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Examining each starting position on offense to determine where the Cowboys got better

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Where do you think the Cowboys have upgraded on offense relative to last season?

The Dallas Cowboys are going through big changes this season. With a new coaching staff and new players, this team should look different this year. That’s a good thing considering they didn’t play well and finished with a losing record for the first time since 2020.

But how much different will they look? If we just examined the starters, what spots would you expect the Cowboys to be better? Worse? Or just stay the same? Today, we’ll run through the offense and project what to expect from each starter.

QB - Dak Prescott​

Dak Prescott was bad last season. Sure, he missed half the year with a torn hamstring, but even before that, he was not playing well. You’d have to go all the way back to 2017 to find a completion percentage and yards per attempt lower than last season. His 1.4 touchdown-to-interception ratio (1.4) was the worst of his career.

The good news is, what we saw last year wasn’t Dak. Or, at least, it hasn’t been. Prescott has produced some contrasting seasons over his career, and the weapons around him (or lack thereof) have played a big part. Last year, everything was a hot mess on offense. From the running game, lack of receiving threats, and terrible offensive play-calling from former head coach Mike McCarthy, it was one of Prescott’s least favorable situations.

All that’s changed now. The Cowboys have done a lot of work to make things as Dak-friendly as possible. The biggest challenge for Prescott will be to stay healthy, as he’s missed a good chunk of time in three of his last five seasons. If he can do that, we should see a much better version of Dak this season. If we don’t, then we have a legitimate problem.

Status: Big Improvement

RB - Javonte Williams​

We all want the Cowboys' rushing attack to be better, and there are reasons to believe it will, but from talent alone, there shouldn’t be much of a difference between Javonte Williams and Rico Dowdle. For fans of Dowdle, that’s not a bad thing, as last year’s lead back was a solid player. Williams should be able to provide a similar level of play, and he does offer a bit of upside as he is another year removed from his knee injury. If he returns to form, this could change to an improvement, but we won’t count those chickens just yet.

But the chickens we are counting are the big changes in the coaching staff. The additions of new offensive coordinator Klayton Adams and new offensive line coach Conor Riley are huge for the Cowboys. Those guys are two of the most respected offensive line coaches in football and have a strong track record of coaching up linemen and scheming up excellent rushing attacks. The team also got stronger along the interior offensive line, so similar to our reasoning with Dak, what we see out of Williams should be an improvement over what we saw out of Dowdle last season.

It’s also worth mentioning that the running game is not a one-man job these days, and the team is hopeful that the addition of rookie Jaydon Blue will give them a stronger one-two punch. And that won’t be hard because Ezekiel Elliott’s career-low 15.1 yards per game contribution helped no one.

Status: Slight Improvement

WR1 - CeeDee Lamb​

CeeDee Lamb is a stud, and he’ll remain a stud, but even studs could use a little help. Lamb’s production has been impressive from the onset, but when the team has no presence of a WR2 threat, it shows. Over the last three seasons, Lamb’s numbers have looked like this:

• 80 yards per game (2022) with Noah Brown as WR2
• 103 yards per game (2023) with a healthy Brandin Cooks as WR2
• 80 yards per game (2024) with Jalen Tolbert (Cooks was hurt) as WR2

That’s a big difference. George Pickens has joined the team, and his impact will be felt in more ways than one. Expect a better season from the Cowboys' star receiver.

Status: Slight Improvement

WR2 - George Pickens​

This is the biggest area of improvement for the Cowboys. A talent like George Pickens would immediately bolster any team. The only question left to be answered is how much he will impact the offense. Will he put up another 1,100-yard season like he did a couple of years ago, his floor of 800 yards, or completely disappoint by being the headache many have suggested he will be? While there is a range of outcomes here, it feels more likely this will work out on the favorable side, considering the talent level and added motivation stemming from a contract year.

Status: Big Improvement

WR3 - Jalen Tolbert​

The former third-round pick hasn’t lived up to his draft cost, but he has been showing some improvement year after year. While there is an opportunity to have an even better season, we feel like we know what they have in Tolbert. And for that reason, this gets the no-change label.

But that is not necessarily a bad thing. Tolbert’s 610 yards and seven touchdowns are fantastic if we’re talking about a WR3. Last year, he was forced into the WR2 role because Cooks got hurt, and from that perspective, it was underwhelming, but with Pickens in town, Tolbert being Tolbert should be just fine. And we should also note that we don’t know who the WR3 will be. It could be Tolbert. It could be Jonathan Mingo. Or, we might see a breakout season from KaVontae Turpin.

There is a chance we could see the WR3 role jump up similar to Randall Cobb’s 800+ yard season in 2019, when the offense also had Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup (pre-injury), but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. To avoid double-counting, the projected WR3 production stays put, but it will feel much better this time.

Status: No Change

TE - Jake Ferguson​

The Pro Bowl tight end from 2023 saw a production decline of 35% last year that was attributed to multiple factors. While catching passes from Cooper Rush was part of it, Ferguson battled multiple injuries last year (knee, concussion), and it showed. Better health and a contract year should make Ferguson an improvement candidate.

Status: Slight Improvement

FB - Hunter Luepke​

There’s not much to see here. Luepke’s roster security will likely be talked about again as we all ponder other options, but keep in mind that the coaching staff loves this guy. He may be used more efficiently with this new offensive staff, but we’ll just keep it even-steven for now.

Status: No Change

LT - Tyler Guyton​

Everyone is down on Guyton, and we get it. He didn’t perform like the previous first-round offensive linemen the Cowboys have selected before him. But those are unreasonable standards to hold him to. Guyton followed a typical rookie trajectory that was affected by several injuries. The coaching staff is very high on him, and better things should come in year two, especially when you consider he’ll be surrounded by some of the best offensive line coaching in the biz.

Status: Slight Improvement

LG - Tyler Smith​

This just in - Tyler Smith is really good at football. He’s entering his fourth year in the league, and he’s only 24 years old. This cat’s only getting better. Riley should help Smith reach his ceiling, but expectations are already high for the team’s top offensive lineman.

Status: No Change

C - Cooper Beebe​

This is a player to keep an eye on. Beebe was thrown into the center position last year after spending all his time at Kansas State playing everywhere on the offensive line except center. It didn’t matter, though. He had a solid rookie year, and his raw traits were on full display. Add in that he’s getting his old college coach, Conor Riley, who turned him into a star, and we might start hearing his name come up as one of the better centers in the league.

Status: Slight Improvement

RG - Tyler Booker​

On one hand, Booker is a rookie, and rookies come with growing pains. On the other hand, he’s the top guard coming out of college, and the Cowboys absolutely had to have him with their 12th overall pick. Booker should be a good player with the upside to be great, and that makes him a slight improvement over 2024 Zack Martin. And remember, Martin’s performance last season showed us an aging player who had some real struggles.

Status: Slight Improvement

RT - Terence Steele​

Finishing things off is the player everyone loves to hate. Steele gets the Doug Free treatment as he’s labeled as the weakest link because his bad plays are... well, bad. But where he separates himself from Free is how well he can play at times, and those instances are slowly coming back. Remember, he was a good player pre-injury, and with another year removed from his terrible knee injury, this should be the year he reminds fans why he was given that nice contract.

Status: Slight Improvement

Looking at the offense, here is a summary of the changes...

Looking at this group, there are many areas where the Cowboys are expected to get better. This is great news for an offense that finished outside the top 20 in points scored last year after finishing inside the top 5 the previous three years. If you’re looking for a reason to be excited about the Cowboys this year, look no further than the improvements we should see on offense.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...pickens-tyler-booker-jaydon-blue-dak-prescott

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

NFC East news: Washington’s Deebo Samuel out to silence doubters

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The latest news from around the division.

Commanders’ WR Deebo Samuel has a message for his detractors - Bryan Manning, USA Today​

Deebo Samuel, like Washington last year, is out to prove doubters wrong.

In 2021, Deebo Samuel was arguably the NFL’s most dangerous offensive player. The then-third-year wide receiver caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards (18.2 YPC) and six touchdowns. Samuel also rushed for 365 yards and eight touchdowns.

However, since then, Samuel has failed to reach those numbers, with some calling his play disappointing and both he and the 49ers wanting to separate. In March, San Francisco traded Samuel to the Washington Commanders. In Washington, Samuel would reunite with Commanders’ GM Adam Peters, the former 49ers’ assistant GM who played a significant role in the Niners selecting Samuel in the 2019 NFL draft.

Samuel has one season remaining on his contract. The Commanders altered that contract for 2025, making Samuel happy. Samuel, for his part, appears more motivated than ever. Not only does Samuel want to land a second lucrative contract extension, but he also wants to shut down some of the nonsense regarding his play, including his weight and conditioning. The Commanders and Samuel have shared numerous posts on social media showing Samuel looking to be in excellent shape.

The Commanders believe Samuel can thrive in offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. While Samuel was on some successful 49ers teams, he’s never played with a quarterback like Daniels and opposite a receiver such as Terry McLaurin.

Bet against Samuel. But don’t be surprised if he proves his doubters wrong and has a big year for the Commanders in 2025.

Top Eagles storylines heading into 2025 OTAs - Dave Zangaro, NBC Sports Philadelphia​

Storylines surrounding the defending Super Bowl champions.

The Eagles are reigning Super Bowl champions and they’ll take their first steps to defending that title this week when they kick off their spring practices.

While the Eagles began their offseason workout program back on April 21 and had their rookie minicamp after the draft, OTAs are the beginning of Phase 3 of the NFL’s offseason workout plan, as defined by the collective bargaining agreement.

This isn’t real football yet but it’s close.

The Eagles this year have six days of OTAs scheduled: May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3 and June 5. They also have one day of mandatory minicamp on June 10. The Eagles are expecting to hold their media availability later in the week.

Here are some key storylines this spring:

A new OC

The Eagles are coming off a Super Bowl season but will have a new offensive coordinator after Kellen Moore left for the Saints’ head coaching job. While the Eagles would have obviously preferred to keep Moore — after you win a Super Bowl, you want to run it back — it’s not like the Eagles’ passing offense was spectacular for most of 2024. The passing game was there when the Eagles needed it but they actually finished with the No. 29-ranked passing offense in the NFL (they were No. 2 in rushing) in the 2024 regular season. Remember when A.J. Brown had his infamous “passing” line about what needed to improve with the offense? That came in December.

Dealing with the target

The Eagles will have super high expectations going into the 2025 season. Even after losing some key players in free agency, they still have a ton of talent and are the reigning Super Bowl champions. That puts a target on their back.

The good news is that the Eagles still have head coach Nick Sirianni and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in place as well as a bunch of talent. Even facing a difficult schedule, this team seems poised to compete for another Super Bowl in 2025. In fact, entering the spring, they’re the Super Bowl favorites.

Giants Rookie QB Jaxson Dart Unsuccessful in Obtaining Jersey No. 2 from Teammate - Patricia Traina, Sports Illustrated​

The rookie didn’t want his number that badly.

New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxsn Dart, who wore No. 2 at Ole Miss, was unsuccessful in securing the jersey number to wear with the Giants.

That’s because the number, currently held by third-year cornerback Deonte Banks, who earlier this year gave up No. 3 to quarterback Russell Wilson, was going to cost Dart a pretty penny to make the switch.

Everyone has their price, but sometimes it's too high - even for a first rounder like Jaxson Dart @nflpa | @Fanatics pic.twitter.com/yICvMiFhV0

— cllct (@cllctMedia) May 26, 2025​

“Yeah, it’s too much,” Dart told Cllct Media. “Too much.”

Dart, who has yet to sign his rookie contract as of this writing, didn’t say what Banks’s asking price was to surrender the number, but he clearly wasn’t interested in ponying up the cash to get the number previously worn by quarterback Drew Lock last season.

Dart was assigned No. 6 for his current jersey. He told reporters at the rookie minicamp that he would try out the number and see how he looked in pictures wearing it before deciding whether to keep it or seek a new one.

According to Over the Cap, Dart’s four-year rookie deal is projected to be worth $16.977 million, with an $8.987 million signing bonus and an $840,000 base salary.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...on-deebo-samuel-eagles-ota-giants-jaxson-dart

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys pre-training camp rookie projection: OL Tyler Booker

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How good do you expect Tyler Booker to be in his first season?

You could say that no other Dallas Cowboys player in 2025 has more pressure on them than rookie first-round pick Tyler Booker. The Cowboys spent the 12th overall pick on Booker to replace future Hall of Famer Zack Martin. Those are no easy shoes to fill. The Booker selection was criticized by some draft analysts, but there is no questioning the skillset of the former Alabama offensive lineman.

The Cowboys coaching staff wasted zero time throwing Booker into the fire, giving him a majority of the first team reps at right guard in the early portion of the teams OTA’s. Booker will be tasked with taking over the team’s starting right guard spot heading into training camp and by the looks of it, the Cowboys are ready for him to take that on.

FWIW…

Tyler Booker received RG1 reps today in OTAs. pic.twitter.com/Ff6U2VnDjt

— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) May 20, 2025​

Booker was a sensational run blocker at Alabama and impressed as a pass protector despite some of his athletic limitations. In year one, Booker will likely carry over a similar skillset, showing pro-ready ability as a run blocker, but could deal with some struggles early as a pass protector. Even with some of the limitations athletically, Booker should slide in as a quality starting right guard. Zack Martin looked like a shell of himself for most of the season in 2024, and Brock Hoffman proved to be a capable option as a fill-in starter when Martin went down with injury.

Even as a young player, Booker should be able to upgrade the Cowboys’ interior offensive line pretty quickly early on in his career. Booker’s raw power, run-blocking abilities, size, and leadership traits should immediately improve the Cowboys run game from day one. Booker is unlikely to be a Pro Bowl-caliber player in year one, but his ability to step in and improve the Cowboys run blocking, and likely improve their interior pass blocking from where it was in 2024, is a relatively safe bet given the other option currently on the roster.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...ookie-projection-offensive-guard-tyler-booker

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys trivia: Your in-5 daily game, Thursday edition

Think you can figure out which Cowboys player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Can you guess this free agent addition in today’s in-5 trivia game?Hey Cowboys fans! We’re back for another day of the Blogging The Boys in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​

Wednesday, May 28, 2025
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Monday, May 26, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​

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Blogging The Boys in-5 instructions​

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Cowboys player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2025/5/29/24439242/sb-nation-cowboys-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Former UCLA DTs vital to Cowboys' 2025 success

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The Cowboys have had some success finding defensive tackles from UCLA.

New defensive coordinator, same old problem.

Year in and year out, it seems as if the interior of the Dallas Cowboys defensive line is the one position we can point to as a weak link on the roster. The 2025 season offers up the same challenge, making Matt Eberflus' job that much more difficult as Dallas' new DC.

Outside of re-signing Osa Odighizuwa to once again hold down the starting job at the ever important 3-technique position in Eberflus' 4-3 scheme, the Cowboys did not spend big to add to the position. Odighizuwa is one of the better 3-techniques in the league and a perfect fit in Eberflus' scheme. And, one could argue, if he had a little more help around him he possesses Pro Bowl potential.

Minus Odighizuwa, there is a question of whether the DT position will be any better than it has been under previous defensive coordinators in Dallas. Mazi Smith still hasn't lived up to his first-round draft status. The Cowboys did add some help in free agency by adding Solomon Thomas, but he is starting the backside of his career. He will contribute, but how much is hard to say.

Dallas waited until the seventh round to attempt to upgrade the position in the 2025 NFL Draft. With the 217th and 247th overall pick, the Cowboys drafted Jay Toia and Tommy Akingbesote to add some much-needed depth to the DT position. As seventh-round picks though, not much is expected of them to make significant impacts as rookies.

Of the two though, Jay Toia has a pretty good shot at becoming a solid rotation piece in 2025, taking away some of the snaps from Mazi Smith. While he was a late-round pick, there are those who had him graded several rounds earlier, like The Athletic's Dane Brugler.

Per Dane Brugler's "The Beast":

A three-year starter at UCLA, Toia was the zero/one-technique in defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe’s 3-3-5 base scheme. His production on paper doesn’t jump out, but the tape shows a player willing to chew up blocks in the middle, freeing linebackers and ends to make plays.

When he plays with consistent leverage, Toia is able to put down roots and shut down inside running lanes. However, he must continue to develop his instincts to create tackle opportunities, instead of just taking up room. Overall, Toia might not have the length or awareness to be a full-time two-gapper in the NFL, but he has a powerful base and physical hands to neutralize the point of attack. He projects as a scheme-versatile nose tackle.

GRADE: 3rd-4th Round

Toia possesses the skill set to potentially push Mazi Smith for the starting job as Dallas' 1-technique, despite being a seventh-round pick. All the intangibles are there for him to succeed, but first he'll have to catch the eye of the coaching staff and outperform his competition.

That's not completely out of the question considering Smith has not as of yet been able to shed the first-round bust label. In fact, with a new DC and coaching staff, he doesn’t have a true lock on the job, opening up the door for Toia.

However he is used, Toia should be a significant part of the Cowboys DL this season if he plays to his talent in training camp and preseason. And because of that, will be a vital part of Dallas' success or failure along with Odighizuwa, a fellow UCLA alumni.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...sa-odighizuwa-jay-toia-2025-roster-mazi-smith

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

NFC East news: Commanders Trey Amos standing out, Skattebo grateful to be in New York

Photo by John McDonnell/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

The latest news from around the division.

3 standouts from Commanders OTAs - Zach Selby, Commanders.com​

Some Washington players are already turning heads.

The Washington Commanders wrapped up their first OTA practice of Phase 3, and while nothing seen at this time of year should be taken as an indication of how players or the team will perform in September, there were a few standouts on Wednesday. Here are three players that caught our eye.

Trey Amos

There’s no telling at this point just how many snaps the second-round pick will get as a rookie or where he will land on depth chart, but Amos made the most of his snaps in seven-on-seven drills.

Amos, who the Commanders considered taking with their first-round pick, held his own against several of the team’s veterans. In one of his more impressive plays, he managed to stay upright after his feet got tangled with Michael Gallup and got under a tipped pass for an interception on the second play of the drill. He nearly got a second one later in the day while working against Luke McCaffrey and kept up with Deebo Samuel when lined up against him.

Although general manager Adam Peters said Amos is an all-around cornerback, the Commanders primarily view him as a perimeter defender. As shown during his reps against Samuel, his large frame allows him to be physical at the line of scrimmage with bigger receivers. Amos still has months before he is ready to be a regular defensive contributor, but he’s off to a good start.

Jayden Daniels

Daniels didn’t have many eye-catching moments during Wednesday’s practice. He was as comfortable and collected as ever, leading the offense during drills and dishing out the ball to his receivers with accuracy and poise.

Daniels, who appears slightly more muscular, has clearly been putting in the work to stay on top of his game this offseason, and that deserves some credit.

“I gotta go out there and prove myself each and every day, no matter if it was last season, this season, 10, 20 years down the road. You have to prove yourself each and every season,” Daniels said.

By all accounts, Daniels has had an excellent offseason and earned some praise from his teammates and coaches for it. “He’s...as focused and relentless as you could be about getting better,” said head coach Dan Quinn. “And so that’s why I said for us around here, we appreciate that.” Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury echoed that sentiment, saying Daniels is “very highly motivated to be as good as he can be.”

Jalen Hurts embracing change under Philadelphia Eagles new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo - Kelsey Kramer, AtoZSports.com​

A new offensive coordinator this year is nothin new for Jalen Hurts.

The Philadelphia Eagles made another big change this offseason, swapping out Kellen Moore for Kevin Patullo as Jalen Hurts’ new offensive coordinator.

That makes technically five offensive coordinators (Doug Pederson (2020), Nick Sirianni/Shane Steichen (2021), Shane Steichen (2022), Brian Johnson (2023), and Kellen Moore (2024). Patullo) since Hurts entered the NFL in 2020 and at least ten different playcallers for him dating back to high school. It’s a lot of change for any quarterback, but Hurts just keeps rolling with it and is embracing the change.

“I know in the past, I would have given a number on that matter. But things evolve and things change and so we’ve just really bought into that,” Hurts said. “That’s an important thing. I think that’s something I’ve learned as well, that you have to be able to evolve as time goes on. And so given coach Kevin Patullo and his new role now, and him being one in charge of offensive leadership — you get new pieces and new ideas that come from everyone.”

The silver lining is that Hurts is finally getting some consistency. Patullo was promoted from within, moving up from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator.

It also helps that Hurts has a ton of control over the offense, so it doesn’t really matter who is in charge anymore, since it’s Hurts’ offense.

Cam Skattebo Reveals Giants Drafted Him Despite Notable Pre-Draft Blunder - ProFootballNetwork.com​

Skattebo thought he messed up on his pre-draft visit to New York.

Cam Skattebo didn’t just break out in 2024 — he bulldozed his way into the national spotlight, racking up over 2,300 total yards and 24 touchdowns on his way to putting the NFL on notice. The Arizona standout was selected 105th overall by the New York Giants, but that was the last team he expected to land with.

Skattebo’s tough, physical running style earned him comparisons to NFL players like Kyren Williams and made him a guaranteed Day 3 pick. However, the 23-year-old thought he blew his chance with the Giants during the top 30 visit when he was late to his first-ever meeting with the front office.

“I never thought it was going to be New York cause I was actually late to the first meeting ever, on my 30 visit,” Skattebo said on the “St. Brown Podcast”. “I was five minutes late to the bus pickup. I thought I was cooked there.”

Skattebo further revealed he was expecting to be drafted 100th overall by the San Francisco 49ers before falling to the Giants. His reaction when the Giants called him was, of course, one of relief and joy.

“Getting the call on draft night, it’s like, ‘Hey, you’re going to be a New York Giant,’” Skattebo said. “I’m like, ‘holy cow.’…After I was drafted and they FaceTimed me, I told them I’ll never be late again.”

Skattebo was lucky to still get drafted by the Giants, but it wouldn’t have been possible without his production in college. Nevertheless, the Arizona State star knows there’s a big difference between college and professional football, and that he will have to prove himself all over again with the Giants.

“How many snaps of the NFL have you seen me play?’’ Skattebo said when asked about how he maintains his work ethic. “Zero, right? I’ve proved nothing. I’ve proved what I am in college, but I’ve proved nothing at this level.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...y-amos-giants-cam-skattebo-eagles-jalen-hurts

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Tyler Smith named as a top candidate for the NFL’s newest award

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

Dallas’ young offensive linemen could be in line to win the league’s newest award.

Last week, the National Football League announced its awards ballot would have an extra addition this upcoming season. The league released that it would be debuting a new award to honor the league’s top offensive linemen.

The award, named The Protector of the Year by the NFL, will be decided annually by a panel that includes a number of former standout NFL linemen, according to NFL.com.

The competition to win this award will be pretty steep, as only one lineman in the entire league will walk away with the honor at season’s end. With that thought in mind, Pro Football Network released an article last week detailing one lineman from each team who could be a candidate to win the award in its first year.

For the Dallas Cowboys, PFN selected 24-year-old Tyler Smith. The two-time Pro Bowler was an obvious selection for the Cowboys, as Smith has been one of the most productive linemen in all of football since entering the league in 2022.

Here’s what PFN has to say about why Smith could be a serious candidate for the award.

11) Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Smith

After the retirement of Zack Martin, the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive line is Smith’s group now. He’s been a Pro Bowler each of the last two years and should be in the mix for Protector of the Year, especially if the Cowboys’ passing attack fares well with Dak Prescott throwing to the tandem of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.

While there is no denying that Smith is one of the most talented linemen in all of football, it will likely be an uphill battle for him, or any guard, to win the award over some of the league’s top tackles. Players like Lane Johnson, Penei Sewell, Rashawn Slater, and Trent Williams may have an edge over Smith strictly based on the position they play.

However, if guards are given legit consideration to win the award, there is no one in the league more primed to receive the honor than Smith. The 24-year-old continues to get better every season in the league and, as PFN mentioned, will be the anchor on Dallas’ offensive line that is looking to have a bounce-back year.

He may not end up taking home the award, but it seems like a good bet that Tyler Smith will be a serious candidate for the Protector of the Year honor every season moving forward.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...award-protector-of-the-year-offensvie-linemen

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys Spelling Bee: Most misspelled Cowboys player names

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Spelling player names correctly may not be as easy as it seems.

You may have missed the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Friday, which a 13-year old boy from Texas won for spelling “éclaircissement.” Not to worry though, ESPN (“The Worldwide Leader in Sports”) has you covered:

13-year-old Faizan Zaki from Allen, Texas spelled the word 'eclaircissement' to win the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee

He didn't even need to ask a question before spelling it correctly

( ION, @ScrippsBee) pic.twitter.com/Z2dm8ewCgK

— ESPN (@espn) May 30, 2025​

In a roundabout way, and because we are in the depths of the offseason where a little fun never hurt anyone, that got me thinking about our Dallas Cowboys and some of the most misspelled player names from the past. Michael Irvin or Irving? And was it Emmitt or Emmit? What about the great Columbo, or was it Colombo? Remember Terrance/Terrence/Terence Williams? And why did some folks feel the need to spell Jason Witten “Whitten”?

All of these were common misspellings you’d come across on message boards and blogs like ours in the past, and more recently social social media has carried on and amplified that proud tradition.

But these misspellings are not just the the forte of fan conversations, even the Cowboys’ own equipment staff once misspelled a name on a jersey, swapping the “C” and “S” in “Esch” on Leighton Vander Esch’s jersey.

On to the 2025 team. Here are nine names that might prove a challenge in a Cowboys Spelling Bee:

Osa Odighizuwa​

His Nigerian surname presents challenges with its multiple syllables and consonant clusters, which is why he is often referred to by “Osa” and is the occasional target of unimaginative and overused “no diggity”/”o diggity” jokes.

Markquese Bell​

The unconventional spelling of “Markquese” has conscientious fans always looking up the spelling before using his name online.

DaRon Bland​

The capital “R” in “DaRon” is often overlooked, leading to incorrect spellings like “Daron.”

Tommy Akingbesote​

Another Nigerian surname that could be prone to misspellings due to its length and complexity - especially if the rookie garners any playing time.

Luq Barcoo​

Few people know he is even on the roster (Barcoo was a reserve/future signing in January), fewer people know how to pronounce his name. And the unique spelling of “Luq” (apparently pronounced “Luke”) may lead to issues, and the surname may prove a challenge as well, depending on how you pronounce it.

Micah Parsons​

While “Micah” is a biblical name, not everybody can quote chapter and verse, so you’ll see the occasional “Micha” or “Mika.”

DeMarvion Overshown​

The capitalization in his first name is an issue he shares with Bland, but both his first and last names are uncommon, which could result in frequent misspellings.

Marist Liufau​

His Samoan surname could be challenging due to its unfamiliar phonetics and spelling.

Donovan Ezeiruaku​

Already going by “Easy” because there are “too many ‘Donovan’s’ around here,” his is the third Nigerian surname on the list and perhaps the most difficult to spell.

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Mark Twain allegedly once said, “I don’t give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.” And while he may not have been welcome at the 2025 National Spelling Bee with a quote like that, he’s welcome here.

What’s your favorite player name typo or misspelling that you have come across, here on BTB or elsewhere?

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...ighizuwa-merkquese-bell-ezeiruaku-daron-bland

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Like Byron Jones before him, the Cowboys should let DaRon Bland walk next summer

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

The Cowboys have a huge decision to make about DaRon Bland in the near future.

The Dallas Cowboys are about to have a lot of decisions to make. Micah Parsons’s contract has already been the subject of much discussion, but other players entering the final year of their current deal include George Pickens, Jalen Tolbert, Jake Ferguson, Hunter Luepke, Brandon Aubrey, Sam Williams, Donovan Wilson, and DaRon Bland.

Of all of those names, though, Bland may be the most intriguing.

A fifth-round pick in 2022, Bland was pushed into a starting role as a rookie when slot corner Jourdan Lewis suffered a season-ending injury. He played well enough to earn the starting job opposite Trevon Diggs the next year, though Diggs would suffer an injury of his own early into the season.

Bland, who had led the team with five picks the year before, lit the league on fire with a league-leading nine interceptions, breaking a record by returning five of them for a touchdown. Unsurprisingly, Bland was named a First-Team All-Pro that year.

However, Bland’s follow-up campaign wasn’t as special. He failed to record an interception all year, though he missed more than half the season with a foot injury. Even when he did play, though, Bland didn’t look like himself.

He gave up a completion two thirds of the time quarterbacks threw at him, and Bland’s passer rating allowed clocked in at 116.1, which is easily the worst mark in his career. In fact, only seven cornerbacks had a worse passer rating when targeted last year.

Of course, none of this is to say that Bland is a bad player - the injury and the scheme change are two big factors to consider - but it does complicate the question of Bland’s market as contract negotiations approach.

Bland’s 2023 was spectacular, and he’s already got his name in the NFL record books. It won’t surprise anyone if his agent tries to make Bland the highest-paid cornerback in the league. Honestly, anything less than top five would be a shock.

Currently, Spotrac lists Bland’s market value at an average of $23.7 million per year. That would make him the third-highest paid cornerback, behind Jaire Alexander of the Packers and Denzel Ward of the Browns. That said, Spotrac’s formula generally puts more weight on comparisons to current contracts of players with similar performance rather than taking into account potential resetting of markets.

In other words, Bland could very easily end up securing a contract that pays him more than $24 million a year.

Whatever the actual number ends up being, though, it shouldn’t be with the Cowboys. Jerry Jones would be wise to mimic a move he pulled back in 2019 with another cornerback in Byron Jones. While Jones had quickly grown into one of the better coverage corners in the league, Dallas didn’t feel he was worth top-market money, in part due to a lack of takeaways. As such, it became a widely known secret that the Cowboys were going to let Jones walk.

Bland is kind of in a reverse situation. Unlike Jones, Bland has a knack for getting takeaways; even this past year, with no picks, Bland recovered his first career fumble. However, Bland hasn’t been quite the shutdown cover corner that Jones once was. He’s giving up a 65.2% completion rate for his career and has been the victim of quite a few big plays over the years.

Again, nobody thinks Bland is a bad cornerback, and he’s certainly in the realm of very good. But is his body of work thus far worthy of being paid like one of the three best cornerbacks in the league? It’s unpopular, but the answer is no.

The Cowboys might know this, too. Last year they drafted Caelen Carson in the fifth round and this year they took Shavon Revel Jr. in the third. Carson looked overwhelmed in limited play as a rookie, and Revel is still recovering from a torn ACL, but both players have potential and upside.

If the Cowboys are planning to give Bland the Byron Jones treatment, they’ve already got two in-house replacements they can be developing. And, of course, there’s always the 2026 draft and free agency if neither is ready. But a future without Bland in Dallas seems much more palatable than one where he’s being paid top dollar.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...agency-jerry-jones-shavon-revel-caelen-carson

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Brian Schottenheimer seems very focused on connecting Dallas Cowboys present to the past

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Brian Schottenheimer seems focused on connecting Cowboys present to its past.

During his press conference ahead of OTAs last week, Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer was asked about his choice to wear a visor. Specifically, he was asked if his visor is a nod to Steve Spurrier. For those unaware, Schotty was a part of the 1996 Florida Gators team that Spurrier led to the National Championship. Schottenheimer landed in Gainesville by way of transfer and told that story while reflecting on the role that Spurrier, known for his signature visor, played in his football development. He even bragged about that team’s title while recounting the story.

Schottenheimer was a clipboard holder for those Gators as Danny Wuerffel was the team’s quarterback and was also that season’s Heisman Trophy Winner, but the role and experience clearly taught him a lot. As noted, Schottenheimer bragged about the team he was a part of just last week right after confirming that he wears a visor as a nod to the man who helped it all happen. History is clearly important to the son of one of the NFL’s greatest coaches ever.

Marty Schottenheimer ranks eighth all time in terms of NFL head coach wins, and was clearly a force during his time patrolling the league’s sidelines. Brian also made mention of how he would love to speak to his father, Marty passed away in 2021, about life running an NFL team.

Brian Schottenheimer appears to want to marry the present with the past​

You do not have to look hard to see that history matters to Brian Schottenheimer. It makes sense that this would be the case given the football life that he has lived.

But while Schottenheimer has been around the Cowboys for a minute now, he is not Jason Garrett in that he grew up with this team. He has never worn a Cowboys helmet, nor did he throw a pass at Texas Stadium, and he obviously never started for the team at quarterback on Thanksgiving Day.

Still though, the team’s history seems to carry a high level of importance for Schotty. We touched on this in our news roundup last weekend but in case you missed it the Cowboys hosted former legends of the team alongside their families to partake in action with the current day team.

The mothership’s Mickey Spagnola offered some details on the event:

Yep, Schottenheimer wanted his players to connect with greatness, with the Cowboys’ glorified past. These guys were not only here to watch practice but also sit in during the team and position meetings, allowing these former players to introduce themselves but also bring along family members, for sure children and grandchildren. Also an opportunity to kibitz with one another, reliving old times.

You could argue that a problem some Cowboys teams have had throughout The Drought™ is that they were living in the past. What different teams, different eras honestly, accomplished is business that only they can stand on. Different players and coaches hung the banners that fly within AT&T Stadium these days. The current version of the team has yet to do so.

But ignoring or running from the past is also a step in the wrong direction. This is the Dallas Cowboys we are talking about, a team rich with history and tradition. It is at the very least cool that Schottenheimer is trying to convey the reasons as to why the star on the players’ helmets are so heavy. It is because of the people that came before them and everything that they did to lift it up so high.

Spagnola noted a list of players who partook in these activities and one of them was former BTBer Tony Casillas. On Monday, Casillas shared a bit of what the experience was like from his perspective and it all sounds very cool.

Cowboys culture changing !! #HappyMonday pic.twitter.com/jXRmsJMRpP

— tony casillas (@tccasillas) June 2, 2025​

Nobody is suggesting that Schottenheimer bringing some of the greatest players in team history around is going to help the current squad on any hypothetical 1st-and-10. What we are noting here is that the head coach seems to understand some important things that are rather intangible. That is important in and of itself. Good for Schotty and his visor-wearing ways.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...ulture-change-tony-casillas-franchise-history

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

BTB Wednesday Discussion: Does Micah Parsons pledging to be at minicamp impress you?

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Micah Parsons has committed to showing up to Cowboys minicamp next week.

On Tuesday evening Micah Parsons noted on social media that he will be in attendance at the Dallas Cowboys’ mandatory minicamp next week.

The reason this is news is because he is in the middle of negotiations on a contract extension with the team. One school of thought is that he could, or should, hold out and not participate in things like this in the name of sending a message. Others believe that he should show up and honor the contract he is still technically on to prove some sort of leadership. We have had these discussions and debates for years.

However you feel philosophically what we want to know today is how you feel about Parsons voicing his intentions to be at minicamp next week. Are you impressed? Do you think this is no big deal as this should be expected anyway?

Let us know in the comments below!

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...arsons-pledging-to-be-at-minicamp-impress-you

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

How close the Cowboys came to erasing the memory of the team’s four most iconic quarterbacks

Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images

The Cowboys’ path to finding franchise quarterbacks throughout this century has been pretty unique.

When you look at the history of the Dallas Cowboys, there is a never-ending list of great stories. We could go on forever discussing how certain players ended up in Dallas and explore so many different hypotheticals that it could drive fans crazy.

Speaking of crazy, something that is crazy to think about is how close the Cowboys came to not having one of their four most talented quarterbacks over their 65-year existence. If you examined each situation, there were instances in each case that almost made it to where the legacy we have come to appreciate never happened. Let’s brush off some cobwebs and take a stroll down memory lane.

What if Landry didn’t have the patience to wait for Staubach?​

Starting with Captain America himself, the Roger Staubach story has several what-ifs along the way. The team took a flyer on him, drafting him in the 10th round of the 1964 draft, however, Staubach wouldn’t step onto the field until five years later due to his commitment to the Navy. He even used his military leave to show up at Cowboys rookie camp. And when he finally did arrive in Dallas, he found himself in a quarterback battle with Craig Morton. In fact, it was a timeshare unlike any other, as head coach Tom Landry would alternate between the two QBs within the games. It wasn’t until Staubach’s third season in the league at the age of 29 that he finally took over as the team’s undisputed starting quarterback, where he led the Cowboys to four Super Bowls, winning two of them.

What if Jimmy sided with Walsh over Aikman?​

From one Super Bowl-winning Hall of Fame quarterback to another, the team selected Troy Aikman number one overall in the 1989 NFL draft. Unlike Staubach, Aikman started right away, and it was rocky to say the least. Jimmy Johnson inherited a terrible team from the legendary Landry, and they finished 1-15 in their first season. Despite their draft investment in Aikman, Johnson loved his former Miami Hurricane quarterback Steve Walsh and selected him second overall in the supplemental draft that same year. Aikman missed five games in his rookie season, and Walsh stepped in and helped Dallas win their only game of the year. In the end, Walsh was traded to New Orleans a year later, but Jimmy’s love for his former college quarterback created some uncertainty as to what direction they might go.

What if Romo was traded to the Saints?​

The Cowboys were in quarterback purgatory after Aikman retired, and it wasn’t until Tony Romo showed up that new life emerged. Actually, it was four years after he arrived before Romo-mania took off. That’s because he was an undrafted free agent who was buried on the depth chart for his first few years in the league. After some impressive pre-season outings, some took notice, including his former quarterback coach Sean Payton, who had just become the head coach in New Orleans. Payton offered a third-round pick for Romo, but Jerry Jones wouldn’t give him up for anything less than a second-round pick. A deal was never done, and by Week 6 of the 2006 season, a new era in Dallas had begun as Romo took over the starting job, replacing Drew Bledsoe.

What if the Cowboys never drafted Dak?​

Fast forward ten years, and we find ourselves in another unexpected passing of the torch at quarterback. After the Cowboys missed out on two of their QB targets in the draft, Paxton Lynch and Connor Cook, they eventually “settled” on Dak Prescott at pick 135. Prescott entered his rookie season fourth on the depth chart behind Romo, Kellen Moore, and Jameill Showers. Injuries to Romo and Moore opened the door, and Prescott’s performance moved him to the top spot by the start of the regular season. And he never let go. Prescott had an impressive rookie season. It was so good that Jason Garrett made the tough decision to stay with Dak even after Romo was healthy again, leaving Cowboys fans with one of the biggest hypotheticals in franchise history...

What if Romo got one final shot?​

What do you think happens if the Cowboys roll with Tony Romo in the playoffs in 2016? Do things work out better for Dallas? Worse? No change?

Romo looked sharp during his final drive in a Cowboys uniform. pic.twitter.com/MiC7OOyk8Z

— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) June 1, 2025​

What do you think happens? It’s tough to answer. Romo had a checkered past of up and down playoff moments, but his last two playoff games in 2014 were pretty solid. He had settled down and wasn’t making as many reckless decisions. Prescott was young, but he was pretty calm and collected. He played well against the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round in 2016, leading a comeback charge despite falling into a hole. Obviously, the Cowboys came up short in that game, so it’s easy to just say they should’ve gone with Romo, but it would have been hard for him to have put together a better game to produce a more favorable outcome. The Cowboys lost that game, but it wasn’t because of Dak. There’s a slight chance it might’ve gone better, but there’s an even greater chance there was no change, or even worse.

The Cowboys' quarterback situation has had so many crazy backstories that go back many decades. Even the Danny White/Gary Hogeboom QB controversy was something fans of the ‘80s had to endure. We can point to so many different instances where the franchise was super close to leaning the other way, and it could’ve meant the legacy of some of our all-time favorites never happened.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...-romo-roger-staubach-dak-prescott-troy-aikman

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Micah Parsons may see less hybrid work under Matt Eberflus

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

What are you expecting Micah Parsons’ role to be in 2025?

All eyes are on Micah Parsons, though that’s hardly unusual. During the season, it’s usually opposing offensive coaches and players who constantly obsess over Parsons, where he’s at and who’s tasked with trying (and often failing) to stop him.

Right now, all eyes are on his money, specifically the lack thereof. Parsons’ rookie deal is set to expire after this upcoming season, and extension talks have been slow thus far. To no one’s surprise, Parsons has opted to skip voluntary workouts, though he recently pledged to show up for mandatory OTA’s, avoiding any potential fines or added drama.

While everyone is focused on whether or not a deal will happen - spoiler alert: it will, but not before a lot more hand-wringing - the bigger question regarding the superstar defender should be focused on what his role will be in 2025.

Since entering the league in 2021, Parsons has enjoyed a sort of hybrid role for the Cowboys. While his elite pass rush skills have meant that he’s going after the quarterback on the majority of snaps, it hasn’t kept him from being moved around the defense like a chess piece.

When Dan Quinn was in town, Parsons lined up quite literally everywhere. He spent most of his time on the line of scrimmage, but lined up somewhere different every snap. He would frequently start at off-ball linebacker too, before blitzing at the snap. Quinn even had Parsons lined up out wide as a defensive back on a couple isolated occasions.

Parsons’ role became a bit more defined with Mike Zimmer last year, but not restrictively so. While the 2024 season saw Parsons’ highest percentage of snaps on the line of scrimmage, Zimmer essentially built his scheme around Parsons having the discretion to line up wherever he wanted, with the star pass rusher saying this early in the season:

The fact that I got the creativity to control things where I know I got to be on my A-game always because I got these other guys depending on me now to like controlling that [alignment]. It kind of gets me more excited, it gets me more into it. It gets that drive, that hunger just a little bit more. Now I feel like I just can’t let this guy [Zimmer] down. He’s giving me the keys to the system.

Parsons still primarily played out on the edges, where he’s most comfortable and most effective, but the freedom to move around at will helped unlock a different animal for the Lion. It became common for Parsons to work as a linebacker mugging the A-gap on third downs, a popular front for Zimmer. He even took 17 charted snaps at defensive tackle, an alignment so unique that offensive linemen didn’t quite know what to do with it.

Zimmer is gone, though, and he’s replaced by Matt Eberflus. While there are some philosophical similarities between Eberflus and Zimmer - they both come from 4-3 backgrounds and call a lot of zone coverage - there are more differences than similarities.

Eberflus has generally been more rigid in his schemes. While Zimmer is hellbent on doing anything and everything to confuse the quarterback - sometimes at the cost of confusing his own players, too - Eberflus has always prioritized simplicity in scheme, preferring to let his players’ natural athleticism do the work for them.

That begs the question of how Eberflus will deploy Parsons. In looking at Eberflus’ defenses in the past, the most we’ve seen in terms of creativity with his pass rushers is having hybrid defensive ends who shift inside on passing downs. Hardly akin to the multiplicity that Parsons is capable of.

That said, Eberflus has never worked with a player like Parsons.

Earlier in the offseason, Eberflus was asked about his plans for the perennial All Pro. While he didn’t give anything specific - not atypical for coaches in February - Eberflus did say this:

“Micah is a premier pass rusher. We’re going to use him that way, certainly, and he’s one heck of an athlete that can do a lot of different things for us on defense. And when you have a guy like that, you want to be able to utilize his skill set.

As we’re around him more, we’ll see what that skill set is, and really take advantage of that. … He knows that we’ll just make him in the best light that he can be in terms of position, in terms of pass rush, and really utilizing what he does best, and that’s rushing the passer.”

Eberflus seems to be hinting at still preserving some of Parsons’ positional flexibility, but did keep coming back to his view of Parsons’ value really coming in the pass rush aspect. Another key bread crumb from his comments: “as we’re around him more.”

Thus far, Eberflus hasn’t been around Parsons much. Therefore, the process of figuring out how to move him around, where he’s most comfortable, and how the scheme should change as a result of that position flex has been delayed somewhat.

It doesn’t help that the Cowboys didn’t retain any defensive coaches from last year, aside from former safety Darian Thompson, who is assisting with the secondary. Eberflus won’t have any other coaches to rely on for intel about how to best maximize Parsons’ unique abilities, just the players and the film.

Parsons is likely to still be a one-man wrecking crew even if Eberflus’ plans for him are vanilla compared to recent seasons, but it’s something worth considering. Given how much of Parsons’ tremendous value stems from the fact that he can beat you from anywhere, it’s at least a little concerning that we don’t really know how he’ll be used in this new scheme.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...brid-work-defensive-coordinator-matt-eberflus