Lions Chris Lacy welcomes competition after the Geronimo Allison signing

Detroit Lions wide receiver Chris lacy welcomes competition with the signing of wide receiver Geronimo Allison signing

The Detroit Lions hold a solid top-half receiving corps with Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, and Danny Amendola, but there are questions surrounding the depth and the future of the position with no receiver signed beyond the 2020 season.

Recently, the Lions added some depth to their receiving corps, agreeing to terms with former Green Bay Packer Geronimo Allison.

Allison opened last season with a bang, leading the Packers in catches, yards, and touchdowns over the first four weeks of the season. He then suffered a groin injury and it appeared to hinder his play for the remainder of the season. On the season, he logged 689 snaps with the Packers lining up in the slot 73-percent of the time.

For Allison to make the Lions roster, it will likely be as the fourth or fifth option at wide receiver but he will need to beat out several players who are familiar with the Lions’ system.

One of those returning players is welcoming the competition:

Lacy was on and off the Lions’ active roster last year, and after Marvin Jones was placed on injured reserve, Lacy was brought in to fill the vacant spot. Lacy went on to start two games, logging 128 snaps on offense but spending most of his time on special teams — which the Lions covet from their bottom of the roster personnel.

The Lions will almost assuredly take advantage of a deep draft class at wide receiver, and with eleven receivers currently on the roster, competition is going to be stiff.

Considering how little the Lions are spending — less than $2 million on Lacy and Allison combined — the financial commitment is next to nothing, but the gains could be significant if either one of them breaks out.

It will be an uphill battle for Lacy and/or Allison to make the roster, but hopefully, the competition will bring out their best. May the best man win.

Who are the 29 wide receivers that are Pro Football Hall of Famers?

Isaac Bruce and Harold Carmichael will join 27 wide receivers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Harold Carmichael and Isaac Bruce will enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August. The former Philadelphia Eagles great and St. Louis Rams star will become the 28th and 29th wide receivers to be honored with a place in Canton, OH. The Hall site draws a distinction, interestingly, between wide receivers and ends. There were seven “ends,” who played prior to 1945, that wound up in Canton.

Lance Alworth

 Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

In 11 pro seasons, Alworth caught 542 passes for 10,266 yards and 85 touchdowns. During his nine seasons with the Chargers, “Bambi” averaged more than 50 catches and 1,000 yards per season. He was named All-AFL from 1963-69 and played in the league’s last seven All-Star games. He caught at least one pass in every AFL game he played, including a then-record 96 straight regular-season games.

Stefon Diggs sparks Twitter debate over the best NFL receivers of all time

Stefon Diggs set Twitter ablaze with this question.

Ranking the greatest ever in almost anything is almost always an exercise in futility. That’s especially the case in sports.

No one is ever going to agree on anything. It’s way too hard to compare superstars across different eras who played for different teams that played different styles where they were playing different roles.

On one hand, it’s a hard thing to do. There’s a ton of nuance and complexities that you have to sort through to do it.

On the other? What the heck. We’re all sitting at home with pretty much nothing to do. That’s why when Stefon Diggs asked Twitter to rank the best five receivers of all-time, you knew the timeline was about to get crazy.

And, boy, did it ever. The conversation got so heated that “Moss” (as in Randy Moss) and “Calvin” (as in Calvin Johnson) both ended up trending today.

Folks on Twitter were going crazy. The takes were scorching.

Even other NFL players were chiming in.

As for Diggs’ opinion himself? He kind of just sat this one out.

You’re not slick, Stefon. We see what you just did…and we applaud you for doing it. This, folks, is how you’re supposed to use Twitter.

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2020 NFL Draft: Which WR will be drafted first?

A look at the WRs who could be drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft and who is most likely to go first and to which team.

The 2020 NFL Draft is set to begin Thursday, April 23, and 255 players will be selected by teams to move on and play professional football. Several wide receivers are expected to be drafted and many in the first round. Here, we analyze the odds and best bets for the first wide receiver selected in the 2020 draft.

2020 NFL Draft odds: Which WR will be drafted first?

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday, March 19 at 10:45 a.m. ET.

Sixteen receivers are expected to be drafted and have odds to be the first selected. One is the odds-on favorite. Here are the odds.

  • Jerry Jeudy, Alabama -118
  • CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma +120
  • Henry Ruggs III, Alabama +700
  • Tee Higgins,  Clemson +2000
  • Justin Jefferson, LSU +3300
  • K.J. Hamler, Penn State +4000
  • Denzel Mims, Baylor +6600
  • Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado +6600
  • Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State +10000
  • Donovan Peoples-Jones, Liberty +15000
  • Jalen Reagor, TCU +15000
  • Chase Claypool, Notre Dame, +25000
  • Gabriel Davis, UCF +25000
  • K.J. Hill, Ohio State +25000
  • Van Jefferson, Florida +25000
  • Michael Pittman Jr., USC +25000

Who will be the first WR drafted? Best bets


Looking to place a bet on the 2020 NFL Draft? Place your legal sports wagers online at BetMGM. Bet now!


Jeudy is the favorite but most mock drafts have had the top receiver split between him and Lamb.

The teams with the most glaring needs at receiver in the top half of the draft are the Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos. The Cardinals pick at No. 8 overall, while the Raiders are 12th (and 19th), the 49ers are 13th (after a trade with the Indianapolis Colts) and the Broncos will pick 15th.

The Cardinals, though, recently agreed to a trade to acquire WR DeAndre Hopkins from the Houston Texans, which would make it appear they will no longer take a receiver in the first round.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray was a college teammate of Lamb and has openly lobbied for the Cardinals to draft him. The Raiders have also coveted him.

Jeudy is believed to be a slightly more complete receiver but Lamb draws comparisons to Hopkins. Both are similar in size, speed and athleticism.

Given the situation with receivers, it is basically a 50/50 bet between Lamb and Jeudy. Since the value lies with Lamb, the best bet is to go with Lamb at +120.

If you are looking for a sleeper who can pay out a lot, put some money on Ruggs at +700. If the Cardinals don’t take a receiver, remember the Raiders have always coveted receivers who can run. Ruggs is the fastest player in the draft.

Want action on the 2020 NFL Draft? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Saints land Henry Ruggs III in latest NFL.com mock draft

The New Orleans Saints selected Alabama football prospect Henry Ruggs III in the latest 2020 NFL mock draft from Charles Davis of NFL.com.

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Wide receiver has been a popular pick for the New Orleans Saints in this year’s mock drafts, and for good reason. It’s the thinnest position group on the team with one real playmaker in Michael Thomas, who is very, very good at what he does. Wide receiver is also considered the deepest pool to draw from in the 2020 NFL Draft, so it makes sense for experts to think the Saints will address the issue right away next month.

The latest mock draft comes from NFL.com’s Charles Davis, who projects the Saints to select a talented pass-catcher in Alabama prospect Henry Ruggs III:

If there is one thing the Saints‘ offense needs, it’s a consistent outside threat to take pressure off All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas. Ruggs’ exceptional speed (4.27 40 at the combine) will scare all defenses and create space for other weapons in New Orleans’ arsenal.

Ruggs is the fifth wide receiver to be drafted in the first round in Robinson’s mock-up, behind CeeDee Lamb (at No. 12, to the Las Vegas Raiders), Jerry Jeudy (Denver Broncos at No. 15), Justin Jefferson (Philadelphia Eagles at No. 21), and Tee Higgins (Buffalo Bills at No. 22). Laviska Shenault landed with the Green Bay Packers at No. 30.

There’s little doubt that Ruggs is worthy of a first-round pick; his athleticism speaks for itself, having broken the 94th percentile in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, and broad jump. The only reservations teams may share from a physical standpoint concern his undersized frame at 5-foot-11, 188 pounds. But he wouldn’t be the first quick-footed receiver to overcome a small catch radius (see: Brandin Cooks and Tyreek Hill).

What about his actual on-field performance? Ruggs was outplayed by Jeudy, his Crimson Tide teammate, with 40 catches for 746 yards and seven scores in 2019 (Jeudy racked up 77 receptions, 1,163 yards, and 10 touchdown grabs), but there are great reasons for Jeudy to be ranked higher, which do nothing to hurt Ruggs’ NFL prospects. And it’s worth noting that Devonta Smith had more receiving yards and touchdown catches than either of them, but he returned to Alabama for his senior year. There’s no shame in being the third-best receiver on one of college football’s strongest depth charts.

And if Ruggs were to land in New Orleans, well, he’d be an immediate running-mate for a two-time first-team All-Pro who just reset the NFL’s record for catches in a single season. Drew Brees loves to spread the ball around, and it’s very exciting to consider what he could do with such a pair of weapons.

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2020 NFL Combine winners: Wide receivers

Examining the top on-field wide receiver performances from the 2020 NFL Combine.

The 2020 NFL Combine opened their on-field drills with the tight ends group, followed by the quarterbacks and wide receivers for a combined workout. As always, the workouts begin with the 40-yard-dash, and when they shifted into position drills, we got to see a few new drills.

Let’s take a look at those who earned positive marks today.

Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State, 5-11.5, 205

A longtime favorite of Lions Wire, Aiyuk showed off his athleticism with a solid 4.5 40-yard-dash time and above-average explosion scores with a 40″ vertical jump and a 10-7 broad jump. On the field, he was one of the biggest winners in the gauntlet drill, illustrating his focus, balance, and reliable hands.

Denzel Mims, Baylor, 6-3, 207

The Lions value a wide receiver’s 3-cone time (measuring quickness/speed when altering direction) above any other measurement, with seven of their nine rostered receivers having run a time below 6.9-seconds.

Most of the top wide receivers skipped the agility drills at this year’s Combine, but among the 22 who ran the 3-cone, only Mims broke the 6.9-second mark, running a very impressive 6.66 seconds.

Add in Mims’ on-field performance and other Combine measurements, 4.38 second 40-yard-dash, 38.5″ vertical jump, and 10-11 broad jump, and it’s easy to see why he could end up being among the top wide receivers selected on Day 2.

Chase Claypool, Notre Dame, 6-4, 238

Rich Eisen made note of this fun fact on the NFL Network broadcast: Only two NFL Combine wide receivers (since 2003) have measured at least 6-4, 235 pounds, and run faster than a 4.45 in the 40-yard-dash — Claypool and Calvin Johnson.

Claypool officially checked in with a 4.42 40-yard-dash, but his other measurements were equally impressive, earning an elite score of 70 on the explosion scale (bench press + vertical jump + broad jump) — third-best among those who tested.

Expected to have already solidified himself as a Day 2 pick heading into the Combine, it’s fair to wonder how high his stock will rise.

Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan, 6-1.5, 212

Peoples-Jones measured out as the top wide receiver at both jumping drills. His 11-7 broad jump was incredibly impressive, but Peoples-Jones’ 44.5″ vertical jump was the second-best since 2006, third-best in NFL Combine history among the wide receivers group, and tied for seventh-best in NFL Combine history regardless of position.

John Hightower, Boise State, 6-1.5, 189

In such a deep class, Hightower is a name that has been overlooked for most of the draft process, but for the Lions, he could fill a potential longterm need. Hightower is a vertical playmaker with 4.46 40-yard-dash speed, solid jump scores (38.5″ vertical, 10-2 broad) who can also be an option in the return game. Last night, he displayed solid hands and body control, as well as positioning to snag catches despite their location.

Notes:

  • Henry Ruggs III (5-11, 188, Alabama) takes home the fastest wide receiver award after a blazing 4.27 40-yard-dash time, confirming what most already knew.
  • Jerry Jeudy (6-1, 193, Alabama) and CeeDee Lamb (6-1.5, 198, Oklahoma) should be the first two wide receivers off the board after making difficult plays look easy all night.

  • Devin Duvernay (5-10.5, 210, Texas) checked off the speed (4.39) and explosion boxes (35.5″ vertical jump, 10-3 broad jump) but his 3-cone time of 7.13 was lower than expected.
  • In addition to Ruggs, Mims, and Duvernay, three other receivers ran sub-4.4 40-yard-dashes: Antonio Gibson (6-0, 228, RB/WR, Memphis), Quez Watkins (6-0, 185, Southern Miss), and Darnell Mooney (5-10, 176, Tulane).

NFL combine Thursday slate: Quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends

Everything you need to know to catch the quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends work out at this year’s NFL scouting combine in Indy.

This week marks one of the busiest around the league as hundreds of top prospects from around the country are expected to participate in the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine.

The interviews and physicals are in the books for the first set of players set to take the national stage Thursday night for their on-field drills at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends will display their skills for the first time in prime time.

A few drills have changed this season, some added and some removed from the lineup. For the quarterbacks, the end zone fade and timed smoke/now route drill will be introduced. For the wide receivers and tight ends, the end zone fade route has been added and the toe tap drill eliminated.

Here’s everything you need to know to catch the action Thursday night.

WHAT: 2020 NFL Scouting Combine

WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 27, 1 p.m. PT to 8:00 p.m. PT

WHERE: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis

TV: NFL Network, ESPN (one hour)

STREAMING: NFL App, NFL.com/watch and Watch ESPN

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Cooper & Cobb: Clock now ticking for Cowboys’ WR free agents

Come on down, Cowboys fans. The 2020 free agency period begins one month from today. And business as usual around The Star in Frisco could start to take on a very The Price Is Right kind of feel. Prescott Payday is the high-stakes game getting most …

Come on down, Cowboys fans. The 2020 free agency period begins one month from today. And business as usual around The Star in Frisco could start to take on a very The Price Is Right kind of feel.

Prescott Payday is the high-stakes game getting most of the attention, and everyone seems to have their own personal strategy for how they’d play Byron: Buy or Bye? But the Dallas front office has a handful of other key choices to make before March 18 as well. Not the least of which involves a wide receiving corps that kicked off 2019 looking like they’d make a serious run at the Showcase Showdown. But after stumbling their way to nothing more than parting gifts at season’s end, two of the group’s three starters suddenly seem to have one foot out the door.

Both Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb made NFL.com analyst (and former Packers wide receiver) James Jones’s list of the top ten receivers worth pursuing for teams in the market.

Cooper is coming off his best season as a pro in terms of receiving yards, per-game average, and number of touchdowns. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2015 draft and is a four-time Pro Bowler. That resume becomes all the more impressive considering Cooper will have just turned 26 years old when 2020’s training camp opens.

So why the hesitation from the Cowboys brass? There were a few poor performances in 2019, and those often appear larger in the rearview mirror than the genuinely big games. Cooper’s mystifying dropoff in away games has been documented and cannot be ignored. And while he acknowledges to having played hurt, the fact that he seems to be hurt so often could be a legitimate concern.

But still, his numbers speak for themselves and put Cooper atop James Jones’s list as the premier option available at wide receiver this offseason:

“With the Dallas Cowboys focused primarily on keeping pending free agent Dak Prescott in the fold, it feels like we could see Amari Cooper hit the open market. If he does, expect teams to come running. Cooper, who’s coming off the best season of his career, is a guy who would fit well in a lot of offenses. He’s a big-bodied, physical No. 1 receiver and he’s proven over five NFL seasons that he can be ‘the guy’ who sparks an offense. He just needs to be on the field.”

In his look at the Cowboys’ to-do list on the offensive side of the ball, ESPN’s Todd Archer agrees on what the Alabama product brings and says the club should absolutely keep him on the roster, even if a deal doesn’t get done by March 18:

“The transition tag could be a possibility if there is not an extension of the collective bargaining agreement. Cooper’s production tailed off toward the end of the season, but he changed the Cowboys’ passing game since arriving in a trade from Oakland. Maybe he doesn’t hit the highest end of the receiver market like we assumed, but he will at least be around for 2020.”

Cobb is still the new guy in town. But in his first year with the Cowboys, the former second-round pick posted solid numbers in the slot, racking up his best yardage total since 2015. His 15.1 yards-per-game average in 2019 was the best of his NFL career, and now he has a full season’s worth of chemistry with Dak Prescott to build on… and his former head coach calling the shots.

Cobb seems to have proven his worth in last season’s one-year rental deal. Jones calls Cobb the ninth-best available receiver and feels he deserves to stay on in Dallas:

“Cobb, one of my former teammates in Green Bay, is a savvy veteran who can still contribute in any offense. He made some big plays for the Cowboys over the final two months of last season after building a rapport with Dak Prescott. It would make too much sense for the Cowboys to re-sign Cobb with ex-Packers coach Mike McCarthy now in town, but I’ll leave that decision up to Jerry Jones.”

Archer also thinks the coaching change in Dallas makes this an easier decision for Jerry Jones and Co.:

“The arrival of McCarthy, his former coach in Green Bay, helps his odds of returning. Having a player who understands what a new coach expects is extremely beneficial. And Cobb played well in 2019, although he had some drops. He was able to stay healthy, too, missing just one game. Price might become an issue, but the Cowboys are a better offense in 2020 if he is around.”

To let one of these two receivers walk would mean spinning the wheel on a replacement and just hoping to get lucky. To let both of them go? Cue the sad-trombone music; thanks for playing. Michael Gallup made tremendous strides in his second season and looks to have a superstar-caliber ceiling, but it would be premature to expect him to suddenly be the team’s No. 1 option at the position, no matter how promising his skill set.

The Cowboys have one month to place their bids to retain Cooper and Cobb. But in this version of the game, trying to get clever by being the lowest bid on the board never ever earns the big shiny prize at the end.

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News: Byron Jones to stay or go, Cowboys comp pick scenarios

Also, Jerry Jones wants to “make a splash” at the 2020 Draft, Dez Bryant wants to come “home,” and a look at college’s top wide receivers.

Byron Jones was a hot topic on Thursday. One outlet is imploring the Cowboys to re-sign him, while another says it’s time to let him go. A radio guy out West thinks he knows where Jones will wind up, and a draft expert makes a guess on what Dallas will do to fill the void Jones leaves behind.

Meanwhile, two of Jones’s defensive back mates just got hefty raises, DeMarcus Lawrence ranks toward the top of his class even without sacks, and Dez Bryant’s touchdown stats make a case for him coming “home.” All that, plus looking ahead to the draft with wide receivers, backup quarterbacks, and punters. That’s right: punters. We’re hitting all the News and Notes this time out.


NFL free agency: 9 guys who MUST be re-signed by current team :: NFL.com

Two members of the Cowboys make this list of free agents who must be retained. One of them is obvious: quarterback Dak Prescott. The other one, surprisingly, isn’t wide receiver Amari Cooper. Instead, it’s cornerback Byron Jones. It has felt for quite some time that Jones wouldn’t be returning to Dallas, as the team has its hands full with contracts coming due.

Adam Schein posits that Jones should be a higher priority than Cooper, though opinions differ widely there. The Cowboys offense has been a different animal with a true No. 1 receiver in the fold; finding someone to fill his shoes seems a difficult ask.

–TT


Cowboys free agents most likely to depart: Byron Jones is talented, but Dallas has other roster needs to address :: Dallas Morning News

On the other side of the Jones coin is this argument from Calvin Watkins, who says the numbers simply don’t add up in a way that keeps him in the silver and blue. Yes, Jones was the team’s best corner in 2019, missed only one tackle all season, and often forced opposing passers to look elsewhere with their throws.  But with zero interceptions logged, the $12 million average salary, or more, Jones will likely command is just too much buck for not nearly enough bang.

–TB


2021 Compensatory Draft Picks: 14 Cowboys most likely to qualify :: CowboysWire

In a few weeks’ time, Dallas will officially be awarded a fifth-round compensatory pick for losing Cole Beasley in 2019 free agency. Meanwhile, Dallas’ group of 25 unrestricted free agents means that there will be an abundance of opportunities to earn extra picks in the 2021 draft, if they play their cards right.

This is a look at how comp picks are awarded, how teams can play the game based on when they sign qualifying free agents, and a breakdown of the 14 Cowboys prospects who should qualify for the formula, and a prediction on what salaries they will see in free agency, hence what round draft pick they’d be worth.

–KD


Rumor Mill: Broncos poised to make Cowboys’ CB Byron Jones ‘top target’ in free agency :: Mile High Huddle

So where might Jones wind up? There’s buzz that the Broncos could be among the active suitors courting the former first-round pick. According to a tweet from tapped-in Denver radio host Cecil Lammey, “There have been rumblings since the Senior Bowl” that Jones could be a “top target” for Vic Fangio’s staff. Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. is potentially on the outs in Denver, making a young talent like Jones a valuable asset for GM John Elway to consider pursuing.

–TB


Tony Pauline Mailbag: Are the Dallas Cowboys planning ‘a big splash’ in the NFL Draft? :: ProFootballNetwork

And if Jones does depart, where do the Cowboys turn at cornerback? Tony Pauline has a theory. He says team owner Jerry Jones “wants to make a big splash in the draft,” according to one team insider. Trading up from the 17th pick to select Ohio State corner Jeffrey Okudah- the highest-rated defensive player not named Chase Young- would certainly qualify.

With Byron Jones perhaps already packing his bags and former Cowboys corner Morris Claiborne now wearing a Super Bowl ring that he earned with the Chiefs, the Dallas brass may feel the time is right to shore up the CB spot in a big way.

–TB


The NFL’s top 10 DEs entering 2020: Where does Cowboys’ DeMarcus Lawrence rank among the best? :: Dallas Morning News

Spoiler alert: Lawrence is, in fact, among the best in the business at edge rusher. But he doesn’t place as high as Cowboys fans would like, especially after signing a record contract last offseason.

In Lawrence’s case, though, sacks (or a lack thereof in 2019) don’t tell the whole story. His run-stop percentage, pressures despite a high double-team rate, and elite scores in ESPN’s Pass Rush Win Rate metric- all while coming off a major shoulder surgery- prove that Lawrence not only deserves his top-10 status… but could easily surpass it in 2020.

–TB


Defensive backs Xavier Woods and Jourdan Lewis will receive raises :: CowboysWire

Thanks to the proven-performance escalator available to players drafted in the third through seventh rounds, Woods and Lewis will earn an extra $1.5 million (or so) in 2020, according to Todd Archer. The big-time bump comes after both players logged more than 35 percent of the snaps on average in their first three seasons.

As per Over The Cap, Woods made $645,000 last year; Lewis earned $675,000. Both will see their take-home jump to $2.14 million next season.

–TB


2020 NFL Draft Digest No. 3: Incredible wide receiver group could reinforce Cowboys offense :: The Athletic

Just three wide receivers averaged one catch per game for the Cowboys in 2019. Reliable depth at the position, then, is a legitimate concern. And with Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb currently out of contract, it’s no stretch to think that, depending on how things unfold, Dallas could be looking long and hard at bringing in a rookie target for Dak Prescott, maybe even in the first round.

Bob Sturm breaks down Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy, Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, TCU’s Jalen Reagor, Alabama’s Henry Ruggs, and Colorado’s Laviska Shenault. Of that bunch, the top grade ultimately goes to the “scary” player who plays with “lots of nitro” and managed to put up All-American credentials with a different quarterback in each of his three seasons. (That theoretically means he’d excel out of the blocks with Prescott and then somehow get even better as their chemistry develops.)

–TB


Dez Bryant misses scoring TDs, will he get chance to flash again ? :: Cowboys Wire

“That’s home,” Dez Bryant told Fox 4’s Mike Doocy this week when asked about his wish of a return to the Dallas Cowboys. “I miss scoring touchdowns.”

The numbers indicate that Bryant has been among the best at it over the past decade. His TD-catch rate from inside the 20-yard-line is seventh among all players over that span, and among players with 100 red zone targets, he ranks third. Of the top 11 pass-catchers listed, Bryant is the only wide receiver; the rest are tight ends. He has been positively lethal… but will the Cowboys offer him the chance at a killer comeback?

–TB


The Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback position needs to be addressed :: The Landry Hat

A Dak Prescott holdout over his contract situation would immediately thrust his understudy into the spotlight. But even with Prescott locked in on the payroll, the backup QB is always one nasty hit away from suddenly being The Guy. (Dallas and Prescott know this all too well.)

So, Cowboys Nation, how are you feeling about Cooper Rush taking the reins? The team signed Northwestern alum Clayton Thorson to a reserve/futures contract, but Angel Torres suggests that Dallas might be well served to look to another proven SEC passer to be Prescott’s reliever. Georgia’s Jake Fromm is no stranger to big games; he led the Bulldogs to a Rose Bowl, two Sugar Bowls, and a National Championship in three college seasons.

–TB


Five college punters to know in the 2020 NFL draft class :: Blogging the Boys

Don’t laugh; the punt game is suddenly a sore spot for the Cowboys after Chris Jones finished dead last in the league in yards per punt in 2019. With John Fassel now on the staff in Dallas, there’s bound to be turnover among the specialists. And while there are always journeyman legs to be found before camp, the team may choose to utilize a late-round draft pick on a talented collegiate.

On this list of field-flippers is a punter who set an NCAA record in 2019 for most yards per punt in a game (five or more attempts). He averaged 63 yards per punt in that game; three of his five punts were in the 60-yard neighborhood, and one traveled a whopping 75 yards.

–TB


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