Notable headlines surrounding America’s team.
Extending Dak Prescott must be Cowboys top priority – Mark Heaney, Inside The Star
QB1 needs to become priority number one.
Prescott, a 3x Pro Bowler, is coming off the best season of his career at 30 years old.
He finished second in MVP voting to Ravens Quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott finished second in NFL MVP voting.
Lamar Jackson won by a large margin, receiving 49 of 50 first place votes
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) February 9, 2024
And, he had nine more touchdowns and nearly a thousand more passing yards than Jackson.
As dominant as his 2023 campaign was, it got overshadowed by a blowout loss to the Packers in the postseason, and I understand why.
That wild-card round debacle has caused many to question whether or not Prescott should be extended at all.
The problem for that crowd is franchise quarterbacks aren’t just walking around waiting to be picked up.
If that was the case, the Falcons wouldn’t have taken a shot on a 1st-round rookie QB after paying a veteran $180M just a few months prior.
Even CeeDee Lamb’s Teammates Are Telling Cowboys to Pay Up – Isaiah De Los Santos, Sport DFW
It’s time to open up the checkbook, Jerry.
The 2020 draft pick is heading into the final year of his rookie deal and bound for a massive payday after a First Team All-Pro campaign in 2023, but hasn’t received a new pact from Dallas yet.
Money is likely one main factor holding things up, though it’s clear even Lamb’s teammates want the Cowboys to open up their checkbook.
“The guy’s a freak. I hope he gets every single dollar he deserves and becomes the highest paid receiver in the league, because he’s the greatest receiver in the league.”
– Brandin Cooks on CeeDee Lamb contract #Cowboys
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) May 2, 2024
Fellow WR Brandin Cooks addressed Lamb’s situation this past week while Dallas’ offseason workout program continues. Cooks said Lamb is a “freak” and hopes the “greatest receiver in the league” gets “every single dollar he deserves.”
The veteran even put a price on Lamb’s talents, noting he should be the “highest paid receiver” in the NFL.
This is an extremely strong stance from Cooks that’s a little bit of a surprise, just since his comments only put further pressure on Dallas to pay up.
That being said, Cooks is going to look out for one of his teammates. And especially so considering Lamb plays the same position. If Lamb goes on to break the record for the biggest contract handed to a wideout, it just continues to the raise ceiling for earnings at wide receiver.
Cowboys quietly took major steps to improve troubled running game – Reid Hanson, Cowboys Wire
Don’t let the Pollard departure fool you.
Rico Dowdle, Malik Davis, Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke, Elliott and Freeman aren’t names likely to instill fear in the hearts of opponents. Now, it’s possible the Cowboys feel differently about this collection of ball carriers but it’s more likely they feel better about their group of blockers paving the way.
Dallas devoted major resources to the offensive line this draft cycle, adding Tyler Guyton in the first round and Cooper Beebe in the third round to upgrade their starting unit. Guyton, the expected starting left tackle on Day 1, and Beebe, the expected starting center on Day 1, are both seen as eventual upgrades to the men they replace.
For as great as Tyron Smith was at LT in 2023, his run blocking was slipping. His PFF run blocking grade came in at just 29th last season. Guyton probably won’t be a marked improvement over that right away, but his athletic profile is such he could exceed Smith as a run blocker in the near future. The most important outcome of Guyton’s addition is it lets Tyler Smith stay at left guard where he’s an absolutely dominant blocker and ascending by the day.
In the case of Beebe, he could be an immediate upgrade over Tyler Biadasz at OC. Beebe was a top-rated interior lineman in his draft class and projects as a high-end OC in the NFL.
3 decisions the Cowboys might live to regret from 2024 NFL Draft – Sayre Bedinger, The Landry Hat
Is it too soon to examine worst-case scenarios?
2. Taking Marist Liufau over Payton Wilson
Not that any analyst’s opinion is the end-all, but the consensus surrounding Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau was much more on the “Day 3 pick” track than “Round 3 pick” track. The Cowboys selected Liufau with the 87th overall pick in what could be considered one of the bigger reaches of the draft.
But the Cowboys really like him, there’s no doubt about it.
“We’re going to get some of that @NDFootball gold mixed in with this blue” ⭐️#CowboysDraft | @ATT pic.twitter.com/Qb5vaZEnie
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) April 27, 2024
Liufau is well-liked by the Cowboys for his intelligence and aggressive style of play. You can’t coach his relentless hustle, but did Dallas pass on a superior prospect to get him?
One player who was shockingly on the board still when the Cowboys were on the clock (twice) in the third round was North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson. The Cowboys obviously weren’t the only team to pass on Wilson in this draft, but they’re one of the teams that might ultimately regret doing it.
Wilson likely fell down the draft board due to his age and injury history at NC State, but he’s a freaky athlete with big-time speed and range. He was an All-American and the ACC defensive player of the year this past season after racking up 138 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, and three interceptions.
He might have been worth the risk in round three for the Cowboys, especially with multiple picks in the round.
There’s a reason Cowboys are so excited about Ezekiel Elliott return – Mark Powell, FanSided
If used correctly, Zeke could be a useful tool in this offense.
As flawed as that argument may be in the long run, there are some statistics that actually suggest Elliott improved in his year away from Dallas. Elliott has over 50 receptions and 300 receiving yards for the first time since 2020. He was used in the passing game quite a bit, but didn’t receive nearly as many carries. The majority of those carries came in short yardage and goal-line situations, meaning a simple stat like yards-per-carry isn’t indicative of his overall impact.
The advanced stats show that Elliott was just as effective in short-yardage situations this past season as in 2022. So, Zeke didn’t take a step back, and received far less carries. In short, this means Elliott should be refreshed heading into his age-28 season in Dallas.
Elliott will not be a thousand-yard back with the Cowboys. By no means will he return to ‘Feed Zeke’ status. But, Elliott can certainly serve in the same backfield as Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn while providing some value. As Blogging with the Boys writes, projecting Elliott’s 2024 season isn’t hard — he’s largely been the same running back since 2022:
“Assuming the Cowboys use him the same way they did towards the end of the 2022 season, and much the same way New England used him, Elliott figures to be a very reliable short yardage and goal line running back with plenty of reliability in pass protection. For a max of $3 million this year, that’s much easier to stomach than the last time Zeke wore the star,” David Howman wrote.
Micah Parsons Takes on a Sumo Wrestler in Tokyo – Dustin Mosher, Sports Illustrated
Parsons seems to be enjoying his offseason.
In an unexpected showdown, Dallas Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons faced off against an unusual opponent: a Japanese sumo wrestler. The encounter took place during Parsons’ Asia tour alongside Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud. A video of the matchup has gone viral.
CJ Stroud, watching from the sidelines, couldn’t help but laugh at Parsons’ predicament. Stroud playfully offered advice on celebrations, including the famous “too small” gesture after the wrestler won round 1. Parsons asked for a rematch and, shockingly, actually won round 2.
The video shows the incredible strength of Japanese sumo wrestlers. It is truly impressive that Parsons was able to hold his own against some of the strongest men alive. This fierce competitive spirit to even challenge a sumo wrestler is what makes Micah special. He is never afraid of competition.
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