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[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys trivia: Your in-5 daily game, Monday 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!

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​

Sunday, June 29, 2025
Saturday, June 28, 2025
Friday, June 27, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​

NFL in-5
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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/2025/6/30/24458763/sb-nation-cowboys-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Poll: Do Steelers moves since George Pickens trade make you feel better about it for Cowboys?

Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Steelers have made several moves since trading George Pickens... do they make you feel better about the deal?

We are approaching the two-month anniversary of the Dallas Cowboys trading for George Pickens. It somehow feels even longer than that.

When it comes to trades like this we obviously won’t really know who the true winner is until Pickens has a chance to play for the Cowboys. Even then we still need to see who the third-round pick becomes for the Steelers, and what’s more is we also have to see how Pickens’ contract situation is resolved and whether he re-signs with Dallas or goes elsewhere in 2026.

This is in no way a perfect science to measure things either, but another thing we can pay attention to is the aftermath of everything involved. While the Pickens trade was the final move for the Cowboys following a rather busy offseason, it was sort of the catalyst for the Pittsburgh side of things as they have been a bit busy since.

Consider the notable things that the Steelers have done since trading Pickens to the Cowboys:

• Signed Aaron Rodgers (after months of hanging in limbo there)
• Traded for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith
• Sent Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Dolphins in the trade in question

When word broke of the Steelers trading for Ramsey there were many people lauding it. Ramsey is still a very good player, after all. But once it became public knowledge that Pittsburgh was sending Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami in the deal, it suddenly became clear who the winner in the trade was - Miami. This was true even when factoring in the Steelers acquiring Jonnu Smith as well.

Obviously the Cowboys were not involved in Monday’s trade, but it adds to the list of things the Steelers have done since sending Pickens to them. It goes without saying that the most controversial move Pittsburgh has made all offseason was signing Aaron Rodgers, so ultimately the question is whether or not what they have done since dealing Pickens has made you feel better (assuming you didn’t feel as good as possible already).

Of course, each and every situation is different. The Steelers seemed to have issues with Pickens in terms of harmony or chemistry or whatever you want to call it. They also obviously had a need at quarterback and Aaron Rodgers is Aaron Rodgers which makes dealing with certain things worth it to some people.

All told it is hard though not to look at the Steelers and scratch your head a bit at how they feel they are bettering their team. In this sense it stands to reason that a Cowboys fan would feel better about them handing off a player like Pickens.

Who agrees?

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...ickens-trade-grade-jalen-ramsey-aaron-rodgers

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys have several former first-rounders attempting to resurrect their careers in 2025

Chris Jones-Imagn Images

There are several former first-round picks on the Cowboys roster that could play an interesting role this season.

The Dallas Cowboys added over 30 new faces to the roster either through trades, free agency, or drafted/undrafted rookies. Some of these players will play a more significant role than others for the Cowboys this season, but each of them were brought into hopefully overhaul the roster and Brian Schottenheimer's first-year as Dallas' new head coach.

Surprisingly enough, several of these new additions, and a couple of Dallas' original draft picks, are former first-round selections looking to shed labels after not living up to expectations thus far in their careers. Today, we take a look at these former first-rounders and see how they could fit in with the Cowboys in 2025.

The Cowboys own​

DT Mazi Smith - The 26th overall pick by Dallas in 2023 may not have gotten a fair shake in his first two seasons with the organization. He's had a different defensive coordinator both seasons and will have another new DC in 2025. That could have stunted his development, but whatever the case, he as of yet hasn't lived up to his first-round pedigree for Dallas.

LT Tyler Guyton - It's still way too early to judge the Cowboys 29th overall pick last year, but he'll need to take a significant jump in his development entering Year 2 with the organization to establish his starting position. He could be one of the most important players on the roster this season not named Dak Prescott, and as he goes, so goes Dallas.

The Cowboys trade acquisitions​

CB Kaiir Elam - Elam was the 23rd is pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2022 and spent three seasons there before getting traded to the Cowboys this offseason. He is competing to start on the outside early on in Dallas, at least until Trevon Diggs is able to return to the lineup. A change of scenery might help him find the consistency that eluded him in Buffalo.

LB Kenneth Murray Jr. - Murray was the 23rd pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020 and is the second former first-rounder Dallas acquired via trade this offseason. Some consider him somewhat of a draft bust thinking he didn't live up to expectations, however, he has been a starting caliber LB in his five-year career and is expected start for Dallas in 2025.

The aging vet​

DT Solomon Thomas - Thomas was the third overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2017. He spent four years in San Francisco, one with the Las Vegas Raiders, and the last three with the New York Jets before signing the Cowboys this offseason. He's never quite lived up to his draft status, but has turned into a solid rotational backup 3-tech, which he'll be in Dallas.

The free agent​

DE Payton Turner - Turner was the 28th overall pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2021 and spent four injury-plagued seasons with the organization. The Saints declined to pick up his fifth-year option, leading him to sign with the Cowboys this offseason. He's likely nothing more than a depth piece this season in Dallas, if he makes the final 53-roster.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...-2025-kaiir-elam-kenneth-murray-payton-turner

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

NFC East news: Jaxson Dart displaying leadership in New York

Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

At what point do you think Jaxson Dart will start for the Giants?

25 Questions in 25 Days: What we have learned about Jaxson Dart (so far) - John Schmeelk, Giants.com​

Revelations about New York’s newest QB.

22) What have we learned about QB Jaxson Dart since the Giants drafted him 25th overall?

John Schmeelk: A lot, but maybe not in the ways some people might expect. While the coaches will have a great feel for how quickly he is learning the offense, there’s no way for anyone on the outside looking in, even someone like me who has watched every snap he has taken in practice, to have any real knowledge of how that process is going. The Ole Miss product has had your typical rookie quarterback ups and downs, but he does not look completely overwhelmed like some rookies do in their first spring.

Physically, Dart’s arm is more than adequate to play well in the NFL. The touch he showed at Ole Miss has been apparent in practice. He has the ability to place very catchable balls over defenders. He is a good athlete, with the twitchiness to escape from pressure and the creativity to throw on the move. His competitiveness has also been obvious.

What has really stood out for me has been his personality. After he finished his first in-person media availability during OTAs, I turned to Dan Salomone and Matt Citak and said, “He’s Captain Charisma.” Everyone raved about his personality, leadership skills and intangibles in college, and those have been apparent in how he has operated so far as a Giant.

All in all, the player has matched the college scouting report. Nothing has really surprised me. Everything I thought about the player from his college tape and the reports of his personality have matched what I have seen in person. It’s a good start, but there is a long way to go.

Eagles first-rounder Jihaad Campbell: No preference on position, just want to play football - Josh Alper, NBC Sports​

The passion to play holds precedent over position for Campbell.

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said earlier this month that first-round pick Jihaad Campbell will begin practicing with the team in August when he’s cleared to return from shoulder surgery and he also offered a preview of where Campbell will fit into the team’s defense.

Fangio said that Campbell will be lining up at inside linebacker next to Zach Baun while the team waits for Nakobe Dean to return from his knee injury. Fangio was also asked about the possibility of trying Campbell off the edge and said that was something that any thoughts of that would have to wait until Campbell was back on the field.

In an interview with the Eagles’ website, Campbell said his only current goal is to make that return and that he’ll be happy to fill any role the Eagles have in mind.

“That is for the coaches to decide, not me,” Campbell said. “I’m going to give it my all no matter how they decide to use me on the field. I feel like I’m a versatile player and I know I’m going to learn every day from the guys on this defense. It is going to be hard work. I know that. I want to be the best player I can be, help the defense, help the Eagles win games. That’s the role I want to have. As far as a position, nah. Let’s just play football.”

The Eagles’ recent track record of drafting defensive players bodes well for Campbell’s chances of making a positive impact wherever he lines up in the unit.

NFL insider reveals discouraging update on Commanders’ Terry McLaurin - David Harrison, USA Today​

No movement on McLaurin’s deal isn’t the most reassuring sign in Washington.

We’re all pretty sure the Washington Commanders and receiver Terry McLaurin’s contract extension is a when, not an if, scenario. Still, every day that goes by, the panic meter goes up just a tick.

Making one of his regular appearances on The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN’s Adam Schefter fielded a question about the situation brewing inside the Commanders’ building, and offered an update that is more of a ‘no news is bad news’ scenario than anything.

“There’s no update, which is the update, and that’s the problem,” Schefter said about McLaurin and his negotiations with Washington. “The problem is with this particular situation, I think Terry McLaurin is going to argue that we’ve seen other wide receivers, who his numbers are comparable to, like Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins, and DK Metcalf, get paid over $30 million a year this offseason. And I think the Commanders then can say, ‘Yes, but Mike Evans, who also has had comparable numbers, is at $24 million.’ So there really is quite a difference, and a gap, between what both sides would want.”

Many in the media have projected McLaurin’s extension to put him in the $30+ million range per year, so if the Commanders are trying to get him to take an Evans-like deal, then that could be where the hangup is, for sure.

Of course, McLaurin’s team would also argue that Evans was 31 when he signed his current deal while he doesn’t hit 30 until this September.

Also working against Washington in that argument is the presence of receiver Chris Godwin with the Buccaneers, who also took a deal in the $20 million range per year, but provides a bona fide second option when healthy to take coverage and pressure off of Evans.

While Deebo Samuel is expected to provide some of that for McLaurin this season, it is yet to be proven that will pan out the way everyone believes it will, and even then, neither man is under contract beyond 2025, currently.

Despite this non-update of an update, there is still little reason to be alarmed as Schefter himself also went on to agree, there is little doubt McLaurin and Washington will come to an agreement, even if it takes some time to get there.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...-jihaad-campbell-role-terry-mclaurin-contract

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

BTB Thursday Discussion: What is your most obscure Dallas Cowboys tradition?

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

What is the weirdest Dallas Cowboys tradition that you have?

When it comes to watching the Dallas Cowboys different people like to do different things. Some fans prefer to be left alone in solitude to observe what is happening. They need a safe space to vent or are bothered by other people intruding.

Others prefer raucous environments and maybe even go to watch parties or host one themselves. The overall point is that there are a number of ways this all happens.

Whether it is by way of how you watch, something you do as you watch or maybe something you wear, odds are you have a unique thing that you do while you watch the Dallas Cowboys play football. For today’s discussion we are interested in hearing what that is.

Speaking personally, when I was a kid I had a set of mini helmets for every team in the NFL. I enjoyed taking the Cowboys helmet out and whoever they were playing that day and setting them up in front of the television to signify the matchup.

What is your obscure Dallas Cowboys tradition? What is the story behind it?

Let us know in the comments below!

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2025/7/3/24460619/dallas-cowboys-obscure-tradition-for-fans

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

A potential T.J. Watt deal could make things even more expensive for the Cowboys

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

It would be wise for the Cowboys to get a Micah Parsons deal done before T.J. Watt gets a new one himself.

As we approach training camp, the one major question surrounding the Dallas Cowboys is Micah Parsons getting a new deal before the start of the season. This offseason has been filled with back-and-forth from Micah Parsons and the Jones’ in terms of negotiation through the media. Parsons has been on record multiple times asking Jerry and Stephen to “call his agent”, while the Jones’ joked they would deal with Parsons himself instead of his agent, who Jerry claimed not to know.

The negotiations feel like they are at a standstill with both parties seeming comfortable waiting until sometime during training camp. It sure sounds like Parsons is looking to be the highest paid non-quarterback in the NFL, which would put his average annual value at or around $40 million per year, eclipsing Myles Garrett’s four year, $160 million contract extension with the Browns signed earlier this year.

One holdup here now is Pittsburgh Steeler’s edge rusher T.J. Watt.

The latest #Steelers offer to T.J. Watt would make him the highest paid non-QB by APY but there is still a ways to go on getting the deal done. Expect a deal to get done closer to camp #HereWeGo #HappyCanadaDay pic.twitter.com/nnadVIm8A5

— Rickey (@SlickRickScoops) July 1, 2025​

Watt is currently in a similar situation as Parsons, as he is currently under contract but not happy with his contract situation. According to Adam Schefter, teams have began reaching out to the Steelers to see if he is available on the trade market, but the Steeler’s have no intent of trading their star defender. Whether it is in Pittsburgh or in a new city, it sounds like Watt will also be looking to be paid in the same realm as Myles Garrett, Ja’Marr Chase, and Maxx Crosby.

In the end, that is bad news for the Cowboys and their salary cap, as waiting to “call Micah’s agent” may end up costing them quite a bit of money in the end. The Cowboys have struggled to get ahead of deals with their star players in the past, and it sure sounds like waiting on the Parsons’ deal will only hurt the Cowboys in the end.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...s-new-contract-negotiations-t-j-watt-steelers

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

NFC East news: Giants need the QB question to be solved

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The latest news from around the division.

Cover 3: Biggest question remaining for Giants - John Schmeelk, et al., Giants.com​

Three weeks prior to training camp, here are some questions surrounding New York.

John Schmeelk: I thought about doing something basic for this one like “who will be the Giants’ second starting outside cornerback” or “will someone play well enough in training camp and preseason to unseat one of the starters on the offensive line” – but I decided against it. While those questions are certainly important and I’m interested in seeing how they are resolved, neither is the biggest question I still have about this team. The same goes for questions about how they will deploy the running backs and edge rushers. Those potential answers might impact wins and losses, but they are not big enough for me.

My thoughts still go back to the quarterback position, but not in the way some fans might be thinking about it. Russell Wilson is the team’s starting quarterback. The team needs the stability that he brings to the position in terms of leadership, organizing the offense, and getting the team into the right plays. The confidence the team has in him was palpable throughout the spring. Physically, his arm and deep ball are still more than good enough to succeed in the NFL.

I need to see if Wilson, coupled with the Giants’ scheme and offensive line, can get his sack rate down a bit. Last year, Wilson had an 8.9% sack rate, which was fifth-highest in the league, only better than Jalen Hurts and three young quarterbacks (Will Levis, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye).

If the Giants can get Wilson’s sack rate down to the 7% range, which would put him towards the middle of the league in the neighborhood of Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, and Dak Prescott, the offense will have a real chance to be excellent. The reason this is still a big question for me is we haven’t seen it yet with pads. Without contact in spring practices, you can’t see anything regarding the offensive line, pass rush, or how the quarterback will handle it.

Commanders set to reveal bold new look with upcoming uniform announcement - David Harrison, Sports Illustrated​

New... or old... threads are on the way for Washington.

Washington Commanders fans won’t have to wait long before seeing what the next effort to reconnect with the franchise’s proud heritage will be.

According to a report from SportsLogos.net, the Commanders will be the first of several teams to unveil their new alternate helmet and jersey.

“Our sources have indicated that the Washington Commanders will be the first to reveal a new alternate helmet and jersey on July 9,” the report says. The team confirmed the report’s accuracy a short time later.

Earlier this offseason, radio host Kevin Sheehan stated that he had information that the new uniform will resemble one of the uniforms used in the previous eras of the franchise’s history. Sheehan also clarified that it would not be the most recent logo used prior to the team switching to the Washington Football Team before becoming the Commanders.

There are two candidates we specifically discussed as potential inspirations for the new alternate uniform, starting with the spear helmet logo first worn in 1965.

The other candidate we could foresee inspiring this new uniform would be the Circle-R logo, which debuted in 1970.

Overall, the thought is that the new alternative uniform won’t be a replica or throwback, but rather a new design inspired by one of the older ones. Perhaps, we could be in store for a mashup of all previous uniforms, with something from each era’s threads brought in to create a new, fresh look.

The report that revealed this date also suggests that this alternate uniform could be used similarly to the way the New York Jets introduced a throwback version of their uniforms as an alternate in 2023 before switching to that throwback look completely as the team’s 2024 road uniform.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter shuts down latest Eagles trade rumor involving Steelers’ stud pass rusher - Kelsey Kramer, A to Z Sports​

Don’t believe everything you read.

Pittsburgh Steelers star defender T.J. Watt has been absent this offseason, fueling trade rumors, with the Philadelphia Eagles emerging as one of the teams he’s been linked to.

As enticing as the idea may be for the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles to add another elite pass rusher like Watt to an already loaded defense, the odds of general manager Howie Roseman making that a reality appear slim.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that move is highly unlikely due to the financial hurdles and the Eagles’ current focus on extending their own young stars rather than taking on a massive veteran contract.

“I think the Eagles are planning and budgeting to pay their own players,” Schefter said during an appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic. “They’re going to have any number of young stars from Jalen Carter to the two cornerbacks [Cooper DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell] that they drafted last year, they have to go pay in the future. They already paid Zack Baun, and they paid Saquon Barkley. At some point, they’re going to have to address the offensive side.

“There’s so many contractual situations that you have, and it makes it hard to go trade for a TJ Watt and pay him upwards of $30 million dollars a year. It just doesn’t work. Would you love to have him? Of course. Every team would. But can you make it work feasibly, financially, and structurally? That would be incredibly challenging for the Eagles to do.”

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...stion-solved-russell-wilson-commanders-eagles

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys 2025 opponent preview: X-factors for the New York Jets

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

If Dallas can contain these players, they should easily ground the Jets.

The New York Jets had a forgettable 2024 season. After a 2-3 start, head coach Robert Saleh was fired after only five games. New York attempted to make the best of the situation and appease Aaron Rodgers by making a midseason trade for Davante Adams. Ultimately, the team never recovered from their turmoil and finished 5-12 on the season.

After hiring Aaron Glenn as their new coach and informing the Rodgers that they were moving in a different direction, New York looks to start fresh once more. The Jets signed Justin Fields to a two-year, $40M contract to be their starting quarterback.

Despite the talent on their roster, the Jets still appear to be an enigmatic group. One should expect the Cowboys should roll the Jets in their Week 5 matchup. Yet, here are the opponents who could unexpectedly even the playing field for the Jets.

Braelon Allen ​

On paper, the New York Jets had one of the most talented offensive rosters in the NFL. Unfortunately, they couldn’t put it together, and one of their promising prospects got put on the back burner. Breece Hall is one of the most explosive and efficient runners at the position. However, the Jets missed an opportunity to utilize a one-two punch of Breece Hall and Braelon Allen. Last year, the Jets had a run/pass ratio of 63 percent passing plays versus 37 percent run plays. Hall had 209 carries versus only 57 for Braelon Allen. That should certainly change this season, with the Jets sure to emphasize the running game more after signing Justin Fields to be their starting quarterback.

What a play by Braelon Allen on this 3rd & 1 wildcat. Leaps to grab the snap, has to make a quick cut to evade an unblocked defender, then plows through the hole and trucks a 335-pound DT (Benito Jones) to get the yard he needs. Knocks Jones' helmet off. pic.twitter.com/fWJY6IQ08X

— Michael Nania (@Michael_Nania) December 11, 2024​

Allen is a powerful downhill runner with a sturdy build. He also has soft hands as a receiver out of the backfield with good lateral quickness and nimble feet on his jump cuts for a player of his size. New York could look to wear the Cowboys down by having them defend the lateral run game with Fields and Hall early in the game and then look to grind the game out with Allen between the tackles in the later stages. It’s paramount that the Cowboys limit Allen’s (and Fields) by forcing the Jets to be one-dimensional early.

Mason Taylor​

For Jets rookie TE Mason Taylor, football is the family business. The son of NFL Hall of Famer Jason Taylor and nephew of another Hall of Famer, Zach Thomas, Taylor has the skills of a player wise beyond his years. Though technically not officially signed to his rookie contract, Taylor has dazzled at OTAs and minicamps. Taylor has great hands and makes tough catches on passes away from his body. He is undeterred by oncoming defenders and looks unfazed at the catch point.

Once he catches the ball, there’s very little wasted movement, and he gets upfield quickly. He’s smoother than he is fast, and that also creates a problem because he can run a more varied array of routes to get open. If Taylor emerges as a rookie, he could become the go-to guy for Fields on underneath throws. Taylor could also become a red zone threat for the Jets in his first season. However, he still needs to refine his blocking.

Will McDonald IV​

Although the Jets had a disappointing season, Will McDonald quietly emerged as one of their defense’s most consistent players. In 2024, his production spiked from three sacks as a rookie to 10.5 in his second season. McDonald has a terrific get-off from the line of scrimmage from the snap and uses his long arms well to keep offensive tackles’ hands off him. He’s also very agile and has great balance when turning the edge to close in on the quarterback.

And a second sack on the day for Will McDonald. pic.twitter.com/jj7RSFy1U8

— Glenn Naughton (@JNRadio_Glenn) December 1, 2024​

McDonald has plenty of quickness to beat interior linemen across their when rushing from the inside. He also has a great arsenal of moves to get around the offensive tackle. With that said, McDonald has some work to do as a run defender and can be exposed in that area of his game. If he is lined up against Terence Steele, that works in favor of the Cowboys. However, Dallas may want to have a running back or tight end chip McDonald on the way out for a pass fee times to offer Steele some help just in case.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...ors-new-york-jets-braelon-allen-will-mcdonald

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Several Dallas Cowboys players make best draft pick ever at every spot list

Photo by David Becker/Getty Images

The Dallas Cowboys have had some really solid draft picks in their history.

When it comes to NFL roster construction there is zero doubt that free agency is important. This is a message that we have tried to convey to the Dallas Cowboys for years, with little success, as they generally choose to play the role of wallflower when teams are handing out contracts to players on the open market.

America’s Team prefers to build the bulk of their roster by way of the NFL draft, which is certainly sound in theory, and in their defense they have good reason to believe that. The Cowboys have been a very good drafting team as of late, but they have been a particularly good drafting team across the whole of NFL history.

Recently the folks at ESPN put together a list of the best draft pick at every single draft position ever. Yes, you read that right. Ever.

Several Dallas Cowboys are the greatest draft pick ever at the spot they were taken​

There were several Cowboys who made the worldwide leader’s list. To be clear here there were some players who suited up for Dallas that were initially drafted by other teams. You’ll see that the first of such kind was Deion Sanders and he was obviously originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. The spirit of the exercise was such that the players in question ideally (with some obvious exceptions) delivered for the team who selected them. Clearly there are players who also deliver elsewhere like Sanders.

Here is every Cowboys presence that came in on ESPN’s list (which you can view in its entirety here).

The only other unique situations aside from Sanders are Terrell Owens, Charles Haley and Steve Wisniewski. Obviously both Owens and Haley joined the Cowboys after being drafted by San Francisco, T.O. had a stop in Philadelphia before, and while Wisniewski is on this list he made his name more with the Raiders.

All told there are 14 players on this list and given that there were 262 total picks with listed names that means the Cowboys have had a hand in (one way or another) 5% of the greatest draft picks at every spot ever. Not too bad!

This is certainly a unique exercise and its nature offers players like Tony Hill, DeMarco Murray, Eugene Lockhart, Rayfield Wright, Kevin Gogan, Jay Ratliff and Gary Cobb to be remembered fondly. These players all contributed in different ways during their days in the silver and blue - Rayfield Wright is also in the Pro Football Hall of Fame so he was quite the return on investment - and particularly so relative to how they first landed on the team.

If it is not obvious, the number of picks in each round has grown over NFL history. This is why Kevin Gogan was taken a full numerical round after Jay Ratliff but 18 numerical picks ahead of him.

One might wonder if Dak Prescott would make it at pick number 135. He is certainly a divisive subject, but finding a franchise quarterback so late in the draft (Kirk Cousins is on this list at his spot to this point) is a huge hit.

Ben Solak, the author in question, went with Ken Riley and it is hard to not see why.

A tricky debate here. Riley was selected in 1969, 47 years before the Cowboys took quarterback Dak Prescott with the very same pick. It took Riley 35 years to make the Hall of Fame, which he finally did posthumously in 2022. I don’t think Prescott will make the Hall, but I’d argue his impact as a fourth-round quarterback in today’s game is equivalent to Riley’s impact on the Bengals of the 70s. Riley gets the edge as a Hall of Famer, but Prescott remains one of the best Day 3 picks in the history of the draft.

Not for nothing, but also at pick No. 135: Josh Sitton! Joe Horn! Rob Ninkovich! What a pick!

Herschel Walker is on this list as you can see and you can argue that he provided the biggest impact what with how the team leveraged him for assets that helped build the 1990s dynasty. It is a fascinating overall discussion in that sense.

Did ESPN leave anybody off in your opinion? If so, who?

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...-all-time-emmitt-smith-tony-hill-jason-witten

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Dallas Cowboys WR KaVontae Turpin arrested Sunday morning on two misdemeanor charges

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

KaVontae Turpin was arrested on Sunday morning on two misdemeanor charges.

Word began to circulate on Sunday morning that Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin was arrested. It was confirmed by Joe Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News that this was in fact the case.

Turpin was reportedly booked for two misdemeanors in possession of marijuana (less than two ounces) and unlawful carrying of a weapon.

It goes without saying that this is not ideal for any player on the Cowboys. With regards to Turpin specifically, it should be noted that this is not his first off-the-field issue. While playing at TCU he was arrested on assault charges. This led to his dismissal from the team.

You will recall that the Cowboys signed Turpin to a three-year extension this offseason and avoided any restricted free agent drama, something we commended them for. He is an important part of the team and one of the best return men across the NFL at large, but conduct like this is surely not something the front office or coaching staff appreciates.

The Cowboys report to Oxnard in a couple of weeks for training camp and will likely address the situation when they do.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...n-arrested-sunday-morning-misdemeanor-charges

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Dallas Cowboys pledge $500,000 to Texas Hill Country disaster in name of immediate resources to help

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys are pledging to help the victims of the Texas Hill Country disaster.

Over the weekend Texas Hill Country was struck with disaster.

Intense flooding led to numerous deaths and several lives who are still unaccounted for. Our thoughts and prayers here at Blogging The Boys are with the folks in Texas Hill Country and all who were and remain impacted by it.

The flooding began as people were preparing the celebrate the Fourth of July and on Sunday morning the Dallas Cowboys released a statement that noted they were donating $500,000 to disaster relief and standing “side by side” of the response provided by the Salvation Army.

pic.twitter.com/QEk4QZD5IN

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) July 6, 2025​

The Houston Texans announced themselves over the weekend that they were also donating $500,000. The NFL foundation added that they too were donating $500,000 to take the donations on behalf of the NFL’s presence in the Lone Star State to $1.5M.

If you would like to make a donation yourself to the Salvation Army you can do so here.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...wboys-donate-500k-texas-hill-country-disaster

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Countdown to the season opener: Day 59 Frank Clarke

We’re counting down to the season opener (Day 59) with some Cowboys history

We’re counting down the days until the Dallas Cowboys battle the Philadelphia Eagles in the season opener of the 2025 NFL season. To pass the time and mark the days, we running through 100 Days of Cowboys. So sit back and enjoy some Cowboys history while we countdown to football.

Today - number 59.

---

Frank Clarke​

Born: February 7, 1934. Beloit, Wisconsin
Position: Tight end
Dallas Cowboys: 1960-1967
Awards: All-Pro- 1964
NFL receiving touchdowns leader (1962)

In celebration of #BHM, we recognize Frank Clarke (1934-2018) who was the first African American star player on the @dallascowboys as wide receiver, during a time when the team played in a racially divided Dallas.

: Dallas Cowboys Weekly pic.twitter.com/bqlxgez40u

— Dallas Sports Commission (@dallas_sports) February 16, 2023​

Frank Clarke played receiver for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1967, becoming one of the franchise’s first true offensive stars. Originally a reserve in Cleveland, Clarke blossomed in Dallas, known for his speed, precise routes, and big-play ability. He was the first receiver in Cowboys history to record a 1,000-yard season and held numerous team receiving records by the time he retired. Clarke led the NFL in touchdown receptions in 1962, with 14 touchdowns, and played a key role in helping establish the Cowboys as a competitive team in the league’s early expansion era. He still ranks eighth in Cowboys history in receiving yards and his 50 career receiving touchdowns is still sixth-most in team history.

Sadly, Clarke passed away in 2018, at the age of 84 after a life of trailblazing in Colorado, Dallas and then broadcasting.

The original 82, Frank Clarke, scoring against Pittsburgh and is considered the Cowboys first deep-threat receiver.#DallasCowboys #Cowboys #NFL pic.twitter.com/nDQxGoGLUD

— Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) June 17, 2024​

Best known for:
Clarke was best known for being the Cowboys’ first standout receiver, setting early franchise records and becoming a favorite target of quarterback Don Meredith during the team’s formative years.

This week in Cowboys history, the team choose 36 players from the pool made available by other NFL clubs. (The 1960 draft had already happened by the time the team was a franchise).
Frank Clarke, one of the players selected, was the 1st WR to reach 1,000 yds in club history. #TBT pic.twitter.com/22zVXGnx4Q

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) March 12, 2020​

Lesser known fact:
After retiring, Clarke became a first in broadcasting, becoming one of the first Black sports anchors on television in the United States, breaking barriers in both professional football and the media industry.

✭ COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF ✭
With 100 days to go until the #Cowboys kickoff the season against the #Eagles, we are counting down with a @BloggingTheBoys Top-100 consensus ranking.

We asked staffers to give in their top-100, here is:

DAY 59
Frank Clarke#DallasCowboys… pic.twitter.com/O35dj6Oiw0

— Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) July 7, 2025​

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...s-countdown-season-opener-day-59-frank-clarke

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Data suggests George Pickens will be what Dak Prescott needs to spark Cowboys offense

Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Dak Prescott to George Pickens connection is going to be so much fun.

Last offseason, the Dallas Cowboys made Dak Prescott the highest-paid player in the NFL. That is a frustrating situation for many people who aren’t sold on what this veteran quarterback can offer them. Whether it’s wilting against stronger teams or underwhelming in the playoffs, many fans have pause on just how far their franchise quarterback can take him.

While Prescott has been successful most of his career, things have been a little bumpy in recent years. He’s battled injuries in four of the last five seasons and led the league in interceptions in 2022 despite missing five games. Twice over the last five years, the Cowboys have finished with a losing record. Those happened when Dak’s year was cut short by a season-ending injury; however, the team had a losing record before Prescott went down. Losing their quarterback takes the wind out of the season, but if we’re being honest, the wind wasn’t blowing strongly before he got hurt.

The Dak problem has been dissected ad nauseam, and there are several contributing factors. Play-calling matters. How well the offensive line is playing matters. And it certainly helps when he gets some help in the running game.

Another element that holds a lot of influence is his receiving weapons. There have been multiple instances in Prescott’s career where the front office has grossly misjudged the talent at the wide receiver position. We all remember the post-Dez Bryant era where they tried to supplement talent with a trio of characters such as Allen Hurns, Tavon Austin, and Deonte Thompson. Yikes. They ran into a similar issue after moving on from Amari Cooper when Noah Brown was relied on far more than he should’ve been. And most recently, the team had to count on third-year receiver Jalen Tolbert to pick up the slack after Brandin Cooks got hurt, and suffice it to say, it was meek at best.

Prescott’s stats over his career are indicative of the team’s ups and downs at wide receiver. It’s easy to tell when he’s had good receivers and not-so-good receivers. Four times he’s finished with a completion percentage of less than 67%.

His QB rating follows a similar path. Three times he’s finished with a QB rating less than 95, including twice over the last three years.

Those same three seasons show up when you look at the years he’s averaged 7.3 yards per attempt or less over his career.

The years 2017, 2022, and 2024 repeatedly stand out like a sore thumb for Dak. What’s going on in those years?

If we suspect lack of weapons is playing a big role in that, how do those years stack up to the others in terms of wide receiver talent? Sure enough, there is another cutoff when it comes to the total yards of the team’s second wide receiver.

Terrance Williams, Noah Brown, and Jalen Tolbert are the three lowest WR2 producers over Prescott’s career, all under 650 yards for the year.

The Cowboys have an alpha in CeeDee Lamb, and now, after the trade for George Pickens, they’ll have one of the better WR2s in the league. Pickens has a 17-game average of over 1,000 yards over his career, and that number is over 1,100 yards if you throw out his “measly” 801-yard rookie season.

When the quarterback makes $60 million per year, people have high expectations. And rightfully so. But a QB is still one player, and he needs help if the team is going to make any serious noise. With Pickens, Dak has that help. And barring this ordeal blowing up in the Cowboys' face, Pickens should be able to deliver some top-end WR2 help that could once again propel this offense up the ranks.

Dak Prescott won 13 games with Dez and Beasley.
The Cowboys led the league in yards with Amari and Gallup.
They led the league in yards and points with Amari and CeeDee.
They again led the league in points with CeeDee and Brandin Cooks.

What will he do with CeeDee and Pickens? pic.twitter.com/ODk0Rx0ieE

— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) July 5, 2025​

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...-dak-prescott-needs-spark-offense-ceedee-lamb

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Tyler Guyton could be the key to offensive success for the Cowboys in 2025

Chris Jones-Imagn Images

There is a lot riding on Tyler Guyton in 2025.

It was not a perfect offseason for the Dallas Cowboys, but after all the moves made including trading for George Pickens, a lot of the noise surrounding their roster holes quieted.

With just a few weeks left before the Cowboys head off to Oxnard, the two positions that remain a question mark on the offensive side of the ball for the 2025 Cowboys is the running back position and the left tackle position. The Cowboys currently have capable options at the running back position in Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, and Jaydon Blue, but at left tackle the Cowboys need 2024 first-round pick Tyler Guyton to make a big jump heading into year two.

Year one for Guyton was full of inconsistency for the former Oklahoma standout right tackle. After starting off training camp hot, the fire quickly fizzled out as the regular season got going. Guyton battled poor play, penalties, and injuries in year one and his struggles led to a lot of problems for the Dak Prescott/Cooper Rush led offense. Even after his rough rookie season, Guyton has been saying and doing all the right things heading into his sophomore campaign.

The Cowboys did not go out this offseason and find a replacement for Guyton if he continues to struggle, but Asim Richards’ stock has been rising quite a bit this offseason. If the Cowboys are going to be a legit playoff contender in 2025, they will need Tyler Guyton to play at a much higher level in 2025, and while it sounds crazy to say, their entire offensive success could fall on the shoulders of his development from year one into year two.

Will he be up for the challenge?

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...-offensive-success-dak-prescott-asim-richards

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Dead money evaluation, Part II: How the Cowboys rank and how it impacts their ability to win games

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

How do you feel the Cowboys handle dead money?

Roster building consists of many different elements. How a team uses its financial resources looms large in what type of team they’re able to field on Sundays. For the Dallas Cowboys, this has been a big point of contention, as many have questioned how they use their money. Are they spending enough money? Are they spending it on the right players?

When teams make poor decisions, they can find themselves paying for it with dead money hits, which can hurt future cap budgets and hinder a team’s ability to improve their roster. Yesterday, we broke down some of the reasons teams accrue dead money hits, noting that not all dead money is created equal. We also mentioned that these dead money totals are considerably different between the Cowboys and Eagles, identifying several players from each team that contribute toward those figures. Today, we’ll branch out and look at where the other NFL teams fall and examine what type of impact it has had on them.

We know the front offices of the Cowboys and Eagles operate quite differently. Howie Roseman is constantly dealing with heavy dead-money hits. He’s shown a strong willingness to hit the reset on any position group necessary, change up personnel, and deal with the financial consequences later. The Eagles have not been fazed by monstrous dead-money hits.

Dead money hits for the Cowboys and Eagles over the last five years... pic.twitter.com/tbaGYglv9x

— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) July 5, 2025​

In most cases, dead money charges are obstacles. These outstanding debts can stem from investing in bad players, restructuring contracts, and deferring cap hits with money allocated into void years. Sometimes the dead money is just pushing out the cost; other times it’s wasteful. Teams don’t want large dead-money hits because it can limit their spending power in any given year, that is, unless you’re the Eagles.

It should surprise no one that the Eagles have the largest dead money total over the last five years at a whopping $333 million. The Cowboys, on the other hand, are in the lower quadrant of NFL teams during this span, coming in just under $140 million. We can already feel your blood boiling as this information might suggest expensive dead-money charges show a willingness to take chances, while a more cautious approach, minimizing dead money, will get you nowhere. Is that true? Let’s examine.

Here are the dead money hits for all 32 teams over the last five years (figures courtesy of spotrac.com).

• Red = the 10 highest dead-money hits for that year
• Green = the 10 lowest dead-money hits for that year
• Yellow = the 12 teams in between for that year

The Eagles are marching to the beat of their own drum with nearly $60 million more dead money than the next-highest team. They are regularly among the teams with the highest dead money hit each year. They are also the defending Super Bowl Champions. Not only are the huge dead money hits not holding them back, but they’re somehow flourishing in that environment. Should more teams be taking that approach? Is there any correlation between dead money and wins?

We’re glad you asked because that’s the main purpose of this two-part article. Let’s look at that table again, only this time let’s add a column to include each team’s win total (including playoffs) since 2021. With this information, the data looks like this (click on the blue column headers to sort):

Dead money by team since 2021 (in $ million)

[td]

Rank​

[/td]​

[td]

Team​

[/td]​

[td]

2021​

[/td]​

[td]

2022​

[/td]​

[td]

2023​

[/td]​

[td]

2024​

[/td]​

[td]

2025​

[/td]​

[td]

Total​

[/td]​

[td]

Wins since 2021​

[/td]​

[td]

01​

[/td]​

[td]

PHI​

[/td]​

[td]

63.8​

[/td]​

[td]

64.5​

[/td]​

[td]

63.9​

[/td]​

[td]

63.6​

[/td]​

[td]

76.8​

[/td]​

[td]

332.5​

[/td]​

[td]

54​

[/td]​

[td]

02​

[/td]​

[td]

NO​

[/td]​

[td]

49.1​

[/td]​

[td]

43.9​

[/td]​

[td]

35.2​

[/td]​

[td]

62.2​

[/td]​

[td]

82.8​

[/td]​

[td]

273.3​

[/td]​

[td]

30​

[/td]​

[td]

03​

[/td]​

[td]

HOU​

[/td]​

[td]

48.0​

[/td]​

[td]

77.9​

[/td]​

[td]

47.4​

[/td]​

[td]

41.6​

[/td]​

[td]

43.9​

[/td]​

[td]

258.9​

[/td]​

[td]

29​

[/td]​

[td]

04​

[/td]​

[td]

CAR​

[/td]​

[td]

54.0​

[/td]​

[td]

52.5​

[/td]​

[td]

62.2​

[/td]​

[td]

73.2​

[/td]​

[td]

16.7​

[/td]​

[td]

258.5​

[/td]​

[td]

19​

[/td]​

[td]

05​

[/td]​

[td]

LAR​

[/td]​

[td]

49.4​

[/td]​

[td]

26.7​

[/td]​

[td]

79.4​

[/td]​

[td]

35.9​

[/td]​

[td]

50.9​

[/td]​

[td]

242.2​

[/td]​

[td]

42​

[/td]​

[td]

06​

[/td]​

[td]

NYG​

[/td]​

[td]

19.0​

[/td]​

[td]

53.8​

[/td]​

[td]

56.5​

[/td]​

[td]

82.5​

[/td]​

[td]

27.3​

[/td]​

[td]

239.0​

[/td]​

[td]

23​

[/td]​

[td]

07​

[/td]​

[td]

LV​

[/td]​

[td]

36.5​

[/td]​

[td]

49.6​

[/td]​

[td]

57.9​

[/td]​

[td]

50.3​

[/td]​

[td]

44.3​

[/td]​

[td]

238.6​

[/td]​

[td]

28​

[/td]​

[td]

08​

[/td]​

[td]

DEN​

[/td]​

[td]

37.1​

[/td]​

[td]

34.6​

[/td]​

[td]

33.3​

[/td]​

[td]

89.1​

[/td]​

[td]

33.5​

[/td]​

[td]

227.6​

[/td]​

[td]

30​

[/td]​

[td]

09​

[/td]​

[td]

SEA​

[/td]​

[td]

13.9​

[/td]​

[td]

57.4​

[/td]​

[td]

23.4​

[/td]​

[td]

58.4​

[/td]​

[td]

67.3​

[/td]​

[td]

220.3​

[/td]​

[td]

47​

[/td]​

[td]

10​

[/td]​

[td]

TEN​

[/td]​

[td]

30.8​

[/td]​

[td]

24.8​

[/td]​

[td]

58.8​

[/td]​

[td]

67.5​

[/td]​

[td]

36.8​

[/td]​

[td]

218.8​

[/td]​

[td]

28​

[/td]​

[td]

11​

[/td]​

[td]

TB​

[/td]​

[td]

11.2​

[/td]​

[td]

25.6​

[/td]​

[td]

81.6​

[/td]​

[td]

62.5​

[/td]​

[td]

33.6​

[/td]​

[td]

214.4​

[/td]​

[td]

42​

[/td]​

[td]

12​

[/td]​

[td]

GB​

[/td]​

[td]

10.7​

[/td]​

[td]

30.7​

[/td]​

[td]

67.2​

[/td]​

[td]

64.6​

[/td]​

[td]

35.4​

[/td]​

[td]

208.6​

[/td]​

[td]

42​

[/td]​

[td]

13​

[/td]​

[td]

NYJ​

[/td]​

[td]

35.9​

[/td]​

[td]

13.8​

[/td]​

[td]

29.0​

[/td]​

[td]

62.3​

[/td]​

[td]

63.1​

[/td]​

[td]

204.0​

[/td]​

[td]

23​

[/td]​

[td]

14​

[/td]​

[td]

SF​

[/td]​

[td]

23.5​

[/td]​

[td]

22.3​

[/td]​

[td]

33.3​

[/td]​

[td]

30.4​

[/td]​

[td]

91.7​

[/td]​

[td]

201.2​

[/td]​

[td]

35​

[/td]​

[td]

15​

[/td]​

[td]

DET​

[/td]​

[td]

67.1​

[/td]​

[td]

35.0​

[/td]​

[td]

32.1​

[/td]​

[td]

39.3​

[/td]​

[td]

24.3​

[/td]​

[td]

197.7​

[/td]​

[td]

41​

[/td]​

[td]

16​

[/td]​

[td]

CLE​

[/td]​

[td]

29.0​

[/td]​

[td]

36.0​

[/td]​

[td]

23.5​

[/td]​

[td]

42.5​

[/td]​

[td]

63.8​

[/td]​

[td]

194.8​

[/td]​

[td]

29​

[/td]​

[td]

17​

[/td]​

[td]

CHI​

[/td]​

[td]

26.3​

[/td]​

[td]

93.3​

[/td]​

[td]

36.7​

[/td]​

[td]

30.4​

[/td]​

[td]

4.1​

[/td]​

[td]

190.8​

[/td]​

[td]

21​

[/td]​

[td]

18​

[/td]​

[td]

JAX​

[/td]​

[td]

23.6​

[/td]​

[td]

34.8​

[/td]​

[td]

10.7​

[/td]​

[td]

53.6​

[/td]​

[td]

64.7​

[/td]​

[td]

187.5​

[/td]​

[td]

26​

[/td]​

[td]

19​

[/td]​

[td]

MIN​

[/td]​

[td]

25.6​

[/td]​

[td]

28.1​

[/td]​

[td]

46.2​

[/td]​

[td]

70.4​

[/td]​

[td]

11.9​

[/td]​

[td]

182.1​

[/td]​

[td]

42​

[/td]​

[td]

20​

[/td]​

[td]

MIA​

[/td]​

[td]

24.4​

[/td]​

[td]

18.5​

[/td]​

[td]

20.4​

[/td]​

[td]

58.1​

[/td]​

[td]

52.7​

[/td]​

[td]

174.1​

[/td]​

[td]

37​

[/td]​

[td]

21​

[/td]​

[td]

NE​

[/td]​

[td]

33.6​

[/td]​

[td]

18.6​

[/td]​

[td]

31.2​

[/td]​

[td]

61.0​

[/td]​

[td]

21.0​

[/td]​

[td]

165.4​

[/td]​

[td]

26​

[/td]​

[td]

22​

[/td]​

[td]

ATL​

[/td]​

[td]

30.3​

[/td]​

[td]

83.6​

[/td]​

[td]

25.6​

[/td]​

[td]

14.9​

[/td]​

[td]

7.6​

[/td]​

[td]

162.1​

[/td]​

[td]

29​

[/td]​

[td]

23​

[/td]​

[td]

WAS​

[/td]​

[td]

22.3​

[/td]​

[td]

22.4​

[/td]​

[td]

47.6​

[/td]​

[td]

47.2​

[/td]​

[td]

14.1​

[/td]​

[td]

153.6​

[/td]​

[td]

33​

[/td]​

[td]

24​

[/td]​

[td]

ARI​

[/td]​

[td]

15.7​

[/td]​

[td]

25.8​

[/td]​

[td]

69.8​

[/td]​

[td]

32.2​

[/td]​

[td]

7.4​

[/td]​

[td]

150.9​

[/td]​

[td]

27​

[/td]​

[td]

25​

[/td]​

[td]

BUF​

[/td]​

[td]

9.9​

[/td]​

[td]

25.2​

[/td]​

[td]

10.2​

[/td]​

[td]

75.1​

[/td]​

[td]

29.4​

[/td]​

[td]

149.8​

[/td]​

[td]

53​

[/td]​

[td]

26​

[/td]​

[td]

DAL​

[/td]​

[td]

27.0​

[/td]​

[td]

32.7​

[/td]​

[td]

20.5​

[/td]​

[td]

29.7​

[/td]​

[td]

29.5​

[/td]​

[td]

139.4​

[/td]​

[td]

44​

[/td]​

[td]

27​

[/td]​

[td]

PIT​

[/td]​

[td]

30.4​

[/td]​

[td]

36.5​

[/td]​

[td]

21.2​

[/td]​

[td]

30.7​

[/td]​

[td]

13.5​

[/td]​

[td]

132.3​

[/td]​

[td]

38​

[/td]​

[td]

28​

[/td]​

[td]

LAC​

[/td]​

[td]

6.2​

[/td]​

[td]

11.1​

[/td]​

[td]

27.4​

[/td]​

[td]

60.9​

[/td]​

[td]

15.6​

[/td]​

[td]

121.2​

[/td]​

[td]

35​

[/td]​

[td]

29​

[/td]​

[td]

BAL​

[/td]​

[td]

19.7​

[/td]​

[td]

26.7​

[/td]​

[td]

15.9​

[/td]​

[td]

23.1​

[/td]​

[td]

21.8​

[/td]​

[td]

107.2​

[/td]​

[td]

45​

[/td]​

[td]

30​

[/td]​

[td]

IND​

[/td]​

[td]

6.7​

[/td]​

[td]

16.1​

[/td]​

[td]

51.4​

[/td]​

[td]

15.6​

[/td]​

[td]

7.3​

[/td]​

[td]

97.2​

[/td]​

[td]

30​

[/td]​

[td]

31​

[/td]​

[td]

KC​

[/td]​

[td]

17.8​

[/td]​

[td]

16.4​

[/td]​

[td]

12.3​

[/td]​

[td]

17.0​

[/td]​

[td]

13.2​

[/td]​

[td]

76.7​

[/td]​

[td]

63​

[/td]​

[td]

32​

[/td]​

[td]

CIN​

[/td]​

[td]

18.9​

[/td]​

[td]

15.8​

[/td]​

[td]

4.5​

[/td]​

[td]

13.0​

[/td]​

[td]

8.9​

[/td]​

[td]

61.1​

[/td]​

[td]

45​

[/td]​

(Shout out to OCC for creating this table sortable)

If we focus on the eight teams in the top quadrant and the eight teams in the bottom quadrant, something interesting is revealed.

Suddenly, the perception changes. The Eagles are a winning team, but they are an anomaly rather than a blueprint for success. Some really bad teams are in that top quadrant, including the worst team over the last five years, the Carolina Panthers.

The Cowboys are in the lower quadrant. Oddly enough, so are the Kansas City Chiefs, who are the most successful team over the last five years. They have the second-lowest dead money hit during this span. The lower quadrant not only includes the Cowboys but also includes the top four AFC teams over the last half-decade. What’s even crazier is this stat...

Dead money totals over the last five years:

• Philadelphia Eagles = $333 million
• Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens COMBINED = $333 million

Large dead money charges hinder a team’s spending power. There are ways around it, as the Eagles have shown, but the data indicates that teams with high dead money hits aren’t the same ones that are winning football games on Sunday. It’s quite the opposite, as the teams with the lowest dead money charges are doing most of the winning. And yes, that includes the Cowboys.

We know the Cowboys have a playoff problem. And maybe that problem is due to inadequate talent. We all have our own theories. But what we can’t claim is that choosing to manage your dead money hits responsibly is hurting them, because many other successful teams are doing the same thing.

We’ve mentioned many times that the Eagles, despite all their recent success, are playing with fire. If some of their risky contracts turn into pumpkins, they’re going to be more exposed because of the high-cost financial commitment they have made to them. Pushing money into the future in itself won’t hurt them. And as long as the Eagles are getting good returns for their investments, it will be “all hail to Howie!”

However, the moment we start seeing more missteps like the recent Bryce Huff ordeal, that’s when things will start to weigh them down. And considering the Eagles have a large number of contracts with built-in void years, it opens the door for more players to fall into that dreaded “cutting their losses” category, and as we learned yesterday, that is where the dead money hits hurt you.

The Cowboys will continue to go about their business, and it won’t be without mistakes. As we mentioned yesterday, dead money from Jaylon Smith, Michael Gallup, and Ezekiel Elliott stings, and you never want those things. But they’re also small enough and spread out so as not to jeopardize their ability to compete in future seasons. Reducing those risks and creating more overall spending power appears to provide a much more effective formula for winning.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...tion-nfl-rank-impact-roster-ability-win-games

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Blue-chip series: Cowboys players who can become stars in 2025

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

How many Pro Bowlers do you think the Cowboys will have this season?

A few days ago we published the first part of our series on Cowboys ‘blue-chip’ players. Here is a refresher on what constitutes a blue-chip talent. The bare minimum should be an All-Pro level talent. Pro Bowls have become more subjective to the point where the bar to get in has been lowered. All-Pro nominations are harder to come by, considering there is usually one player picked for each position outside of wide receiver, the defensive line, and the secondary.

Outside of being considered a first- or second-team All-Pro, a blue-chip player needs to be someone a team builds around and is a cornerstone player for the franchise. They should also be in the conversation to be the best at their position. Those attributes must be a package deal; you should not have one without the other.

For part two of this series, we will examine which Dallas Cowboys players could become blue-chip players in 2025. The names in this category are just outside the team’s premier talent.

Players below have shown flashes that when they are at their peak, they can be considered one of the top ten players at their positions, but without doing so at a consistent level. If things can become more consistent for them this season, there’s a chance they join CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons, Tyler Smith, and Brandon Aubrey as blue-chip players.

Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Players who could become Blue-Chip players in 2025:​

Dak Prescott: Coming off his MVP runner-up 2023 season, Dak Prescott was considered a blue-chip player for Dallas. However, after missing another season due to injury, there can’t be the same shoe-in assumption that he gets back to that level without showing he can repeat it on the field.

Pro Football Focus graded Prescott as the second-highest (90.8) quarterback during the 2023 regular season. He finished with 36 passing touchdowns, leading the NFL. He also had 38 big-time throws (a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window), first among his peers.

During his MVP-level campaign, Prescott just had Lamb on the outside as the alpha of the pass-catching group. Based on surrounding talent alone, there should be enough confidence that Prescott can be that player again with Lamb and Pickens as his outside weapons and a healthy, up-and-coming offensive line. Prescott's not being considered a blue-chip player is not a slight to him and his decade-long stint in Dallas. It’s just an exclusive group to be a part of.

There are only a handful of blue-chip talents at quarterback around the NFL, like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson. Prescott sits with Justin Herbert, Matthew Stafford, and Jalen Hurts on being just outside the group, but nothing says he can’t get there this season if he’s healthy and the Brian Schottenheimer scheme plays to his strengths.

Osa Odighizuwa: One of the first orders of business this offseason was getting a long-term contract extension done with Osa Odighizuwa, whose goal was to stay in Dallas and keep playing alongside his teammates.

Now one of the more seasoned players in the locker room, Odighizuwa, along with Parsons, leads and mentors the younger players. Sometimes, it takes a bit for defensive tackles to reach their potential (unless you’re Aaron Donald). It took New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence three years to be voted in as a Pro Bowl player at his position. Now, Lawrence is in the conversation as one of the best overall defensive players in the NFL.

It would be great if Odighizuwa got to Lawrence’s level. Still, even if he can be considered a top-five player at his position, that would be a win for Dallas, which could use better play from the interior of their defensive line outside of No. 97.

Tyler Booker will have every Cowboys fan ready to run through a brick wall. This answer is absolutely amazing https://t.co/aYJofntMHe pic.twitter.com/OJSNTTLJT8

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) April 25, 2025​

Tyler Booker: We have seen this storyline play out before. The Cowboys draft a right guard in the first round as a day one starter who starts his career as one of the best at his position. Tyler Booker has big shoes to fill in the absence of Zack Martin, but his story could be the same.

The Cowboys first-round pick was considered one of the best offensive linemen in the draft and is a physical player in pass protection and run blocking. With all the prime time games and matchups against defensive tackles like Lawrence in New York, Jalen Carter in Philadelphia, and Daron Payne in Washington, everyone will know right away how good Booker can be.

There’s a feeling that when the Cowboys play on Sunday Night Football, Cris Collinsworth will be doing his best John Madden impression, circling his jersey in yellow highlighter, calling him an “up-and-coming star” in the NFL.

George Pickens: GP3 is poised for a career year in Dallas, despite being listed as “No. 2” on the depth chart. This is one of those times when numbers can be misleading. Lamb and Pickens have been open about the idea that there is no strict pecking order for each; rather, it’s more of a “1A 1B” approach in Dallas.

#Cowboys CeeDee Lamb on George Pickens “we’re both ones”pic.twitter.com/tAbd4twfhr

— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) May 18, 2025​

Pickens is as talented as it comes to a player at the wide receiver position. The questions around him have never been about what he can contribute on the field. It’s about the character off the field and if he can gel with a locker room.

So far, things have been good for Pickens. His teammates, including Prescott, have praised his transition to Dallas. Sometimes, it can be about the right fit and situation for NFL players. Prescott is by far the best quarterback Pickens has played with in his young career.

PFF gave Pickens a 99.9 receiving grade on deep passes in 2024. That was first among all pass catchers. Under PFF’s metrics, Prescott is tied for third among quarterbacks with a 96.9 deep throw passing grade since 2022. If Pickens and Prescott can get on the same page this offseason and build some rapport, he can elevate this offense to another level.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract, a pot of gold could await the wide receiver at the end of the 2025 season. It could be in Dallas or elsewhere. Either way, if Pickens can elevate his play with Lamb opening up the door for more one-on-one coverage, he could become a blue-chip player a franchise wants to build its offense around.

Part three will examine which players the Cowboys need to be blue-chip players in 2025.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...25-dak-prescott-george-pickens-osa-odighizuwa

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys great Tyron Smith helping Tyler Guyton prepare for a better season

Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images

Tyler Guyton is one of the most important people in the Cowboys building this year.

The Dallas Cowboys have been known for one thing over the last decade or so. They have an excellent track record when it comes to drafting offensive linemen in the first round. It all started in 2011 when the Cowboys took left tackle Tyron Smith. A Hall of Fame-level career would follow.

In 2024, the Cowboys went the offensive line route in the first round again with Tyler Guyton, a right tackle who would play on the left side in Dallas. Guyton would have his share of hiccups as a rookie.

As year two approaches, Guyton has one key factor by his side, Tyron Smith. The two have been grinding behind the scenes to get the former Oklahoma Sooner as ready as possible as he faces an important season in terms of his development. Per Smith, Guyton is taking the necessary steps to take his game to the next level.

He wants to put in the work. He just needs a little technique work which he’s doing right now. I feel like it’s going to be a different type of year for him to slow the game down and get the rookie nerves out. I think he’s building more confidence in his technique because he’s learning a lot more now.

Guyton will certainly need to apply what he's learned once the pads come on for real games. As the left tackle, he's responsible for the blind side of quarterback Dak Prescott, who is coming off a torn hamstring and a history of injuries as of late. Keeping him upright is paramount, making Guyton's development essential.

Smith played 13 seasons in Dallas. He dealt with a plethora of injuries that slowed him down in his latter years, but when healthy, Smith was one of the best left tackles in the league, and at one time was the standard. He ended up with eight Pro Bowl nods and garnered All-Pro honors five times.

Although he has some talent, Guyton will need to keep his feet on the pavement to reach the level of play that Smith achieved. However, he has the full support of the best that's ever played his position in Big D.

I’ve told him before, ‘I want you to be better than how I ever did it.’ It makes me feel good that another guy is wanting to strive to be better than me.

All eyes will be on Guyton in 2025 and with good reason. If the next step is taken, the Cowboys' offense has a great shot of being productive.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...tyron-smith-left-tackle-different-season-2025

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Brandon Aubrey’s playing for a big raise in contract year

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Do you think the Cowboys will take care of a Brandon Aubrey extension?

Over the last two years no NFL kicker, and few others at any position, can claim to have handled their job better than Brandon Aubrey. The Dallas Cowboys’ sensation enters just his third season as arguably the best kicker in the game, and continuing that level of performance will be crucial for him in the final year of his contract.

It’s an odd thing to talk about a third-year player who’s also 30 years old, but that’s all part of Aubrey’s unique NFL story. He gave up professional soccer in 2018, started working as a software engineer, but then got interested in playing American football. After a few years of working with a coach, he made it to the USFL and played two years there before the Cowboys brought him in.

The rest is a short but spectacular history. Aubrey made his first 19 field goal attempts in 2023, setting a league record, and finished the year as the NFL scoring leader. He was a First-Team All-Pro as a rookie, Second-Team in 2024, and made the Pro Bowl both seasons. With multiple nods as the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week or Month along the way, he’s become a big name at an often underappreciated position. With the ultimate combination of accuracy, distance, and clutch, Aubrey enters 2025 with very few peers.

The one area where Aubrey doesn’t match his fellow kickers is his paycheck. He’ll make just $1.03 million in 2025, which is about $5 million less than other big names like the Chiefs’ Harrison Butker and the Eagles’ Jake Elliott. But this is the end of Aubrey’s original three-year contract he signed with Dallas, so with another elite season, he’ll rightfully expect fair compensation.

Because he’ll only have three accrued seasons as an NFL veteran, Aubrey would only be a restricted free agent in 2026. The Cowboys may lowball him with the lowest RFA tender, currently projected at $3.45 million. If another team tries to swoop in, Dallas would have the right to match their contract offer. But then you’re allowing another front office to dictate the terms of that deal, and that’s not something Stephen Jones would be happy about.

Aubrey’s age does make a long-term deal concerning. Kickers often suffer sudden, dramatic declines at a certain point. We saw that with Dan Bailey, who went from a legend to a liability with little warning. Once the body breaks down, the mechanics and confidence that made kickers great are very hard to maintain. So with Aubrey, who turns 31 next March, the Cowboys might be nervous about a multi-year commitment.

One solution may be the second-round RFA tender, currently projected at $5.66 million. That would give Aubrey a significant raise, not far behind his fellow elites, while also keeping Dallas flexible in the future. If Aubrey is still automatic even after 2026, they could consider using the franchise tag. Next year’s tag for specialists is projected at $6.73 million, which would barely edge Aubrey over Butker for the highest single-year compensation. But if he’s still playing at his current level, Aubrey would be worth it.

Figuring out how to keep the NFL’s best kicker is a great problem to have. If Brandon Aubrey is worthy of these things in the coming years, it means the Cowboys have enjoyed fantastic play from him along the way. The good news is that Dallas has plenty of ways to keep Aubrey while still protecting themselves from an age or injury-induced decline. It’s an unusual situation for a 30-year-old player, and one that the Cowboys should benefit from.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...rey-raise-contract-year-restricted-free-agent

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Cowboys fans split on whether George Pickens will be a one-year rental

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

Do you think George Pickens will be a Cowboy at this time next year?

Trying to predict what will happen next offseason before this season is even played is a hard thing to do. So much can change over the course of a season. Injuries play a role, success of the team and the coaching staff matter, and individual achievement is also a factor.

But we went ahead and asked you earlier this week what you thought would happen with George Pickens in 2026. The Cowboys essentially traded a third-round pick for the wide receiver, but also did not extend his contract, making 2025 the final year of his current contract and allowing him to be a free agent in 2026.

Specifically, we asked if Pickens would be on the Cowboys roster in 2026. 48% of respondents said yes, while 52% said no. That’s a pretty even split of opinion, although a slight majority says it will be a one-year rental.

So many factors play into this. Will Pickens have a big year in Dallas? Would that price him out of the Cowboys notoriously low budget for free agents? Can Dallas afford two premier WRs after already shelling out big money for CeeDee Lamb? Will the franchise tag come into play? Could Pickens just not fit with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense? Could his famous temper get in the way of his play?

So many questions as we stand here on the brink of training camp for the 2025 season.

Hit the comments and tell us how Pickens will do in 2025, and then what the Cowboys will do in the next offseason concerning Pickens.

For betting odds and props for the upcoming NFL season, visits our friends at FanDuel.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...ear-rental-roster-2026-free-agent-ceedee-lamb

 

[Dallas Cowboys]

Tour de Dallas: One Cowboys player that best represents each leaders jersey at the Tour de France

Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images

We are so close to actual football action.

The passage of time between the Dallas Cowboys offseason and the start of training camp is nearly over, with the team and their many new players and coaches set to practice on July 22nd. How fans pass this time has come up at various times leading up to this start to the real countdown for the 2025 season. There weren’t exactly a lot of moments from the 2024 Cowboys season that make us fans want to go back and relive them in hopes of building excitement for the new year. The NBA and NHL playoffs have been over for some time, and baseball is about to head into it’s All-Star Break.

There is one other major world sporting event that runs concurrent to this final stretch before football though, and while it may not get on the radar of most American fans who still consider this time a dead zone for sports in general, its popularity globally is unquestioned. Currently, the Tour de France is rolling around the streets, hills, and mountains of France for the 112th time in it’s rich history. The Tour will conclude in Paris on Sunday, July 27th, doing more than just taking fans like myself who are interested up to the start of Cowboys training camp.

Throughout the course of the Tour, four classification jerseys are awarded on a daily basis. The most famous, prestigious, and important is naturally the yellow jersey, given to the rider in the overall race lead, and the eventual winner in Paris. There is also a green jersey given to the points leader, with different opportunities to gain points laid out throughout each stage. Mountain climbing points are also awarded throughout stages that feature more uphill riding, with the leader of that classification rocking the always stylish red and white polka dot jersey. A white jersey is given to the race’s overall best “young” rider, the criteria of which has changed throughout the years, but essentially this jersey is to highlight potential future winners that are up and coming as Tour de France contenders.

One other much smaller podium award is given out each day, a red number to the most aggressive rider of the stage. Any rider that shows a knack for going to the front of the race, not being afraid to take a risk, or goes above and beyond for their team can be recognized here, and then takes to the start of the next day’s race with their jersey number in red instead of white.

As it relates to the Cowboys, we’ve decided to have a little fun and pick a player that best embodies the spirit of each jersey of the Tour de France. A very important thing to keep in mind here - this is not a list based on which players, body type, age, and skills considered, would actually be best at winning any of these jerseys on the bike. Fans can go to Green Bay Packers training camp for more about what professional football players look like on two wheels. This is about how they match the general vibe around each competition. Let’s get out on the course!

Green Points Jersey - WR CeeDee Lamb​

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

The race for the green jersey at the Tour can sometimes be more interesting and lively than the one for yellow. While it typically favors sprinters, the fast men that can cross the finish line first in a mad dash at the end of flat road stages, there are points up for grabs in moderately hilly stages too. Riders that can conquer both with the craftiness and nose for the front of a race can dominate this competition. Slovenia’s Peter Sagan was exactly this type of rider, and above all else he was an entertainer on the bike, known for pulling off wheelies in front of fans and giving cheesy interview quotes, and because of that Sagan has the record for most green jerseys of all time at seven. The Cowboys comparison for this competition is CeeDee Lamb.

Lamb’s speed is certainly a trait the Cowboys try to put to use as much as possible, but a lot is put on his shoulders to carry the offense as a whole, much like cycling sprinters must deliver in the end. Dallas has not surrounded their best wide receiver with complementary speed and playmaking ability at all times, meaning Lamb has also had to be crafty and a jack of all trades like points competition winners.

Lamb being a player capable of running the ball, creating yards after the catch in the short passing game, scoring in the red zone, creating separation deep, and making contested catches, makes him the type of overall player that fits the identity of the green jersey to a tee. While he’s established these things under two different play-callers so far in his career, there is still hope he can reach new heights going to a third with head coach Brian Schottenheimer now tasked with finding new ways to get the ball to Lamb. He will also having a new running mate that matches his skillset perhaps more closely than any receiver Lamb has played with before in George Pickens. This duo could score a lot of green jersey points, which Cowboys fans will be hoping turn into real points on Sundays very soon!

Photo by Hu Chengwei/Getty Images

Polka Dot Mountain Jersey - LG Tyler Smith​

When we said that this list would be more about the competition of the jersey, and not Cowboys players actually vying for them, this is the best example by a mile (or kilometer in the spirit of the Tour). Although, the thought of picturing a big offensive lineman riding a bike up the steepest mountains in Europe while wearing red and white polka dots is quite amusing!

The polka dot jersey is all about conquering mountains and ascending, so here it goes to an ascending player that’s one of the best at his position in the NFL. Cowboys left guard Tyler Smith could be in store for his best season yet, as Dallas has recommitted to the run game with the horses around Smith up front to get back to the physical game they desire. A former first-round pick as a collegiate left tackle that had to start his career with the Cowboys at left tackle, Smith has now become their latest success story in changing positions to guard and dominating. The fact he will be flanked by last year’s first-round pick Tyler Guyton looking to take another step, Cooper Beebe at center looking to do the same after a strong rookie campaign, and latest first-round pick Tyler Booker as a similarly nasty run blocker at right guard is the perfect formula for Smith to help the Cowboys reach the mountaintop of having the best offensive line in football again.

Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Tyler Smith is at his absolute best blocking on the move and getting downhill to seek out second- and third-level defenders. Although this is described as going downhill in football, it compares nicely to going uphill ahead of the race in cycling. The polka dot jersey can be a bit confusing at times, because to win the overall grand prize of the yellow jersey, a rider must also be highly capable in the mountains. Having a separate competition to name a “best” climber leaves some cycling fans questioning the legitimacy of this jersey, but like the green jersey it rewards those not being afraid to attack mountains on their own and ride in front, sometimes without help.

The Cowboys have seen Smith develop into a leader of this offensive line, and now have the help around him to support his campaign for the polka dot jersey going into year four. France’s Richard Virenque has the most mountain jerseys of all time with seven, winning his first in 1994 and last in 2004.

Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images

White Young Rider Jersey - TE Brevyn Spann-Ford​

The white jersey competition at the Tour is a little bit less fierce and sought after than all of the others. The criteria for it has changed at different times, but currently the only riders eligible are those younger than 26 years old. It is not a competition open to everyone.

Among the riders within the age rules, this jersey is handed out exactly like the overall race leader’s yellow jersey. The best overall time through the compilation of each day’s race is sorted out only among the young riders, and the leader gets to perhaps cool off in the hot July summers in France with an all white jersey.

The Cowboys currently have 41 players under the age requirement here, and picking out second year undrafted tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford from this bunch may come as a surprise. He certainly may not be the best player of this bunch, but based on what we have gathered this offseason in clues and hints about the Schottenheimer offense, he is one in position for a leap in his overall role. Used primarily as a blocking tight end as a rookie, Spann-Ford is looking to be seen as more of a receiving threat and potential passing game complement to Jake Ferguson, with this dual role earning him the white jersey.

How much the Cowboys are actually planning on using multiple tight end sets that can take full advantage of not only Ferguson and Spann-Ford but Luke Schoonmaker as well remains to be seen, at least until some full team drills in Oxnard. A big determining factor here will also be what formations prove best to run the ball out of, and who will be doing that running out of the backfield. Spann-Ford figures to have his nose involved in all of these decisions as a player young enough and still with a chip on his shoulder after going undrafted to be ready for anything that is asked of him. He has already caught the eye of the Cowboys new coaching staff, and is a name for any fans getting ready to tune in for training camp that perhaps didn’t follow OTAs or minicamp closely to quickly get familiar with!

Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images

Yellow Leaders Jersey - QB Dak Prescott​

The jersey that rules all jerseys, going to the position that rules all the others in the NFL. There simply is no other choice to pull on the vaunted “maillot jaune” or yellow jersey for the Cowboys than Dak Prescott, making his return from injury in 2025. He is the highest paid player at his position in the league. He is the focal point of so much discussion around the entire league. He is an unquestionable leader for the Dallas Cowboys.

The story of every single day at the Tour de France all comes together through the lens of the yellow jersey. Nothing else can fully be put into context without understanding what is happening in the race for yellow, and who will wear yellow on the top step of the podium after 21 days of racing. For the team that holds the yellow jersey, protecting it is of upmost importance, much like the Cowboys will try to do for Prescott with the resources they’ve reinvested on the offensive line. Yellow jersey winners must also have the ability to handle things on their own, thrive in chaos, and “make plays” that few others can. At his best, Prescott has done all of these things.

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

There are an infinite amount of ways to describe Dak Prescott’s role with the Cowboys, all of which are met with opposition that many other Cowboys fans find unfair. By far the most important in this Tour themed context is what happens to the Cowboys when he is not on the field, something they just experienced a year ago. Teams not vying for the yellow jersey in the Tour can still have a successful race by winning individual stages or other recognitions, but those in contention for the ultimate prize need their leader. The Cowboys need Dak Prescott as the straw that stirs the drink. The last time he was available for a full season, he played at a near MVP level, and will be looking to remind everyone of just that.

Talented offenses around Prescott have come and gone without the Cowboys reaching the conference championship game of course, and just like the yellow jersey competition has favored younger and younger riders, the game of football waits for nobody. The opportunity for Prescott to make the most of Lamb and Pickens together in year one is right in front of him, a quarterback that shouldn’t have to look far for other equally motivated teammates that were apart of such a down year in 2024. These are the right ingredients for a yellow jersey, but it’s up to Prescott to put it all together and avoid all the possible pitfalls of a 17 game season, just like riders must navigate three straight weeks of racing in France.

Four riders are officially tied at the top with five all time yellow jersey wins. They are France’s Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, Belgium’s Eddy Merckx, and Spain’s Miguel Indurain. Texas native and former American cyclist Lance Armstrong did of course controversially win the yellow jersey seven times, none of which are still officially recognized by the race.

Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images

Red Most Combative Jersey Number - LB Micah Parsons​

This classification is not actually awarded a jersey at all, but it is still a way for riders making a difference in the race to be recognized. The most combative rider is given out on a daily basis, and also overall at the end of the race.

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images

From start to finish a season ago, despite everything negative happening around him, Micah Parsons was always combative. He remained one of the few reasons to always tune in on a weekly basis. Parsons did miss four games from weeks five to eight, but ended the season in a meaningless game against the Commanders with a season high two and a half sacks. He never gave up for a defense that was down to backups and third-stringers at multiple other positions all year. He dealt with yet another defensive coordinator transition from Dan Quinn, who had a very public strong relationship with Parsons, to embracing Mike Zimmer. Now, Parsons will have to do the same yet again going from Zimmer to Matt Eberflus, but given his talent level there is little question he’ll still perform. In fact, Eberflus’ expertise at the linebacker position and the way Dallas has brought in new players like Jack Sanborn and Kenneth Murray along with second-year ascending player Marist Liufau could offer hope that some of the best is right around the corner for Parsons. Parsons is also reunited with Dante Fowler Jr. in pass rush support, and will have Sam Williams coming back from ACL and MCL surgery to rush opposite him as well after missing all of last year.

Having this support for Parsons is great, but the greatest thing is that he’s proven it doesn’t matter and he is still the cream of the crop when it comes to the Cowboys defense. He is the one that keeps opposing offensive coordinators awake at night.

Whatever the stakes are between the lines, Micah Parsons is always pushing for it with full aggressiveness and combativeness, the likes of which would earn him a red number in the Tour. He also sits near the top of the list of Cowboys players looking to be rewarded in these efforts with elusive playoff success, much like our yellow jersey pick Dak Prescott.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...ne-player-best-represents-each-leaders-jersey