Tag: ryan flournoy

Cowboys rookie WR set to make first NFL start Monday vs Texans

From @ToddBrock24f7: Ryan Flournoy teased the news on Instagram. It’s unknown how that may affect playing time for options like Jalen Brooks or Jonathan Mingo.

Whether they should be tinkering or tanking probably depends on your personal point of view, but the 3-6 Cowboys are still throwing the kitchen sink at their offensive lineup heading into their Week 11 matchup with the Houston Texans.

Cooper Rush has already taken over at quarterback thanks to a serious hamstring injury to Dak Prescott. Head coach Mike McCarthy finally admitted last week that Rico Dowdle is the team’s lead running back. Even depth OL pieces like Asim Richards and T.J Bass have seen live game action over the past several weeks.

And now a rookie wide receiver appears ready to contribute in a new way as the Cowboys embark on a brutal stretch of three games in an 11-day span.

According to an Instagram post he made on Monday, sixth-round draft pick Ryan Flournoy will make his first NFL start when the Cowboys host their intrastate rivals at AT&T Stadium.

The 25-year-old out of Southeast Missouri State has two catches on three targets so far this season and has appeared in five games for Dallas, logging 47 total offensive snaps.

What’s not immediately clear is what kind of ripple effect Flournoy’s start might have on the rest of the WR corps. CeeDee Lamb popped up on the injury report over the weekend with a back issue, though the team is reportedly optimistic about his status.

“Everything right now is pointing for him to play,” a source told NFL Network’s Jane Slater midday Monday.

Brandin Cooks has been sidelined since the beginning of October, and third-year man Jalen Tolbert has already started every game for the Cowboys this season. Jalen Brooks started Week 9’s game in Atlanta, and KaVontae Turpin got the nod in Week 6 versus Detroit. Jalen Cropper has been used very sparingly but has yet to crack the starting lineup.

Dallas also added second-year option Jonathan Mingo 13 days ago via a trade with Carolina. He has been expected to make his Cowboys debut Monday night as well.

But now it’s apparently Flournoy’s turn to start. While the starting lineup is often merely a ceremonial honor dictated simply by the personnel package required to run the first pre-scripted play, it could be assumed that the team has at least a few routes designed to try to really see what they have for the future in the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder. And given the demands that the next week and a half will put on Cowboys players, this move may be simply a pre-emptive way to spread the physical toll around.

Earlier in the season, though, team owner Jerry Jones hyped up the rookie by comparing him to a longtime favorite of Cowboys fans.

“He’s got Dez Bryant stuff to him,” Jones said prior to Flournoy’s NFL debut in the Week 5 win over Pittsburgh.

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Flournoy will theoretically get some chances Monday night in a Dallas passing attack that struggled mightily last weekend. In his first start at QB since 2022, Rush delivered a historically poor performance against the Eagles in a blowout loss, continuing something of a theme for the blue and silver.

The Cowboys currently rank first in the league in pass attempts per game (39.4), but they fall all the way to the bottom 10 when measuring net yards per attempt (just 5.5).

So the opportunities will likely be there. Now it’s up to Flournoy to capitalize on them.

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Jerry Jones hypes rookie WR set to make NFL debut: ‘He’s got Dez Bryant stuff’

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys owner invoked the name of an all-time fan favorite. The 6th-round draft pick models his game after Jerry Rice. We’ll soon see.

A Cowboys-Steelers matchup- in primetime, no less- rarely needs a lot of extra juice. After 33 all-time meetings, the Cowboys hold just a one-game edge in the series. But the interconference rivalry was built largely on Super Bowls. To wit: they’re the only teams to meet in the big game three times, the two franchises have 16 appearances between them, and a total of 11 Lombardi Trophies sit in their respective lobbies.

And while this Week 5 meeting doesn’t hold that same kind of overall importance, it could nevertheless go a long way in predicting what the rest of the Cowboys’ 2024 season will look like.

Though the team sits at 2-2, the general impression around Cowboys Nation is that the bottom could drop right out of this thing any moment now. The two losses have been embarrassing blowouts, injuries have already sidelined several major playmakers, a vocal faction of fans is lobbying the owner’s family to relinquish control of the team’s day-to-day football operations, and a nasty gauntlet of opponents awaits on the schedule.

Many Cowboys fans already need a glimmer of hope to cling to.

Enter Jerry Jones.

The team’s Chief Eternal Optimist addressed concerns about a depleted wide receiver corps on Friday by pumping up… wait for it… Ryan Flournoy. The sixth-round draft pick will be active for the first time on Sunday and looks to make his NFL debut helping to fill in for six-time 1,000-yard receiver Brandin Cooks.

Flournoy is a largely unknown commodity outside The Star, but Jones had not just rave reviews for the 24-year-old, but also a big-time comparable to dangle in front of the Cowboys faithful.

“He may be something special for us,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. “On a personal basis, he’s got Dez Bryant stuff to him. Boy, is he an athlete. I’m glad to see him get this opportunity … he could show out.”

Of course, it’s worth wondering aloud: if Jones and the Cowboys are so incredibly high on Flournoy, then why leave him inactive for four straight weeks and finally play him only because of an injury at WR2?

And cynically, it’s not like anyone would really put it past Jones to overexaggerate a young player’s potential just to peddle some excitement to the fanbase during a season that threatens to go off the rails. No, better to keep those stadium seats full for the next three months by hinting that this off-the-bench guy just might become the team’s next superstar phenom, à la Tony Romo or Miles Austin.

You probably already have a No. 88 jersey; why not get you an 80 before everyone else?

To be sure, invoking the name of Bryant- the franchise’s all-time receiving touchdowns leader- certainly sets a high bar for the Southeast Missouri State product who has only played in the preseason (and marred his first of those with a costly drop.)

But Flournoy himself says he’s learned a lot since then and is ready to take a big step in his pro career.

“I’m super confident,” he told reporters earlier in the week.

“I’m thankful and thank God that I’m able to show what I’ve got, just to prove to the world that I belong.”

But the absurdly-athletic Flournoy has his sights set even higher than that, modeling his game– and even his jersey number- after his hero, the greatest small-school wide receiver of them all.

“Speaking on Jerry Rice, I’m 80. He was No. 80,” Flournoy smiled. “That’s big shoes to fill. But Jerry Rice was so dominant as a player and as, like, a Hall of Famer, man. I want to do that.

“Being the next Jerry Rice, or being the only Ryan Flournoy, is my goal.”

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Flournoy had an impressive training camp. But neither the lofty comparisons nor aspirations guarantee that Flournoy will now go off when he finally takes the field Sunday night in Pittsburgh.

In his NFL debut, Jerry Rice caught four balls for 67 yards. Dez Bryant hauled in eight passes for 56.

But it has to start somewhere; Jones said he’s “anxious to see him make his first catch with the Dallas Cowboys.”

Flournoy, too.

“I am excited to show y’all. It’s in here,” he said, tapping his chest. “It’s in here. Y’all will see.”

Jones wants to make sure of it.

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Cowboys fortunate how their WR situation fell into place

The Cowboys were banking on multiple WRs to progress in 2024 and seem to have succeeded. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys entered training camp with a clear and present need at the receiver position. Yes, they had one of the best WRs on the planet in CeeDee Lamb, but behind him was a grab bag of unknowns and mysteries.

The veteran of the bunch, Brandin Cooks, turns 31 in September and is coming off his worst season in five years. Was he still the guy or was he on decline? The developmental players, Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks, have just 30 career NFL receptions between them and had given little indication last year they were ready to be relied on for a top-three role in 2024. And the rookie draft pick, Ryan Flournoy, was a project player from a small school who was in many ways a longshot to ever play in the NFL, let alone earn a roster spot as a rookie right out of camp.

The Cowboys weren’t just hoping their WR room would step up and play better than they did last season, they were banking on it. The issue at WR became even more apparent after CeeDee Lamb sat out camp amidst a contract dispute.

But it seems to have all worked out.

Not only did Lamb just sign an extension and make his way back into the fold, but the players the Cowboys were banking on to improve successfully paid out as well.

Cooks looks like his down season last year was more about his usage than slippage. Tolbert looks like he has a firm grasp of the WR3 position and may even be the heir apparent for Cooks as Dallas’ No. 2. Brooks looks like he can step in and play a variety of roles, namely filling the hole left by Michael Gallup at the X. Even the rookie Flournoy showed he’s more than just a project player; he’s someone who could be special.

Training camp has to be seen as widely successful for the Cowboys WR position. Hitting on one projection is impressive enough but the Cowboys appeared to hit on multiple projections. This feat can’t be understated.

No one disputes the offense runs through Lamb. It’s probably why the Cowboys gambled at all the other WR positions. Seeing these young prospects improve is important for 2024 and also in seasons beyond.

With Lamb as the second highest paid WR in the NFL, it’s important for the Cowboys to keep costs low around him. Populating the WR depth chart with players on rookie deals is a must going forward. Exceptions can be made for modestly priced veterans, but generally speaking, the strategy is leaning on rookie contracts to keep positional spending affordable.

The entire WR depth chart has explicably fallen into place perfectly for the Cowboys, positioning the team for success in 2024 and beyond.

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Ryan Flournoy goes from rookie long shot to legit Cowboys WR

Ryan Flournoy has shocked many and made the Cowboys roster but what’s next for the promising WR? | From @ReidDHanson

When the Cowboys selected Ryan Flournoy in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft, fans weren’t sure what to think. Flournoy, a largely unknown prospect from tiny Southeast Missouri State, wasn’t a household name to even those in the draft community.

Flournoy was just the 16th SEMO player ever taken in the NFL draft. His film was nearly impossible to find and draft profiles across the interwebs were about as scarce as a vegan in a butcher shop. If it wasn’t for an invite to the annual Senior Bowl, Flournoy probably wouldn’t have heard his name called on draft day at all.

That Senior Bowl appearance provided just the platform for this obscure WR prospect to showcase his talents. Flournoy’s testing numbers were off the charts, earning a top RAS (relative athletic score) and a place on Bruce Feldman’s infamous Freaks List.

Described by Dane Brugler as someone who “excelled against inferior competition,” many questioned whether Flournoy would have what it takes to survive in the NFL. His route running was undeveloped and his ability to separate was pedestrian.

What couldn’t be denied were his raw skills and effort. Flournoy worked harder than others and possessed an innate skill to adjust to the ball and win in contested situations. His ability to gain yards after the catch made him a big play weapon on short passes and long balls alike.

Over his final two seasons at SEMO, Flournoy posted 118 receptions for 1,823 yards and 13 touchdowns. Against two FBS opponents, he gained 13 receptions for 152 yards, somewhat legitimizing his success as an NFL prospect.

“I went D2 out of high school then I walked on to a junior college and then blessed to play D1,” said Flournoy. “Each time I bet on myself. I always had goals and dreams and aspirations of getting to the NFL.”

It’s understandable few fans or draftniks expected Flournoy to make the Cowboys roster in 2024. Flournoy’s technical skillset was raw, and his knowledge of the route tree was limited. Even with the unsettled nature of the WR position in Dallas, Flournoy was more longshot and developmental prosect than legitimate roster challenger as a rookie.

But after missing time early in camp because of injury, Flournoy came on strong for Dallas down the stretch.

The rookie flashed in practices as well as in games. He was a willing blocker and showed an instant grasp for the NFL game. The project wasn’t so “project-y” after all.

At 6-foot-1, 202-pounds, Flournoy fits the size profile as an outside NFL receiver. His willingness for contact, abnormal upper body strength and 4.44 speed make him an ideal option at the difficult-to-fill X spot. Flournoy isn’t just a cute project player to talk about over the offseason and preseason but rather a real option on the roster with a ceiling that’s truly starting quality.

“Just me versus me, that’s the mindset I have going in,” said Flournoy of training camp. “Everything I set out to do is going to be accomplished.”

As things stand today, Flournoy appears to be the last WR on the Cowboys depth chart. While that may seem like small potatoes to an outsider, it’s a tremendous accomplishment to anyone who’s been tracking the battle at WR this summer for Dallas.

This zero-star high school recruit, junior college transfer, unheralded draft prospect from a fairly obscure football program has just made the Dallas “friggin” Cowboys as a 25-year-old rookie. He excelled in a fiercely competitive field of challengers and looks well-equipped to rise to the next challenge, whatever it may be.

“Me getting here is not just a destination, it’s still part of the journey,” said Flournoy after being drafted. “I have goals of being in the Hall of Fame. Just every step of the way has been a footnote.”

Footnote or foothold, Flournoy has been successfully climbing the ladder long before he had a star on his helmet. The sky is the limit for this rookie prospect as he looks to take the next enormous step in his already wild football career.

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McCarthy: Ryan Flournoy ‘gets better with every opportunity’ as Cowboys WRs battle for roster spots

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys HC talked about several of the 13 wide receivers who have two more practices in Oxnard and a preseason game to land a locker.

For the 13 men vying for a spot in the Cowboys’ wide receivers room this season, the chances to make a good final impression are dwindling fast.

The team will have two more padded practices and then a walkthrough before leaving Oxnard. Then it’s back to The Star to prepare for the preseason finale on Saturday. And by the end of business next Tuesday, roster cuts will have been made and several of the hopefuls will be looking for new jobs.

Only three receivers would seem to be bona fide locks to make the squad, but head coach Mike McCarthy may have dropped some hints about the remaining frontrunners in his latest press conference.

Nothing has changed with CeeDee Lamb, of course. He is still absent from training camp as he awaits a lucrative contract extension. And while he has yet to officially work with the team this offseason, he is a regular topic of conversation as the Dallas coaches redistribute his lost reps.

“You have to have a plan,” McCarthy told reporters Tuesday morning. “It’s something that we reconvene [about] every single night- for us as a staff, and more so myself and the coordinators- and we have a plan to work each and every day, and we make those adjustments accordingly. And when CeeDee does come back, we’ll adjust and make sure that we’re ready to go, but right now we’re preparing the other guys.”

Brandin Cooks is not one of them, though, at least not for the next two days. McCarthy explained that the veteran will miss work Tuesday and Wednesday for personal reasons, but the coach was quick to point out, “Everything’s good; it’s a good thing.” Cooks had some knee soreness last week, but this absence is apparently unrelated.

Return specialist KaVontae Turpin is the only other Cowboys wide receiver not to see any action this preseason. His roster slot is secured, however, as the club is no doubt eager to deploy the speedster under the new dynamic kickoff rules.

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That leaves 10 “other guys.” One of the most promising would appear to be rookie Ryan Flournoy. The sixth-round draft pick out of Southeast Missouri State was dealing with a knee issue early in camp, but he has been perhaps the most consistent of the team’s wideouts since. Flournoy currently leads the Cowboys receiving corps in both targets and catches over two preseason contests, including a touchdown grab last week versus the Raiders.

“He’s a young man that gets better with every opportunity,” McCarthy said of Flournoy, who earned the nickname “Super” while in college. “Obviously, he had the injury and missed some time; I just love the way he bounced back. You can see the confidence from Week 1 to Week 2; he took a huge step. I love his physicality: run blocking and finish was exceptional, but obviously he had the big play there. He has shown the ability to do some nice things on special teams. I thought he had a good night out there in Vegas.”

McCarthy also had positive reviews for 2022 third-round pick Jalen Tolbert and 2023 seventh-rounder Jalen Brooks.

“They’re doing exactly what you’re looking for,” said the coach. “Both those guys have grown immensely throughout the offseason program, put in the extra time with Dak. I don’t know of too many external throwing sessions where those two weren’t involved, and that’s what it takes in today’s climate of the NFL. … Those two guys have performed at a pretty consistent basis. I’m very confident in both J.T. and J.B.”

While we don’t have the full breadth of training camp reps to include in our evaluation as the Cowboys coaches do, here’s a look at how the Dallas receivers (who aren’t presumptive roster locks) have fared over the two preseason games thus far.

Player Wk 1 (Rec/Tgt/Yds) Wk 2 (Rec-Tgt/Yds) Total (Rec/Tgt/Yds)
Kelvin Harmon 2-2, 38 2-2, 18 4-4, 56
Racey McMath 0-3, 0 3-3, 54 3-6, 54
Jalen Brooks 2-2, 49 0-1, 0 2-3, 49
Ryan Flournoy 2-3, 18 4-6, 23 6-9, 31
Jalen Cropper 4-6, 26 0-1, 0 4-7, 26
Deontay Burnett 2-5, 23 0-0, 0 2-5, 23
David Durden 1-2, 16 0-0, 0 1-2, 16
Cam Johnson 2-3, 10 0-0, 0 2-3, 10
Jalen Tolbert 0-0, 0 1-1, 6 1-1, 6
Tyron Billy-Johnson 0-0, 0 0-1, 0 0-1, 0

It’s worth noting that Jalen Cropper got additional work as a punt returner in the Raiders game, as did Tyron Billy-Johnson. (Cropper, unfortunately, fumbled away one of his two return attempts.) Billy-Johnson also made the stat sheet as a kick returner in both preseason outings.

In Cowboys Wire’s latest 53-man projections, the team keeps six wide receivers on the roster and reserves two more for the practice squad. Assuming three of those spots are already spoken for, it leaves five more lockers up for grabs, with these 10 receivers going at it and seven days to decide things.

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This rookie WR will flourish if Cowboys deploy a Miles Austin development plan

When the Cowboys drafted Ryan Flournoy in the sixth round of the draft, they drafted a project, similar to another WR years ago. | From @ReidDHanson

It was Week 5 of the 2009 season. The 2-2 Cowboys were in Kansas City looking to get back into the win column. Their offense sputtered to the tune of only 10 points the week prior. They needed a spark, but it wasn’t clear where that spark would come from. Cue fourth-year pro Miles Austin.

Austin, an undrafted free agent from Monmouth, was getting his first true opportunity of his career when various other receiver injuries forced him into the lineup. In the 3-plus seasons prior he totaled only 393 receiving years. All he did that afternoon in KC was explode to the tune of 10 receptions for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Austin would go on to post 81 receptions for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns that season and go on to have a successful decade-long career.

Austin serves as the blueprint for how to slowly and effectively develop an athletically gifted prospect from a lower-rated college football program. His steady work in the background progressed year after year and when he was finally given the chance, a quarter of the way into his fourth season, he exploded, posting two consecutive Pro Bowl seasons and cashing in for over $40 million in career earnings. It’s a blueprint Cowboys rookie Ryan Flournoy should be mindful of.

Flournoy, drafted by Dallas in the sixth round out of Southeast Missouri State, relates to Austin in many ways. He wasn’t acquired with a top pick. He comes from a rather obscure football program. At 6-foot-1, 200-pounds, he has the physical presence of a pro but none of the polish. And most importantly he has an outrageous athletic profile that’s truly worth developing.

Under the Bill Parcells administration, the Cowboys were extremely patient with Austin. They saw the value in his potential and were willing to put in the work to see his development through. If anything, they probably waited too long with Austin because a case can be made he should have been starting long before that fateful day in Kansas City. But the point is they didn’t rush things or grow impatient. The potential rewards were worth it. Much the same way with Flournoy.

Flournoy’s film, which is almost impossible to locate, isn’t exactly a Master class in NFL route running. The plan was often just to get the ball into his hands and let him take over. He’s starting from square one and that may not manifest into a 53-man roster spot this season. The Cowboys have to be willing to slow-play it with their rookie because his athletic profile appears to be worth it.

Success is rarely achieved in an instant and that’s especially true for sixth round draft picks. A study that looked at all drafted WRs between the years 2000-2014, showed only 5.63% went on to claim starting roles for four or more seasons in their career.

Flournoy is a longshot just like Dallas’ Jalen Brooks, a promising WR drafted in seventh round a year earlier, is a longshot. The odds are against either of them ever rising to top-three status, but Austin shows it also isn’t impossible.

For Flournoy it’s all about the mental side of things. It’s clear he has the athletic ability and size to be an NFL WR, he just needs to learn the nuances of the position. That’s no small task since many talented players have tried and failed to achieve that.

Austin showed the results are worth it. There’s nothing wrong with slow playing the development if that’s what it takes. It’s something the Cowboys and Flournoy should keep in mind as they work towards his development.

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‘Dez Bryant-like’: Cowboys rookie WR Ryan Flournoy making early waves this offseason

From @ToddBrock24f7: There’s been just two minicamp practices, but the 6th-round draft pick out of tiny Southeast Missouri State is already turning heads.

Every summer, it seems there’s at least one young Cowboys receiver buried deep on the chart who makes some impressive grabs and therefore grabs everyone’s attention in training camp.

At various moments in recent years, T.J. Vasher, Simi Fehoko, Malik Turner, Dennis Houston, and Jalen Tolbert were all tabbed as the next great Cowboys pass-catcher on the cusp of breaking out. While Tolbert’s stock continues to improve, he’s hasn’t yet gained a stranglehold on that WR3 spot in Dallas… and that means there figures to be a flurry of activity under him as others look to make a move up.

This year’s one to watch could well be Ryan Flournoy.

The rookie, drafted in the sixth round back in April, spent the team’s minicamp turning several heads, including that of dallascowboys.com writer Patrik Walker. In an X post on Wednesday, Walker described a back-pylon catch by the Southeast Missouri State speedster that would have been just as impressive in a late-season divisional tilt as it was in an early-June practice.

“Flournoy elevated and snatched it at the high point after a crisp route,” Walker wrote, “then battled his own momentum by contorting on the way down to get both toes tapped inbounds.” The unidentified cornerback, he noted, “never stood a chance despite being glued to him on the jump.”

ESPN’s Todd Archer called Flournoy’s effort on the play “Dez Bryant-like.”

The moment may have caught his DB teammate off-guard, but Flournoy’s athleticism was certainly no surprise to the Cowboys when they selected him 216th overall. His Relative Athletic Score was a gaudy 9.89 out of 10, putting him in the top 1.1% of all NFL wide receivers drafted over the past 37 years and (h/t to Brandon Loree) giving him the highest RAS of any wide receiver in Cowboys history.

Numbers like that are what helped Flournoy earn the nickname “Super” in college.

Now Flournoy will get looks in Oxnard, and the longer CeeDee Lamb is away from the team, the more chances the Illinois native and Senior Bowl standout will have to make an impression on Dak Prescott and the Dallas coaches.

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It’s not inconceivable that Flournoy not only makes the final roster but claws his way into the gameday lineup.

NFL.com’s Adam Rank is already predicting it, saying Flournoy “will be a name to remember this season” and will send fantasy owners “scrambling for the waiver wire to scoop him up when he becomes the third receiver in Dallas.”

The team currently has 12 wide receivers listed on their payroll. But based on early buzz, Flournoy appears to be climbing those ranks quickly.

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Young Cowboys receivers benefitting in Lamb’s absence

Lamb has been missing during OTAs and minicamp, giving an opportunity to the depth players to prove they are deserving of a bigger role. | From @BenGrimaldi

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb hasn’t attended any team workouts this offseason, and that absence extended to this week’s mandatory minicamp as he seeks a contract extension.

While it’s hard to find the positives when a player is voluntarily staying away from the team, young Cowboys receivers are making the most of the extra opportunities with Lamb missing. WRs Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks, as well as rookie Ryan Flournoy, have each made positive impressions over the course of OTAs and minicamp.

With veteran WR Michael Gallup gone, the passing game has a need for a third option and these three receivers are all making a push to take on a larger role. The Cowboys’ quest to find their guy is made easier with Lamb not around. The team knows what they have in Lamb and fellow veteran Brandin Cooks, so they’re taking advantage of Lamb’s absence by giving the younger WRs more snaps. It can only help a receiver group that lacks experience behind the starting tandem.

Brooks is a second-year WR who appears to have made a nice jump in his first full offseason with the team. The young WR stood out as one of better the players from OTAs last week.

The Cowboys liked Brooks enough to keep him on the roster as a seventh-round pick last year. He played sparingly as a WR as a rookie, finding his way into seven games catching six passes for 64 yards. However, Brooks did find a role on special teams where played 45% of the special teams snaps. If he keeps turning heads, Brooks will be making more of an impact on offense during the 2024 campaign.

Tolbert’s a third-year WR, and a third-round pick, who hasn’t lived up to expectations in his first two seasons. That could be changing this year; Tolbert has talked about his renewed confidence and by working out with Cooks this offseason it looks like he’s ready to take the next step. In minicamp, Tolbert backed up his positive outlook by making plays.

The Cowboys have been waiting for Tolbert to assert himself into a viable threat in passing game, and hopefully he can build on a strong minicamp.

Flournoy also has some positive buzz coming out of the last few weeks of workouts. The rookie has some impressive traits that led to his selection in the sixth-round of last April’s draft despite playing for a small school in college, and Flournoy’s backing up his athleticism with his play.

That’s a great sign for a player who many thought needed to work on refining his game. If Flournoy is ahead of the curve, he could be a steal for the Cowboys.

The offense is obviously better with Lamb in the lineup, and with Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson’s new deal, Dallas now has a baseline to get their No. 1 WR extended and back working out with the team. But without Lamb around, the Cowboys have been busy giving the inexperienced WRs extra work, and the results are promising. Brooks, Flournoy, and Tolbert are all off to good starts this offseason, something the team must hope continues in training camp and into the regular season.

Even when Lamb returns the Cowboys are going to need a young WR or two to step up, and the early returns have shown they’ll be in capable hands.

You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi

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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Cowboys select athletic flyer, WR Ryan Flournoy at No. 216

Dallas continues their draft of supreme athletes, finally tapping in at wide receiver in the sixth round.

The Dallas Cowboys went through the first two days of the 2024 NFL draft without attacking the boundary. Now, on Day 3, they’ve gone back-to-back sideline positions. After selecting Caelen Carson of Wake Forest to help the cornerback room in Round 5, their Round 6 pick returns the draft to the offense.

Southeast Missouri State’s Ryan Flournoy is the selection to add to a wide receiver room, and he brings a ton of athleticism as a late-round flyer. Standing at 6-foot even and weighing 202 pounds, Flournoy wowed at the scouting combine, with extreme explosiveness out of his lower half.