Tag: local

‘Just jumping out at you’: CB Caelen Carson’s physicality to good for Cowboys to pass on

From @ToddBrock24f7: Carson is a physical tackler who prides himself on helping stop the run, but he’d like more INTs. The Cowboys will be an ideal fit for him.

Cornerback has become a position of real strength for the Cowboys in recent years, with Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland leading the NFL in interceptions two of the last three seasons.

Their latest fifth-round draft pick is eager to join the party.

Calen Carson was the 174th overall player taken in this year’s draft, and although the team was admittedly hoping one of their targets at the much-needed running back position would be there for them after an 87-pick wait, the six-foot Maryland native provided extraordinary value.

“He was kind of just jumping out at you because of the grade we had on him versus the rest of our board,” Cowboys chief operating office Stephen Jones said during Saturday’s post-draft press conference. “You know, you just have to jump on a guy like that.”

Dane Brugler in his draft guide “The Beast” had Carson ranked as the 13th-best corner in the class and projected him to be a third- to fourth-round selection. (He ended up being the 25th corner taken.) To be there at the end of the fifth simply made Carson to good for the Cowboys to pass on. Now it’ll be his job to make it impossible for opposing teams to pass against.

Carson recorded 29 pass breakups in 36 games at Wake Forest, but he tallied just three picks over his college career. That’s a part of his game he’s hoping to improve.

“I would like to turn a lot of my PBUs into interceptions, and that’s coming with trying to go with two [hands] instead of one,” he told The Draft Show after being selected. “I’m looking forward to making those interceptions moving forward.”

Coming to work every day with Diggs and Bland will be a big step toward him achieving that goal.

“Definitely, definitely excited to learn from them,” he said.

Truth is, the learning curve will likely be a sizable one, according to the Cowboys’ pre-draft scouting reports. But in a good way.

“Really raw on technique,” noted VP of player personnel Will McClay, “and a lot of the things that he was doing was a lot on his natural ability. There were some things that we even noticed at the combine visiting with him, asking him questions, this and that. You know that there’s more upside there because of his answers and the things that he as looking at, plus his work ethic and how he competes.”

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What may have really sold the Cowboys on Carson, though, was his tackling. He’s known as a physical corner who prides himself on being a strong presence in run defense, too.

“I came out of high school playing safety, so I’ve always been able to tackle,” he explained. “I just don’t feel like you’re a complete corner if you don’t come up in the run game.”

Again, he’s coming to the right place. Jourdan Lewis was PFF’s highest-graded cornerback in run defense in 2023, with Bland coming in second. They were the only NFL corners (with qualifying snap counts) to finish the season with grades of 90.0 or higher in the category.

He can play inside, he can play outside. He has a knack for defensing passes, but he also loves to roll downhill and pound a ballcarrier.

And now noted DB gurus Mike Zimmer and Al Harris are getting their hands on him, to add him to already impressive stable of ballhawking and run-stopping cornerback thoroughbreds in Dallas.

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Report: Cowboys expected to re-sign WR Tyron Billy-Johnson

From @ToddBrock24f7: The journeyman Billy-Johnson spent the 2023 season on the Dallas practice squad and was one of the fastest Cowboys players in the building.

The Cowboys continue to reload the roster as they prepare for the next phase of offseason work, and running back Ezekiel Elliott may not be the only former Cowboy making a comeback.

The team may re-sign wide receiver Tyron Billy-Johnson following a physical, as per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.

Billy-Johnson, 28, spent most of the past season on the Cowboys practice squad. The journeyman has bounced around ever since joining the Texans in 2019 as an undrafted free agent; he’s been with a total of nine teams in some capacity, compiling one start in 26 career games.

The former Oklahoma State Cowboy is known for his blazing speed and, on the practice squad in Dallas, often plays the part of the opponent’s top burner for the defensive unit’s prep. Micah Parsons, in fact, when asked late last season to put together a hypothetical Cowboys-only 4×100 relay team, put Billy-Johnson on it, along with himself, KaVontae Turpin, and Brandin Cooks.

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The move would put 14 wide receivers on the 90-man roster, with speed apparently being a major point of emphasis within the group. Besides the aforementioned Turpin, Cooks, and Billy-Johnson, the room also currently features CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, Martavis Bryant, and sixth-round draft pick Ryan Flournoy, who turned in a 4.44-second 40-yard-dash at the scouting combine in Indianapolis.

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Cowboys guarantee almost $250K to sign big-bodied undrafted TE prospect

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys had a draftable grade on Minnesota’s Brevyn Spann-Ford; when he wasn’t picked, they won the bidding war to claim him.

Mike McCarthy loves tight ends, and he seems to have a special affinity for tight ends from the the Big Ten conference.

The Cowboys went seven rounds this draft weekend without selecting a single tight end, but there was at least one they had their eye on. And once the final pick was in and teams started burning up the phone lines to sign the leftover prospects as undrafted free agents, Dallas put their money where their head coach’s mouth was to secure the newest addition to the TE room.

Minnesota’s Brevyn Spann-Ford got a $20,000 signing bonus and a sizable guarantee of $225,000 to sign with the Cowboys, according to reports, with the team winning a bidding war to get the 6-foot-6-inch 260-pounder.

For context, the Cowboys’ entire 13-man UDFA class last year got $573,000 in guaranteed money. That the team spent 39% of that amount on Spann-Ford alone, just topping what Dallas gave to fullback Hunter Luepke in 2023, indicates a strong level of interest and high expectations that he’ll make the 53-man roster.

Spann-Ford is the fourth Big Ten tight end on the Cowboys roster, joining Wisconsin’s Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker (2023’s second-round pick) out of Michigan, and Indiana’s Peyton Hendershot.

(Princeton Fant went to Tennessee, and while the promising John Stephens Jr. went to Louisiana, the Cowboys website technically has him listed as a wide receiver, which was his college position. Alec Holler, from Central Florida, was also signed as an undrafted free agent over the weekend.)

The Cowboys reportedly had a draftable grade on Spann-Ford, a 24-year-old from St. Cloud who bypassed the draft after the 2022 season and returned for a sixth year with the Golden Gophers.

The move didn’t pay off with a big boost to Spann-Ford’s draft stock; his numbers went down in 2023 and he struggled with drops in a disappointing final campaign that saw Minnesota finish 5-7 and Spann-Ford opt out of playing in the Quick Lane Bowl. (He did attend the Senior Bowl and caught a touchdown pass in the game.)

But the Cowboys saw something they liked, and they came calling after the draft ended.

“I’ll never forget this feeling,” Spann-Ford posted on X after news broke about his heading to Dallas. “Right back to work.”

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The Cowboys believe his work could be on John Fassel’s special teams unit.

“I don’t think you can have enough 6-4, 250-pound prototype players on your team. Especially with the [new] kickoff and kickoff return, I think that’s even more prominent,” McCarthy said, per the Dallas Morning News. “You want every position to be as competitive as it can be, and I think there are a lot more reps at special teams that will occur in these games.

“Tight ends, linebackers, outside linebackers: that body type will be pretty prominent, particularly in kickoff coverage.”

Prominent enough, it seems, to pay handsomely for.

Follow all the post-draft signings with the Cowboys Wire UDFA Tracker, which will be updated as needed.

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Sleeper or ‘Super’? Cowboys’ 6th-round WR Ryan Flournoy models his game after Jerry Rice, Dez Bryant

From @ToddBrock24f7: The 216th player chosen was nicknamed “Super” for his athletic feats, but he took a super challenging road just to make it to the NFL.

Most Cowboys fans never saw Ryan Flournoy coming. He’s grown used to it.

The wide receiver, chosen by the Cowboys 216th overall in 2024’s draft, had an unusual path to get to The Star in Frisco. But now that the 24-year-old is finally in the room, he plans to make sure everyone knows who he is.

“Super competitive and super athletic,” Flournoy told The Draft Show when he was asked to describe his play style.

It’s a super apt description for the guy whose college nickname was actually “Super,” thanks to his impressive feats both in the weight room and on the football field. He even made Bruce Feldman’s exclusive “Freaks List.”

Flournoy showed off 4.44 speed at the combine, a top-15 number among all wide receivers. And his Relative Athletic Score- 9.89 out of 10- nearly puts him in the 99th percentile of all receivers since 1987.

“I feel like I can do anything when I’m out there between the lines,” he said. “The Dallas Cowboys are going to get a great competitor and a great football player.”

Flournoy’s wasn’t widely recruited out of high school. His six-year college career started at Division II’s Central Missouri, where he redshirted as a freshman, missed the beginning of the next season with a knee injury and then recorded just 17 receptions in ten games playing catch-up with the offense, and then saw the Mules’ 2020 season canceled due to COVID.

He transferred to Iowa Western Community College and racked up 32 catches, 545 yards, five touchdowns before transferring again to Southeast Missouri State. There, he led the Redhawks in receiving, was a team captain, and was awarded first-team all-conference honors in back-to-back seasons.

“God put me through them obstacles to mold me into the man I am today,” he explained. “I feel like I can overcome everything.”

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Along the way, Flournoy had big aspirations driving him. Just look at the wide receivers he said he tries to model his game after.

“The great Jerry Rice. I used to watch his highlights all the time. And I still do today, just because of his work ethic and how he really just was dominant.”

Ironic, then, that Flournoy was drafted over Rice’s son by just nine spots on Saturday, after having bested Brenden Rice’s 40 time by barely a whisker in Indianapolis.

“I take a look at a lot of great receivers,” Flournoy continued. “I like to compare myself sometimes to Dez Bryant sometimes, just because we have the same frame and the same capabilities.”

Coincidentally, he’ll now be working alongside the man wearing Bryant’s former jersey number.

“Big fan of him and can’t wait to get to work with him,” Flournoy said of CeeDee Lamb. “Just to model my game after him and just learn from him, because I feel like he’s one of the greats.”

Flournoy became just the second player in Southeast Missouri school history to be invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he stacked up well against the nation’s top competition, logging a first down on one 13-yard catch and even taking a shotgun snap and showing off his speed on a designed run.

The Illinois native turned it up that whole week in Mobile, and he definitely turned heads. But he admits it may not have always been about his play.

“I had a chip on my shoulder that whole time,” he explained, “because I had a logo that nobody recognized on my helmet.”

Well, everybody recognizes the logo that Flournoy is about to put on his next helmet.

He traveled a super windy and super challenging road just to make it here.

Now he just has to keep being Super in order to stay.

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What draft experts said about new Packers OT Travis Glover

What draft experts said about new Packers OT Travis Glover, a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers made another investment along the offensive line on Day 3, using a sixth-round pick at No. 202 overall on Travis Glover, Georgia State’s big and versatile offensive tackle.

Glover (6-6, 317) has elite size and length and is entering the NFL after starting a school record 57 games for Georgia State, including double-digit starts on both the left and right sides. He played tackle and guard.

Here’s what a few of the best draft analysts said about Glover:

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Dane Brugler, The Athletic

“A five-year starter at Georgia State, Glover lined up primarily at left tackle in former head coach Shawn Elliott’s balanced offense . With 57 career starts
(second most in school history), he showed steady improvements over the years and played his best as a super senior. He continued that momentum with standout weeks at the Hula Bowl and Senior Bowl. A big-bodied blocker, Glover transfers his immense body force into his hands to jolt at contact, and he often goes back for seconds with his punishing mentality. Though he appears heavy at times in space, he relies on his length to reassert himself and save his feet from the quicksand. Overall, Glover isn’t an explosive athlete, and achieving leverage will be a constant battle for him, but he also isn’t a slug and looks for ways to unleash his power in all areas. Given his experience at both tackle and guard, he can provide depth at multiple spots on a team’s depth chart.”

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

“A five-year starter with elite size, Glover is well-proportioned with good lean mass. His stance is funky and might need to be corrected to improve his pass sets and avoid play tells. Glover has good length, but his hands can be late or inaccurate, which mitigates his size/length advantage. He’s a plus drive blocker and can climb up or outside the box and adjust to movement. Improved hand usage and placement will bolster his consistency as both a run and pass blocker, but quick defenders might always trouble him. Whether he ends up at tackle or guard, Glover has the traits and upside that could allow him to stick around on a roster and improve his chances for eventual playing time.”

Jeff Risdon, The Draft Wire

“A 6-foot-6 tackle with good power and an aggressive attitude on the outside, Glover proved his worth as a Senior Bowl call-up. He’s got experience at both guard and tackle and handled himself well in big-game tests against LSU and North Carolina in the last two autumns. Glover needs some work on his technique and consistency, no doubt. It would have been nice for teams to see his athletic upside on display at the combine.”

33rd Team

“Glover projects as a backup swing tackle who fits best in a power-running scheme. He has the raw athletic ability to play outside, although his current technique masks this athleticism slightly. Playing at a slightly lower weight may help this, and his long arms and overall skill set should keep him outside. There is some scheme versatility as he has the awareness to play in a zone scheme, although improving his body control when working to the 2nd level will be very important.”

Packers select Georgia State OT Travis Glover at No. 202 overall in 2024 NFL draft

The Green Bay Packers selected Georgia State offensive tackle Travis Glover at No. 202 overall in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft. 

The Green Bay Packers selected Georgia State offensive tackle Travis Glover at No. 202 overall in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Glover was a five-year starter and finished his collegiate career with a school-record 57 starts. He started 35 games at left tackle, 18 games at right tackle and four at left guard, playing over 4,000 total snaps. His versatility at the collegiate level could give him four-position versatility in the NFL.

According to Pro Football Focus, Glover allowed 12 total pressures and committed five penalties in 2023. Over 1,881 career pass-blocking snaps, Glover allowed 11 sacks and 85 total pressures and committed 15 penalties.

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Glover (6-6, 317) ran the 40-yard dash in 5.27 seconds and posted poor numbers in the jumps and agilities. His Relative Athletic Score is 4.17 out of 10.0.

Glover competed at the Senior Bowl.

Glover joins first-round pick Jordan Morgan and fifth-round pick Jacob Monk as the three offensive line picks for the Packers so far in the 2024 NFL draft.

Details of Packers trade up with Bills in fifth round of 2024 draft

The Packers sent a sixth-round pick to the Bills to move up 5 spots in the fifth round of the 2024 draft.

After trading up in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft to get Oregon safety Evan Williams, the Green Bay Packers traded up again in the fifth round before selecting Duke offensive lineman Jacob Monk at No. 163 overall.

General manager Brian Gutekunst sent a sixth-round pick (No. 219) to the Buffalo Bills to move up five spots from No. 168.

The target was Monk, an experienced and versatile offensive lineman who tested like an elite athlete pre-draft. He made 58 starts — with starts at guard, center and right tackle — and has a Relative Athletic Score of 9.74. The cost was one of the Packers’ two remaining sixth-round picks.

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Trade details

Packers send: No. 168 (fifth round), No. 219 (sixth round)
Bills send: No. 163 (fifth round)

According to the Rich Hill trade value chart, the Packers sent 12 points of value (168: 9; 219: 3) and received 9 points in return (163: 9)

The Packers remaining Day 3 picks (4)

Fifth round, No. 169 (Kitan Oladapo, Oregon State)
Sixth round, No. 202
Seventh round, No. 245
Seventh round, No. 255

Packers select Oregon State S Kitan Oladapo at No. 169 overall in 2024 NFL draft

The Green Bay Packers selected Oregon State safety Kitan Oladapo at No. 169 overall in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers selected Oregon State safety Kitan Oladapo at No. 169 overall in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Oladapo (6-2, 216) started 39 games over six seasons at Oregon State. He produced 248 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 27 pass breakups, three interceptions and two forced fumbles and was a three-time All-Pac 12 pick.

Olapado ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds, hit 36″ in the vertical leap and covered 9-9 in the broad jump. His Relative Athletic Score is 8.18 out of 10.0.

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Oladapo was a team captain in 2023. He participated at the Senior Bowl.

Oladapo joins Javon Bullard and Evan Williams as the three safety types selected by the Packers in the 2024 draft.

Packers select Duke OL Jacob Monk at No. 163 overall in 2024 NFL draft

The Green Bay Packers traded up to No. 163 overall and selected Duke offensive lineman Jacob Monk in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers traded up to No. 163 overall and selected Duke offensive lineman Jacob Monk in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Packers sent a sixth-round pick (No. 219) to the Buffalo Bills to move up five spots from No. 168 and get more help for the offensive line.

Monk (6-3, 308) started 58 games at Duke: 36 at right guard, 12 at right tackle and 10 at center. He projects as a guard or center at the NFL level.

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Monk was a three-time All-ACC selection (2021-23) and was a team captain in 2023.

Monk ran the 40-yard dash in 5.09 seconds, hit 29.5″ in the vertical leap, covered 9-0 in the broad jump and did 31 reps on the bench press. His Relative Athletic Score is 9.74 out of 10.0.

The Packers need a backup plan behind Josh Myers at center and could use more depth at guard. Monk is the second pick for the Packers along the offensive following the selection of Jordan Morgan in the first round.

Instant analysis of Packers taking Oregon S Evan Williams at No. 111 overall

Instant reaction to the Packers taking Oregon S Evan Williams at No. 111 overall in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers traded up to No. 111 overall in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft and selected Oregon safety Evan Williams.

The Packers gave up a sixth-round pick to move up 25 spots and get Williams, who should give Jeff Hafley’s defense another solid option at safety to team with Xavier McKinney, 2024 second-round pick Javon Bullard and 2023 seventh-round pick Anthony Johnson Jr.

Analysis: Williams was a two-year starter at Fresno State before transferring to Oregon and producing arguably his best season in 2023. He produced 35 stops and was productive as a blitzer, creating 4.5 sacks and eight total pressures. Williams received strong run defense grades each of the last three seasons from PFF, giving him box safety appeal. He allowed only two touchdown passes in coverage. His special teams experience includes almost 500 snaps, five tackles covering kicks and two blocks. Williams was voted the best safety on the National team at the Senior Bowl (note: Bullard was voted best safety on the American team). Most of Williams’ snaps at Oregon came either at free safety or in the box.

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Fit: Versatile safety who should provide immediate impact on special teams. Possible future starter next to McKinney if the Packers move Bullard to the slot.

Profile

Age: 22
Height: 5-11
Weight: 206
Arm length: 30 1/2″
Hand: 10 1/8″
Wingspan: 73 3/4″
40-yard dash: 4.59
10-yard split: 1.59
Vertical jump: 40.5″
Broad jump: 10-6
Short shuttle: 4.08
Three-cone: 7.10
Bench: 18
RAS: 8.20