Tag: Dallas Cowboys

Tyler Guyton’s biggest challenge as Cowboys rookie

Tyler Guyton’s weaknesses threaten to keep him off the field as a rookie with the Cowboys. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys followed a familiar blueprint when they selected offensive tackle Tyler Guyton in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. Guyton was both an extremely talented and an extremely undeveloped prospect in much the same way Tyler Smith (2022) and Mazi Smith (2023) profiled when they came to Dallas.

Like the others, he’s a high-risk, high-reward draft pick, who if he develops, could be a star in the NFL. Then again, he could just as easily bust if he can’t take steps beyond where he is today. The chips fell in opposite directions with the previous two first rounders. Tyler Smith developed at light speed and is already considered one of the best in the game. Mazi Smith wasn’t so fortunate and logged the lowest number of defensive snaps for a Cowboys first rounder since Bobby Carpenter.

Looking at all Guyton has to do to become a trustworthy left tackle this season, it may be irresponsible to pencil him in as the starter. He needs refinement in all areas of his game and doesn’t have a clear strength to fall back on.

It seems clear, if the Cowboys really want to get Guyton into the starting lineup as a rookie, they need him to eliminate the truly bad plays from his game.

Filed under, “well, duh” in the 2024 strategy guide, eliminating the bad plays may sound fairly obvious. But with Guyton it’s less about maxing out his good and more about cutting out the bad because the rookie from Oklahoma had a lot of bad the past two years.

Of Guyton’s stable metrics, he’s largely middle of the road in most areas. He’s been solid in pass protection, flashing that ceiling that made him a first-round pick, but inconsistent enough to raise concern in his ability to protect Dak Prescott’s blind side. In a league where quarterback is king and it only takes one breakdown in pass protection to doom a season, eliminating the bad is paramount at the LT position.

As a run blocker, negative plays are even more concerning for the rookie. Ranking in just the ninth percentile in negatively graded run plays, Guyton is one of the most flawed run blockers in his class. Since this is one of the most stable metrics to track, it’s something that should hold special consideration in his development as a pro.

Guyton specifically struggled with inside-zone runs at Oklahoma. The same inside-zone Brian Schottenheimer is famous for running as an offensive coordinator. Guyton’s negative grades on inside-zone runs beat out his positive grades more than 2-to-1.

A blown assignment on a running play may not sound like a significant event given total number of players involved in blocking for a running play, but the numbers tell a different tale: On a running play with zero negatively graded blocks, running plays historically have a 60.2% success rate. On plays with one or more negative graded blocks that success rate drops to 25.7%. Understandably the EPA follows suit, dropping from +0.27 to -0.27.

It shows one bad block can make all the difference in the running game and both phases of the game should be seen as single point failure areas for offensive linemen and not just pass-protection.

For Guyton, it’s not about the pancake blocks or the highlight-reel peaks in performance, it’s about cutting out the blown assignments and lowlight-reel valleys in performance.

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Cowboys haven’t done much to address biggest offseason need

Despite their glaring hole at defensive tackle, the Dallas Cowboys haven’t addressed their need at the position this offseason. | From @BenGrimaldi

The needs for the Dallas Cowboys have been well known since the offseason began, which included running back, linebacker and offensive line. Another hole on the roster, and possibly the biggest, resides at defensive tackle;  a place where the team hasn’t adequately filled the void.

Here the Cowboys sit in mid-May, with their depth chart looking even worse than it did last year when they were carved up in the playoff loss to Green Bay. While one starter remains in Osa Odighizuwa, another is gone, Johnathan Hankins. The replacement for Hankins is second-year DT Mazi Smith, who the team drafted in the first round last year. The Cowboys know Smith needs to make the leap and are counting on him being better in year two.

However, Smith’s development has been slowed due to shoulder surgery that is expected to keep him out until training camp. With a new defensive coordinator in the building, and with the scheme changes, the Cowboys are off to a rough start opposite Odighizuwa.

Smith isn’t the only option at DT, but he’s the most important.

Dallas re-signed Carl Davis this offseason to help on the inside, can use fourth-year man Chauncey Golston at DT, and drafted Justin Rogers in the seventh-round to pitch in. However, no one in that group inspires confidence to play at a high level. Davis is a former third-round selection that hasn’t lived up to expectations and Golston has struggled to find a consistent role since the team drafted him in the same round in 2021.

It looks bleak for the Cowboys at DT. The team doesn’t appear to have many quality options, something their own website recognizes, where they don’t have a starter listed next to Odighizuwa.

Who starts hardly matters in May, but it highlights the lack of talent available for the team. What’s more disappointing is the Cowboys barely made an effort to get better at the position. They allowed Hankins to leave in free agency, waited until the seventh-round to draft help and only signed one undrafted free agent at DT. Counting on Smith to drastically improve when he had a rocky rookie year, and will miss most of the offseason program is wishful thinking.

Davis and Golston are rotational pieces, no one knows what Rogers can be, and even if the team does move second-year man Viliami Fehoko or Marshawn Kneeland inside for snaps, they are first year players at a position that’s difficult to adjust to. Not having much experience and being short on quality talent is not an ideal place to be for the Cowboys at DT.

Also considering the issues the defense has had stopping the run in the playoffs and in big games over the last three years, it’s surprising they haven’t taken upgrading the interior of the defensive line more seriously. This late in the offseason, there isn’t much help available, but the Cowboys should still be trying to find someone who can be an upgrade at DT.

Not finding better options at DT could be one of the big mistakes from the organization in an offseason full of them. Right now, it’s Odighizuwa and everyone else, not exactly a group that instills fear. The Cowboys look worse at DT in 2024 and there’s little reason for offenses to not to continue to run it right at their defense.

The Cowboys haven’t significantly addressed their shortcomings at DT, and it could come back to bite them this season, again.

Comparing the 2024 NFL draft hauls for all four NFC East teams

The consensus among NFL experts was that Philadelphia was one of the biggest winners from the draft weekend. At the same time, the Commanders retooled their roster and culture by selecting quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall. The Giants …

The consensus among NFL experts was that Philadelphia was one of the biggest winners from the draft weekend. At the same time, the Commanders retooled their roster and culture by selecting quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall.

The Giants chose Malik Nabers (LSU) over potentially trading up for a quarterback. Dallas traded back and came away with a solid class with potential All-Pros at offensive tackle and guard and a sleeper pick at the edge rusher slot.

Now that we’ve gone through all 257 NFL draft picks, teams are holding their rookie minicamps, and we’re analyzing the draft hauls for all four NFC East teams.

1/22 Quinyon Mitchell CB Toledo
2/40 Cooper DeJean CB Iowa
3/94 Jalyx Hunt EDGE Houston Christian
4/127 Will Shipley RB Clemson
5/152 Ainias Smith WR Texas A&M
5/155 Jeremiah Trotter Jr. LB Clemson
5/172 Trevor Keegan G Michigan
6/185 Johnny Wilson WR Florida State
6/190 Dylan McMahon C NC State

GM Howie Roseman landed the top-ranked corners in Quinyon Mitchell (20) and Cooper DeJean (40) without having to trade away a first-round pick. DeJean can play safety, nickel cornerback, and outside cornerback. Jalyx Hunt (94) is a raw pass rusher who should help upgrade a unit ranked 30th in points allowed per game (25.2).

Roseman made eight trades and then added 2025 third-, fourth- and fifth-round selections (one of each), setting up Philadelphia for 9+ picks next April. Looking to add more weapons to Kellen Moore’s offense, the Eagles selected former Clemson running back Will Shipley; the splash pick was Roseman landing his Clemson teammate and legacy linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (155). One late-round pick to watch is former FSU wideout, 6-foot-6 wideout Johnny Wilson (185), who is now the tallest wide receiver in the NFL.

1/2 Jayden Daniels QB LSU
2/36 Jer’Zhan Newton DT Illinois
2/50 Mike Sainristil CB Michigan
2/53 Ben Sinnott TE Kansas State
3/67 Brandon Coleman OT TCU
3/100 Luke McCaffrey WR Rice
5/139 Jordan Magee LB Temple
5/161 Dominique Hampton S Washington
7/222 Javontae Jean-Baptiste EDGE Notre Dame

The Commanders have a new lease on life after rehauling the franchise with a new owner (Josh Harris), general manager (Adam Peters), and coach (Dan Quinn). Peters, who had been in the 49ers’ front office since 2017, got busy by adding a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback with the 2nd pick.

On Day 2, they added pass-rushing defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton (36) and then the best Nickel cornerback in the draft by selecting Michigan’s Mike Sainristil (50). Tight end Ben Sinnott (53) can be a rookie security blanket for Daniels. Brandon Coleman (67) can cross-train at multiple positions, while Luke McCaffrey (100) has the pedigree to be a really good contributor.

1/6 Malik Nabers WR LSU
2/47 Tyler Nubin S Minnesota
3/70 Andru Phillips CB Kentucky
4/107 Theo Johnson TE Penn State
5/166 Tyrone Tracy Jr. RB Purdue
6/183 Darius Muasau LB UCLA

The Giants passed on quarterback J.J. McCarthy for a true star receiver in former LSU pass catcher Malik Nabers. Nabers was rated ahead of Marvin Harrison Jr. on some draft boards and he’ll make Daniel Jones better on Day 1.

Tyler Nubin (47) had 13 career interceptions for the Golden Gophers. Dru Phillips (70) can play the slot cornerback and former Penn State tight end Theo Johnson (107) could be a Day 1 starter with Darren Waller’s future up in the air

1/29 Tyler Guyton OT Oklahoma
2/56 Marshawn Kneeland EDGE Western Michigan
3/73 Cooper Beebe G Kansas State
3/87 Marist Liufau LB Notre Dame
5/174 Caelen Carson CB Wake Forest
6/216 Ryan Flournoy WR Southeast Missouri State
7/233 Nathan Thomas OT Louisiana
7/244 Justin Rogers DT Auburn

Dallas traded down five spots, gained a third-round pick, and still landed the draft’s most athletic offensive tackle in Tyler Guyton (29). Guyton will have a chance to be their starter at left tackle.

Defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (56) is excellent against the run and can continue to develop pass-rush moves playing alongside DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons. Former Kansas State offensive guard Cooper Beebe (73) has the talent and nastiness to develop into an All-Pro. Marist Liufau (87) will have to prove he’s not a liability against the pass, but he’ll help stop the run. Caelen Carson (174) is a sleeper cornerback who was a starter for four seasons at Wake Forest and could develop into the next Daron Bland under Al Harris.

All four teams in the division landed impact players with their first-round picks, but there was some drop-off after the Eagles and Commanders class. Mike Sainristil has All-Pro potential for Washington, while Philadelphia’s secondary received a dramatic upgrade from the additions of Mitchell and DeJean. Nabers will be a hit for the Giants, while Theo Johnson could be the next young star at tight end. Dallas was patient over the weekend and added talented depth in the trenches while getting a little heavier at the linebacker position.

Stephon Gilmore comments on his free-agent status: ‘It has to be the right opportunity’

Free-agent CB Stephon Gilmore, who has been linked to the Panthers this offseason, says he’s waiting for the right opportunity on the open market.

Why—here on May 9—is a former Defensive Player of the Year, two-time first-team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler still a free agent? Well, maybe part of it has to do with finding the right situation.

Free-agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who has been connected to the Carolina Panthers this offseason, recently spoke with NFL insider Josina Anderson about his status on the open market. He provided Anderson with the following statement:

“I’m still focused on playing, but it has to be the right opportunity. I feel like it’s the age thing with some of these teams. If I was 28, I would already have been signed by now; at the same time, I know the value I still bring. If you watch the tape, I feel like I played well the last two years, and literally almost played every snap last year. So I’m staying patient, while watching my son who’s a wide receiver and cornerback lock people up on the field with his defensive back skills too.”

Gilmore played in 99.1 percent of the defensive snaps for the Dallas Cowboys this past season. That near-perfect attendance record resulted in 68 combined tackles, two interceptions and 13 passes defensed for the 33-year-old.

But it’s those 33 years, as well as the injury he’s coming off of, that could be giving the Panthers pause on a reunion.

According to Joe Person of The Athletic, there has been no recent movement on a potential deal between Gilmore and Carolina—who has kept the possibility open, per general manager Dan Morgan. Person notes that Gilmore’s age and offseason labrum surgery could be holding back a return.

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Report: Cowboys release WR Martavis Bryant

From @ToddBrock24f7: Bryant was brought to Dallas last November but did not see the field. His release could signal a new veteran WR signing for the Cowboys.

For the second time in 125 days, Martavis Bryant has been released by the Cowboys.

The wide receiver, who was signed by the team to a reserve/futures contract in mid-January, has now been let go, according to a Wednesday report from NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, who cited a source.

Bryant, 32, had first joined the Cowboys back in November, just after his reinstatement to the NFL following a 2018 suspension. Having bounced around the Indoor Football League, the CFL, Fan Controlled Football, and the XFL in his time away, Bryant remained on the Cowboys’ practice squad as he worked to get himself back into NFL shape.

A former fourth-round draft pick out of Clemson, he was released just after the first of the year to make room for La’el Collins as a depth piece heading into the playoffs. Shortly after the team’s postseason loss to Green Bay, though, Bryant was re-signed to continue his comeback bid.

Now the experiment is apparently over for good. Bryant’s release comes just hours after it was announced that the Cowboys were hosting free agent receiver Zay Jones for a visit.

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The writing could very well be on the wall for a Jones signing, giving the team’s WR room the veteran experience that Bryant was hoped to bring. Of course, the Cowboys could be making room for someone else, maybe at a different position altogether.

Other teams around the league are expected to be interested in inviting Bryant to town. He has not played in an NFL game since 2018.

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Another day, another free agent visit for former Jaguars WR Zay Jones

Another day, another free agent visit for former Jaguars WR Zay Jones

Former Jaguars wide receiver Zay Jones will make his third free-agent visit in as many days with the Cowboys, in his hometown of Dallas, hosting him on Wednesday, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz.

Jones traveled to Arizona on Tuesday and Tennessee on Monday, following his release by Jacksonville last week. The move came after the Jaguars selected wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Jones hauled in 116 receptions, 1,144 yards and seven touchdowns over 22 starts, 25 appearances and two seasons with the Jaguars. In his seven-year NFL career, he’s totaled 287 receptions for 3,028 yards and 18 touchdowns.

“Beyond grateful for every memory, truly. Every teammate, every coach, every staff member, every fan I’ve encountered or felt inspired by,” Jones said via social media last Wednesday after his release from the Jaguars.

“The support of a strong community does so much for us athletes. Thank you more, Duval and Jags fans overseas.”

Dallas made one addition to its wide receiver room this offseason, its sixth-round selection of Ryan Flournoy, but otherwise did not upgrade the position, making Jones a potentially appealing veteran option for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

Jones was born while his father, Robert Jones, played linebacker for the Cowboys, in 1995. The younger Jones played high school football at Austin (Texas) High.

Report: Cowboys meeting with WR Zay Jones

From @ToddBrock24f7: Jones is a seven-year veteran in the league. The former 2nd-round draft pick torched the Cowboys in a Week 15 game in the 2022 season.

The Cowboys may be looking to make a late free-agency add to an already-crowded wide receiver room.

The team is meeting with seven-year veteran Zay Jones on Wednesday, per a report from Jordan Schultz. The former second-round draft pick spent the last two seasons with the Jaguars and has already met with the Titans and Cardinals recently.

Jones, 29, came highly touted out of East Carolina in the 2017 draft, going to Buffalo with the 37th overall pick. After 36 game appearances, the Bills traded him to the Raiders midway through the 2019 campaign.

Cowboys fans will no doubt recall Jones’s electric performance in 2022’s Week 15 visit to Jacksonville. Born in Dallas, Jones torched his hometown Cowboys for 109 yards on six catches, taking three of them to the end zone in a Jaguars overtime win.

There is another Cowboys connection. Jones’s father Robert was a first-round draft pick of the Cowboys in 1992; he played linebacker for Dallas and was a part of all three Super Bowl wins that decade.

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Following the departure of Michael Gallup, the Cowboys currently have an opening in the WR3 role behind CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks. Third-year man Jalen Tolbert, speedster KaVontae Turpin, veteran Martavis Bryant, and six other wide receivers are expected to compete for the job in camp this summer.

Jones has 104 regular-season game appearances on his NFL résumé, with 67 starts. He’s amassed 287 receptions for 3,028 yards and 18 touchdowns.

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Here’s why Cowboys had such a lackluster UDFA haul in 2024

A look into why Dallas’ UDFA haul was a lot less heralded than many are used to. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Now that the dust has settled on the 2024 draft, there’s plenty of fodder for each NFL team and who they brought into the fold. Recently, Thor Nystrom of Fantasy Pros went through the exercise of evaluating every team’s UDFA haul.

Normally, Dallas ranks among the best UDFA hauls around the league. They annually win the affection of some of the best remaining prospects who didn’t hear their names called, but probably should have, and that’s evidenced by the success they have in making Dallas’ 53-man roster and practice squad, then eventually working their way into playing time. That may not be the case for too many in 2024 and there may be a clear reason.

Nystrom ranks Dallas as just the 17th-best haul in undrafted free agency, a far cry from where they have been revered recently. The most prominent signing seems to be a blocking TE from Minnesota, Brevyn Spann-Ford.

The question is, what is the reason for the overall lackluster haul?

Perhaps it’s an issue with the coaching staff.

Agents play a very pivotal role in deciding which offer a prospect takes, as they are likely to steer a player towards the best place to latch on to try and forge a career.

And for UDFAs who have options, why would they sign with the Cowboys? Everything that’s been done this offseason has made Dallas an unattractive destination for 2024.

The biggest reason is the coaching staff are all on one-year contracts. When new coaching staffs are brought in, they look to bring in guys that fit their system. So Mike McCarthy, Brian Schottenheimer and Mike Zimmer not having a known shelf-life means that even if a prospect is able to get on the 53-man roster or practice squad, there’s a new regime loading the following year so they would lose all the capital built in practice.

The new staff wouldn’t have seen the growth or potential.

And while Quinn was known as a player’s coach, Zimmer is known as the exact opposite. That might be just what the veterans on the defense need, but that doesn’t bode well for prospects who need seasoning to have an uber-demanding coach with a complicated system to learn.

Meanwhile, owner Jerry Jones waxed poetic about the pending signing of Ezekiel Elliott, so while the lack of a star on the depth chart would’ve normally have been attractive to the top remaining running backs, Jones’ unnecessarily tipping the club’s hand likely hurt them in that regard.

Slant routes key to Cowboys’ attacking both zone, man in 2024

The Cowboys face a mix of man and zone coverage throughout the season but the slant route has proven to be effective against each. | From @ReidDHanson

When Mike McCarthy came to Dallas in 2020, he brought with him his version of the West Coast offense. His pass-heavy attack served him well throughout his NFL coaching career and appeared to be a good fit for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys diverse offensive personnel.

With Kellen Moore still onboard at offensive coordinator at the time, the shift was subtle rather than sudden. But as time went on the Cowboys offense began looking more and more like McCarthy and in 2024 that’s not expected to change.

The Cowboys front offense has made it a point to invest in the passing game in recent seasons. According to West Coast principles, a series of short, high-percentage passes can effectively replace any traditional ground game. And according to recent data shared by Pro Football Focus, the slant route is king in today’s NFL, and perfect for offenses such as McCarthy’s.

Excluding routes at or behind the line of scrimmage, slant routes produced the highest open rate in the NFL, just edging out whip routes at a rate of 62.7%. As one can imagine, throwing to open wideouts is a good thing. Not only does it offer up a higher completion rate, but it has a low interception rate and increases run-after-catch production.

It’s these routes that are often the bread and butter of West Coast offenses and these routes in which the CeeDee Lamb and Prescott connection thrives.

Not surprisingly, openness and success rate change against various coverages. What works well against man coverage may not work well against zone coverage. A hitch route, for instance, only has a 46.8% open rate against man coverage but has a 57.3% open rate against zone. In-breaking whip routes are best against zone coverage, producing an open rate of 65.6%, but drop significantly against man.

The Cowboys have struggled against various zone defenses in recent years and would do well to pay attention to the recent findings. Corner routes are the least successful routes against zone coverage and should therefore be avoided altogether when zone coverage has been identified.

Despite the differences in separation between each route and the coverage faced, slant routes hold up as universally resilient.

Its open rate is only slightly lower against zone coverage, so it’s overall the most successful route to run. Once again, this is excellent news for the Cowboys since slants are effectively the cornerstone of the Dallas passing attack.

Identifying the right routes for the right coverages is important for an offense. Defenses often disguise coverages pre-snap and force opposing quarterbacks to adjust on-the-fly while the play unfolds. Having a bulletproof route like a slant built into most plays is a good way to maintain stability through the air.

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NFL schedule release: When will 2024 slate of games be revealed for Ravens?

The 2024 NFL schedule is currently slated to be released at 8pm ET on May 15, per memo to teams this afternoon via Ben Fischer

After months of waiting, there’s only one week until all 32 NFL teams, fans, and league experts will find out the official 2024 regular season schedule.

Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal reports that NFL teams were informed on Tuesday that the regular-season schedule is expected to be released next Wednesday, May 15th.

The Chiefs, Cowboys, and Eagles highlight the Ravens’ 2024 opponents list, and we already know that Philadelphia will open up in Brazil against the Green Bay Packers.

Baltimore could be among the teams in line to face Kansas City on opening night.