Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images The state of the backup quarterbacks on the Cowboys will be worth watching. In just two months, the Cowboys will start their 2025 training camp. Some players are already locked into their roles, but many will be in fights for their place on the depth chart, roster, or practice squad. For backup quarterbacks Will Grier and Joe Milton III, there’s a wide range of possibilities for their eventual landing spots. Grier and Milton come into this competition from very different places in their careers. Grier is a 30-year-old, sixth-year veteran who’s bounced around the league for a while. He was a third-round pick in 2019 by the Panthers but never found traction there, partially due to a coaching change in 2020. But despite consistently staying employed at the bottom of various rosters and on practice squads, Grier’s last regular-season snap came in his rookie season. Milton, a sixth-round pick just last year by New England, has obviously spent much less time in the league. But his 61 snaps from the one game he appeared in last season aren’t much less than Grier’s 87 from 2019. So while Grier does have valuable experience from many more training camps, preseasons, and other learning opportunities than Milton, they’re fairly even on actual real-game work. While Grier does have experience with the Cowboys from 2021-2022, that was before Brian Schottenheimer’s arrival as offensive coordinator. So even there, his experience edge is limited. Grier was on the practice squad for the last two months of 2024, but that has minimal value now that Schottenheimer is head coach and nearly all of the assistants have changed. A more meaningful difference between them is Dallas’ level of investment. Unsurprisingly, they were able to retain Grier this offseason with the league minimum. But after Milton’s bright flash in the 2024 season finale, the Cowboys sent one of their fifth-round picks this year to New England for the player and a seventh. That may not sound like much on the surface, but Dallas hasn’t typically used much draft capital on the quarterback position. They essentially made Milton one of their fifth-round picks this year, which is the most they’ve invested since making Dak Prescott a fourth-round pick in 2016. Another key difference is playing style and how that fits into what Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams are looking to do offensively. Grier is your prototypical West Coast QB, a scrambler who can throw well on the run but without a big arm. Milton has all the arm strength you could want and plenty of athleticism to boot, but has always been knocked for his lack of accuracy. That looked better in his one game last year for New England, but it was a small sample size in a glorified preseason game during Week 18. If the Cowboys offense is about to get more focused on the run and play-action, which the coaching changes and the drafting of G Tyler Booker indicate, then how these QBs do at throwing on the move will be a major factor in the competition. But more than anything, as we saw from Cooper Rush over the last four years, who can just grab his helmet and keep the offense moving when called upon? It’s one thing to go into a game knowing you’re starting, but who can keep his head on straight when QB1 just got helped off the field? That’s arguably the most important factor in who wins the backup job. Right now, it feels pretty even between Will Grier and Joe Milton. Grier has the experience edge, both in total and with the team, while Milton’s athleticism and upside make him the better investment. And if another year of development has improved his accuracy and honed other skills, Milton can mitigate that experience gap easily. This will be one of the bubble battles to watch for training camp and the preseason.

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Malik Hooker deserves more props. Safety Malik Hooker hasn’t been a star in his four seasons with the Cowboys, but he’s been a consistent, reliable presence in the secondary. The nine-year veteran enters 2025 with a clear path to continuing in his starting role, and perhaps without enough appreciation for his contributions. Analytics site Pro Football Focus certainly thinks so, recently naming Hooker as Dallas’ most underrated player ahead of the upcoming season. Hooker was one of three defensive backs from the NFC East to get recognized by PFF, joining Giants CB Andru Phillips and Eagles S Reed Blankenship. The Commanders’ player was TE Zach Ertz, who just turned in a very productive year in Washington despite turning 34 last November. The most underrated player for every NFC East team pic.twitter.com/CcSHw8jmE1 — PFF (@PFF) May 17, 2025 For Hooker specifically, PFF had the following explanation for his selection: Hooker took over as a starting safety in 2022 and never looked back, playing nearly 3,000 defensive snaps over that span. He has earned a top-10 PFF run-defense grade (89.3) and a top-20 PFF overall grade (78.8) at the position since 2022. Hooker is once again set to be the Cowboys’ reliable deep safety in Matt Eberflus’ defense in 2025 and should continue to provide a solid return on the team’s investment in him. In previous years, the “most underrated” label in Dallas often went to DT Osa Odighizuwa. But having just received a new four-year, $80 million contract to stay with the Cowboys, Odighizuwa is clearly getting more recognition for his services. Hooker isn’t nearly so well compensated. Both he and Donovan Wilson average just $7 million on their current deals, which are tied for the 25th-highest among all NFL safeties. That’s probably about right for Wilson, with some surprised that he wasn’t a salary cap casualty this offseason. But given where Hooker’s graded among his contemporaries, you could make the case now that he’s a bargain. The veteran’s value could be going up in 2025 under new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. When healthy, Hooker played in Eberflus’ defense from 2018-2020 with the Colts. So not only is he one of the elder statesmen on defense now based on just age and experience, but he could play a vital role in helping teammates transition to the new defensive scheme. In an offseason dominated by discussions around star players, a guy like Malik Hooker can easily fly under the radar. We’re rightfully concerned about contract situations for Micah Parsons and DaRon Bland, as well as injury recovery timetables for Trevon Diggs and DeMarvion Overshown. But along with those stars, you also need the guys who provide adequate starting work at a reasonable price. Hooker certainly qualifies, and there’s potential for him to be even better in 2025 with the defensive changes.

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images Several Cowboys rookies should play a vital role in 2025. The Dallas Cowboys had an excellent 2025 NFL Draft, selecting several players who will start early and often for them this year, and others who will be vital backups. How these rookies perform on a game-by-game basis could be the difference between success and failure this year, which is why we wanted to highlight some of the head-to-head matchups we are looking forward to this season. Cowboys 2025 draft class pic.twitter.com/LMCf3pEbBz — Todd Archer (@toddarcher) April 26, 2025 Good or bad, the Cowboys will be relying on several of these rookies from the 2025 draft class to play significant roles for them this season. In truth, about half of these rookies could be key players for them this year either as starters or as backups. And with that in mind, here are several head-to-head rookie matchups we are looking forward to watching this year. Week 1 & 12 – Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles RB Jaydon Blue vs. LB Jihaad Campbell Getting Jaydon Blue matched up in the head-to-head battle with the Eagles rookie LB Jihaad Campbell should be extremely advantageous for the Cowboys. Blue’s game breaking speed (4.28) makes him extremely difficult to contain as a runner and receiver out of the backfield Week 2 & 18 Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants RG Tyler Booker vs. DT Darius Alexander Tyler Booker will get is welcome to the NFL moment in Week 1 against the Eagles DT Jalen Carter, but the Giants rookie DT Darius Alexander is someone else he’ll face twice a year for the foreseeable future. If he can hold up against Carter, Alexander should be no problem. Week 3 – Dallas Cowboys vs. Chicago Bears CB Shavon Revel vs. WR Luther Burden Luther Burden is one of several rookie WRs Shavon Revel could be matched up against this year if he overcomes his injury early enough. It’s unknown right now what type of role each of these players may have this early in the season, but this still would be an intriguing head-to-head matchup between talented rookies. Week 4 – Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers CB Shavon Revel vs. WR Matthew Golden The headline of this game could be Dallas’ decision to draft Tyler Booker over Matthew Golden, but as far as head-to-head rookie matchups go, Revel against Golden is the one to watch. It’s possible this battle helps sway the outcome of the game. Week 5 – Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Jets DE Donovan Ezeiruaku vs. OT Armand Membou Donovan Ezeiruaku was one of the most athletically gifted pass rusher’s in the 2025 draft class and Armand Membou was one of the most athletically gifted tackles. This display of athleticism should make this head-to-head rookie matchup entertaining. Week 6 – Dallas Cowboys vs. Carolina Panthers CB Shavon Revel vs. WR Tetairoa McMillan, DT Jay Toia vs. RB Trevor Etienne This rookie matchup is all about the Jonathan Mingo trade. Trevor Etienne was drafted with the pick Carolina received by trading Mingo to the Cowboys and Tetairoa McMillan replaces him in the lineup. Week 7 – Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders DE Donovan Ezeiruaku vs. OT Josh Conley Ezeiruaku versus Josh Conley could be an intriguing head-to-head battle for years to come. These two rookies could be starters at this point in the season and both should be vital to the teams success this year, making this an interesting rookie matchup. Week 8 – Dallas Cowboys vs. Denver Broncos CB Shavon Revel vs. WR Pat Bryant Revel has already faced more talented WRs than Pat Bryant at this point in the season, but this is still an intriguing rookie matchup worth watching nonetheless. With Sean Payton calling plays, Bryant could play an important role with Denver as a rookie this year. Week 9 – Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals RG Tyler Booker vs. DT Walter Nolen Walter Nolen was one of the most disruptive DTs in the entire 2025 draft class and could be a problem for Booker who isn’t known for his athleticism. As long as Booker stays technique sound, Nolen’s speed and athleticism shouldn’t be a problem. Week 11 – Dallas Cowboys vs. Las Vegas Raiders DT Jay Toia vs. RB Ashton Jeanty, CB Shavon Revel vs. WR Jack Bech This Week 11 matchup with the Raiders features a couple of intriguing rookie matchups to watch. If Jay Toia can help contain Ashton Jeanty and Revel can do the same with Jack Bech, the Cowboys have a really good chance of walking away with the “W”. Week 13 – Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs DE Donovan Ezeiruaku vs. OT Josh Simmons, RG Tyler Booker vs. DT Omar Norman-Lott This Thanksgiving Day game could be all about protecting the QB. If Donovan Ezeiruaku can get the best of Josh Simmons, Patrick Mahomes could be in trouble, but if Omar Norman-Lott gets the better of Booker, Dak Prescott could be the one in trouble. Week 14 – Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions RG Tyler Booker vs. DT Tyleik Williams Booker could have his hands full with any of Detroit’s talented defensive line, but Tyleik Williams is the rookie to keep an eye on in Week 14. Even though they didn’t face each other in college, there’s probably a natural dislike coming from championship winning programs. Week 15 – Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings DT Jay Toia vs. G Donovan Jackson There’s a chance Toia is a starting 1-technique at this point in the season for the Cowboys. The head-to-head matchup between him and Donovan Jackson could help sway the outcome of the game considering how RB Aaron Jones has owned Dallas in the past. Week 16 – Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Chargers DT Jay Toia vs. RB Omarion Hampton Much like with Jeanty earlier this season, Toia could be vital to containing Omarion Hampton in this Week 16 matchup. As a big-bodied run stuffer, Toia could

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images What is the most controversial opinion you have about the Dallas Cowboys right now? We all have opinions on the Dallas Cowboys. That is obvious. It feels like we all agree on a lot of things, more than would potentially be the average. But there are certainly things that we disagree on. Maybe your disagreement has yourself in the minority. Perhaps you are among the masses. That is the magic of opinions. For our discussion here today we want to know what you think your most controversial Dallas Cowboys opinion is at the moment. To be clear this does not necessarily mean something negative. You can think something in a positive way about the team, but you might be the only one who does. Basically we want to know what you think you are on an island about relative to the team. When it comes to the Cowboys there are no shortage of controversial opinions so we are expecting some fun. Let us know your answer in the comments below!

Think you can figure out which Cowboys player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game! Can you guess this free agent addition in today’s in-5 trivia game?Hey Cowboys fans! We’re back for another day of the Blogging The Boys in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form. If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article. Previous games Wednesday, May 21, 2025Tuesday, May 20, 2025Monday, May 19, 2025 Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games NFL in-5MLB in-5MMA in-5 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!

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images Here is the latest news from around the NFC East. Eagles reach multi-year contract extension with Nick Sirianni – Dave Zangaro, NBC Sports Philadelphia Nick Sirianni will be in Philadelphia for years to come. The Eagles and Super Bowl-winning head coach Nick Sirianni have agreed on a multi-year contract extension, the team announced on Monday afternoon. Sirianni, 43, was set to enter the final year of his initial five-year contract in 2025 but is now locked up beyond this upcoming season. “As an organization, we have always strived to create a championship culture of sustained success,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. “Nothing is more important to fostering such an environment than having tremendous leadership. “Nick has embodied everything we were looking for in a head coach since we hired him four years ago. His authentic style of leadership, football intelligence, passion for the game, and growth mindset have helped to bring out the best in our team. I am excited for what the future holds for the Philadelphia Eagles.” In his four years as Eagles head coach, Sirianni has a 48-20 regular season record and has gotten the Eagles into the playoffs four times with two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl victory. Sirianni has a postseason record of 6-3, including a 40-22 win over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in February. While Sirianni was set to enter the final season of his contract in 2025, there was no doubt the Eagles were going to give him an extension at some point this offseason. Lurie basically said as much at the NFL’s annual meetings in early April and before the Super Bowl in New Orleans. “Nick’s going to be our coach and we don’t talk publicly (about contracts), never have,” Lurie said earlier this offseason. “I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough that Nick will be our coach going forward and he’s done an outstanding job.” What if Washington Commanders’ $18 million star is past his prime? – David Harrison, Commanders on SI A Commanders trade from last season is a big question mark this year. Instead of signing big names in free agency, the Commanders’ GM opted to go out and spend some capital to get some, bringing in receiver Deebo Samuel and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil in the process. While there are mixed opinions about what Washington is getting with those two, there’s another trade acquisition who might present the team with its biggest roster decision of 2025, at least according to Sports Illustrated’s John Pluym, who asks: What happens if Marshon Lattimore struggles? “Lattimore is a four-time Pro Bowler, but he’s struggled to stay healthy and it’s fair to wonder if his best days are behind him,” says Pluym. “Washington gave up a slew of draft picks for him at the trade deadline last year, including third-, fourth- and sixth-round selections. Lattimore has played only 26 games over the past three seasons, and should the Commanders release him, they’d save $34.5 million over the next two years with $2 million in dead money.” Malik Nabers crashes NFL’s under-25 elite after meteoric rise – Matt Sidney, GMenHQ.com It turns out New York hit the nail on the head with last year’s first-round pick. Malik Nabers’ rookie campaign was nothing short of sensational. Even during a miserable 3-14 season that felt like rock bottom for the New York Giants, Nabers gave fans a reason to tune in. While the rest of the offense was barely holding on, Nabers looked more like a tenured vet than some rookie. He proved he belonged and showed he could elevate an entire offense by himself. Despite catching passes from a quarterback carousel that included Daniel Jones, Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock, and Tim Boyle, Nabers still shattered the Giants’ single-season receptions record. His exceptional playmaking ability, route running, and dynamic run-after-catch ability saw him become one of the most electric receivers in the league. Malik Nabers’ rookie campaign was nothing short of sensational. Even during a miserable 3-14 season that felt like rock bottom for the New York Giants, Nabers gave fans a reason to tune in. While the rest of the offense was barely holding on, Nabers looked more like a tenured vet than some rookie. He proved he belonged and showed he could elevate an entire offense by himself. Despite catching passes from a quarterback carousel that included Daniel Jones, Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock, and Tim Boyle, Nabers still shattered the Giants’ single-season receptions record. His exceptional playmaking ability, route running, and dynamic run-after-catch ability saw him become one of the most electric receivers in the league. And that’s exactly why general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll are building the offense around him—signing veterans like Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston and drafting Jaxson Dart to find a long-term solution under center. If the G-Men were looking for a reason to believe they could turn things around, Nabers is doing an awfully good job at convincing them. Giants have a true superstar in Malik Nabers Jonathon Macri of Pro Football Focus clearly sees what Giants fans have been screaming from the rooftops. In his latest ranking of the top 25 players under 25 heading into the 2025 season, Macri slotted Malik Nabers at No. 15 overall.

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Javonte Williams’ role is going to be interesting to figure out. The Dallas Cowboys came into this offseason with plenty of work to do. One thing on their to-do list was to execute a complete overhaul of their running back room. Dallas’ production in the run game last season was highly disappointing. The Cowboys finished the 2024 season with the third-worst (4.0) Y/A per rush in the league, and the seventh-worst team rush EPA (-0.128). The lone bright spot from the rushing attack was 26-year-old Rico Dowdle, putting together a breakout season. Dowdle was one of the most productive backs in the league in the final seven weeks of the season, finishing the year rushing for an impressive 1,079 yards on 235 carries. After his breakout year, many believed Dallas would attempt to prioritize bringing the impending free agent back. Ultimately, that was not the case, and the Cowboys saw their leading rusher from last season sign a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers in mid-March. With Dowdle out the door, Dallas had plenty of work to do if they wanted to build a competitive running back room for next season. To their credit, while they may not have added an A-Tier back, they did create some good competition at the position with a pair of free agent signings and draft selections. Free agent-wise, the Cowboys added veteran Miles Sanders and 25-year-old Javonte Williams on one-year deals. In the draft, Dallas made a homerun selection in the fifth round, selecting Texas running back Jaydon Blue. The Cowboys added yet another body to the group with their second-to-last draft pick, selecting Clemson running back Phil Mafah in the seventh round. While the Cowboys have certainly improved the overall depth of the running back position, there’s no clear answer as to who will be their lead back come training camp. Some have even theorized that Dallas could part ways with one of their two free agent additions at the position before training camp even kicks off. Bleacher Report continued this narrative, naming Javonte Williams as a potential cut candidate in their “The Best Player Who Could Still Be Cut from Every NFL Roster In 2025 Offseason” article. Here’s what they had to say about why Dallas could part with the former Denver Bronco before the start of the season. The Dallas Cowboys signed running back Javonte Williams to a one-year, $3 million deal this offseason but could easily move on if he doesn’t outperform Miles Sanders, Deuce Vaughn and/or rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah in training camp. Cutting Williams, who averaged just 3.7 yards per carry with the Broncos last season, would save Dallas $2 million in cap space. While it is true the Cowboys could part ways with Williams without any real financial ramifications, the idea that they would cut him before the start of camp is just not realistic. Of all the running backs on the roster, Williams likely has the best shot of being Dallas’ RB1 when they open camp in late July. While he was not super productive last season, Dallas signed Williams for a reason. His ability to impact the game as a pass catcher was a perfect fit for Brian Schottenheimer’s offense, and Dallas will likely get him heavily involved in that way. Williams also brings a needed physicality as a runner, which would pair perfectly with a speed back, like Jaydon Blue. Could Williams flame out in camp and the pre-season and be an early-September cut candidate? Sure, but even that seems pretty unlikely at this point. The better bet is that Javonte Williams is the starting Cowboys’ running back in Week 1 in Philadelphia, getting a good bulk of the carries.

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images Cowboys will make their third appearance on the hit series The Dallas Cowboys have received a lot of positive buzz these days after a successful draft and trading for wide receiver George Pickens. On Wednesday, something else was added to their 2025 itinerary. It was announced that the Cowboys and the entire NFC East will be featured on the in-season edition of HBO’s Hard Knocks in December. The Buffalo Bills will appear on the hit series during the summer. More Hard Knocks in December: pic.twitter.com/vIu0enolTY — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 21, 2025 This will be the Cowboys’ third time on Hard Knocks. The first came in 2002, which was just the second season of the series. Unfortunately, the Cowboys went 5-11 that season. In 2008, they were on Hard Knocks again. Dallas didn’t repeat their regular season from the previous year after winning 13 games as they ended up 9-7. Brian Schottenheimer will have to figure out how to navigate these waters in his first year as a head coach, adding to the pressure of his inaugural year.

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Brian Schottenheimer appears to be garnering more approval from Cowboys fans as the offseason moves along. The Dallas Cowboys have been at work this week during OTAs and while it is not actual football, they are football activities in a literal and technical sense. Given that actual football activities have been happening this has provided an opportunity for different members of the team to meet with the media. Brian Schottenheimer had his turn on Tuesday and was quite impressive. We have embedded his full presser right below here and I cannot recommend enough that you watch it. LIVE NOW: Coach Schottenheimer hosts a press conference presented by @drpepper. : More Highlights on https://t.co/fiDTYirx1d https://t.co/8PhJaY50p4 — Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) May 20, 2025 We are still only in May, but to this point the Brian Schottenheimer era feels like a huge success. The name of this game is winning and doing so more often than not, particularly in the playoffs, so all of that context is necessary. No one is denying this. But right now it feels like Schotty is acing every test that is put in front of him. For our Wednesday poll… how are you feeling about his era? Let us know in the comments below!

Think you can figure out which Cowboys player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game! Can you guess this free agent addition in today’s in-5 trivia game?Hey Cowboys fans! We’re back for another day of the Blogging The Boys in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form. If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article. Previous games Tuesday, May 20, 2025Monday, May 19, 2025Sunday, May 18, 2025 Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games NFL in-5MLB in-5MMA in-5 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!