Tag: University of Arkansas

Cowboys return to Arkansas, steal DT John Ridgeway with final 5th-round pick in 2022 draft

Dallas hasn’t dipped into Jerry Jones’ alma mater in a while, and they get a steal of a DT in the process. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys have been having themselves a heck of a Day 3 of the 2022 NFL draft. With six picks on the day including five in the fifth round, Dallas has been sizing up specific targets all weekend. Each selection has been one the club has telegraphed and the final pick of the four fifths is similar.

Owner Jerry Jones is one of the proudest alums from the University of Arkansas, but for the first time since Felix Jones, the Cowboys have gone there with the selection of DT John Ridgeway. Ridgeway is a mammoth nose tackle, weighing in at 321 pounds, and will help Dallas on early downs in shutting down the run.

A transfer from Illinois State, Ridgeway was seen as a potential third-round pick from The Draft Network and Dane Brugler of The Athletic. To get him near the end of the third round is great value.

From The Draft Network:

In his one year at Arkansas, Ridgeway was able to make an impression and took on some of the best offensive lines the SEC has to offer. The Razorbacks played a grueling schedule which was a good test for the FCS transfer, playing programs like Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Auburn, and Penn State. Ridgeway passed the test. Ridgeway served as the anchor for the Razorback defense and was consistently able to take on double teams and be a disruptive force in the middle of the defense. Ridgeway has natural strength and heavy hands that, when he shoots his hands, can knock back the offensive lineman and literally press their upper body backward. Ridgeway plays in a low stance where he is able to play with good leverage, which makes him a difficult player to move even with double teams. On the next level in the right scheme, Ridgeway can be an immediate starter and can become an instant run-stopping interior defensive lineman.

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Ex-Jets OC Dowell Loggains returning to alma mater

Loggains is expected to be named the tight ends coach at Arkansas.

Dowell Loggains is getting a new job.

According to Football Scoop’s John Brice, the Arkansas Razorbacks are expected to name Loggains their new tight ends coach. Loggains is an Arkansas alum; he was the backup quarterback and placeholder for the Razorbacks in the early 2000s.

Loggains was the Jets’ offensive coordinator under former head coach Adam Gase from 2019-2020. New York’s offense couldn’t have been much worse than it was with Gase and Loggains running the show. The Jets ranked dead last in yards per game (273), 29th in passing yards (194.4), 31st in rushing yards (78.6), and 31st in points per game (17.3) in 2019.

The Jets managed to somehow get worse in 2020, even as the NFL had more touchdowns and points than it had in any other season. New York was dead last in yards per game (279.9), 31st in passing yards (174.8), 23rd in rushing yards (105.2), and 32nd in points per game (15.2).

Loggains’ first NFL coaching job came as the offensive quality control coordinator with the Tennessee Titans in 2008. He worked his way up through the ranks and was named the Titans quarterbacks coach in 2010. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2012.

After being relieved of his coordinator duties by the Titans in 2014, Loggains became the quarterbacks coach with the Cleveland Browns. He did that for a year and was then hired for the same position with the Chicago Bears in 2015. That was when Loggains first paired with Gase. Loggains was then named the Bears’ offensive coordinator in 2016 after Gase left for Miami. He held that job for two seasons.

Gase brought Loggains on as the offensive coordinator with the Dolphins in 2018. The two were reunited again when Gase was named the Jets’ head coach in 2019.

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