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 Thursday, May 29, 2025Wednesday, May 28, 2025Tuesday, May 27, 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 Cooper Neill/Getty Images Brian Schottenheimer noted Cooper Beebe is being moved around some. The Dallas Cowboys are off and running at OTAs again, and these sorts of things are important as they provide not only some level of football prep, but also moments for people related to the team to speak. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer took to the podium on Thursday and discussed a variety of things, including how George Pickens is working well with the team early on. He was also asked about the state of first-round pick Tyler Booker and in his answer provided something interesting about a different player. Schottenheimer noted that the Cowboys are “creating competition” with Booker and that he isn’t seeing every single rep with the starters. Some people will panic over this, but remember that it is still very early on in this overall process. What stood out about Schotty’s answer here had nothing to do with Booker, but with Cooper Beebe. Schottenheimer mentioned that the Cowboys are moving several players around along the offensive line, including the player we all believe is their starting center. “He’s doing great. Again, we’re creating competition. He’s not taking all of the 1s. We’re rolling different guys in there. Rob Jones, we’re moving Brock [Hoffman] around a lot. Moving [Cooper] Beebe around some.” It makes sense to use this time of year to look at different combinations to see what possible permutations they can all yield as far as overall offensive line play. But is there anyone among us who thought that Beebe would line up or play anywhere but center in 2025? This sounds like experimentation in the name of turning over every rock, and figuring out depth situations in case of injuries. But keep it tucked away just in case the situation changes around the offensive line this season.

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images The Cowboys have had some success finding defensive tackles from UCLA. New defensive coordinator, same old problem. Year in and year out, it seems as if the interior of the Dallas Cowboys defensive line is the one position we can point to as a weak link on the roster. The 2025 season offers up the same challenge, making Matt Eberflus’ job that much more difficult as Dallas’ new DC. Outside of re-signing Osa Odighizuwa to once again hold down the starting job at the ever important 3-technique position in Eberflus’ 4-3 scheme, the Cowboys did not spend big to add to the position. Odighizuwa is one of the better 3-techniques in the league and a perfect fit in Eberflus’ scheme. And, one could argue, if he had a little more help around him he possesses Pro Bowl potential. Minus Odighizuwa, there is a question of whether the DT position will be any better than it has been under previous defensive coordinators in Dallas. Mazi Smith still hasn’t lived up to his first-round draft status. The Cowboys did add some help in free agency by adding Solomon Thomas, but he is starting the backside of his career. He will contribute, but how much is hard to say. Dallas waited until the seventh round to attempt to upgrade the position in the 2025 NFL Draft. With the 217th and 247th overall pick, the Cowboys drafted Jay Toia and Tommy Akingbesote to add some much-needed depth to the DT position. As seventh-round picks though, not much is expected of them to make significant impacts as rookies. Of the two though, Jay Toia has a pretty good shot at becoming a solid rotation piece in 2025, taking away some of the snaps from Mazi Smith. While he was a late-round pick, there are those who had him graded several rounds earlier, like The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. Per Dane Brugler’s “The Beast“: A three-year starter at UCLA, Toia was the zero/one-technique in defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe’s 3-3-5 base scheme. His production on paper doesn’t jump out, but the tape shows a player willing to chew up blocks in the middle, freeing linebackers and ends to make plays. When he plays with consistent leverage, Toia is able to put down roots and shut down inside running lanes. However, he must continue to develop his instincts to create tackle opportunities, instead of just taking up room. Overall, Toia might not have the length or awareness to be a full-time two-gapper in the NFL, but he has a powerful base and physical hands to neutralize the point of attack. He projects as a scheme-versatile nose tackle. GRADE: 3rd-4th Round Toia possesses the skill set to potentially push Mazi Smith for the starting job as Dallas’ 1-technique, despite being a seventh-round pick. All the intangibles are there for him to succeed, but first he’ll have to catch the eye of the coaching staff and outperform his competition. That’s not completely out of the question considering Smith has not as of yet been able to shed the first-round bust label. In fact, with a new DC and coaching staff, he doesn’t have a true lock on the job, opening up the door for Toia. However he is used, Toia should be a significant part of the Cowboys DL this season if he plays to his talent in training camp and preseason. And because of that, will be a vital part of Dallas’ success or failure along with Odighizuwa, a fellow UCLA alumni.

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images One model believes the Dallas Cowboys will be a below average team in 2025. There are a lot of different ways to predict or project the NFL season. Gut feelings are one avenue of pursuit. Projected wins are another. Using the infamous eye test, basically an advanced gut feeling, is another way to go. You get the picture. One method to this madness that ESPN uses is their FPI (Football Power Index) model. This is something that exists as a power ranking of sort as a season moves along and they obviously put together rankings/ratings/projections before it all starts as well. The projections are out for 2025 and they are not fond of the Dallas Cowboys. ESPN’s FPI Index believes Dallas is a bottom half team For starters we need to understand what is going into the FPI model so that we can determine whether it is sound or ridiculous. Here is how the worldwide leader is defining FPI relative to the preseason (in terms of before the season, not the literal time with the exhibition games) is concerned. In the preseason, FPI’s overall predictive ratings are primarily based on win totals from the betting market in conjunction with each team’s schedule — along with factors such as the difference between a team’s starting and backup quarterback and a special teams rating that incorporates specific kickers. We use these ratings to simulate the season thousands of times, with the results forming our projections. This is not meant to sound like picking on the system or its methodology, but if you are building it off of projected win totals from betting markets then you are effectively just listing out betting market win totals with a little bit of a twist. It is fair to use the projected win totals as some form of evaluation, the buildings in Las Vegas are tall and shiny for a reason. We have noted several times here at BTB that projected win totals for the Cowboys are rather low. Oddsmakers tend to have Dallas around 7.5 projected wins and it is important to note that this feels unlikely given the team’s history. We can acknowledge simultaneously that the Cowboys have failed to win a Super Bowl while noting that they generally tend to win somewhere around 9-10 games barring some sort of injury or catastrophe. All of that being said, here is how the FPI model shakes things out at this point in the calendar. First look at NFL FPI ratings for the 2025 season! pic.twitter.com/k6s2fg40X7 — Seth Walder (@SethWalder) May 27, 2025 The numbers you are seeing are each team’s FPI rating. It is intended to assess the strength of each team. If it isn’t obvious, you do not want to be in the negatives like Dallas is. To be clear, the Cowboys are the first team in the negative and are hanging around average at the 18th spot overall. If we look at the FPI assessment a little bit more in depth we can see that the model is predicting somewhere between 7.9-9.0 wins for the Cowboys this season, north of the 7.5 number we just mentioned by the way, and gives them over a 30% chance to reach the playoffs. ESPN Push is going to come to shove at some point in 2025 with the Cowboys, and they are going to prove that they are either the core of a team that went to the playoffs three times in a row with an outlier of a season that followed, or a team that began to fall off of a cliff of sorts. These are the only real practical outcomes for who they are going to be next season. It makes sense in this vein to approach the team with some anticipation in 2025, but this does still seem a bit harsh. Time will tell if the Cowboys are in fact a team who will return to playoff form and prove things like this to be too critical of who they ultimately are.

Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images What are your expectations for Shemar James throughout his rookie season? One of the more interesting selections for the Dallas Cowboys in the 2025 draft was Florida’s LB Shemar James. After trading for Kenneth Murray and signing Jack Sanborn in free agency, the linebacker position looked to be in decent shape heading into the draft, even with DeMarvion Overshown recovering from injury this offseason. With Murray, Sanborn, Damone Clark, and Marist Liufau on the roster, the linebacker room is pretty full, and that is without mentioning Overshown who plans to return at some point during the season. In a crowded linebacker room, James will need to prove himself on the field this offseason on the defensive side of the ball, but even more on special teams. James has plenty of experience impacting the game in that phase, as he played a pivotal role on special teams for Florida for three years. James could push Damone Clark for the final linebacker spot heading out of training camp, but there is a world where they elect to go heavy at linebacker keeping all five without knowing exactly when Overshown will be back. James’ role in 2025 will likely be a more rotational role, if he does make the roster, with the chance to make the game-day roster if he can be a difference maker on special teams. James has a skillset to stick at the NFL level, but expecting him to play a ton in year one is probably wishful thinking at this point given the Cowboys current roster on the defensive side of the ball. James is a player the Cowboys would like to stick. While the linebacker room is currently crowded, both the Cowboys offseason additions, Murray and Sanborn, are only under contract through the 2025 season. Clark will also be a free agent at the end of the 2025 season. All of that goes into final roster cutdowns, so do not be surprised if James finds his way on the final roster, even if he does not play a pivotal role for the Cowboys in his rookie campaign.

Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images We’re counting down to the season opener (Day 98) 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 asked some of our writers to rank their top-100 players in Cowboys history using no particular criteria, and put the results together into one list. The further away you get from the top 20 or so, the more varied the opinions. Sometimes it is about more than just stats. Things like fame level, length of career in Dallas, the era they played in – all can affect where an individual might rank them. So sit back and enjoy some Cowboys history while we countdown to football. Today – number 98. Ron Springs Born: November 4, 1956. Williamsburg, VirginiaPosition: Running BackDallas Cowboys: 1979-1984Awards: N/A Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images Ron Springs played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1979 to 1984 after being drafted in the fifth round out of Ohio State. A powerful and versatile running back, Springs served primarily as the teams fullback, but he was also a capable runner and receiver out of the backfield and was at the beginning of how head coaches would view versatile backs in the league. He played a key role in the Cowboys’ offense during the early 1980s, particularly in tandem with Tony Dorsett. Springs was known for his tough running style, strong blocking, and ability to contribute in multiple phases of the game. Week 14, 1984#Eagles #CowboysRon Springs 57 yard touchdown Dennis Thurman 38 yard pick 6Dorsett 22-11026-10 #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/Xrv1Ml1aXg — Old Time Football (@Ol_TimeFootball) April 1, 2023 Best known for:Springs was best known for being a dependable fullback who could do it all. Whether it was block, run, or catch he did it all to a high degree of efficiency, while serving as a key complement to Tony Dorsett in the Cowboys’ backfield. Lesser known fact:Springs lead the league in receiving at the running back position in 1983, finishing with 73 catches and setting a franchise record. An impressive feat for a fullback and a sign of his all-around skill set. His 73 receptions is still third-most by a running back in Cowboys history. ✭ COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF ✭ With 100 days to go until the #Cowboys kickoff the season the #Eagles, we are counting down with a @BloggingTheBoys Top-100 consensus ranking. We asked staffers to give in their top-100 so let’s begin. DAY 98Ron Springs#DallasCowboys #NFL… pic.twitter.com/OAmNPlZOfz — Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) May 29, 2025

Think you can figure out which Cowboys player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game! Can you guess this free agent addition in today’s in-5 trivia game?Hey Cowboys fans! We’re back for another day of the Blogging The Boys in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form. If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article. Previous games Wednesday, May 28, 2025Tuesday, May 27, 2025Monday, May 26, 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 Brandon Sloter/Getty Images The Cowboys should definitely be interested in adding a cornerback. The Dallas Cowboys have been linked to Jalen Ramsey in recent days, whether or not the rumor actually has any legs. For what it’s worth, Dallas could use a viable option to bolster their cornerback position, but Ramsey probably isn’t the answer. With that in mind, here are five players not named Jalen Ramsey that they should target. Asante Samuel Jr. This has been a popular name among the fan base for some time. Asante Samuel Jr. was a hot target in many Cowboys mock drafts back in 2021, but he landed with the Chargers. He proceeded to record two interceptions and at least 11 pass breakups in each of his first three seasons, quickly becoming a star. Last year was cut short due to a neck injury, which is why Samuel remains unsigned to this point. There have been whispers that Samuel is due for a check-up on his neck in the next month or so, and that teams are likely to wait until then to make any move on him. Assuming he gets the all-clear, Samuel would be a no-brainer for the Cowboys. He primarily played outside in Los Angeles, which would allow DaRon Bland to move inside to the slot on nickel downs and also give Dallas a legitimate starter in the likely event that Trevon Diggs isn’t ready to go by Week 1. But it all depends on the medicals for Samuel. Ja’Quan McMillan The last two years have seen Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillan blossom into one of the best nickel defenders in the NFL. A former undrafted free agent out of East Carolina, McMillan finished 10th in passer rating allowed from slot coverage this past year. Under normal circumstances, McMillan wouldn’t be available. But the Broncos just used their first-round pick on Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron, who primarily played in the slot for the Longhorns and projects to have a similar role in Denver. That makes McMillan, who’s on the last year of his rookie deal, a potential trade chip. The Cowboys have a hole in the slot with the departure of Jourdan Lewis, and they may prefer to keep DaRon Bland on the outside. Trading for McMillan could solve those issues, and likely at a reasonable price. Jaire Alexander The biggest name on this list, Jaire Alexander, is a two-time All Pro who’s grown into one of the top cornerbacks in the league. The final first-round pick of the Mike McCarthy Packers era, Alexander is now in a contract dispute with Green Bay. According to reports, he wants to play for a new team, but the Packers don’t seem keen on parting ways with him. That said, someone is going to cave eventually, and the Packers can probably get a good return for such an accomplished player. That might take the Cowboys out of the running, though, and Alexander’s $24.64 million cap hit this year also makes it tough to digest. Add in the fact that Alexander has played just one full season in the last four years – twice due to a shoulder injury and then a PCL tear this past season – and Alexander’s profile starts to look pretty similar to Ramsey. Still, Alexander has looked like the same old shutdown corner when healthy, which might just make him worth the gamble. Stephon Gilmore Perhaps the most realistic choice of anyone, Stephon Gilmore played for one season in Dallas, helping to mentor both Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland in 2023. The 2019 Defensive Player of the Year isn’t what he once was, but he can still play at a high level – as he just did with the Vikings – and he’s clearly still hanging around Dallas. Gilmore might be an even better fit with the Cowboys this time around. In 2023, he played in Dan Quinn’s man-heavy scheme, which Gilmore just isn’t cut out for at 32 years old. Last year, playing in Brian Flores’ zone-heavy defense, Gilmore’s 69.3 zone coverage grade (from Pro Football Focus) ranked 35th in the league, ahead of Ramsey, McMillan, and Sauce Gardner, to name a few. Matt Eberflus also predominantly runs zone coverages, though his scheme is radically different than that of Flores. Still, Gilmore has proven to be highly effective in zone, and he’s well-versed enough in all things football to pick up this scheme quickly. Gilmore could thrive in a second stint in Dallas. Terell Smith Speaking of Eberflus, he had quite the stable of young cornerbacks in Chicago, all of whom developed nicely under his watch. Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon both became studs, and Tyrique Stevenson is much better than the moment he became a household name for. There’s also Terell Smith, a fifth-round pick out of Minnesota in the same year as Stevenson. Smith was briefly inserted into the starting lineup after Stevenson’s punishment following the Hail Mary incident. While Stevenson came back quickly, Smith was very productive: a 60% completion rate with a 63.8 passer rating allowed, although his 15 targets make for a very small sample size. Smith showed more than enough to prove he can start, but Chicago simply had a better cornerback in Stevenson, who also needed the chance to redeem himself after such a public humiliation. Now that Eberflus is in Dallas, and Smith may be dropping even further down the depth chart following the draft, a reunion could make perfect sense for both parties.

Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images How good do you expect Tyler Booker to be in his first season? You could say that no other Dallas Cowboys player in 2025 has more pressure on them than rookie first-round pick Tyler Booker. The Cowboys spent the 12th overall pick on Booker to replace future Hall of Famer Zack Martin. Those are no easy shoes to fill. The Booker selection was criticized by some draft analysts, but there is no questioning the skillset of the former Alabama offensive lineman. The Cowboys coaching staff wasted zero time throwing Booker into the fire, giving him a majority of the first team reps at right guard in the early portion of the teams OTA’s. Booker will be tasked with taking over the team’s starting right guard spot heading into training camp and by the looks of it, the Cowboys are ready for him to take that on. FWIW… Tyler Booker received RG1 reps today in OTAs. pic.twitter.com/Ff6U2VnDjt — Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) May 20, 2025 Booker was a sensational run blocker at Alabama and impressed as a pass protector despite some of his athletic limitations. In year one, Booker will likely carry over a similar skillset, showing pro-ready ability as a run blocker, but could deal with some struggles early as a pass protector. Even with some of the limitations athletically, Booker should slide in as a quality starting right guard. Zack Martin looked like a shell of himself for most of the season in 2024, and Brock Hoffman proved to be a capable option as a fill-in starter when Martin went down with injury. Even as a young player, Booker should be able to upgrade the Cowboys’ interior offensive line pretty quickly early on in his career. Booker’s raw power, run-blocking abilities, size, and leadership traits should immediately improve the Cowboys run game from day one. Booker is unlikely to be a Pro Bowl-caliber player in year one, but his ability to step in and improve the Cowboys run blocking, and likely improve their interior pass blocking from where it was in 2024, is a relatively safe bet given the other option currently on the roster.

Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images We’re counting down to the season opener (Day 99) 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 asked some of our writers to rank their top-100 players in Cowboys history using no particular criteria, and put the results together into one list. The further away you get from the top 20 or so, the more varied the opinions. Sometimes it is about more than just stats. Things like fame level, length of career in Dallas, the era they played in – all can affect where an individual might rank them. So sit back and enjoy some Cowboys history while we countdown to football. Today – number 99. Jack Del Rio Born: April 4, 1963. Castro Valley, CaliforniaPosition: LinebackerDallas Cowboys: 1989-1991 Jack Del Rio spent just three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys after he was claimed off waivers in 1989. His arrival came during a time of major transition as Jimmy Johnson took over as head coach and had a certain philosophy when it came to the linebacker position. Though his time in Dallas was brief, Del Rio started all 16 games at linebacker in 1990 and 1991. He was a bright spot on a team that finished with a 1–15 record in 1989. Known for his toughness and football IQ, Del Rio brought veteran leadership to a young, rebuilding roster before moving on to further success with the Minnesota Vikings. He left Dallas after racking up an impressive 292 total tackles and would later help the Baltimore Ravens to Super Bowl success as a linebacker coach with a highly talented unit that included Ray Lewis. Best known for:Del Rio was best known in Dallas for being a steady, reliable linebacker during the Cowboys’ difficult 1989 season under new head coach Jimmy Johnson. Lesser known fact:Del Rio is currently serving as head coach for the Paris Musketeers, which is part of the European League of Football (ELF). ✭ COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF ✭ With 100 days to go until the #Cowboys kickoff the season the #Eagles, we are counting down with a @BloggingTheBoys Top-100 consensus ranking. We asked staffers to give in their top-100 so let’s begin. DAY 99Jack Del Rio#DallasCowboys #NFL… pic.twitter.com/yd1J3BsL4Z — Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) May 28, 2025