Also, Jerry Jones wants to “make a splash” at the 2020 Draft, Dez Bryant wants to come “home,” and a look at college’s top wide receivers.
Byron Jones was a hot topic on Thursday. One outlet is imploring the Cowboys to re-sign him, while another says it’s time to let him go. A radio guy out West thinks he knows where Jones will wind up, and a draft expert makes a guess on what Dallas will do to fill the void Jones leaves behind.
Meanwhile, two of Jones’s defensive back mates just got hefty raises, DeMarcus Lawrence ranks toward the top of his class even without sacks, and Dez Bryant’s touchdown stats make a case for him coming “home.” All that, plus looking ahead to the draft with wide receivers, backup quarterbacks, and punters. That’s right: punters. We’re hitting all the News and Notes this time out.
Two members of the Cowboys make this list of free agents who must be retained. One of them is obvious: quarterback Dak Prescott. The other one, surprisingly, isn’t wide receiver Amari Cooper. Instead, it’s cornerback Byron Jones. It has felt for quite some time that Jones wouldn’t be returning to Dallas, as the team has its hands full with contracts coming due.
Adam Schein posits that Jones should be a higher priority than Cooper, though opinions differ widely there. The Cowboys offense has been a different animal with a true No. 1 receiver in the fold; finding someone to fill his shoes seems a difficult ask.
–TT
On the other side of the Jones coin is this argument from Calvin Watkins, who says the numbers simply don’t add up in a way that keeps him in the silver and blue. Yes, Jones was the team’s best corner in 2019, missed only one tackle all season, and often forced opposing passers to look elsewhere with their throws. But with zero interceptions logged, the $12 million average salary, or more, Jones will likely command is just too much buck for not nearly enough bang.
–TB
In a few weeks’ time, Dallas will officially be awarded a fifth-round compensatory pick for losing Cole Beasley in 2019 free agency. Meanwhile, Dallas’ group of 25 unrestricted free agents means that there will be an abundance of opportunities to earn extra picks in the 2021 draft, if they play their cards right.
This is a look at how comp picks are awarded, how teams can play the game based on when they sign qualifying free agents, and a breakdown of the 14 Cowboys prospects who should qualify for the formula, and a prediction on what salaries they will see in free agency, hence what round draft pick they’d be worth.
–KD
So where might Jones wind up? There’s buzz that the Broncos could be among the active suitors courting the former first-round pick. According to a tweet from tapped-in Denver radio host Cecil Lammey, “There have been rumblings since the Senior Bowl” that Jones could be a “top target” for Vic Fangio’s staff. Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. is potentially on the outs in Denver, making a young talent like Jones a valuable asset for GM John Elway to consider pursuing.
–TB
And if Jones does depart, where do the Cowboys turn at cornerback? Tony Pauline has a theory. He says team owner Jerry Jones “wants to make a big splash in the draft,” according to one team insider. Trading up from the 17th pick to select Ohio State corner Jeffrey Okudah- the highest-rated defensive player not named Chase Young- would certainly qualify.
With Byron Jones perhaps already packing his bags and former Cowboys corner Morris Claiborne now wearing a Super Bowl ring that he earned with the Chiefs, the Dallas brass may feel the time is right to shore up the CB spot in a big way.
–TB
Spoiler alert: Lawrence is, in fact, among the best in the business at edge rusher. But he doesn’t place as high as Cowboys fans would like, especially after signing a record contract last offseason.
In Lawrence’s case, though, sacks (or a lack thereof in 2019) don’t tell the whole story. His run-stop percentage, pressures despite a high double-team rate, and elite scores in ESPN’s Pass Rush Win Rate metric- all while coming off a major shoulder surgery- prove that Lawrence not only deserves his top-10 status… but could easily surpass it in 2020.
–TB
Thanks to the proven-performance escalator available to players drafted in the third through seventh rounds, Woods and Lewis will earn an extra $1.5 million (or so) in 2020, according to Todd Archer. The big-time bump comes after both players logged more than 35 percent of the snaps on average in their first three seasons.
As per Over The Cap, Woods made $645,000 last year; Lewis earned $675,000. Both will see their take-home jump to $2.14 million next season.
–TB
Just three wide receivers averaged one catch per game for the Cowboys in 2019. Reliable depth at the position, then, is a legitimate concern. And with Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb currently out of contract, it’s no stretch to think that, depending on how things unfold, Dallas could be looking long and hard at bringing in a rookie target for Dak Prescott, maybe even in the first round.
Bob Sturm breaks down Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy, Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, TCU’s Jalen Reagor, Alabama’s Henry Ruggs, and Colorado’s Laviska Shenault. Of that bunch, the top grade ultimately goes to the “scary” player who plays with “lots of nitro” and managed to put up All-American credentials with a different quarterback in each of his three seasons. (That theoretically means he’d excel out of the blocks with Prescott and then somehow get even better as their chemistry develops.)
–TB
“That’s home,” Dez Bryant told Fox 4’s Mike Doocy this week when asked about his wish of a return to the Dallas Cowboys. “I miss scoring touchdowns.”
The numbers indicate that Bryant has been among the best at it over the past decade. His TD-catch rate from inside the 20-yard-line is seventh among all players over that span, and among players with 100 red zone targets, he ranks third. Of the top 11 pass-catchers listed, Bryant is the only wide receiver; the rest are tight ends. He has been positively lethal… but will the Cowboys offer him the chance at a killer comeback?
–TB
A Dak Prescott holdout over his contract situation would immediately thrust his understudy into the spotlight. But even with Prescott locked in on the payroll, the backup QB is always one nasty hit away from suddenly being The Guy. (Dallas and Prescott know this all too well.)
So, Cowboys Nation, how are you feeling about Cooper Rush taking the reins? The team signed Northwestern alum Clayton Thorson to a reserve/futures contract, but Angel Torres suggests that Dallas might be well served to look to another proven SEC passer to be Prescott’s reliever. Georgia’s Jake Fromm is no stranger to big games; he led the Bulldogs to a Rose Bowl, two Sugar Bowls, and a National Championship in three college seasons.
–TB
Don’t laugh; the punt game is suddenly a sore spot for the Cowboys after Chris Jones finished dead last in the league in yards per punt in 2019. With John Fassel now on the staff in Dallas, there’s bound to be turnover among the specialists. And while there are always journeyman legs to be found before camp, the team may choose to utilize a late-round draft pick on a talented collegiate.
On this list of field-flippers is a punter who set an NCAA record in 2019 for most yards per punt in a game (five or more attempts). He averaged 63 yards per punt in that game; three of his five punts were in the 60-yard neighborhood, and one traveled a whopping 75 yards.
–TB
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