It is game week for the Dallas Cowboys!
Dallas Cowboys newcomers to watch in 2024: Tyler Guyton, Marshawn Kneeland and more – Chris Amaya, DMN
Amaya offers a mix of veteran and rookie newcomers to keep an eye on, among them Tyler Guyton and Marshawn Kneeland.
1. LT Tyler Guyton
Dallas has high expectations for the rookie first-rounder out of Oklahoma. After impressing coaches in training camp, Guyton could start his professional career as Dak Prescott’s blindside protector at left tackle.
He’ll have big shoes to fill, taking over a spot that eight-time Pro Bowler Tyron Smith previously manned.
Guyton, a Manor native, was behind Chuma Edoga on the first team in training camp until an injury in the team’s first preseason game changed everything. He won’t be the only Cowboys rookie looking to impress on the offensive line.
4. DE Marshawn Kneeland
When Sam Williams went down with a season-ending ACL injury, an opportunity opened up for Kneeland.
The 2024 second-round pick out of Western Michigan is now expected to contribute significantly at defensive end. Like Guyton and Beebe, Kneeland has received a fair share of praise from the Dallas coaching staff.
Kneelend’s strength is stopping the run, which is part of the reason why the Cowboys drafted him. In five seasons, Kneeland had 13 sacks, 28 tackles for loss and 149 tackles at Western Michigan.
He spent much of camp learning from DeMarcus Lawrence.
Caelen Carson ‘ready’ for Cowboys debut vs. Browns, speaks on No. 21 change – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
The Cowboys may be breaking in Caelen Carson a bit earlier than expected because of DaRon Bland’s injury, but the rookie out of Wake Forest has no shortage of confidence.
“I’m more than prepared,” said the level-headed 22-year-old cornerback. “I wouldn’t say that I expected it, but I’m ready. … If you make it bigger than what it is, then it’s gonna be a big moment for you. It’s gonna be [like] any other game. I’ve been playing football all my life, so I feel like nothing changes.
“It’s just more people and you’re on television but, at the end of the day, I’ve been doing it since I was five years old.”
Carson also has reason to be confident, seeing as he’s not only coming off of a stellar training camp and preseason, but also in the fact he’s been in a similar situation previously — when he didn’t expect to be named starter as a freshman for the Demon Deacons before they decided he was indeed ready for the task.
And then came the moniker “Seat Belt”, a nickname earned during that very season, and one that’s already followed him to his Cowboys’ uniform.
Speaking of uniforms, Carson also made headlines over the past several days by approaching the Cowboys to request they change his jersey from No. 41 to No. 21 ahead of the 2024 season though, as he explained, it’s not tied to Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders.
NFL names Cowboys’ Cooper Beebe among 10 most overlooked rookies – Reid Hanson, The Cowboys Wire
Cooper Beebe won the starting job in his first offseason with the team, beating out Brock Hoffman.
While looking through a list of NFL rookies hoping to make splash in their first season in the league, Brooks named a Cowboys rookie as one of 10 overlooked rookies who have “showed serious flashes” this preseason. The player he mentioned was aspiring starter, Cooper Beebe.
The Cowboys took a gamble when they selected Beebe in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft. It’s not that the Kansas State guard was a poor prospect because he was actually very well regarded in the draft community. Dane Bruglar at The Athletic even slotted him in as the No. 3 guard in the class rating as his 38th ranked prospect in the draft. What made Beebe a gamble was role the Cowboys were going to ask him to play.
Drafted as a center, Dallas wanted Beebe to play a position he wasn’t acquainted with in the past. In his 48 collegiate starts, Beebe played at left tackle, right tackle and left guard, but never center. The Cowboys strategy was a rebuttal for what scouts perceived to be Beebe’s biggest weakness, arm length.
7 players who exceeded expectations and could be Week 1 difference-makers – Jon Machota, The Athletic
Add LB Marist Liufau to the long list of young players facing high expectations.
Linebacker hasn’t exactly been a strength recently in Dallas. From what was on display at camp, it appears it could be headed that way. Eric Kendricks and DeMarvion Overshown are the expected starters, but Liufau showed he can be counted on in Year 1. Like Carson, he’s been a player who has repeatedly shown up even when not looking for him. Last year’s rookie class didn’t contribute much in Year 1. This year’s rookie class looks much different. Expect several first-year players to make a positive impact this season.
Dallas Cowboys rookie class expectations for the 2024 season – Tony Catalina, Blogging The Boys
The two players drafted ahead of Beebe will also see the field right away, having earned plenty of trust from the coaching staff this preseason.
Round 1 • Pick 29 (29) • OT Tyler Guyton
There isn’t a rookie, or perhaps a young player altogether, on the Cowboys roster with more pressure and hope resting on his shoulders. Tyler Guyton is expected to be the Day 1 starter at left tackle, tasked with protecting Dak Prescott’s blindside and filling the vacancy left by future hall-of-fame player Tyron Smith.
He is expected to be a good player early on, but the hope is that he can also be a cornerstone player in a reasonably quick timeframe. How good and how fast he can achieve this will be crucial for this team’s success.
Round 2 • Pick 24 (56) • EDGE Marshawn Kneeland
While Guyton was being thrust into a situation from the get-go, Marshawn Kneeland faced a similar current situation; only his came at the start of camp due to an injury. Sam Williams is out for the year with a knee injury, and as a result, Kneeland’s role increased significantly.
Kneeland is expected to get a lot of playing time and appears to be one of the top four pass rushers the team has on the roster right now. He will be asked to spell the established starters and bring pass-rushing production right out of the gate.
2024 NFC win-total projections: Eagles, 49ers sit atop conference; Bears, Seahawks just miss playoffs – Cynthia Frelund, NFL.com
It is an expected two team race between Philadelphia and Dallas in the NFC East again.
Philadelphia Eagles
PROJECTED NFC EAST CHAMPIONS. Ceiling: 13.1, Floor: 8.9, FanDuel over/under: 10.5
I tried to make a model to forecast how many times we’ll see the “Brotherly Shove” this season, but now that Jason Kelce has taken one step closer to Canton and Saquon Barkley has been added to the run quotient, I couldn’t get an estimate that had enough validity for usage as a funny note. (Math is funny, FYI.) What I did realize is that the changes in structure on offense, as well as at both coordinator positions, have created a really nice balance between continuity of players and new looks/twists to the game plan.
Furthermore, Next Gen Stats reminded me that Jalen Hurts completed 4.1 percent more of his passes than expected in 2023 (third-most among qualified passers). And on passes with a completion probability under 25 percent, Hurts connected on 10 of his 39 throws (both league highs) .
Dallas Cowboys
PROJECTED WILD CARD. Ceiling: 10.3, Floor: 6.9, FanDuel over/under: 9.5
How big a difference does CeeDee Lamb make? Well, during his holdout, my model had Dallas falling short of the postseason. Once he signed the four-year, $136 million extension, the Cowboys were playoff-bound! A fun NGS about him to tell your friends: Lamb was the most productive receiver against man coverage last season, leading the NFL with 70 targets, 49 receptions and 794 yards — 132 yards more than any other receiver. He also gained a league-high 894 yards from the slot.
2024 NFL predictions: Final record for all 32 teams – John Breech, CBSSports
Cynthia Frelund isn’t the only show in town. CBSSports has the Cowboys repeating as division winners.
NFC East
1. *Cowboys: 10-7
2. *Eagles: 9-8
3. Commanders: 7-10
4. Giants: 6-11
NFC East bold prediction: NFC East has first repeat champion since 2004.
On paper, this doesn’t sound like a very bold prediction, but any time you pick a team to repeat as champion in the NFC East, it counts as bold. The division has somehow gone 20 YEARS without a repeat champion. The last team to pull off the feat was the Eagles when they won three division titles in a row from 2003-05. The Eagles (-140) are actually the favorites to win the NFC East this year, so taking the Cowboys is somewhat bold. The only problem with the Cowboys winning the division is that Jerry Jones would take all the credit for it (“I told you we we’re all-in”), even though he did his best to derail the team this offseason.
Dak Prescott is going into the final year of his contract, Mike McCarthy is going into the final year of his contract, so they both have a big incentive to win and I think that factor will be the driving force that pushes the Cowboys over the top.
3 Cowboys practice squad additions who will definitely see the field this season – Maitland Rutledge, The Landry Hat
The Cowboys running back by committee approach extends all the way to the practice squad, where Dalvin Cook is waiting in the wings.
1. RB Dalvin Cook
Cook was a Pro Bowler back in 2022 during his final year in Minnesota. He had over 1,100 yards and scored eight touchdowns to help the Vikings get back to the playoffs.
With Cook being on the team now, the Cowboys have more options to choose from. This could be a solid idea based on the running back by committee approach they are taking this season. Rico Dowdle looks like he could be a future full-time starter, but the veteran leadership of Elliott and Cook could be a huge boost for this group.
While neither back is quite what they used to be, both have said they still have something to prove. While it might be a few weeks until he hits the field, Cook will almost certainly be in a Cowboys uniform this season.
