Cowboys coach Schottenheimer to meet with Parsons on Sunday – Todd Archer, ESPN
Micah Parsons’ lay down at the Falcons game is causing an issue.
Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said he will meet with Micah Parsons on Sunday to discuss the edge rusher’s behavior during Friday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Early in the third quarter, Parsons — who again did not play as he seeks a contract extension — was lying on a medical table behind the Cowboys’ bench as the offense drove down the field. He was also the only player not to wear a jersey during the game.
Schottenheimer said the team will handle a decision about Parsons’ future internally.
“Without talking to Micah, I need to figure out what he was doing and why he was doing it,” Schottenheimer said on a conference call Saturday. “So, until I talk to him, I’m obviously not going to talk about it.”
Parsons had an MRI on his back Friday, and Schottenheimer said it came back “pretty clean.” Parsons first talked about back tightness at the minicamp in June. However, in training camp, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones seemed to dismiss the severity of the issue, calling it part of the negotiation for a contract extension, similar to Parsons’ trade request.
Jaydon Blue looking to prove he’s more than a speed back in NFL – Tommy Yarish, dallascowboys.com
Rookie running back eager to show he’s got more tools in his bag.
ARLINGTON, Texas – It’s been two years since Jaydon Blue has made a tackle. It didn’t take long for the rookie fifth-round pick to get his first NFL tackle on special teams, as he brought down Jashaun Corbin on the opening kickoff. In his first game after missing the last two with an ankle injury, Blue hopes those kinds of plays on special teams and what he showed on offense can convince the Cowboys’ staff that he deserves a spot on the 53-man roster.
“Just the versatility I bring, man,” Blue said when asked why the Cowboys should bet on him. “I could do multiple things, whether it’s special teams running the ball out of the backfield, catching passes, and just having that explosion of that can break at any moment.” Speaking of the ankle injury, Blue was ruled out of the rest of the game in the fourth quarter after getting the same ankle rolled up on but doesn’t seem to be too concerned about it.
“It was the same ankle just got rolled up a little bit, but I don’t think it’s nothing serious,” Blue said. “I’ve had ankle rolls plenty of times, but I feel good right now.” In his NFL debut, Blue finished with nine carries for 25 yards and a touchdown. While those numbers aren’t mind boggling, it’s what Blue did on those carries as well as the plays that didn’t show up in the box score that stood out.
From picking up the blitz in pass protection to running up the middle through contact, Blue is out to prove that he’s more than just a speed back that can be used on the outside. “I’m just not runner that can run a ball outside,” Blue said. “I can also run between the tackles, I can break tackles, run through contact and things like that. So that just showed that I’m not just that scat back or speed back, I can also run a ball in tight spaces…”
“I always believed that I wouldn’t just be that speed back. I always thought that I can do plenty of things, whether that’s catching ball in the backfield, running between the tackles and I know this is the NFL, In order to be that running back, if you want to be, you have to be able to do it all inside and off the tackle, so it felt good being able to showcase that.”
It wasn’t a perfect debut, but Brian Schottenheimer still came away with positive things to take away from his rookie running back’s first action against another team in a game setting. “(He was) up and down. He had some good runs. They were doing a nice job with some of the things that we got,” Schottenheimer said. “We had a screen that was, you know, might’ve had a chance for some more. But you see the talent. You see the acceleration. I wish we could have got him a little bit more, but you’re obviously going to be cautious in a situation like this, in the last preseason game.”
The Cowboys offensive line rebuild is complete – Mark Heaney, Inside the Star
The Cowboys hope their offensive line is now ready.
The dominant 2010s Dallas Cowboys offensive line is fully in the past; Zack Martin, Tyron Smith, and Travis Frederick are all gone. We’ve seen the front office prepare and react to the end of that era, and it has paid off.
Dallas’s offensive line rebuild is already complete.
This preseason has featured the depth and player development efforts put into the offensive line, as late-round flyers have surprised and first-round picks have flexed their muscle with the starting unit.
Going forward, the Cowboys’ team-building focus needs to shift elsewhere. The core of the offensive line has been built; now, it’s time to let them grow, develop, and shine.
Aside from 28-year-old Terence Steele, the starting Cowboys offensive line is all 24 and under. That is incredibly young for a position group that commonly features long-term veterans.
The All-Pro on the left side, Tyler Smith, has cemented himself as one of the best guards in the entire league. The next step for the Tulsa alum is getting paid what he deserves, if Jerry Jones comes around on the whole extension thing.
Cowboys Stock Report: UDFA WR bubble may have bust, veteran edge undeniable, Milton shines – Ben Grimaldi, Cowboys Wire
These players made major improvements with a great showing on Friday.
The Dallas Cowboys had their preseason breakthrough in Week 3, finally, defeating the Atlanta Falcons 31-13 in the exhibition finale. While the final score was irrelevant, the team’s improved play was an encouraging sign for new head coach Brian Schottenheimer. There was plenty to be gained for players battling for roster spots, and the Cowboys had some good performances to make decisions for the 53-man head count difficult. Most of what the Cowboys did in the preseason finale was positive as the stock went up for guys who needed to show they could play. Here’s the stock report for the Cowboys as the exhibition season came to an end.
Stock up: QB Joe Milton
There wasn’t much to be positive about in the first two preseason games for Milton, but he showed signs that’s he’s a viable backup quarterback to starter Dak Prescott. Milton looked much more comfortable in the pocket and showed the touch critics say he lacks on his 29-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Jalen Brooks.
The passing and accuracy were better, but Milton also used his legs to keep the chains moving. Milton has great athleticism, and he used it to his advantage, rushing for 33 yards and touchdown.
This was the QB the Cowboys traded for, a guy who can make big plays and is a dual-threat option. The Milton stock is definitely up after his best outing with his new team.
Stock up: RB Jaydon Blue
After missing the first two games due to injury, it was the first NFL action from the rookie and Blue showed why he should see plenty of opportunities in the regular season. Blue ran for 25 yards and scored on a strong one-yard touchdown run.
There wasn’t much running room for Blue, but when he did find space, he burst through the line for a 13-yard gain just two plays before he found the end zone. On Blue’s touchdown run he demonstrated he’s more than just a speed back by powering through an arm tackle for the score.
The only downside to Blue’s night was that he was hurt in the fourth quarter, reinjuring the ankle that made him miss the first two exhibitions, however he seems to have avoided a serious injury.
Stock down: DB Zion Childress
Childress is another rookie who’s been generating positive reviews in the preseason, but he had a quiet night. While other defensive players made strong impressions, Childress didn’t do much to boost his stock.
The case for making the roster doesn’t just come down to one night, but Childress failed to make a final push in the win.
Final 53-man roster prediction for the Cowboys – Dan Rogers, Blogging the Boys
Who makes the cut?
The preseason is officially over. Over the next few days, the Dallas Cowboys will work tirelessly to figure out the players that will make up their 53-man roster for the 2025 season. Now, initially, things might look a little off as there will be some “roster gymnastics” to move injured players to IR, so expect things to change over the course of the week. The team will also look at players on other rosters as they continue to search for depth at key positions, so expect some new faces to join the team as well as the Cowboys exchange surplus for shortages via last-minute trades. Here is our best guess at the Cowboys roster and practice squad candidates.
QUARTERBACK (2)
Dak Prescott
Joe MiltonPractice squad: Will Grier (veteran)
It was nice to see second-year player Joe Milton end the preseason on a high note. He’s clearly the team’s ride-or-die backup quarterback. The team may choose to carry three quarterbacks if they want to keep Will Grier, but with roster spots limited, sticking with only two seems more reasonable.
RUNNING BACK (4)
Javonte Williams
Jaydon Blue
Hunter Luepke
Phil MafahPractice squad: Miles Sanders (veteran)
It’s difficult to figure out what the Cowboys might do here. Miles Sanders seems like a favorite to land the final spot in the running back room, but it would make more sense to keep the rookie, Phil Mafah. If they feel like Mafah isn’t likely to be poached from the practice squad, then keeping Sanders could be the direction they go. With the speed/power variety that the two rookies, Jaydon Blue and Mafah, offer, retaining both would make a lot of sense, especially since they come with four years of control at a low cost.
TIGHT END (3)
Jake Ferguson
Luke Schoonmaker
Brevyn Spann-FordPractice squad: John Stephens Jr. and Princeton Fant
This one hasn’t changed all month. Three players make up the core of the tight end room, while a slew of undrafted free agents just wait patiently by the wayside. We could see a surprise here if one of the UDFA guys sneaks on the team, but for the most part, this feels relatively safe.
WIDE RECEIVER (5)
CeeDee Lamb
George Pickens
KaVontae Turpin
Jalen Tolbert
Ryan FlournoyPractice squad: Jalen Brooks and Traeshon Holden
Jonathan Mingo’s injury has opened up an opportunity for one of the bottom-roster receivers to sneak onto the team. Choosing between Jalen Brooks and Ryan Flournoy is extremely difficult, as both players bring a lot of fight and contribute on special teams. A recent surge combined with an extra year of team control is why the second-year player, Flournoy, gets the nod, but honestly, it could go either way.
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