Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images The latest on the injured left knee of Trevon Diggs The Dallas Cowboys took a big blow to their defense in 2024 when Trevon Diggs was shut down for the rest of the season in December with an injury to his left knee. It marked the second consecutive year that Diggs had to be put on the shelf with a knee issue. The All-Pro went under the knife on Thursday. The procedure he had done is called chondral tissue graft surgery. Per ESPN’s Todd Archer, Diggs will have a recovery time that could likely spill over into training camp as well as the regular season. Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs had chondral tissue graft surgery Thursday on his left knee and the recovery could keep him until parts of training camp if not longer, according to multiple sources. — Todd Archer (@toddarcher) January 23, 2025 With back-to-back major knee surgeries, the future for Diggs in Dallas now has some question marks. There’s no doubt that Diggs is a great player when he’s healthy and at his best, but availability is the ultimate trait for any athlete, and he hasn’t been able to be relied for a few seasons now. This also brings the cornerback position even more to the forefront in terms of the NFL draft for the Cowboys. DaRon Bland returned from a foot injury after missing two months of the season, but he wasn’t quite the same All-Pro performer he was in 2023. Also, veteran Jourdan Lewis is a free agent, and rookie Caelen Carson has his fair share of struggles. Hopefully, Diggs can have a speedy recovery and get back to action once the 2025 campaign begins.

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images Jerry Jones has reportedly reached out to Pete Caroll about the open Cowboys job. The Dallas Cowboys have been looking for a new head coach for almost two full business weeks and it both feels like they are very close to an answer and like one will never come. Thursday brought with it a few pieces of notable information. Early in the day it was reported that the team could “cross the finish line” with Brian Schottenheimer by the end of the week, but as the day wore on another report emerged that Dallas had had an informal conversation to this point with someone other than Deion Sanders. That was new information. It seemed as if the informal candidate in question may have been former special teams coach Rich Bisaccia, and it very well may could have been. But later in the afternoon Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Jerry Jones has had contact with Pete Carroll. The Star-Telegram has confirmed that Jones has made contact with former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll regarding the opening. The conversation has been described as informal, although the interest is legitimate enough to be reported, according to another source. There are no set plans for a formal interview as of Thursday afternoon. As this coaching cycle has gone on it has seemed as if Carroll, who coached the Seattle Seahawks forever and led them to victory in Super Bowl XLVIII, wanted to get back into the game. Time will tell if that is ultimately the case. Before we go on getting more excited than we should be, it is worth noting that Carroll has a history with the perceived favorite in Brian Schottenheimer as the latter worked for the former in Seattle. It is possible that the “informal” conversation, to use Harris’ wording, could have been a vetting process for an eventual Schottenheimer hire. But there have been reports that Dallas is considering Schottenheimer as an offensive coordinator as well, the role that he held for the last two years with the Cowboys, so maybe Dallas wants to reunite the band so to speak. A world where Pete Carroll is setting the culture at head coach, Brian Schottenheimer is finally getting to call plays as the offensive coordinator and Jason Witten (if it really must be done) is learning from it all for the future doesn’t sound like the worst thing ever. For what it’s worth here is what Mookie Alexander from Field Gulls had to say about the idea when we asked him. He was kind enough to respond very quickly! If Carroll is hired by the Cowboys I would anticipate Schottenheimer and Mike Solari being retained due to his prior working relationship with them in Seattle. Schottenheimer helped produce Russell Wilson’s best passing seasons as the Seahawks offensive coordinator, and presumably he would regain playcalling duties after not having them under Mike McCarthy. I think Schottenheimer got a bad rap because of the 2018 playoff game against Dallas (not that criticism was unjustified given the decision to repeatedly run into brick walls), plus the late-season collapse of the “Let Russ Cook” season might have been just as much about Wilson than Schottenheimer. Carroll is still a good coach in that he won’t produce a low-floor team and he’s not inflexible in terms of his defensive schemes or even his run-pass tendencies on offense. Unfortunately, he’s also had way too many bad defenses over his final several seasons in Seattle, including below-average DVOA marks every year from 2019 until 2023. That’s all despite enormous draft capital and cash resources spent. I also believe his 4th down decisions are too conservative for the modern NFL. One dynamic that I do wonder about is Carroll working with Jerry Jones. Carroll famously had final say over personnel and roster decisions even though John Schneider was the general manager. Perhaps Carroll is better served just being a head coach, because I believe Front Office Pete is a big reason why Head Coach Pete is looking for a job. That said, nothing about Jerry and Stephen Jones would give me confidence in their ability to build a serious Super Bowl contender regardless of who’s the coach. Mookie notes the connection to Schottenheimer and even to Mike Solari so all of this tracks from a smell test perspective. We will see.

Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images Rich Bisaccia may have been (or might be) a candidate for the Dallas Cowboys head coaching position. As of Thursday afternoon all signs around the Dallas Cowboys coaching search seem to have been pointing in the direction of Brian Schottenheimer. It was even reported that it could “cross the finish line” by Friday. Interestingly, as the day wore on, there came a report from Josina Anderson that Dallas had a potential candidate they had a discussion with an informal sense. It was noted that this was not Deion Sanders. Keep in mind the #Cowboys have also had informal* conversations with at least one other head coach prospect (that I’m aware of) regarding their head coach vacancy. Deion Sanders is not the only one in said category. — JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 23, 2025 Many began to wonder exactly who the subject of this informal conversation could have been. To be clear, the formality of things involves conducting an interview and to date Dallas has done so only with Schottenheimer, Kellen Moore, Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier. As people were wondering a report emerged from Pro Football Post that the person in question was Rich Bisaccia, a former Cowboys staffer. DLLS’ Joe Hoyt confirmed that Dallas has had “some level” of interest in Bisaccia. Can confirm, via a source, that the Cowboys have had (emphasis there) some level of interest in Rich Bissaccia, who spent five seasons in Dallas as special teams coach (2013-17). Another person the Joneses like. Not sure how much far that interest could go, however. https://t.co/eElpEmGlVS — Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) January 23, 2025 For what it’s worth Ed Werder noted that a request has not been made, just from a factual standpoint. Per multiple sources: #Cowboys have not made a request to the #Packers regarding an interview with Rich Bisaccia, assistant head coach and special teams coach in Green Bay. HC Matt LaFleur in recent conversation told me Bisaccia would be exceptional HC. He’s demanding but… — Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) January 23, 2025 This would be yet another former staffer (obviously) of the Cowboys that they have had alleged interest in their head coaching position. Schottenheimer is coming off of two years as the offensive coordinator, he joined the staff the year before that, and Kellen Moore has obviously spent the majority of his career in the league to date with Dallas. Overall this idea suggests that the Cowboys are not exactly casting a wide search and are truly living out their creed of liking their guys. It is important to note that there is a bit of speculation involved here and that even if it were true it is about an informal process surrounding Bisaccia. This remains one of the more unique coaching searches to happen in recent history, even as far as the Cowboys are concerned. The FWST’s Nick Harris reported that it may not be close to coming to an end either. “Far from the end, I fear.” – a source just told me regarding Cowboys HC search Of note, this source is the only one I have left that has remained consistent in Schottenheimer remaining OC. The noise hasn’t affected their thinking. Catch me at the end of all of this, fellas. — Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) January 23, 2025 Around and around we go.

Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images Sonny Styles is a name to keep in mind. The Ohio State Buckeyes have won the College Football National Championship. The Buckeyes have one of the most loaded rosters in college football, with several playmakers on all levels. The offense gets much of the attention with premier receivers and running backs, but their defense has fueled their national championship. Their linebacking corps, in particular, has been outstanding. One linebacker is the feature of today’s prospect profile, Sonny Styles. The big linebacker has football in his blood. His father, Lorenzo, played in the NFL for six seasons and won a Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams. Sonny Styles is a second-team All-American with an enticing athletic profile the Cowboys should be interested in. Here’s the scoop on the junior linebacker. Strengths The first thing that stands out about Styles is his size. Styles is listed at 6’4 ”and 235 lbs. He and Cody Simon work well together to give Ohio State a formidable tandem with great versatility. Styles has the upper body strength in the running game to hold up offensive linemen at the line of scrimmage. As an athlete, Styles is exceptionally fluid in defending the run from sideline to sideline, and his quickness to get around offensive linemen allows him to make big plays in the running game. He routinely makes himself skinny in pursuit of the ball carrier to get around blockers. As a tackler, Styles can also fill the gap and meet the running back in the hole. Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson is one of the premier runners in the nation. It’s one-on-one in the hole, and Styles takes him down. He also fits the proper gap to make the tackle and stop Johnson dead in his tracks. In coverage, Styles is very alert. He understands when to pass off receivers through his zone and retrace back to his area. Styles is very light on his feet and effortlessly glides from his backpedal to playing downhill to close in on would-be receivers. In man coverage, he can easily carry running backs and tight ends up the field. Weaknesses As for negatives, when Styles carries receivers and tight ends, he can be handsy for an extended time when playing near the line of scrimmage. When rushing from the interior, Styles needs to get under his pads more. He comes in to rush upright, and it gives interior linemen a clean strike zone to reroute him off his track. With his change of direction, he could be more effective as a rusher. Also with his traits, you wonder if there’s some upside with him as a speed rusher in select sub packages with his length and quick first step. Fit Some draft boards have Styles listed as a safety. However, with his physicality near the line of scrimmage and ability to cover underneath patterns, a permanent move to linebacker in the NFL makes a lot of sense. He started for the Buckeyes as a Will linebacker. DeMarvion Overshown and Marist Liufau are good starting blocks and possess terrific athleticism. However, Overshown is in recovery from another ACL injury and Liufau is still developing. Styles would give Dallas immediate depth at an area of need with traits a defensive coordinator could develop.

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images Marist Liufau had a tremendous rookie season. Marist Liufau came into his rookie campaign several spots down on the depth chart, being the youngster in the room. He also entered the building with a ton of promise, making for an interesting linebacker competition between himself and Damone Clark for playing time behind veteran Eric Kendricks and promising second-year sensation DeMarvion Overshown. Due to Kendricks and Overshown playing out of their minds, Liufau was only able to get his feet just a little wet in Week 1 versus the Cleveland Browns as he logged nine snaps and made two tackles. Over the next six games, Liufau got some valuable experience logging no fewer than 24 snaps and played his most in Week 2 over that span with 39 snaps while registering 13 tackles. However, there were some things that were noticeable struggles. He plays with his hair on fire, and with that type of aggressiveness, Liufau is prone to make some mistakes like over pursuing a play. Also, there would be a tendency to miss an assignment here and there. That’s to be expected, though, when adjusting to the speed and nuances of playing on the professional level. The Cowboys got some devastating news after their Week 14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Overshown suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and PCL, making it the second consecutive year that his season was cut short with a major knee injury. As unfortunate as that was for him, it meant more game experience and more opportunities to grow for Liufau, seeing as he had phased out Clark in the competition, and he didn’t waste time taking advantage. After Overshown went down, Liufau reordered 1.5 sacks against the Bengals. Liufau would play 239 snaps over the last four games of the year and produce 24 tackles, five pressures, and five hurries. Yes, his aggressive nature would pop up every now and then even during his hot streak as he did log six missed tackles over the final month. However, the comfortability of playing the linebacker position routinely was noticeable as well as Liufau was more sure of himself when reading keys, and he was more disciplined. So, there are still things in his game to fine-tune, but Liufau laid some very good groundwork heading into his second season. Overshown has said that he will play at some point in 2025 despite an extensive required rehab, but there’s no telling when or if that will be the case. This makes the development of Liufau even more critical, especially if Kendricks doesn’t return. From what he showed to finish the 2024 campaign, the future is bright for Liufau, and it gives promise for the linebacker position in Dallas.

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images The latest news surrounding the Dallas Cowboys. Making a case for drafting a RB in the first 3 rounds – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com With Rico Dowdle set to be a free agent, Dallas may need to pick a running back. FRISCO, Texas – In recent years, the running back position has been an interesting study. The NFL has seen a trend of offenses throwing the ball more, bringing into question how much valuable should be placed on a running back. Recent history shows that investing early round draft capital can make a huge difference in your offense. In the last three Pro Bowls, 18 of the 21 running backs selected have been first or second round picks. If you expand that filter to the last six seasons, 32 of the 40 Pro Bowl running backs were picked in the first two rounds. In this Sunday’s conference championship games, three of the four starting running backs playing were drafted in the first three rounds of their respective classes. Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles, the second overall pick in 2018, just became the ninth player in NFL history to surpass 2,000 single-season rushing yards in his seventh year in the league. All that goes to show that there’s a lot of value in taking a running back early in the draft as opposed to waiting until the later rounds hoping to strike gold. The Cowboys are one of the teams that found a quality ball carrier in Rico Dowdle from the undrafted ranks, but he’s an unrestricted free agent now and the Cowboys didn’t take a running back in the 2024 NFL draft, so there’s isn’t much depth in the room even if Dowdle does return. And so, it appears likely that the Cowboys will draft a running back in 2025, and the record shows they’d benefit from drafting one in the first three rounds. Cowboys breakout star projected to sign with desperate AFC team – Koby Skillern, Sports Illustrated If Dowdle does depart, here’s where he may end up. The Dallas Cowboys find themselves at a crossroads once again, tasked with not only finding the right head coach but also retooling their roster to build a Super Bowl contender, following yet another failed campaign under head coach Mike McCarthy. However, amid the uncertainty and the letdowns of this past season, there were some bright spots, notably with running back Rico Dowdle, who impressed by rushing for over 1,000 yards. As the Cowboys turn their attention to the future, former All-Pro running back and former NFL rushing leader Maurice Jones-Drew has made an intriguing prediction in his breakdown of team fits for six running backs set to hit free agency in 2025. Jones-Drew anticipates that Dowdle will sign with the Cleveland Browns, a move that could reshape their backfield. Jones-Drew explained his rationale: “He’d be a great option in Kevin Stefanski’s offense, which needs a new bell-cow back for 2025, with Nick Chubb’s contract running out. Pairing Dowdle with Jerome Ford would help get this run game back on track and elevate the offense.” The Cowboys have 25 players set to hit free agency, and while Dowdle may not be the most high-profile name on that list, he’s certainly a player the team would like to retain after his breakout performance this season. However, Dowdle is a player the Cowboys could afford to lose, particularly if his price tag rises, especially with an upcoming draft class stacked with running back talent that could help fill the void. Cowboys, OC Brian Schottenheimer to continue talks for head coaching job Wednesday – Sean Leahy, Yahoo! Sports Dallas seems to be enamored by their current OC becoming their new HC. Brian Schottenheimer and the Dallas Cowboys will talk again on Wednesday, Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein confirmed, as the team looks to fill its open head coaching job. Schottenheimer, who has been the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator since 2023, interviewed for the head coaching job on Tuesday over the course of four hours. Now he’ll reportedly get more time to convince the Dallas brass that he is the right man to succeed Mike McCarthy. It’s no surprise Schottenheimer is getting a look. Owner Jerry Jones prioritizes coaches he is familiar with and that could be a reason why Schottenheimer is the favorite for the job. As of this week, Schottenheimer became the betting favorite on DraftKings at -250 odds (bet $250 to win $100). Kellen Moore, who was the initial favorite, went back to +250 odds. The Cowboys job would be the first NFL head coaching gig for the 51-year-old Schottenehimer, who is the son of the late Marty Schottenheimer. Brian Schottenheimer served as quarterbacks coach for the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers from 2001-2005 and was the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets, St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks before landing in Dallas in 2022. While McCarthy called the plays in Dallas, should Schottenheimer land a head coaching job, whether with the Cowboys or elsewhere, he reportedly wants to have that responsibility. Schottenheimer is the first known internal candidate to interview for the Cowboys head coaching job. Team executives have already spoken to Moore, Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier during the process.The Cowboys job would be the first NFL head coaching gig for the 51-year-old Schottenehimer, who is the son of the late Marty Schottenheimer. Brian Schottenheimer served as quarterbacks coach for the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers from 2001-2005 and was the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets, St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks before landing in Dallas in 2022. Why the Cowboys shouldn’t hire Brian Schottenheimer as head coach – LP Cruz, BloggingTheBoys.com Making this internal hire may not be the best decision for the Cowboys. No one knows where the Dallas Cowboys will turn to in finding their next head coach right now. They’ve been rumors about Deion Sanders; they had an interview with Robert Saleh and a virtual interview with Kellen Moore. It’s