT.

The 2024 NFL season comes to a close on Sunday evening, once the final whistle is blown on Super Bowl LIX. For the Dallas Cowboys, who missed the playoffs for the first time in four years, it was a disappointing campaign to say the least. Part of the issue with the Cowboys is that they haven’t gotten the kinds of contributions from their recent draft classes that they are used to.

Both the 2023 and 2024 classes failed to contribute impact players, with the club not getting much of any traction with either classes first or second-round picks. DT Mazi Smith is on the precipice of the club designating him as a bust after two years and redrafting the position, and LT Tyler Guyton was oft-injured and oft-benched in his rookie season. TE Luke Schoonmaker hasn’t done much and DE Marshawn Kneeland missed a chunk of time with a knee injury. But what if things went a different way?

ESPN conducted a 2024 redraft recently, going through 64 picks and giving teams chances at do-overs based on the performance of the rookie class. Instead of picking Guyton in a first-round trade down, Dallas stayed put and took an explosive rookie, and then circled back on the OT position instead of drafting Kneeland.

24. Dallas Cowboys

Original pick: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama (DET traded up)
New pick: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas

I contemplated Olu Fashanu and Troy Fautanu at this spot to keep with the offensive line theme, but I kept coming back to the lack of explosive plays on offense. With CeeDee Lamb and Worthy, the Dak Prescott-led offense could get back to the playmaking it had in 2023, even if Worthy might not fit the size profile the Cowboys like in receivers. Worth had 59 catches for 638 yards and 9 total touchdowns with the Chiefs. — Todd Archer

Worthy, the University of Texas product, is of course a starting wideout for the Super Bowl participating Kansas City Chiefs. He’s started 13 of 17 games in the regular season and his dazzling speed would’ve been exactly what Dallas wanted to get out of Brandin Cooks and Kavontae Turpin.

56. Dallas Cowboys

Original pick: Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE, Western Michigan
New pick: Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU

The Cowboys had Suamataia in for a visit before the draft, and he was in the mix when they took Tyler Guyton in the first round. Guyton would have been the pick had he lasted to this spot. Suamataia started the first two games at left tackle for the Chiefs, but he did not answer their issues. Still, the potential remains as he’s just 22 years old. — Todd Archer

Cowboys $91 million position predicted to be addressed in both draft, free agency

A review of what the Cowboys have at QB, what they’ll do once the league year starts with free agency and the draft.

With the 2024 NFL season concluding Sunday, it’s now time for all 32 teams to turn their attention to the 2025 season.  There is approximately just one month’s time for teams to finalize their game plans of how they want to attack the offseason and for the Dallas Cowboys, there’s a lot of work to be done.

The team has configured the majority of their new coaching staff, led by new head coach Brian Schottenheimer and his new coordinators Klayton Adams and Matt Eberflus. Personnel director Will McClay has been extended for five more seasons and now the attention needs to turn to fixing the roster that resulted in a 7-10 regular season record. Everything starts at the top, and in the NFL that’s the quarterback position.

Rostered: $90.9 million in cap space

The Cowboys have two players under contract for 2025, starter Dak Prescott and backup Will Grier.

Prescott enters the first year of his four-year extension signed at the beginning of last season worth $240 million. Currently he is set to take up $89.9 million of cap space, with the salary cap expected to come in around $272.5 million in 2025. Clearly the Cowboys aren’t going to allow one player to eat up one-third of their cap space and the team will restructure the deal, as was intended when it was signed.

Restructuring Prescott’s base salary ($47.75 million) can be done all at once, or as cap space is needed. The minimum base salary for a player with Prescott’s experience (7+ years) is $1.255 million. Up to $46.5 million of salary can be spread evenly over five years (four contract years and the first of four void years already built in) meaning the club could shave up to $37.2 million off of Prescott’s 2025 cap hit.

Grier is a placeholder, signed well after Prescott was lost for the year, and is no guarantee to make the club, or even training camp for that matter. He’s currently on the books for the league minimum of $1.17 million and has a cap hit of $1.03 million.

Prediction: Restructure Prescott, Grier is a camp body with a shot.

Pending Free Agents

Prescott’s primary backups for the last two seasons, Cooper Rush and Trey Lance, are both pending free agents. Dallas traded for Lance, giving up a 2024 fourth-round pick in 2023, and gave him no opportunity to prove he could be a viable backup whatsoever, giving them little game evidence to decide on.

Rush was given plenty of opportunity and again proved to be a capable bus driver who is mistake prone but able to win some games. Rush has a career 9-5 record with a 2:1 TD:INT ratio, going 4-4 last year with a career worst 40.8 QBR.

There will likely be some team interested in bringing Lance in to give the young guy a shot and likely some team interested in having Rush around while they groom a young QB out of the draft. There’s arguments for either or neither to be back in Dallas, but not both.

Prediction: Both sign elsewhere.

External Free Agents

There’s a limited amount of intriguing QBs in free agency this year, and the Cowboys aren’t going to be looking to spend significant space on a backup with so many other needs. Failures elsewhere, such as Justin Fields, Mac Jones and Daniel Jones, will probably have a market that prices the Cowboys out.

Prediction: Sign Jameis Winston, two-year, $7.5 million (void years), $2 million cap hit

2025 NFL Draft

The Cowboys could have gone in multiple directions with their head coaching hire, but clearly were looking for stability with the staff that has worked with Prescott. Any idea the club would be looking to escape Prescott’s contract soon and draft an heir apparent to groom went out the window with Schotty’s hire.

That doesn’t mean the club will be out on QB in the draft though, as it makes sense to draft and develop a future backup.

Prediction: Use one of their four fifth-round picks to draft a QB, such as Louisville’s Tyler Shough.

Micah Parsons hints at Steelers as potential trade destination

Micah Parsons hinted at his interest in the Pittsburgh Steelers, adding fuel to speculation about the Cowboys star returning to PA.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are no strangers to trade rumors and speculation, with the potential acquisition of Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp being the latest. Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons just threw his name into the hat as well.

Parsons was incredible in 2024, compiling 12 sacks, 12 TFLs, two forced fumbles, and 23 QB hits in just 13 games.

While speaking with former Pittsburgh Steelers CB Bryant McFadden, Parsons was asked to give an emoji reaction to whichever NFL logo was held up.

The excitement began when McFadden held up the Steelers logo, and Parsons reacted positively, holding up a ‘100’ emoji. McFadden jokingly teased the Dallas Cowboys edge rusher, saying:

“I could see you in a Steelers uniform.”

Parsons then had this to say about the Pittsburgh Steelers:

“I said if I ever returned home, it was going to Pittsburgh.”

McFadden then left a hilarious message for Steelers President Art Rooney II and HC Mike Tomlin, encouraging them to get Parsons to the Steel City.

Parsons was born in Harrisburg, PA, in 1999 and spent his entire high school and collegiate career in the great state of Pennsylvania before being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Options emerge as DC for Kellen Moore if he becomes Saints head coach

ESPN reports there are two candidates emerging as options for defensive coordinator on Kellen Moore’s New Orleans Saints staff — assuming he takes the job:

The New Orleans Saints have cleared house on their coaching staff, as they now have vacancies at most of the major positions. One of the ones that most recently opened up was at defensive coordinator, as Joe Woods has left for the Las Vegas Raiders to join Pete Carroll’s staff.

The likely scenario here is that the Saints have chosen to let many of their coaches seek out other positions, laterally or otherwise, to allow whoever their new head coach may be to select their own staff altogether. Given Kellen Moore is the frontrunner for the position as of now, he has received much speculation when it comes to adding further staff behind him.

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, there are two candidates who are seen as likely fits for the defensive coordinator spot: “Two names I’ve heard as possibilities at defensive coordinator are 49ers assistant coach Brandon Staley and Buccaneers outside linebackers coach George Edwards. Both have history with Moore — Staley hired Moore as his offensive coordinator with the Chargers in 2023, and Moore overlapped with Edwards in Dallas.”

Fowler also notes Matt Eberflus and Klayton Adams as options that could have come to fruition if not already hired by the Cowboys. Staley has been one of the names thrown around for a little while now given the direct connection, however Edwards is somewhat of a new addition to the group. He has extensive experience in the league including three stints as a defensive coordinator previously, so he could very well be in the running here as well.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Should Cowboys fans root for the Eagles in the Super Bowl to drive point home to Jerry Jones?

It’s a tough question, but which world would Cowboys fans rather live in come Sunday night?

On one hand, there’s no more hated franchise than the Philadelphia Eagles. During the 1980s and 1990s, the Eagles were the NFC East afterthought. While the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Washington franchise were winning up all the championships, the Eagles were the one competitor unable to cash in.

That all changed as the millennium set to change, and since that point it’s been the Eagles’ world in the division. While the Giants have won two more Lombardis, it’s been Philadelphia that has maintained dominance year after year after year, winning one chip and now appearing in their third Super Bowl in eight seasons.

And in that time, Dallas has been the not-quite-good enough franchise. The Cowboys have won plenty of divisions, but they haven’t done anything with those wins. It’s been 30 years since they sniffed an NFC Championship game, much less The Big Game.

So that brings the other hand forward.

Dallas fans are as frustrated as ever at owner and general manager Jerry Jones. Jones is no longer the maverick owner, willing to make daring moves in talent acquisition. He’d rather play it safe then invest in stars from other teams, or make boom-or-bust trades for superstars.

Jones has gotten relatively boring but he doesn’t know it, still telling anyone who will listen they are wrong about his daring ways and refusing to take blame for the lackluster performance as he continues to roll in the dough.

Will anything convince him to change directions?

Maybe having to watch Jeffrey Lurie hoist another Lombardi from the celebratory platform would do the trick.

All of the falsehoods the Cowboys have convinced themselves are reasonable explanations would turn into hollow excuses. The Eagles have a quarterback on a $255 million contract. They have a wide receiver making over $30 million a season, with another making $25 million per year.

They’ve invested big money, yet they don’t whine about not having enough pieces of pie to go around that force them to cry they’re cap poor year after year after year. They just go out and acquire talent that helps their quest, like signing running back Saquon Barkley to form their Triplets with Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown.

A Super Bowl win with all those stars making huge money would remove the one final cover that the Jones hide under, so in that vein it would make a ton of sense for Cowboys fans to pull for a Philadelphia victory.

But then they’d have to live in a world where Eagles fans, the most smug, annoying awareness lacking people to jump in Cowboys’ fans social media mentions would be unbearable.

So which reality could Cowboys fans stand the least?

New Cowboys’ OL coach among best in CFB, making way to pros

Bringing aboard one of the better OL coaches in CFB may go a long way to correcting the Cowboys’ issues up front. | From @ArmyChiefW3

The Dallas Cowboys have completed the majority of their coaching hires, but the vacant offensive line coach position has remained a mystery. That is until now as a leading candidate has now been hired.

Conor Riley has been the offensive line coach at Kansas State University for the past six seasons and is regarded as one of the best assets in the country. ESPN’s Bruce Feldman was first to identify Riley is who Brian Schottenheimer identified to be in charge of the big uglies, and now the deal has been made.

The Cowboys have made it a point to improve their running game and Riley, along with new offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, certainly fit the criteria.

Under Riley, the Wildcats recorded three consecutive seasons in which they averaged 200 rushing yards per game.

Before his time in Manhattan, Riley coached for six seasons at North Dakota State, where he helped the Bison to five straight National Championships. The team averaged an astounding 235 rush yards per game during his tenure including the 2018 season where the team averaged 286.2 yards a contest.

Riley will get to coach his former K-State pupil Cooper Beebe, who the Cowboys drafted last season in the third round. He also gets to reunite with running back Deuce Vaughn, who played three seasons with the Wildcats, all under Riley leading the big boys up front.

This will be a big jump for the 22-year college veteran as Riley has never coached in the NFL before. Those concerns may be put to rest as Riley has spent the majority of his coaching career leading the offensive line which began as a graduate assistant in 2003.

He also played on the offensive line for Omaha from 1999 through the 2002 season.

Dallas still has a few open positions to round out their staff, including receivers coach, but the expected arrival of Riley will go a long way to curing what ailed Dallas in 2024.