The latest offseason Dallas Cowboys news.
Veteran OT Tyron Smith isn’t thinking of retirement, wants Cowboys return for 2024 – Calvin Watkins, DMN
Whither goest thou?
Tyron Smith, the longest-tenured player on the Cowboys, wants to play another season with the team, a person familiar with his thinking told The Dallas Morning News.
Smith, 33, becomes an unrestricted free agent this spring and there is uncertainty about a return.
2024 NFL salary cap could reportedly be near $250M – RJ Ochoa, BTB
When Tyron Smith signed his 10-year contract extension in 2014, the salary cap was $133 million. With his $11 million annual contract value, he accounted for 8.3% of the cap. That same $11 million today would be just 4.4% of the cap, if the cap hits $250 million.
At current moment, OverTheCap projects it to be $242M (the Cowboys are currently in the red but can very quickly get out with a few maneuvers) but according to Pro Football Talk that number may wind up even larger.
It might be as high as $250M.
Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson ‘back in the fold’ with Cowboys, Jerry Jones after Ring of Honor add – Garrett Podell, CBSSports
In the years following Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson’s departure from the Dallas Cowboys after winning consecutive Super Bowl titles in the 1992 and 1993 seasons, his relationship with team owner and general manager Jerry Jones was icy and bitter.
Today, their relationship has returned to it’s original, familial form thanks to Jones inducting Johnson into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor at Dallas’ regular season home finale against the Detroit Lions in Week 17 of the 2023 season.
Perhaps with Johnson having Jones’ ear once again, the Cowboys’ time to truly contend for Super Bowls may come again soon.
Jimmy Johnson back in the fold with the Cowboys pic.twitter.com/nE4acOgM8F
— MartinTalkCowboys (@DAK_4_MVP) February 19, 2024
No franchise tag for the Dallas Cowboys this year – David Moore, DMN
No news is good news?
It doesn’t appear the Dallas Cowboys will use the franchise tag this offseason. That would end a run of six consecutive years of using the tag.
3 defensive players the Cowboys need to improve in 2024 – Mario Herrera Jr., Inside The Star
Mike Zimmer taking over as the Cowboys DC could mean better development for last year’s draft pick Mazi Smith.
I know this seems like a Captain Obvious take, but it doesn’t make it any less of a true statement.
Mazi Smith, the Cowboys’ 1st-round pick in 2023, was lower than a footnote on the season’s page.
Smith was slow off the snap, bullied out of position, and would have played even less than the 28% defensive snaps he logged had Johnathan Hankins not gotten injured.
Another popular narrative that has been all but confirmed is the fact that he lost over 30 pounds throughout the season.
The whole purpose of drafting a 330-pound defensive tackle in the 1st round was to help clog the middle of the line in the run game.
That plan went out the window, rendering Smith incapable of contributing in a positive way.
Still, we must give Mazi the benefit of the doubt in his rookie season.
Not all 1st-rounders are superstars right off the bat, especially at the defensive tackle position.
Newly hired Defensive Line Coach Jeff Zgonina played defensive tackle in the NFL for 17 seasons and should have the ammo to improve Smith’s game.
Guesstimating Mike Zimmer’s 2024 offseason wishlist for the Cowboys defense – Brian Martin, Blogging the Boys
The Cowboys linebackers group could look drastically different in 2024.
Free agency – Frankie Luvu
Frankie Luvu is one of the best off-ball pass-rushing LBs in the NFL. He ranks first with 9.5 sacks at the position since 2002 and his 62 stops against the run ranks 12th. He’s the best MLB on the open market and would be an excellent fit in his Zimmer’s system.
2024 NFL Draft – Junior Colson, Michigan
Junior Colson is a bit of a throwback, old-school MLB prospect. The 6’3”, 247-pound former Wolverine is exactly the type of downhill thumper Mike Zimmer prefers at the position. He’s arguably the most pro-ready LB in the 2024 draft class.
Cowboys’ Biggest Keys To Having Successful NFL Offseason – Kristopher Knox, Bleacher Report
Improving in the run game on both sides of the ball will be critical for the Cowboys this offseason.
Assuming the Cowboys can sort things out with both Lamb and Prescott, their next offensive goal must be finding a new every-down running back. Dallas franchise-tagged Tony Pollard last offseason, but the 2022 Pro Bowler struggled in that role.
Pollard amassed 1,316 scrimmage yards but averaged just 4.0 yards per carry. As a team, the Cowboys averaged 4.1 yards per carry, 20th in the NFL. The lack of offensive balance was a problem against playoff-caliber opponents and in the postseason.
The Cowboys should be willing to move off of Pollard, who will be a free agent next month. Finding a dependable replacement, though, will be a challenge.
The 2024 draft class isn’t expected to be loaded with top-end RB talent. Florida State’s Trey Benson is the top-ranked running back, according to the Bleacher Report Scouting Department, and he’s ranked as the 49th overall prospect.
It would make sense to target a player like Benson or Notre Dame’s Audric Estimé, but the Cowboys should find some veteran insurance too. Fortunately, the free-agent class is deep at the position, with players like Saquon Barkley, D’Andre Swift, Devin Singletary and Gus Edwards scheduled to hit the market.
While Prescott and Lamb are an incredible combination, they can’t be expected to carry the offense every single week. Rebuilding the backfield is a necessity.
Open Market: Top options for Cowboys TE insurance – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
The Cowboys have a rising star in Jake Ferguson at TE, and some good potential depth behind him to improve even more at the position.
Peyton Hendershot/John Stephens Jr.: This is the battle you need to circle going into the summer offseason program. As mentioned, Hendershot spent a lot time on injured reserve in his second season and, save for a couple of splash plays on special teams following his return, it was a forgettable campaign in Year 2. That said, Stephens tore his ACL in the preseason and was essentially a redshirt for all of 2023.
Prior to those injuries, Stephens was giving Hendershot (and McKeon) all they could handle in training camp battles, which means his return will align directly with Hendershot needing a dynamic showing in camp and in preseason contests to stave off Stephens (who can also line up as a wide receiver); as both fight for the right to become TE3 in 2024.
Jake Ferguson/Luke Schoonmaker: Considering this series is about players who are either heading to free agency or on the roster bubble, there’s no need to dive deep into the fact it’s Ferguson’s show nowadays. He’s stepped up to not only own the role of TE1 without equivocations, but also as a mentor for the younger talent that resides behind him on the depth chart.
One such talent is Schoonmaker, a 2023 second-round pick who missed all of training camp last summer with plantar fasciitis and spent the remainder of the season trying to fight through it while searching for his sea legs at the NFL level. Schoonmaker, another former Wolverine, will be expected to prove himself the rightful complement to Ferguson in 2024, but tossing in some overkill insurance at the position wouldn’t hurt a bit, in my opinion.
Blogging The Boys contributor Mark Lane has passed away – RJ Ochoa, Blogging the Boys
Mark Lane, my original podcast co-host, will be dearly missed.
The world of Dallas Cowboys content and the world at large is a better place for having had Mark Lane in it. We should all strive to approach life with the same passion and graciousness that he did.
As news of Mark’s passing spread many people who knew him began to share memories or recollections of him.
A note from Sean Martin:
I had the pleasure of working with Mark as a cohost on the Hidden Yardage podcast. Over time, it became a space where we got to know each other beyond just the sport of football, but it’s football that gave Mark a platform to impact many lives with his tireless commitment to covering all aspects of the game. His level of preparation was admirable and gave me something to look forward to each week when sitting down to record the show. I will miss his Dayton Triangles references and peaked interest in all things New Jersey including the unfulfilled quest for him to try a pork roll, egg, and cheese sandwich. I’m thankful for the time we did have together.
Blogging The Boys Podcast Network and YouTube Channel
We offer a different show every single day on the Blogging The Boys podcast network, and on weekdays we offer two different shows every single day.
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