Tag: Tyron Smith

Cowboys News: Road opener against Rams anticipated, PI challenges on way out

As two Cowboys are honored for their outstanding play over years, the NFL’s All-Decade team was announced amid changes to the draft process.

There are only 16 days until the 2020 NFL draft is upon the world and it will be remarkably different than any draft before it. Coaches and executives are tasked with finding new methods of communication during one of the biggest weekends of the NFL season. How will trades be made without 20-line phones at GMs disposal? How will player value be debated when one has to use a Zoom conference to discuss things with their coaches and scouts? The time between picks still hasn’t been altered, yet.

Meanwhile, two Cowboys lineman made the 2010’s All-Decade team. While Zack Martin and Tyron Smith were easy selections to the team, should Travis Frederick have joined his comrades on the team?

All that and much more in our Cowboys News and Notes.

Tyron Smith, Zack Martin named to NFL’s 2010 All-Decade team :: Cowboys Wire

The NFL released their all decade team of the 2010’s. Two current Cowboys made the cut, and a recently former Cowboy should have joined them.

2020 NFL Draft will proceed in fully virtual format :: NFL

It is official; the NFL Draft will be held virtually, and the coaches/executives will draft from the comfort of their own home. Learn more about this unprecedented decision.

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Why April 6 Once Was A Key Date For Cowboys :: The Mothership

Teams with new head coaches, like the Dallas Cowboys are usually rewarded two more weeks of practice than teams with returning coaches, starting on April 6. Now, with the season even in question due to the pandemic, April 6 is just an afterthought for teams.

NFL Rumors: Cowboys vs. Rams Season Opener at SoFi Stadium Anticipated :: Bleacher Report

In what is possibility the biggest stadium opener since the Cowboys’ debuted “Jerry World” the Cowboys have found a way to get involved. Dallas is reportedly scheduled to face the Los Angeles Rams Week 1 this season to debut the new SoFI stadium. The schedule will be released no later than May 9.

Bucky Brooks: Scouting Report on Aldon Smith :: The Mothership

Coming off of four full seasons without playing a snap, it is difficult to evaluate the signing of Aldon Smith. NFL Network scout Bucky Brooks breaks down the game of the Cowboys newest defensive lineman. See how he can help the Cowboys, and where he needs to improve.

Cowboys 2020 free agent news: Jay Glazer reveals some exciting details about Aldon Smith :: Blogging the Boys

Speaking of Aldon Smith, here are some interesting notes regarding Smith’s journey back into the NFL, and why people close to him believe he’ll make the most of this chance.

Sean Lee Helps Feed Boys and Girls Club Kids in North Texas :: NBC DFW

Sean Lee throughout his career has consistently proved the man he is off field. Lee added to his long list of charitable acts recently.

Dak Prescott And Dez Bryant Work Out Together For Second Time :: CBS DFW

Dez Bryant has made it clear he wants to play in Dallas. Does a 2nd workout with the Cowboys QB mean big things for these two in the future?

2020 NFL Draft: Cowboys 7-round mock after quality free agency signings :: WithTheFirstPick

The Cowboys are able to dress multiple needs on defense early in this recent 7 round mock draft. See how this compares to the players you want the Cowboys to select.

Report: NFL’s Competition Committee Unlikely to Renew Pass Interference Review :: BleacherReport

Many fans, coaches, and players alike had a problem with last year’s rule that allowed pass interferences to be challenged. The disgust with the lack of officials taking the baton seems to have resonated.

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Tyron Smith, Zack Martin named to NFL’s 2010 All-Decade team

Tyron Smith and Zack Martin represented the Dallas Cowboys on the NFL’s 2010 All-Decade team, but one player was notoriously left off.

The Dallas Cowboys struck gold, not once but twice. In 2011, sitting with the No. 9 overall selection, the club began the remake of their offensive line by selecting an uber-athletic offensive tackle from USC by the name of Tyron Smith. Three years later, they took their third offensive lineman in four years by snagging Notre Dame tackle Zack Martin and moved him inside to guard. The result? Along with Wisconsin center Travis Frederick, one of the most reveled group of lineman the league has seen in some time.

Now, Martin and Smith will be honored for all time, as they have both been named to the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 2010s.

Smith, who has made seven straight Pro Bowls and has two All-Pro appearances, has anchored the Cowboys left tackle position since his second year. He came along at a time where the team was desperate for a rebuild on the offensive line and Smith ushered in the new era of Dallas’ great wall. Smith has been one of the best left tackles in the league and has earned his spot on the list.

Martin was drafted in 2014, much to the chagrin of some who wanted to select Tony Romo’s replacement, Johnny Manziel. All Martin has done since then is become one of the best players in the league and earned every personal accolade possible. Martin’s been named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first six seasons, been a first-team All-Pro four times, including last season, and a second-team All-Pro twice. One would be hard pressed to find a better guard in the game.

While Smith and Martin were recognized for their achievements with their inclusion on the All-Decade team, their was a notable omission for the Cowboys.

The recently-retired Frederick was snubbed as being considered among the best centers in the league for the last decade.

Frederick’s five Pro Bowls, and three All-Pro nods, one on the first-team and two second-team appearances, weren’t enough to be one of two the centers on the illustrious list.

Those honors when to Alex Mack and Maurkice Pouncey, respectively. Mack’s career has spanned 11 years and included six Pro Bowl appearances and three second-team All-Pro awards. He’s never been named first-team All-Pro.

Pouncey is a 10-year veteran who has made eight Pro Bowls and been named an All-Pro five times, including twice as a first-team player in 2011 and 2014. He’s been named to the Pro Bowl is four straight season, but had only one All-Pro nod in that time, in 2018.

The league appears to have favored longevity over quality of play. Since Frederick has come into the league, he has been one of the best center’s in the game. Mack and Pouncey are good players, but neither has matched Frederick’s play since he entered the NFL in 2013.

Martin and Smith were the only Cowboy inclusions on the NFL’s 2010 All-Decade team. Both offensive lineman were deserving of the honor and should’ve been joined by their teammate Frederick.

You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi

5 NFL tackles former Georgia OT Isaiah Wilson likes to copy

Former Georgia Bulldogs OT Isaiah Wilson has been watching numerous current and former NFL offensive tackles to model his game after.

INDIANAPOLIS — Former Georgia Bulldogs offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson is an impressive 2020 NFL Draft prospect in his own right. However, the Associated Press All-SEC second-teamer isn’t a product singularly of his own talent. The 6-7, 340-pounder enjoys watching the style and technique of other dominant tackles in the NFL and hopes to add aspects of their game to his.

“It’s fun to watch all the big ballers, all the big athletic guys,” Wilson told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine on Feb. 26. “I definitely look up to people like that.”

Here are the five offensive tackles in the NFL today that Wilson watches.

1. Las Vegas Raiders LT Trent Brown

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

“I studied Trent Brown a lot because I want to be like him,” Wilson said. “The punch he has, it’s a vicious punch.”

Brown scored a lucrative four-year, $66 million contract with the Raiders in the 2019 offseason, the product of his Super Bowl season with the New England Patriots in 2019. Brown didn’t finish the season as he succumbed to injuries in December, but he did earn his first career Pro Bowl selection.

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Zack Martin, lone Cowboys player named to either AP All-Pro team

Right Guard Zack Martin was the only Cowboys player to be selected onto 2019’s All-Pro team.

For the fourth time in six seasons, Cowboys guard Zack Martin earned first team All-Pro honors. He was the only Dallas player among this year’s selections

Martin nearly played every offensive snap for the Cowboys in 2019, continuing his elite level of play. A Pro Bowler each year he’s been in the league, Martin is an instrumental part this Dallas roster, and represents an overwhelmingly successful first-round draft pick from 2014. This fourth All-Pro selection pads his resume, and also marks the first time in Martin’s career he’s earned the award in back-to-back seasons.

The sole All-Pro selection is the fewest the Cowboys have had since 2013, when Tyron Smith was their lone representative. The teams are assembled by a panel of 50 national media members who vote on the best player at each position in a given season. Other Dallas players to receive votes this year include Smith (one), La’el Collins (one), and Travis Frederick (two). Jaylon Smith (one) was the only defensive player for the Cowboys to earn a vote,

Possible snubs include DE Robert Quinn, who earned 11.5 sacks in 14 games, and New York Jet K Brett Maher. Although Maher’s tenure in Dallas came to an unceremonious end, he is the only kicker in NFL history with more than two 62+ yard field goals in his career, and set the Cowboys franchise record for longest field goal made this season. An All-Pro vote would’ve just added to the legend.

Smith, Jones among several out for Cowboys vs Redskins sans Haskins, McLaurin

The inactive lists for the final regular season game on the Dallas Cowboys 2019 schedule are out. There aren’t any surprises, just confirmations to suspicions that grew as the week went along. Dallas will be without their starting left tackle and …

The inactive lists for the final regular season game on the Dallas Cowboys 2019 schedule are out. There aren’t any surprises, just confirmations to suspicions that grew as the week went along. Dallas will be without their starting left tackle and their No. 1 cornerback as both Tyron Smith and Byron Jones have been ruled out.

Quarterback Dak Prescott, as expected, will start after being extremely limited for the second practice week in a row due to a bad shoulder.

On the opposite sideline, rookie starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins will be out, as well as his top target and exciting rookie counterpart, wideout Terry McLaurin. The Ohio State products completed their rookie season in promising fashion, though they won’t be on display at AT&T Stadium.

Here’s a look at the complete inactive lists

Dallas Cowboys

LT Tyron Smith (back)
CB Byron Jones (ankle)
NT Antwaun Woods (hip, ankle)
LB Joe Thomas (knee)
DE Joe Jackson
OT Wyatt Miller
WR Devin Smith

Washington Redskins

QB Dwayne Haskins
WR Terry McLaurin
SS Landon Collins
CB Josh Norman
S Troy Apke
C Ross Pierschbacher
TE Caleb Wilson

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Report: Tyron Smith expected to be out for Cowboys vs Redskins

The star left tackle is in danger of missing a third game of the season for the fourth-straight year.

The Dallas Cowboys may have to make a run at the NFC East title without their star left tackle. Tyron Smith has missed practice this week with a bad back flare-up that has been underlying for much of the last several seasons.

Listed as questionable on the final Week 17 injury report before the club takes on the Washington Redskins, Smith will try to give it a go in pre-game warmups on Sunday, but the NFL Network’s Jane Slater is reporting he is not likely to make it into the afternoon’s game.

Dallas (7-8) has just a 28% chance of making the playoffs, needing both a win and a Philadelphia Eagles’ loss to the New York Giants. Both games kick off at 3:25 p.m. Central time.

Smith, 29 and a nine-year veteran, missed Weeks 5 and 6 already making Week 17 the third game he’s missed in the 2019 season. He has only been on the field for 13 games each of the previous three seasons.

Cameron Fleming would start in Smith’s place, and the club has UDFA rookie backups Mitch Hyatt and Brandon Knight on the 53-man roster. One would likely be made active if Smith were made inactive as the new swing tackle. Hyatt was promoted from the practice squad last week to prevent another NFL club from poaching him, so the duty would likely fall on Knight to be active.

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Final Injury Report: Prescott to play, Cowboys’ Smith, Jones in question

The QB on one side is out, the other is hobbled. Check out the final injury report and game statuses for the final game of the year.

The Dallas Cowboys take on the Washington Redskins for the final game of the 2019 regular season.  For the first time all season, the club doesn’t control their own destiny after falling behind the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16.  The Cowboys now need to not only defeat the Redskins but also need for the New York Giants to knock off Philadelphia for the Cowboys to repeat as NFC East Champions.

The outcome of the Eagles-Giants contest is moot if the Cowboys don’t win on Sunday, and it looks as if they could be short-handed as they release what is possibly their longest injury report of the season.

Quarterback Dak Prescott will play Sunday after virtually not practicing all week for the second consecutive game.  It remains to be seen how the shoulder injury Prescott has been dealing with affects his throwing mechanics.  Prescott missed a few crucial throws last week against the Eagles however, he did not attribute those to his injury.

More concerning for the Cowboys is whether or not Tyron Smith or Byron Jones will play as both are listed as questionable.  Smith has been dealing with back issues and Jones was seen walking in a protective boot Friday.

The only other player listed as questionable for the Cowboys is defensive tackle, Antwaun Woods.  Woods has been dealing with hip/ankle issues although he did play last week.

The Redskins will be without three starters Sunday as safety Landon Collins, quarterback Dwayne Haskins, and wide receiver Terry McLaurin have all been ruled out.

Case Keenum, returning to the starting role, played fairly well in Week 2, completing 70% of his passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-21 Cowboys’ victory.  McLaurin leads all rookie receivers with 58 catches and is tied for second in touchdowns with seven.

The worst Pro Bowl picks — and the players who should replace them

The worst Pro Bowl picks — and the players who should replace them

 

‘We’re clicking:’ Cowboys RBs look to carry momentum into Philadelphia

Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard combined for a monster game versus the Rams and hope their two-headed beast keeps rolling against Philly.

e Dallas Cowboys enjoyed their best game of the season on Sunday, thoroughly thumping the defending NFC champions from Los Angeles as they fought for their playoff lives. While highlights like Jason Witten making a one-handed grab and Tavon Austin finding himself all alone on a long touchdown pass made for fun television, it was largely a ground-based attack that propelled the team to a 44-21 win and a renewed sense of hope regarding a second straight division title.

The Cowboys ran for 263 yards against the Rams, their best effort of 2019 and highest single-game rushing total since 2017. Ezekiel Elliott logged 117 yards on 24 carries and found the end zone twice, while rookie Tony Pollard had his most productive day as a pro, racking up 131 yards on just 12 carries. The notion of the pair being a lethal double-headed backfield beast has tantalized fans ever since the club drafted the speedy Pollard out of Memphis and then cemented Elliott’s place on the team with a lucrative contract extension. Sunday felt like the first real unleashing of that monster, and it makes this Cowboys squad perhaps the scariest 7-7 team in memory as they ratchet up their ground game for a late December surge toward the postseason.

“We know how good our offensive line is,” Elliott said after Sunday’s win. “When we go out there and handle our business, when we go out there and execute, we’re hard to stop.”

“How many rushing yards did we have today? Like, 300? Close to it?” Elliott asked after the Week 15 win. “We ran the ball really well today. The O-line, I don’t know what they ate for breakfast, but they did a hell of a job and made it easy on us backs.”

Three-fifths of that offensive line- center Travis Frederick, guard Zack Martin, and tackle Tyron Smith- were just named to the 2020 Pro Bowl, along with Elliott.

“It starts up front,” quarterback Dak Prescott said in his postgame remarks Sunday. “Communicating. Those guys coming off the ball was beautiful. And then you look at the runners, the way they did. Broke tackles, made people miss. Both of those guys. That was so impressive.”

But Elliott may actually want to investigate what his line ate for breakfast last week and order it in bulk for Sunday. Up next for the group is a Philadelphia Eagles front that ranks third in the league in run defense, allowing an average of just 90.4 yards per game. They’ve given up over 100 rushing yards just four times all year. One of those instances, however, came against Dallas in their Week 7 meeting, when the Cowboys as a team rolled for 189 yards on the ground.

Now the Cowboys’ rushing attack will look to build off last Sunday’s 263-yard outing in the Philadelphia rematch that would award Dallas the NFC East crown with a victory.

“It’s great to know that a single win gets us in there, but that’s not our goal,” Elliott said. “Our goal isn’t just to make the playoffs. We want to keep this thing rolling, we want to ride this momentum.”

“Momentum is a dangerous thing,” Prescott echoed. “And it’s about getting it on our side.”

The acquisition and development of Pollard cannot be understated when reflecting on the 2019 season. The 22-year-old was selected in the fourth round of April’s draft. The speedster’s skills at returning kicks was documented, but it was hoped that he could be a potent change of pace to Elliott in the Dallas backfield, too.

Pollard’s usage has been up and down this season, but maybe he’s suddenly getting some of that momentum his quarterback mentioned. Against the Rams, Pollard logged double-digit carries for the first time since Week 3. That game saw the team rush for 235 yards as a whole, their previous top performance before this past Sunday. Granted, it’s a small sample size, but good things seem to happen when both Elliott and Pollard are heavily involved.

Prescott has definitely noticed the electrifying jolt his first-year weapon brings to the offense. He marveled of Pollard, “He’s just something else. Arm tackles and all that stuff, he’s just getting through it. He continues to make plays anytime the ball’s in his hands, and he’s a special player. Thankful we have him.”

“Seeing him just become a better player is kind of crazy,” Elliott said of Pollard. “I remember his first OTA, he was kind of a little timid and not really running as hard. We didn’t have on pads. But just to see him from there to now, it’s awesome. He’s a smart player, but also very skilled. He has a very bright future.”

For his part, the rookie has embraced the mentorship that the two-time league rushing champ has offered.

“He’s been like a big brother since I got here,” Pollard said of Elliott. “Taking me under his wing. Showing me, teaching me things that I didn’t know at first. He’s done a great job of that.”

And when both of them are ripping off hundred-yard days, it’s good to be a Cowboy: offense, defense, or otherwise.

“It’s just fun,” Pollard said of the team’s dominance on the ground on Sunday. “It just keeps the sideline excited, me and him talking… it’s just a good feeling: both guys clicking, the O-line’s clicking, the defense is rolling, special teams.”

“That’s what we’re built for. We’re built to be a balanced team,” Tyron Smith said of the Week 15 win, the first time since October 2018 that the Dallas ground game has outrushed Prescott’s passing totals. “I think the identity has always been there. It’s just, for us, doing it as a team, knowing what we’ve got to get done.”

Now they’ll have to get it done against the Eagles, a team they’ve beaten in each of their last four meetings. And they’ll have to get it done in Philly’s own house, a trip that coach Jason Garrett’s squads typically do well with.

“It’s a playoff game,” Prescott said of Sunday’s showdown. “Obviously, simple as that: it’s a playoff game. It’s a rival, it’s a team in the division, it’s a must-win game. We have to approach it as a playoff game, and that’s the way we will.”

The Cowboys’ prolific rushing attack was a revelation against the Rams in Week 15. Week 16 should prove to be more challenging, with an even tougher opponent versus the run and a divisional crown on the line.

Elliott knows what he and Pollard did last week obviously won’t count at Lincoln Financial Field, but it just might have helped give the team a good running start.

“I think we did set up some momentum. But we’ve still got a lot of work to do, got lot of work to do this season. And we’re just getting started.”

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Dak Prescott’s shoulder, Tyron Smith’s eye are issues for Cowboys ahead of Eagles match

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was highly efficient stat-wise in the team’s Week 15 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Yes, he finished with his lowest passing-yardage total of the season, 212, but he threw for two scores, had his …

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was highly efficient stat-wise in the team’s Week 15 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Yes, he finished with his lowest passing-yardage total of the season, 212, but he threw for two scores, had his second-highest Adjusted Yards per Attempt average of the year (10.96 per throw) and second-best passer rating (123.8) of the season.

And he did it all with a bad shoulder from almost the outset of the game, it seems. Prescott had an MRI on Tuesday that came back negative and is expected to suit up for the club’s de facto NFC East championship game on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. At practice on Wednesday, he participated, but did not throw.

“They did an MRI, and everything seems to be OK,” Garrett said via the Dallas News. “But he banged it up, and it’s hard for him to function right now. So we don’t anticipate him throwing much in practice today.”

In his place, backup Cooper Rush participated in the throwing drills with the Cowboys’ targets on Wednesday. Rush has primarily appeared in kneel-down duty across his three years with the team as a UDFA out of Central Michigan. He has only thrown three passes in his career, all in a single 2017 game and has just two passing yards on his resume.

The club fully expects Prescott to be able to suit up on Sunday, but it is certainly something to be monitored. The quarterback is enjoying his finest statistical season, throwing for over 4,300 yards in the team’s 14 games.

His blindside protector, Tyron Smith, is also ailing. Smith is having an issue with his left eye and his status for the game is unknown at the moment.

In addition, middle linebacker Leighton Vander Esch is already ruled out of a fifth-straight contest due to his neck injury as it appears more and more the second-year player may be done for the season.

Finally, special team’s ace CJ Goodwin underwent thumb surgery, but is expected to be ready to go by Sunday.

The Cowboys full practice report will be included when it becomes available.

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