Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images Jim Schwartz has long been on the opposing sideline of Mike McCarthy The Dallas Cowboys face a relatively unfamiliar opponent in this Sunday’s season opener, the AFC North’s Cleveland Browns. While these cross-conference teams don’t see each other often, a key figure for the Browns has plenty of history with the Cowboys and head coach Mike McCarthy. Cleveland’s defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, tangled with Dallas and McCarthy during his past jobs with the Eagles and Lions. Schwartz was the Eagles’ defensive coordinator from 2016-2020, including their Super Bowl season in 2017. He had a very positive impact on them overall, taking one of the league’s worst defenses and making them good enough to consistently compete both in the NFC East and the conference as a whole. Matchups against Philadelphia have always been some of the biggest for Cowboys QB Dak Prescott during his run, and for his first five seasons those games involved a Schwartz defense. While coordinators do change over time, especially with a move to a different team, Schwartz has been at this a long time and is only going to adapt so much. You can be sure that those years of going up against the Eagles will benefit Prescott, plus longtime backup and game prep aid Cooper Rush, as they get ready for what Schwartz might throw at them this week. They should also have confidence from having gone 6-4 against the Eagles during that time. Before Schwartz ever got to Philadelphia, he was most known for a five-year stint as head coach of the Detroit Lions from 2009-2013. This coincided with Mike McCarthy’s long tenure as coach of the Green Bay Packers. As they did with most NFC North teams during those years, McCarthy’s Packers dominated Detroit with an 8-2 record while Schwartz was head coach. Granted, Schwartz was not the Lions’ DC back then but he still had considerable influence on that side of the ball. To be fair, Detroit was a very mismanaged team back then and there only so much any coach could do. Plus, McCarthy had one of the NFL’s all-time cheat codes in QB Aaron Rodgers at his career apex. We’re now over a decade removed from those games and with two very different teams for both coaches, so there’s only much the history applies to now. Still, it’s safe to say that McCarthy has plenty of practice going up against Schwartz and will have lots to share with Cowboys’ offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. This familiarity goes both ways, of course. Schwartz has schemed against QB Dak Prescott plenty of times and had success against him. Some of Prescott’s lowest-rated performances in those first four years came against the Eagles, so Schwartz knows how to frustrate him. While Prescott is an older and wiser passer now, and he’s not running Scott Linehan’s offense anymore, we’ve also noted tendencies that have never left him since entering the NFL. This will be just the fifth meeting between Dallas and Cleveland since the year 2000, so a lot changes between each game. The Browns are almost an entirely different team now than the one we saw in 2020, but Jim Schwartz provides at least one known element for the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy. We’ll find out soon how that knowledge benefits one side or the other.
McCarthy reveals 2024 theme, but what are these Cowboys actually ‘rooted’ in?
McCarthy reveals 2024 theme, but what are these Cowboys actually ‘rooted’ in? Todd Brock Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has employed a different theme for each of his seasons with the team. In his first year, it was “20/20 Vision.” The next year, “Victory.” The 2022 rallying cry was “Resilience,” and last season implored the team to “Carpe omnia.” The 2024 mantra has been revealed, and this one seems to be landing a bit differently. The word is “Rooted,” the coach told reporters on Wednesday. While the previous mottoes were forward-looking and could be seen as encouraging a particular mindset or play style, this one feels very introspective. Reflective. Based in the past. And, it has to be said, maybe more than a little self-serving for McCarthy, who will be coaching to keep his job all season long. “It’s based on the foundation we’ve built here over five years,” he said, per the team website. “I got good advice from my father about living your life in five-year increments, and what you can learn in that time and space, to not do too much too fast. It’s more of a life lesson. We’re in the fifth year of what we’ve done and what we have to build off of as part of the root system that’s in place here.” But what, exactly, are the 2024 Cowboys rooted in? Cynically speaking, they’ve certainly established a knack for regular-season success over inferior opponents, only to be followed by a disappointing premature collapse in January. https://twitter.com/VoiceOfTheStar/status/1831372074847195453 To be sure, a foundation is there. Three consecutive 12-win seasons aren’t nothing, as McCarthy himself pointed out in stark terms recently. Stephen Jones called it “hanging around the rim” not too long ago. But that’s clearly not enough, or else McCarthy wouldn’t be coaching this season without a contract for 2025. Are there plenty of teams who would love three straight 12-win seasons? Of course there are. But if the Cowboys don’t venture any deeper into the postseason this time around, McCarthy could well be interviewing with some of them come February. That would mean putting down new roots for the NFC’s fourth-longest-tenured head coach. The 60-year-old may feel rooted in what he’s grown in Dallas, but he and some or all of his coaching staff- also working without a net- could find themselves transplants in new cities if this season doesn’t bear fruit. Rooted may be the team’s slogan for 2024, but it also feels very much like the coach’s plea to Jerry Jones to stay the course beyond this season. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] How much will his players buy in to the theme anyway? Of the 53 men who will presumably make up the Cowboys’ Week 1 roster, only 10 of them- that’s 19%- have been wearing the star for McCarthy’s entire Dallas tenure. And six of those 10 are currently set to hit free agency in 2025, so how deep are those roots, really? Similarly, how rooted are this year’s rookies in the seeds that McCarthy and the team’s veteran leaders were dutifully planting in 2020? Tyler Guyton and Caelen Carson were freshmen still getting settled in their college dorm rooms. And forget trying to draw on any sort of ties to the franchise’s larger, more illustrious history. The last of those five Lombardi Trophies they walk past every day in The Star’s lobby, for example, had already been sitting in the display case and collecting six years worth of dust before they were even born. But rooted does imply an anticipation of growth. And plants that are well-rooted are better equipped to handle stressors like drought and extreme temperature, under- or overwatering, disease, and neglect. The ’24 Cowboys will no doubt get more than their fair share of stress this make-or-break season. And the younger players can always look to their more experienced teammates- the Dak Prescotts, the DeMarcus Lawrences, the Jourdan Lewises, the Zack Martins- for cues on how to withstand those times. But the coach got even more specific on what he expects to grow out of his newly-chosen theme, even dropping some horticulture knowledge of his own. He referenced a certain type of bamboo tree that takes four years to fully establish itself in the ground. Then, in the fifth year, it explodes: one inch or more in less than an hour, three feet in a day, well over 80 feet in a month. Is that what McCarthy is hoping to see from the Cowboys in his own fifth year? Obviously. It may be the only thing that keeps him firmly planted in Dallas. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys injury report: Damone Clark, Marshawn Kneeland full participants
Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images Here is the Dallas Cowboys injury report for Wednesday The NFL season will soon be upon us. Before the Dallas Cowboys take the field on Sunday, we’ll be treated to two games before the weekend, with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night and the Green Bay Packers and the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles in an international showdown in Brazil on Friday. The Cowboys returned to practice in preparation for their season opener at Cleveland and we have the injury report. #Browns #Cowboys injury report for Wednesday: pic.twitter.com/1uH99rG161 — Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 4, 2024 As expected, cornerback was DaRon Bland has been placed did not practice and will be sidelined for multiple weeks with a foot injury. Damone Clark and Marshawn Kneeland practiced fully even though they were listed with knee injuries respectively. Juanyeh Thomas, who was hampered by a groin injury, returned to practice and practiced in full. Tight end John Stephens Jr. did not practice (hamstring). As for the Browns, several of their starters were limited Wednesday. Among the names on the injury report were Jack Conklin, Jerry Jeudy and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
Cowboys offseason countdown: 99 facts until the regular season (Day 4)
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images We countdown the days to kickoff giving you an interesting fact about each number. Today is number 4 We are at day 4 of our 99 day countdown until the regular season. Here is your daily fact associated with number 4. He was taken in the fourth round, he’s fourth among Cowboys quarterbacks in total wins, he wears 4 for Dallas. Yes you guessed it, we’re talking Dak Prescott. Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Rayne Dakota Prescott was born July 29th, 1993 and was drafted by Dallas in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft. The team had their starting quarterback in Tony Romo, and future offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was the team’s backup quarterback. During a routine practice, Kellen Moore had broken his ankle and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. In a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, Romo was injured after an awkward tackle and would lead to the much beloved signal-caller missing a large portion of the season with a back injury. When talking about Dak Prescott’s ability to handle a lot as a young QB, Jason Witten has vividly recalled this play on multiple occasions as an example of how nothing has been too much for Dak: Rookie year. Third preseason game. First play after Tony Romo went down. 3rd-and-8. pic.twitter.com/bUvfogfs6J — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 27, 2019 This situation propelled the young rookie quarterback from Mississippi State into the starting role, marking the first time a rookie has started at quarterback for the Cowboys since Quincy Carter in 2001. What followed was astonishing, as Dak had 3,667 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, and only four interceptions. This remarkable season instilled genuine optimism among Cowboys fans, leading to Dak receiving the Rookie Offensive Player of the Year award and earning a spot in his inaugural Pro Bowl. Prescott is first Cowboys rookie QB to make the Pro Bowl. It’s also the first time two Cowboys rookies (Dak, Zeke) have made the Pro Bowl. — Rob Phillips (@robphillips3) December 21, 2016 In the subsequent two seasons, Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys demonstrated significant productivity as an offensive team. While Dak’s passing efficiency remained largely consistent, his ability to scramble and rush became crucial in propelling Dallas to victories. He secured his inaugural playoff victory against the Seattle Seahawks in 2018 and made a return to the Pro Bowl. Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images In 2019, Prescott concluded the season with 4,902 passing yards, placing him second in the league, alongside 30 touchdowns, which ranked fourth among starting quarterbacks, and 11 interceptions. The team finished with an 8-8 record, ultimately missing the playoffs. The following year, 2020, was marked by Dak’s prominence in the headlines due to his contract negotiations and his status under the franchise tag. Dak was performing exceptionally well, enjoying a career year until a devastating ankle injury in Week 5 sidelined him for the remainder of the season. His performance had been remarkable, suggesting he was in contention for the MVP award. As the next season approached, discussions regarding Dak’s contract dominated the news cycle. Ultimately, he signed a four-year contract extension worth $160 million, with $126 million guaranteed. This agreement included a signing bonus of $66 million, which was the largest in NFL history at that time. Take a bow, @Dak Prescott! 25-for-32 405 yards 4 TDs@dallascowboys | #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/UTnH3aH6mB — NFL (@NFL) September 9, 2019 In 2021, Dak had a fruitful season despite the challenges of recovering from a severe ankle injury. He played a crucial role in leading the team to another playoff appearance, but their journey was cut short by the San Francisco 49ers. In a dramatic final play with just 14 seconds remaining, Prescott executed a quarterback draw for 17 yards but was unable to spike the ball in time to stop the clock, resulting in the team’s elimination from the playoffs once again. Dak Prescott: 84.1 PFF Grade when under pressure this season 1st among QBs ⭐️ : @dallascowboys pic.twitter.com/SNqoUjSghJ — PFF (@PFF) November 16, 2021 The 2022 season did not commence as anticipated for Dak Prescott. In the opening game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he sustained a thumb injury after his hand collided with a defender’s helmet, resulting in a fracture. Consequently, Prescott was sidelined for six weeks before making his return in Week 7. By the conclusion of the season, he had accumulated 2,860 passing yards, achieved a completion rate of 66.2%, thrown 23 touchdowns, and recorded a season-high of 15 interceptions over the course of 12 games. The interception rate became a focal point in mainstream media throughout the offseason, overshadowing the positive achievements Prescott had made that year. In the Wild Card Round, he excelled by completing 25 of 33 passes for 305 yards, along with four passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown, leading the Cowboys to a 31–14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This marked Prescott’s most significant playoff win, signaling to other teams the Cowboys’ potential. When someone ever asks about Dak Prescott’s best performance in a meaningful game, I offer you 57 seconds of his masterpiece in Tampa Bay from the ’22 playoffs. pic.twitter.com/7RftRI8N1o — Bob Sturm (@SportsSturm) January 17, 2023 The following week, Dallas faced the 49ers in the Divisional Round, where the game concluded with a score of 19-12. In 2023, Dak Prescott arguably experienced his finest individual season to date. He topped the league with 36 passing touchdowns, ranked third in passing yards with a total of 4,516, and secured the second position in passer rating at 105.9. Additionally, his 242 rushing yards marked the highest total since his 2019 campaign. Despite his remarkable performance and showcasing some of the best football of his career, the team was unable to advance in the playoffs, perpetuating the ongoing discussion regarding his playoff success, or the absence thereof. DAK. CEEDEE. TOUCHDOWN. pic.twitter.com/HLE5I4wtDc — Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) December 11, 2023 Dak Prescott ranks among the elite
Playing for hated college team will help Cowboys rookie LB ‘cut it loose’ as Week 1 starter in Cleveland
Playing for hated college team will help Cowboys rookie LB ‘cut it loose’ as Week 1 starter in Cleveland Todd Brock It’s now just a few days until he makes his NFL debut, but Marist Liufau sure seems like anything but a wide-eyed rookie. The third-round draft pick has already been penciled in as one of the starting linebackers for the Dallas Cowboys in Sunday’s regular-season opener in Cleveland. And with all due respect to the venerable Dawg Pound, nothing the newly-renamed Huntington Bank Field can throw at him is likely to faze the 23-year-old Liufau. He did, after all, see his very first college snaps as a visitor between the fabled hedges in Athens, Georgia. Then over his tenure with the Fighting Irish came road contests at The Big House in Ann Arbor, The Horseshoe in Columbus, L.A. Memorial Coliseum, and Clemson’s Death Valley: some of the biggest and most awe-inspiring settings in the nation for a college player. “You either love Notre Dame or you hate them, so everywhere we go on the road, everyone hates us, ” Liufau told reporters this week at The Star. “That’s helped me to grow as a player and kind of handle those environments and sort it out.” So Liufau’s nonchalant approach to his first game week as a pro is perhaps to be expected. “I really just take every day and treat it like it’s game day,” he said, “so that when I get to the actual environment, it’s really easy.” In fact, most everything has seemingly come easy for the native-born Hawaiian since joining the Cowboys. Liufau is just one part of a larger defensive overhaul engineered by new coordinator Mike Zimmer, but the rookie reveals that despite the brain-bending learning curve that comes with learning the NFL ropes- as well as an entirely new playbook- his DC has given him very simple instructions for his pro debut. “Especially for me, Coach Zim would just say to me, ‘Just cut it loose,’” Liufau explained. “Let him do the thinking, and when we get to game time, just go out there and have fun.” [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] The fun has apparently already started in practice. Head coach Mike McCarthy let it slip recently that Liufau could be seen seen grinning ear-to-ear behind his facemask as new defensive tackle additions Linval Joseph and Jordan Phillips were making their presence known on several run plays during drills. Shutting down the ground game this season will no doubt be a focus for Liufau and his linebackermates, a job that should made somewhat easier with 670 pounds of experienced run-stuffing beef in front of them. “Having great D-linemen in front of linebackers is, it’s everything, really,” Liufau confirmed. “Any time we step onto the field, it’s really trying to prove that we’re a top defense in the NFL.” If Liufau is able to help the Dallas defense do that with a strong debut showing in Cleveland, much of the credit, he says, will go to the Cowboys coaches staff. More intense film study and opponent-specific prep work, he’s found, is one of the major differences in making the transition from college- even a big-time program- to the pros. “The detail that coaches go through to get, really, the game plan to us, detailing out the personnel for us, what our opponent likes to do,” he offered by way of example. “Also, the attention to detail from the players is next-level. Everyone is being intentional with what they’re doing out there on the field and in the meeting room.” Liufau is confident that very intentional approach will translate to a business-as-usual NFL debut versus the Browns in their own house on Sunday, even if it’s all brand new to the fresh-faced rookie. As new as, say, Liufau’s first-ever college tailgating experience, which took place just this past weekend when his alma mater paid a visit to yet another intimidating football mecca, Texas A&M’s Kyle Field. “It was very fun,” Liufau reported. He said it with a smile. But just wait until he makes his first tackle in front of the Dawg Pound. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
The McCarthy Chronicles: Cowboys head coach enters his most important season yet
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Mike McCarthy is entering a pretty big year. “I would anticipate we will be all in at the end of this year.” Just a little over seven months ago, Jerry Jones delivered the above quote, which immediately sent Cowboys fans into a frenzy. That frenzy has continued pretty much all offseason, as the Cowboys hardly made any moves that would be considered “going all in.” In fact, the Cowboys’ offseason, following a disappointing and embarrassing loss to the Packers in the playoffs, has been marked by what they haven’t done. Dak Prescott remains unsigned beyond this year, and Mike McCarthy will also be coaching on the final year of his contract. So, too, will newly hired defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. All of it screams dysfunction from the outside looking in. Lost in the headline of “all in” were the other comments Jones made that day in late January, specifically regarding his head coach. “And so, my point is, I look at that and I thought we made a pretty good move four years ago when we hired Mike McCarthy, and he’s had some great in-season success. Now he’s come up short three times and advanced us in the playoff. But I like that fact that’s he’s hanging around the rim, and I like what the team has done to hang around the rim. So, I think, what the answer that I would have is, that I’m aware that we’re hanging around the rim. We’re not getting the ball in but when you hang around the rim – let’s don’t discount hanging around the rim – where we are right now with the players we’ve got, and I’m thinking about it from the whole look.” Now, with less than a week to go before the Cowboys officially commence their season, the plan is to continue hanging around the rim and, ultimately, get the ball in the hoop. That’s what Jones is hoping for, and it’s what McCarthy – who has done this before, in Green Bay – has plans to do. Mike McCarthy says has a 21 game plan for the Cowboys to finish this season. He laid it out for the players in the team meeting today. It starts with Cleveland. He is Year 5 with the Cowboys.What happened in Year 5 with Green Bay?A Super Bowl title — Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) September 2, 2024 Of course, it’s impossible to ignore the outside noise leading into this season. The spotlight is always brighter in Dallas, and McCarthy has learned that by now. But this year is drastically different. McCarthy – who hired a new agent over the offseason – could very well be out of a job in five months if he can’t get the ball in the hoop. And the team he currently runs could also be hitting the reset button at quarterback, with or without McCarthy, after this year. It’s a situation that could mirror the famed Last Dance of the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls, at least in terms of the uncertain future of several key figures involved. But the Bulls had already reached the mountaintop. again and again, with that group, whereas this Cowboys team is still figuring out how to get there come playoff time. McCarthy, of course, knows how to do it. He won a Super Bowl in Jerry World as the Packers head coach and has a street named after him outside of Lambeau Field. And the decision to move on from Jason Garrett – who himself had just coached on the final year of his contract – and hire McCarthy was largely predicated on getting a coach who had been there and done that. The experience hasn’t produced the breakthrough that Jones was hoping for. Not yet, at least. But the Cowboys have enjoyed consistency under McCarthy that they haven’t had since the glory days of the 90’s. Three straight 12-win seasons is nothing to sneeze at. McCarthy’s Cowboys, if nothing else, are great at getting to the playoffs. And, of course, you can’t have a chance at the Super Bowl without making the playoffs. Just days away from kicking off the season on the road in Cleveland, though, the Cowboys aren’t an overwhelming favorite to make the playoffs for the fourth straight year. Most sportsbooks, including FanDuel, have their win total line at 9.5 wins, though a few are a little more optimistic at 10.5 wins. Still, Vegas expects a step back for the Cowboys this year, when all signs point to them needing a huge leap forward. Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy on his contract situation, entering the final year of his deal: “I really don’t want to speak on it. I haven’t spoke on it because there’s really nothing to talk about, because it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is today. And that’s really… — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 2, 2024 McCarthy doesn’t care about any of that, though. Or, at least, he won’t admit that he cares. He insists a laser focus on winning the next game, which happens to be a very tough road game against last year’s best defense in the Cleveland Browns. It will also be a tough first challenge for the new-look run defense under Zimmer against a Browns team that’s been one of the best rushing attacks of the last few years. Those are the details McCarthy prefers to focus on. Just win, and the rest will take care of itself. He knows he has what it takes to win the big one, and feels he has the talent to do it – especially going into his second year calling plays for Prescott, last year’s MVP runner-up – but Super Bowls aren’t won in September, and McCarthy knows this. The pressure may be reaching unsustainable levels, but all he can do is put his head down and his best foot forward this Sunday in Cleveland. Anything else is just a distraction.
Cowboys news: Young linebackers eager for their first NFL action in Cleveland
Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images Your Wednesday morning news about the Dallas Cowboys Marist Liufau, DeMarvion Overshown on Cowboys’ LB upgrades, looming battle with Browns – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com The Dallas Cowboys linebacker room is eager for their Week 1 matchup. “Coach Zim would just say, ‘Cut it loose. Let me do the thinking. Just go out there and have fun,” Liufau said of Zimmer’s message to the young linebackers and other defensive players. This is a message that materialized often on the field in Oxnard and in the preseason, seeing how fast and free the linebackers were playing on any given rep. It also works in Zimmer’s and the Cowboys’ favor that their top four linebackers aren’t easily shaken by hostile environments such as the one that’ll greet them at Cleveland Browns Stadium. As noted, Clark hails from LSU (and he’s now played in many an unfriendly NFL stadium), Overshown arrived from Texas and Liufau suited up for Notre Dame; and the latter made it clear he’s accustomed to playing for a “team that everybody hates”, a sentiment that could mentally serve him well in adjusting to wearing the Star. Overshown knows a little something about that as well, and while he’s turned up to take the field for his first-ever regular season game after an arduous journey back from a torn ACL suffered last August, he has no plans on letting his nerves get the best of him. “Basically, I’m just going in there with a level-headed mind — knowing what we’re going into and knowing it’s the first game of the season.” he said. “Everybody’s amped up to play, but you can’t be too far in your head to where you’re making mental errors. Go in there grounded and knowing I’m there to take care of business. I love this. Dallas Cowboys waive two players Tuesday, including 2023 fourth-round draftee – SportsDay Staff, Dallas Morning News The Cowboys made a few moves, including the release of a 2023 draft pick. As they prepare for their 2024 season opener, the Dallas Cowboys made some roster moves Tuesday. According to The Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins, the team waived defensive end Viliami Fehoko and wide receiver David Durden. Fehoko spent part of the offseason working at defensive tackle, but he was better suited to play defensive end. The Cowboys drafted Fehoko in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft out of San Jose State. Dallas spent three of its first four draft picks on defensive players that year. Durden, meanwhile, was looking to bounce back from an ACL injury that occurred last year. He bonded over his season-ending injury with linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and tight end John Stephens, who also sustained ACL tears in 2023. Durden originally joined the team as an undrafted free agent out of West Florida, a Division II program. Hold up between Dak Prescott, Cowboys reportedly the years the team is willing to commit to – RJ Ochoa, Blogging the Boys The Cowboys and Dak Prescott negotiations could come down to the years, not the money. Back in the early days of the summer it was thrown out by NFL Network that Dak Prescott could ultimately sign a deal of the shorter variety if and when it ultimately came to pass. The thought (generally) behind this is that doing so would allow him to hit a position of negotiation sooner and closer to the prime of his career as opposed to past it. That may or may not have been what Dak wanted then, but if it was then that status quo has changed. On Tuesday’s “Scoop City” podcast, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini noted that the hold up at this moment in time is the years involved, but that Dak is the one who wants the longer deal. “The hold up at this point from what I understand is about the years the Dallas Cowboys are willing to commit to. While, it’s assumed, that Dak is going to be paid at the top of the market, the Dallas Cowboys are aware of that. It’s… do they want to put themselves in a position, contractually, that will keep Dak in Dallas longer than two, three, four years. And that’s what Dak is looking for. He’s looking for a long-term commitment from Dallas. So the hold up here is really the belief from the Dallas Cowboys. This is a guy who’s won a lot of games. But is that enough? Winning’s not enough for Jerry Jones. We know this. They want to do more… they don’t want to just be the team that wins a lot of games. They want to be the team that can play in the Super Bowl.” There are definitely benefits to a longer-term deal for the Cowboys as it would allow them to play around with the money and salary cap space involved to a different degree. Recently our own OCC explored that world relative to the recent CeeDee Lamb extension that Dallas did. But a commitment is a commitment and locking yourself into a long-term one is always something that must be weighed carefully and with proper consideration. Maybe that is what the Cowboys are doing and have been doing for this entire time, but this presentation makes it seem like they have legitimate doubts about how long Dak will be the proper quarterback for them to get where they want to go. NFL execs predict award winners for 2024: MVP, top rookies – Jeremy Fowler, ESPN Prediction for Micah Parsons to win DPOY. Defensive Player of the Year: Micah Parsons, DE, Dallas Cowboys Parsons promised “It’s up” this year for opposing offenses after NFL scouts and executives surveyed by ESPN ranked him No. 3 among edge rushers this offseason. The players ahead of him, Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt, each has a Defensive Player of the Year award. Parsons hasn’t peaked despite back-to-back-to-back seasons of at least 13 sacks while fighting through constant double-teams. “The whole [Cowboys] defense
‘Are you stupid??’ Cowboys star got early-career wakeup call after going broke
‘Are you stupid??’ Cowboys star got early-career wakeup call after going broke K.D. Drummond It’s often joked how the NFL stands for “Not For Long”, but for many players it’s no laughing matter. In the blink of an eye, childhood dreams can go up in smoke, whether it be from injury, not working hard or simply not being good enough. The average NFL career is three years, meaning for every player who lasts 9 years in the league, there’s three more that never last beyond that first season. Just think of all of the hopefuls that were released last week from their teams but weren’t added to any club’s practice squad. Their careers are over. Even still, the players that do make it in the league, whether role players or stars, can often find themselves overwhelmed by the financial side of things. Even for high-pedigree draft picks, managing the money they get during their careers in order to last them a lifetime is hardly as easy as it seems in the eyes of fans who only dream of that level of salary. For the Dallas Cowboys’ DeMarcus Lawrence, he recently admitted that he was one of those who squandered the majority of his rookie contract, but fortunately he wisened up with the help of his dad. Speaking to the Level Up Lifestyle Podcast, Lawrence recounted the story of his accountant calling him after his third season, telling him his bank account was in the negative. The end of my third year, I go completely broke. I get that phone call from my accountant, and he’s like ‘Hey man, you don’t have no more money in your account.’ I’m like ‘What do you mean no more, you mean like zero dollars? What are you saying?’ And he’s like ‘I mean like negative $100.’ Lawrence explained how shortly after his dad called looking for assistance and he had to tell him, Dad, my accountant just told me I have zero dollars.’ He was like, ‘Huh? What’s going on?… Are you stupid?’ And Lawrence said he asked himself and that the comment really struck his soul, inspiring him to get his act together and better manage his finances. Lawrence, who suffered a foot injury that derailed his rookie campaign, broke out in Year 2 with 8 sacks, but then suffered a four-game suspension to start the 2016 season and only received 13 of his 17 game checks. His season ended early when he succumbed to a back injury, playing in just nine games. Lawrence’s rookie contract was for a total of $5.5 million and included a $2.3 million signing bonus and base salaries of $420,000, $670,000 and $703,000 across those first three seasons. It was all gone. NFL players only get paid during the regular season. They don’t get paid between January and July when they get paid out-of-contract stipends for training camp. Lawrence made $1.17 million his fourth year, a breakout campaign where he notched 14.5 sacks, made the Pro Bowl and ended up fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. The Cowboys didn’t immediately reward him with a new contract though. They placed the franchise tag on him and while it was for a whopping $17 million, there’s no bonus attached to that. Lawrence was fortunate he had the talent to overcome his early financial mistakes. Now entering his 11th season, he’s made over $117 million across his career. Having the physical ability to make it to the NFL is a tremendous blessing, but it takes a ton of work to maintain a place, even more to become a star. And hopefully those who get the opportunity hear stories like this to let them know they need to be as responsible with their money as they are with their bodies. h/t Brandon Loree for the find. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys vs. Browns: Week 1 matchups to watch for the Dallas Cowboys
Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images Some matchups are going to prove more important than others on Sunday for the Cowboys. To kick off the 2024 season, the Dallas Cowboys will hit the road to take on the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday afternoon. It seems to be a tossup right now as to which team is favored to walk away with the victory, but Dallas may have the slight edge considering they have the majority of their starters returning on both sides of the ball. This is far from a cakewalk win for the Cowboys. There’s still a lot of mystery and unanswered questions of about this year’s team, which makes this Week 1 matchup against the Browns all the more intriguing. If they do want to walk away with the “W” they will need to win some key matchups. Today, we will share the ones we think need to be watch closely. LT Tyler Guyton vs. DE Myles Garrett Tyler Guyton won’t be awarded the opportunity to dip his toes in to test the waters in his professional debut in the NFL. Instead, he’s being thrown into the deep end immediately having to face off against Myles Garrett in the season opener. Garrett is arguably the best pass rusher in the entire league and has the ability to ruin the Cowboys day all by himself if the rookie LT can’t hold his own. As matchups go, this could be the most intriguing and important one to follow in Week 1 for the Cowboys. DE Micah Parsons vs. LT Jedrick Wills Jr. To help balance the scales from the Tyler Guyton versus Myles Garrett matchup, Micah Parsons going up against Jedrick Wills is another important an intriguing head-to-head battle to keep track of. Wills is still working his way back from a season-ending MCL tear he sustained in November last year, and will maybe be less than 100% for the season opener, which could help tip the scales in the Cowboys favor in this Week 1 matchup. This could be a huge problem for the Browns and quite possibly a multi-sack game for Micah Parsons. CB Caelen Carson vs. WR Amari Cooper Due to Amari Cooper’s precise route running ability and his veterans savviness, he is a nightmare matchup for just about any cornerback around the league. The Browns would be wise to get him matched up with Cowboys rookie CB Caelen Carson, who is expected to replace DaRon Bland while he’s sidelined with a foot injury opposite Trevon Diggs. Carson has received some high praise this offseason, but may need some help containing Cooper. Otherwise, his NFL debut may be a rough one.
Nike releases new Dallas Cowboys sneaker, check out the 2024 Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 41 running shoe
Nike releases new Dallas Cowboys sneaker, check out the 2024 Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 41 running shoe Cowboys Wire The Dallas Cowboys kickoff their NFL season with a Week 1 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Nike is celebrating the start of the season by releasing the 2024 Air Zoom Pegasus 41 NFL Collection. Dallas Cowboys Air Zoom Pegasus 41 running shoe (Fanatics) Shop Dallas Cowboys 2024 Nike sneakers These Nike Air Pegasus sneakers are unisex and you can see a size chart for both men and women here. Most importantly, they are officially on sale now, and they can be yours for just $149.99. Dallas Cowboys Air Zoom Pegasus 41 running shoe (Fanatics) Gear up for the 2024 NFL season with the new Dallas Cowboys 2024 Nike Air Pegasus sneakers. Shop Dallas Cowboys Nike shoes We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Cowboys Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
