Tag: Johnathan Hankins

Cowboys have 19 pending free agents in 2024 as cap rumored around $242.5M

A look at the Cowboys pending free agency class and what the expected 2024 salary cap may look like. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys are in the midst of their third-straight double-digit win campaign. It’s the first time since the 1994 through 1996 seasons they’ve been able to claim that feat. Being that this is the most consistent the franchise has been since their Super Bowl days, it stands to reason the front office will look to do what it can to keep the roster in tact.

Of course, if the club doesn’t advance past the divisional round, the perception changes in a heartbeat. But if Dallas does make it to the championship rounds, they’ll want to do as much as they can to run it back. That includes looking at their 19 pending free agents.

The owners Winter meetings are taking place in Dallas this week, and among the myriad of topics discussed annually at this time of the year is the salary cap for next year. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer is reporting that no announcement will be made, but several tuned-in entities are predicting the 2024 number to come in between $240 million and $245 million.

That would be a jump of at least $15 million over the 2023 cap, but Dallas has concerns even with that total. Right now, Dallas is projected to be around $16 million over the median of those two numbers based on the salaries already on the roster.

There are restructure triggers galore in their current deals and extensions which could also reduce some of the larger cap hits like Dak Prescott’s $59.5 million or Zack Martin’s $28.5 million. And it will be needed to create space to bring in outside help or re-sign these names.

Cowboys News: Another player of the week, a big opportunity, and a trip to Brazil?

The Cowboys can clinch a playoff spot while their defense can earn a triple crown. The latest news and notes, from @ArmyCheifW3

To the victor goes the spoils as another league award has been earned b a Dallas player. Although this is not as big as Andrew Jackson’s election win in 1828, the Cowboys have been piling up the hardware en route to what has been a fantastic season. Before people start making postseason arrangements, a few things have to fall in the Cowboys favor to clinch a spot in the postseason.

Part of the reason the Cowboys have been so successful this season is that they own a very good turnover ratio. In fact, it is so good that a crown awaits if they can keep up the pace. Speaking of crowns, the NFL is looking to further its reach and of course Dallas is part of the conversation.

Lastly, the injury to defensive lineman Johnathan Hankins isn’t as significant as originally believed yet he may still miss some time. That should open up opportunities for a couple of guys who have yet to make their mark in this league. That and much more in this version of Cowboys news and notes.

 

These 2 Cowboys have enormous opportunity thanks to injury

The Cowboys have lost Johnathan Hankins for the foreseeable future opening up a big opportunity for a couple very different Dallas players. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys enjoyed a complete victory in their second matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles this past Sunday. The offense, defense and special teams all combined to issue a decisive win that felt over by halftime. Their 33-13 win not moved Dallas up the charts in playoff seeding, but it showed they are one of the most complete and well-rounded rosters in the entire NFL.

While the Cowboys high-stepped out of Week 14 with a win, they didn’t make it out unscathed. Lost in the celebration of victory, was the loss of a key member of their defense. On their first defensive series of the third quarter, interior lineman Johnathan Hankins fell to what we later learned to be a high ankle sprain.

Hankins will be evaluated in coming days, but he’s generally expected to be out of commission at least 1-2 weeks. Even minor high ankle sprains take time and the science behind an individual’s recovery is anything but exact. Whether he’s out one week or four weeks, the Cowboys have a hole to fill. And based on the size of Hankins, that hole is enormous.

Hankins is a unique piece in Dan Quinn’s defensive puzzle. The 6-foot-2, 330-pound tackle is stouter than a pint of Guinness. As the primary 1-tech, he’s the immovable object in the middle, two-gapping and occupying so his leaner and more explosive teammates can fill the stat sheet. His loss is significant because a clear back-up option behind him doesn’t exist.

“The options would come from within the team,” Quinn said of Hankins’ spot. “For us, it’s probably too early to know where that sits, for this weekend’s game anyway.”

The Cowboys don’t want to look outside the organization to fill the hole at 1-tech. Quinn himself has pointed to his own roster as the solution until Hankins can return.

DTs Osa Odighizuwa, Chauncey Golston and Willington Previlon all play interior defensive line but they’re also sub-300-pounds and are ill-suited to play 1-tech. Neville Gallimore is a DT over 300-pounds, but he’s not as stout against the run as his size indicates and is actually used on more passing downs than he is running downs.

Mazi Smith, Dallas’ top pick in the 2023 draft, is the most obvious answer.

At 6-foot-3, 337-pounds, Smith fits the mold that was once affectionately called “a trashcan full of dirt.” But Smith is a project player. He has decent snaps this season but also has some truly terrible snaps. The DT position is a position even top-10 draft picks have a tough time acclimating to in the NFL. He’s definitely in the mix but to expect him to pick up where Hankins left off is unfair and probably dangerous.

Looking at the roster, newly-signed Carl Davis might be the best man for the job.

Davis, a journeyman DT signed to the practice squad in November, is 6-foot-5, 320-pounds. He’s a career 1-tech with skins on the wall. He’s not flashy in any regard, but last seen, he’s effective. The Cowboys should be able to build a rotation of Davis and Smith and be able to tread water in their defensive interior.

For Smith, it’s a great opportunity for growth. If Davis gets elevated, it’s a great opportunity to show he belongs on the active roster this winter. For everyone else, it’s a test in mettle since Hankins isn’t there to do the dirty work and free them to make plays.

Hankins’ absence is a blow to the defense but at the same time an opportunity for others.

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10 potential DT additions Cowboys could look to if Jonathan Hankins misses time

Jonathan Hankins’s ankle injury must start the wheels turning in the Cowboys front office for potential replacements. @ArmyChiefW3 discusses the top possibilities.

The Dallas Cowboys suffered a potentially serious blow to their defensive group when they lost lineman Jonathan Hankins to an ankle injury in their 33-13 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Diagnosed as a high ankle sprain, there is hope it wasn’t the type of injury that would sit the starting nose tackle for the duration of the regular season and potentially into the playoffs.

Hankins was seen walking out of the locker room unassisted and without a limp, which is a ton of positive news after he was carted off the sideline with his shoe off during the third quarter.

That scare should activate the the team’s search for additional help at the position, even if Hankins avoids missing significant time.  Does the team leave the majority of the dirty work to rookie defensive tackle Mazi Smith, whom the Cowboys selected with their first-round pick? While Smith is seen as a vital piece to the defensive future, there are still nuances he must learn before he can be trusted with a larger role.

Dallas did sign mammoth defensive tackle Carl Davis to the practice squad in the middle of November and he could be elevated to help the team. If he’s not ideal, there are multiple free agent options available should the team opt to look elsewhere.

Report: Cowboys DT Johnathan Hankins suffered ‘mild’ high-ankle sprain in Week 14 win

From @ToddBrock24f7: The veteran run-stuffer returned to the sideline in uniform Sunday night. Early reports he’ll be ready for the playoffs if not sooner.

Johnathan Hankins didn’t show up on the stat sheet in Sunday night’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles, but his early departure was definitely noticed.

The veteran defensive tackle sustained an ankle injury just a few snaps into the third quarter and was eventually carted to the locker room. He did not return to the contest. And while the team fared just fine in the decisive 33-13 victory, the 320-pounder’s prognosis quickly became a source of concern for Cowboys fans as the team looks ahead to important late-season matchups against three of the league’s top-10 rushing teams.

Reports indicate that Hankins suffered a high-ankle sprain, but it’s believed to be on the mild side. He is expected to get an MRI to further evaluate the injury.

That’s all positive news that suggests Hankins won’t miss extended time. NFL insider Ian Rapoport tweeted that the 2013 second-round draft pick “should be back for the playoffs, if not sooner.”

That would be welcome news indeed for the Dallas defense. The team faces Buffalo, Miami, and Detroit over the next 20 days; those teams currently rank eighth, first, and fourth respectively in average yards per carry. In 13 games this season- all with Hankins- the Cowboys have not allowed a 100-yard rusher; only three opposing players have topped 60 yards on the ground.

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The 31-year-old appeared to have been rolled up on from behind on a third-down run play shortly after the second-half kickoff. Rookie Mazi Smith replaced Hankins for the remainder of the game.

Hankins did return to the Cowboys sideline Sunday night under his own power and still in uniform. After the game, he was seen leaving the locker room without a crutches, a walking boot, or even a pronounced limp.

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Cowboys DT Johnathan Hankins carted to locker room with right leg injury

The Dallas Cowboys have done no wrong so far with their play on the field, but there is a bit of a cause for concern as the second half gets underway. On the Philadelphia Eagles opening drive of the third quarter, defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins …

The Dallas Cowboys have done no wrong so far with their play on the field, but there is a bit of a cause for concern as the second half gets underway. On the Philadelphia Eagles opening drive of the third quarter, defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins was injured.

Following a run by De’Andre Switft, Hankins remained on the ground and needed to be attended to by the team’s medical staff. When Dallas was on offense following a second forced fumble and recovery, Hankins was on a cart, with his right shoe off, heading to the locker room for further evaluation.

Hopefully the injury isn’t too severe and Hankins is able to still help Dallas in the very near future. The team’s lone successful run-stuffing DT, Hankins is integral to the team’s hopes against the gauntlet of opponents on their remaining schedule and for the rest of this game.

Cowboys, Johnathan Hankins agree to run it back for 2023

Happy Birthday, @BigTimeHank. The nose tackle who blocks out the sun for RBs has agreed to rejoin Dallas as he celebrates another trip around it. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys’ run defense was in a sorry state at the midpoint of last season. Stopping the run isn’t anywhere near as important as stopping the pass, but it still benefits a defense to be able to do both. Dallas wasn’t egregious in their overall run defense; their DVOA put them at middle of the pack based on the teams they were facing and the situations where they were giving up the run yardage.

Still, there was room for improvement and they found that in a trade pickup of nose tackle Johnathan Hankins. Playing out his contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, Hankins immediately improved Dallas’ stoutness up the middle. Now, the club will get to see what that looks like with him there for an entire offseason. On Wednesday the two sides agreed to a one-year deal to have Hankins anchor the middle for 2023.

The deal is reported to be for $1.5 million.

Hankins, 31 on Thursday, has played 10 seasons in the league after being drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of 2013. At 6-foot-3, 340 pounds he’s provided elite run-stuffing ability each stop.[lawrence-auto-related count=3][lawrence-newsletter]

One massive piece still missing from Cowboys’ 2023 roster

The Cowboys still need to add girth to the middle of their line because it’s impact is felt everywhere on the defense, says @ReidDHanson.

The Cowboys have been busy this offseason. Aside from franchise tagging star running back Tony Pollard, re-signing safety Donovan Wilson and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, Dallas traded for cornerback Stephon Gilmore and receiver Brandin Cooks.

The Cowboys haven’t even reached the month of April and they already have most of their biggest needs satisfied. They’ve set themselves up nicely to be opportunistic the rest of the way and haven’t had to make long-term commitments to achieve this stability. But despite all the improvements, the Cowboys still have one massive concern on their roster: defensive tackle.

Dallas has a few promising interior linemen. Osa Odighizuwa was called out as the Cowboys’ most improved player and Chauncey Golston, who splits time inside and outside, flashed potential in his opportunities inside as well. But both of those players are regarded as penetrators rather than run-stuffers.

Run-stuffer roles usually fall on the stouter tackles who man the 0 and 1-technique spots on the defensive line. They have the ability to 2-gap and are often tasked with disrupting run-blocking concepts at the line of scrimmage.

Cowboys activate practice window for Johnathan Hankins ahead of wild card round

The big DT says he feels ready to go after a pec injury held him out for 4 weeks; he’ll look to keep the Bucs’ run game grounded on Monday. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Johnathan Hankins was missed.

Granted, it’s hard not to miss a 6-foot-3-inch, 340-pound man when he’s suddenly not where he’s supposed to be. But when Hankins went down with a pectoral injury against Houston in Week 14, the big man’s absence was felt.

The Cowboys activated the defensive tackle’s 21-day practice window on Wednesday, clearing the way for him to work with the team and perhaps even be back on the field Monday night for the first round of the playoffs.

“I feel good,” Hankins told Patrik Walker of the team website. “I feel like I could’ve been back out sooner, but with the [injured reserve] rules, I had to be out four weeks. But I’m not mad about it; it just gives me more time to get my body right and ready for the playoffs. The time is now.”

Hankins came to the Cowboys in late October after a trade with Las Vegas and hasn’t logged more than 33 defensive snaps in a game since he joined the team. But he proved quite effective in late November and early December, helping to hold Dalvin Cook, Jonathan Taylor, and Dameon Pierce to 72, 82, and 78 rushing yards, respectively, in his last three outings.

“I thought the first couple weeks with John, we were getting him ready to go,” Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said this week. “Then I thought it just clicked: his space and how to fit in and how we play. … I’m definitely looking forward to having the big fella back inside. However a team wants to play, you have to have the big guys, have to have the rushers who cover. That’s the chess match on defense. Make sure: Do you want to go wide open? You’ve got to have the guys to do that. Want to close them down, get bigger? Have to have enough to do that. That’s the game within the game and having guys like [linebacker] Leighton [Vander Esch] and Hankins back will make that job a lot easier.”

In the Cowboys’ first game after Hankins’s injury, Jacksonville’s Travis Etienne ripped off 103 yards as the Jaguars totaled nearly 200 on the ground in their overtime win.

If he is, in fact, active for Monday’s tilt, Hankins will look to help sink a Tampa Bay rushing attack that’s already been stuck in the harbor for much of the season.

The Buccaneers rank dead last in the NFL in rushing attempts, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and yards per carry.

After gashing Dallas in the season opener for 127 yards on the ground, Leonard Fournette hasn’t come within 50 yards of that in any contest since. He ranks 40th leaguewide in rushing yards and is averaging just 41.8 yards per game.

Rookie Rachaad White could be more of a problem. The third-round draft pick out of Arizona State logged just six carries for 14 yards back in Week 1, but he’s amassed 771 yards from scrimmage over the course of the season and has been listed as the team’s starting running back since Week 10.

Tampa Bay leads the league in passing attempts, and Tom Brady may well continue with that approach.

But having Johnathan Hankins back on the Cowboys’ interior defensive line could go a long way in making sure that the Bucs’ running game, which has hit triple digits just three times all year as a team, remains missing in action Monday night.

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Cavalry Coming? 3 key players Cowboys should get back for playoff run

The Cowboys hope to welcome back two members of their defensive front 7 and a member of the OL in hopes to solidify trench play in the playoffs. | From @ReidDHanson.

Throughout the course of the 2022 season, the Dallas Cowboys have suffered their fair share of impactful injuries. From Tyron Smith in the preseason to Dak Prescott in Week 1 to Anthony Brown in Week 13, Dallas knows the adversity that inevitably comes with injury.

The Cowboys have had to adapt, like most NFL teams by this stage, and have replaced multiple players on both sides of the ball. They look like a much different team today than they did just one month ago, much less way back in July when training camp started.

While they may have gone 4-1 in December, they’ve struggled on both sides of the ball, providing fuel for one of the most pessimistic 12-4 fan base the NFL has ever seen. Yet, good news may be on the horizon. With the playoffs fast approaching, Dallas may be welcoming back a few key players whose losses have directly led to some of the Cowboys’ recent struggles.