Photo by Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty Images The Cowboys are going to have to figure out a plan at running back this season. The Dallas Cowboys’ moves at running back, or really the lack thereof, were one of the major talking points in last year’s offseason. That topic continued through the season as players Dallas could have targeted like Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry ran over the NFL. In 2025, the Cowboys again have a big RB need, and there’s endless debate about how much they will and should be willing to spend to fill it. Under Contract Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke (FB), Malik Davis Potential Departures Rico Dowdle It feels like we’ve done a lap around the RB conversation and are right back where we started before the 2024 offseason. Tony Pollard was headed into free agency and there wasn’t anyone of consequence under contract. Once again, we find last season’s starter with an expiring contract and not much to speak of behind him. The cupboard wasn’t as bare as most people thought a year ago. They didn’t realize that Rico Dowdle had a 1,000-yard season in him. Once he was finally given full RB1 treatment around Thanksgiving, Dowdle’s productivity soared. Had the Cowboys not gotten nostalgic with Ezekiel Elliott early in 2024, Dowdle might have finished as the NFL’s third-leading rusher behind Barkley and Henry. But even without those extra yards, Dowdle still enters the 2025 free agent market with momentum. Though he turns 27 in June, he has relatively low NFL mileage. An all-around player with skills that suit most systems, Dowdle should attract plenty of interest. And with this being his first chance at free agency with some actual juice, Dowdle may want to see how that feels before agreeing to anything the Cowboys might offer. Granted, many would like to see a more explosive, game-breaking runner in Dallas. But that requires an outside move as none of the current in-house options fit the bill. At best, Hunter Leupke and Deuce Vaughn are utility players. And while Malik Davis has his fans from the last few preseasons, he couldn’t even beat Dowdle for a roster spot. Free Agency While Dowdle won’t be the biggest name in the 2025 RB market, there isn’t a Barkley-level option out there for teams needing a new starter. Aaron Jones and Nick Chubb are the more accomplished prospective free agents, saddled with their own age and injury concerns. Dowdle falls more into the next tier with guys like J.K. Dobbins and Najee Harris. Without any splash signing to be had, Dallas’ strategy may be to re-sign Dowdle or replace him with someone comparable. If the team believes it can maintain the kind of production that Dowdle had in the back portion of last season, they might take more of a “moneyball” approach at RB and focus cap dollars and draft picks on bolstering other parts of the offense. If Dowdle could be that productive with last year’s issues, imagine what could happen in stronger surroundings. That said, the Cowboys were unwilling to pay the modest salaries that guys like Henry and Zack Moss got in last year’s market. With renewed appreciation for running backs after 2024, the prices aren’t going to get any lower. If Dallas is unwilling to cough up the cash to retain Dowdle or fill the spot with a veteran, then handling the position through the draft becomes more important. 2025 NFL Draft It would be rather ironic if, after our year with the zombified version of Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas once again spent a first-round pick on a star college running back. But if Ashton Jeanty is available when we get to the 12th pick, that’s what many Cowboys fans want and many analysts believe will happen. We’ll do a deeper dive into the idea of drafting Jeanty as we get closer to draft time. It’s important to note that this isn’t like 2016, when the Cowboys plopped Elliott into a ready-made rushing juggernaut behind Zack Martin, Travis Frederick, and Tyron Smith on the offensive line. Zeke was put in an ideal situation to flourish and carry the offense, but would Jeanty get the same chance to maximize his potential? Remember, many would love to go back to 2016 and dump Elliott and Jaylon Smith for Jalen Ramsey and Derrick Henry. While some of that is hindsight, there was plenty of clamoring for Ramsey to be the pick over Zeke even leading up to that draft. It all comes down to your belief in where the RB position falls in the cause-and-effect spectrum. That’s not to say the Cowboys shouldn’t consider a RB in this draft. It’s a great year with considerable depth right on through the later rounds. But unless some unusually big moves come in free agency, Dallas may be going into the draft needing a new starting WR, one more starter on the offensive line, and several different replacements on defense. Given what we got out of Dowdle with such minimal investment, there’s good reason to think a mid-round pick at RB could come in and duplicate or even upgrade that production. Final Thoughts Again, this feels like a full-circle moment at the RB position. The Cowboys are in a very similar position to last February, and now it’s a matter of if they adjust their offseason approach. If not, we’ll probably watch Rico Dowdle sign with a new team and see what Dallas pulls out of the NFL scrap pile. At the very least, we’d expect the Cowboys to give RB more attention in this year’s draft. That won’t be hard given it received none in 2024. But it will be scary if Dowdle leaves and the team does nothing, even if it’s just adding a solid backup option, before they’re on the clock next April. One major swing factor here, potentially, is the coaching change. Mike McCarthy never placed top priority on running backs but Brian Schottenheimer’s best NFL work has come in the

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images Needless to say there are a lot of doubters in Brian Schottenheimer. When the Dallas Cowboys hired Brian Schottenheimer as their tenth head coach in franchise history, it was met with less than glowing reviews. The long-time NFL journeyman and son of the late great Marty Schottenheimer is getting his first shot at being a head coach. Other coaches hired in this cycle will be first-time head coaches, but their names have more buzz on a marquee sign. NFL Insider Jeff Howe for The Athletic recently conducted a poll with “10 NFL personnel executives and coaches, asking them to assess each coach’s fit and rank their top five hires, with a first-place vote worth five points, a second place vote worth four points and so forth. Votes were not solicited from members of each coach’s new organization to limit subjective balloting.” Below is the graphic from the article showing the results of the poll. Kellen Moore, the last head coach to be hired this offseason, got more points in the poll than Schottenheimer and Liam Coen, who have been employed for a few weeks. Credit to Moore and the goodwill he’s built after his Super Bowl-winning season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Given the lack of hype and excitement of Jerry Jones’ hiring of Schottenheimer, there should be no surprise he finished last in the poll. Despite the vacancy of optimism, there were some positive reviews from coaches about Schottenheimer as a coach and belief he could have success with the Cowboys. “He’s a good coach,” a coach said. “The team will improve.” “He’s underrated,” an executive said. “He has the ability to be a better head coach than coordinator. He’s confident. He has a vision for who he wants to be and how he wants to play, and he’ll be able to communicate that across the team.” History shows that some head coaches succeed better in the big chair than their time as coordinators and vice versa. Matt Eberflus was not a great head coach for the Chicago Bears, but he is well-suited to be a great defensive coordinator in Dallas, as he was in Indianapolis before his Chicago days. Nick Sirianni was a good offensive coordinator with the Colts from 2018 to 2020. Still, he never achieved the level of success he experienced with the Eagles. In Philly, Siriani is in more of a leadership role and hasn’t called plays since his first season with the team. When Siriani spoke after winning the Super Bowl, he touched on the locker room being a close group of men and how the team’s culture led to their success this year. If there’s one thing fans can hang their hat on about Schottenheimer, he’s trying to build and fix the team’s culture, which he spoke about in his opening press conference. His coaching staff looks impressive on paper and should theoretically facilitate the transition for the first-time head coach. I can’t believe this is an actual sentence, but if Schottenheimer can achieve Siriani-like success during his first few seasons with the Cowboys, this poll will seem silly two years from now.

Molly McVety / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images It has been a tough week in the NFC East. Giants exploring potential sale of minority stake in 100-year-old New York franchise – Tyler Sullivan, CBS Sports Up to 10% of the Giants may soon be sold. The New York Giants are exploring the potential sale of a minority stake in the NFL franchise, the team said in a statement obtained by NFL Media on Thursday night. The team has retained Moelis & Company, an investment bank and strategic adviser, to examine the possibilities around selling a non-controlling stake in the team. This announcement comes in response to an initial report from the Sports Business Journal that reported on the potential sale. “The Mara and Tisch families have retained Moelis & Company to explore the potential sale of a minority, non-controlling stake in the New York Giants,” the club said in a statement, via NFL.com. “There will be no further comment in regard to the process.” The Mara family has owned the franchise in some capacity since its inception in 1925, when it was founded by Tim Mara. More recently, the team has been split 50-50 between the Mara and Tisch families since 1991. John Mara and Steve Tisch have been in control of the organization since 2005. While there was no specific reason given surrounding the possible sale of a minority stake, this isn’t an unprecedented practice in the league. The Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills are among a handful of teams that have completed minority sales of their franchises. The league also approved a vote to allow private equity firms to buy up to a 10% stake in organizations last August. The report from the Sports Business Journal indicated that the Giants are looking to sell up to 10% of the team. Of course, the price for the New York franchise will be a fascinating situation to follow. The Philadelphia Eagles sold 8% of the team in a pair of deals last year, which valued the team at $8.1 billion and $8.3 billion. Given the New York City market, it’s possible, if not a certainty, that the evaluation for the Giants will exceed that of their division rival. ‘The connection we have in this locker room is pretty special’ – PhiladelphiaEagles.com Eagles players reflected on their season as they cleaned out their lockers. Eagles players were back at the NovaCare Complex on Thursday to clean out their lockers before Friday’s Championship Parade in Philadelphia. For many of them, it’s the first time they will experience anything like this – there is expected to be more than a million fans decked in green cheering them on each step of the way up to the Philadelphia Muesum of Art. As they packed up for a final time this season, players reflected on their memories from the season and how excited they are to celebrate with the fans. “I’m excited for it. Can’t wait. It’s going to be crazy, I’m sure. I’m just excited to see all of the people and to be able to celebrate with the whole city,” rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean said. The rookie likely had the most memorable birthday he will ever experience – winning a Super Bowl and getting a pick-six in the game. He shared his favorite memories of his outstanding rookie season: “Spending time with the guys, really. The connection we have in this locker room is pretty special, I think. For center Cam Jurgens, his favorite memory of the 2024 season came on the field, and it was with a guy who was just a little popular in his first season in Philadelphia. “This game right here (Week 17 vs. Cowboys) when Saquon (Barkley) broke 2,000 yards. That was such a historic landmark for Eagles franchise history, for Saquon, and for us to be a part of it. We know how much hard work we put in, how dominant we were, and to reach that milestone it felt pretty good,” Jurgens said. The Nebraska native will experience an Eagles Championship Parade for the first time on Friday. “I’m just super excited to see everybody. I know what it means to me, what it means to the team and the franchise, but I don’t fully grasp what it means to this community and Philadelphia and all of the fans out there and how it plays such a role in their lives. I can’t wait to see that,” Jurgens said. Commanders ‘have chance to take a big leap’ in 2025 NFL season – Darius Hayes, Sports Illustrated More surprises may be in store in Washington in 2025 after surprising everyone in 2024. After a surprising run to the NFC Championship Game, the Washington Commanders enter the offseason with momentum and significant questions. With rising star quarterback Jayden Daniels leading the way, the Commanders are positioned to take another leap forward. However, general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn must navigate a critical offseason to solidify its roster and maintain its newfound success. ESPN writer John Keim highlights both the potential for Washington and their challenges. “After unexpectedly reaching the NFC Championship Game, and with a young rising star at quarterback in Jayden Daniels, the Commanders have a chance to take a big leap,” Keim said. Washington has the financial flexibility to be aggressive in roster building. “They do have the third-most salary cap space available and seven draft picks,” Keim said. That kind of capital gives the team the ability to target key free agents and make strategic draft selections to reinforce its roster. However, there are significant roster concerns that must be addressed. “But they have 28 unrestricted free agents and the second-fewest players under contract for 2025. Washington has only two receivers under contract for 2025,” Keim added. With so many players potentially leaving, General Manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn must decide which core pieces to retain while identifying external upgrades. The offensive and defensive lines are

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The Cowboys really need some help at defensive tackle. The Dallas Cowboys have plenty of holes to fill this offseason, but the one glaring issue is the defensive line. With Osa Odighizuwa, Chauncey Golston, Linval Jospeh, and Carlos Watkins expected to hit free agency, that leaves just three defensive tackles on the roster as they head into free agency. Mazi Smith, Denzel Daxon, and Justin Rodgers are the three players under contract for the 2025 season. Smith is the only player that has played snaps at the NFL level and as most Cowboys fans know it has not been pretty so far for the former 2023 first-round pick. In year two, Smith finished as the 207th out of 219 eligible defensive tackles according to Pro Football Focus. Smith has spent most of his time at the 1-technique for Dan Quinn and Mike Zimmer’s defense and will likely do the same for new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. The most important position in the Eberflus’ system is the 3-technique, which is where Odighizuwa spent his time over his four years with the Cowboys. With Odighizuwa rumored to be valued around the league at around $20M average annual salary, the Cowboys will have a tough decision to make regarding their home-grown 3-technique. Odighizuwa is listed as the 12th best free agent heading into free agency according to Fox Sports, with Philadelphia Eagles DL Milton Williams coming in at 11th in their rankings. With Odighizuwa and Williams headlining the defensive tackle group this upcoming free agency, the Cowboys could be forced to franchise tag Odighizuwa, which would guarantee him approximately $23.5M in 2025 or pay him around $20M per year on a long-term deal. The Cowboys would be wise to attempt to reach a long-term deal with Odighizuwa before the start of free agency and maybe save a few bucks on his deal, because if he does reach the open-market the Cowboys would be in a tough position to match offers he could receive from 31 other teams with the way they do business. Without Odighizuwa, the Cowboys defensive tackle outlook looks mighty bleak, but with the defensive tackle market in the shape it is in, paying him upwards of $20M a year may not be the best use of resources either. That predicament is what leaves the Cowboys in a very scary place as they enter 2025. Defensive tackle is a big need for the Cowboys even if Odighizuwa is re-signed, but without him it becomes a major blinking light. The 2025 NFL Draft is loaded with talented defensive tackles, highlighted by Michigan’s Mason Graham. After Graham, Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen, Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams, Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, South Carolina’s T.J. Sanders, Toledo’s Darius Alexander, Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, Tennessee’s Omarr Norman-Lott, and Texas’ Alfred Collins are viewed as plug-and-play 3-techniques in this draft class. The Cowboys have a big decision to make regarding Odighizuwa, but with or without you can expect the team to be very aggressive hunting interior defensive linemen in this upcoming draft.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The latest news about the Dallas Cowboys is here. Micah Parsons opens up about Cowboys’ coaching changes, offseason plan of attack – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com Micah Parsons talks about having his third different defensive coordinator in three seasons. For the third time in as many years, there will be a new defensive coordinator in Dallas, as Matt Eberflus returns to take on the role following a one-year reunion with Mike Zimmer, who returned following Dan Quinn’s decision to depart for the Washington Commanders. That’s three coordinators in Parsons’ four seasons in the NFL, and he has still produced no fewer than 12 sacks in a single season, despite missing four games due to a high ankle sprain in 2024. “It’s just learning a new system and getting another coach’s adjustments to how I like to play, what I like to do… ” said the four-time Pro Bowler after spending the morning with Make-A-Wish children at the Great Wolf Lounge in Grapevine. “Obviously, it is challenging with a third [defensive coordinator] and [another change] is obviously not the greatest thing in the world but, I mean, that’s part of being a pro. “You’ve got to make adjustments.” Acclimating quickly to what Eberflus and his completely overhauled defensive staff will expect and look to do will be aided by Parsons’ decision on OTAs and other voluntary portions of the Cowboys’ offseason program. Brian Schottenheimer’s full Cowboys coaching staff officially announced – Josh Sanchez, Sports Illustrated It’s a new era on the sidelines in Dallas with Brian Schottenheimer’s staff fully complete. On Friday afternoon, the team officially announced the new coaching staff for the start of the Brian Schottenheimer regime. From key coordinators to specialized assistants and the strength and conditioning staff, every role has been filled. There is now some renewed optimism that the team could be shifting to a run-focused approach that would take some weight off of Dak Prescott and greatly benefit the entire offensive unit, while the defense will be under new direction with stars littered throughout the roster. A complete look at Brian Schottenheimer’s staff can be seen below: The Dallas Cowboys finalized their 2025 coaching staff under Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer. pic.twitter.com/9LMk7TQN5w — Dallas Cowboys Public Relations (@DallasCowboysPR) February 14, 2025 Troy Aikman expects Cowboys to compete in 2025, but says Dallas has ‘uphill climb’ ahead – Staff, DMN Troy Aikman talked about the Dallas Cowboys stand in the NFC East heading into 2025 on Sportsradio 96.7 FM/1310 The Ticket (KTCK-AM) This week Dak Prescott said that he thought the Cowboys were very close to the Eagles. Two years ago they certainly were probably better than the Eagles, but this year it wasn’t close on the field. Going into this offseason and next season, do you think he’s right and Jerry and Stephen [Jones] kind of feel the same way or do you think there’s a bigger gap between those two teams than they realize? Aikman: “I totally get where Dak was coming from and in his mind there’s no reason for him not to feel that way. He was hurt, as you know, and when he’s healthy they’ve played with Philadelphia, they’ve played with Washington. I think they are closer than what the records would suggest, but I’m not sure that’s the right way to look at it. Philadelphia, it’s not like they’re going to stay put, they’ve proven that. Who’s to say they’re not going to be better than they were this year? And Washington, when you consider what they were able to do last year and now they’ve got their quarterback in place, it stands to reason that they’re going to continue to be better and bolster that roster as well. It’s an uphill climb for Dallas with some of the changes, but I don’t think for a second that they won’t be able to compete in the NFC East.” I saw some of the pundits that laughed or took shots at Dak for those comments and I just think it fills up a day’s worth of content for February after the Super Bowl because I do think Dallas is gonna be in the conversation and be competitive, but they’ve got to get better as we know. There’s a lot of areas within that roster that need to be better, but hopefully those things get addressed. So yeah, I would not disagree, assuming that Dak is healthy, that they’ll be competitive and at least have a chance, but I also think these other two teams are going to be better as well. And then where the Giants fit into that is anybody’s guess.” Schottenheimer and Eberflus to fight the same enemy: 3 biggest questions surrounding brand new Dallas Cowboys coaching staff – Mauricio Rodriguez, AtoZ Sports The Cowboys new staff has quite a bit to figure out heading into the 2025 season. How much will Brian Schottenheimer let Klayton Adams influence the run game? On paper, Schottenheimer’s staff is impressive. Instead of going for the buddy hires so typical of an NFL coach that’s been in the league for a long time, the new Cowboys head coach drew in people from various schemes and philosophies. He got Klayton Adams as offensive coordinator, who ran a night and day rushing offense in Arizona that used counter and pulling blockers at the highest rate of the league. He hired Derrick Foster as RB coach from a New Orleans Saints offense majoring in the wide zone scheme. For the offensive line and wide receiver coaching positions, he went into the college football world to make his hires. On paper, it’s a great collection of coaches. Now for the most difficult part: Schottenheimer will have to ensure he works his ideas into the offense and subsequent play calling. In particular, Schottenheimer needs to allow Adams to influence the run game to keep it from becoming stale. He’ll have to defeat the stubbornness every coach has inside him to do so. Can Jerry

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images The Cowboys may not actually be as close as Dak Prescott says. In the aftermath of the Philadelphia Eagles beating the Kansas City Chiefs to prevent the Chiefs from a three-peat, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott spoke to the media. Prescott didn’t mince words and said it was the Cowboy’s turn to win one of their own, and the team was close to winning a title. Not so fast, Mr. Prescott. There are reasons why the Cowboys have a lot of work to do, and changes to make before they can be seriously considered to win a championship. Here’s where the Cowboys and Eagles differ what separates the Eagles from being a contender from the Cowboys. The offensive line When comparing the Eagles and the Cowboys, the first thing that stands out is the differential in the offensive line. For years, Dallas had one of the most dominant offensive lines, and the Eagles weren’t too far behind. Recently, the Cowboys have had to retool the unit due to departures in free agency and many of their players getting older, like Tyron Smith. Meanwhile, the Eagles have done an great job in replacing Jason Kelce with Cam Jurgens, and their offensive line continues to thrive in short-yardage situations. The Cowboys are hinging their hopes on the future of their offensive line based on the development of Tyler Guyton, who had a rough first year in the league. He struggled with technique and penalties. He’s talented and of tremendous size, but there is much room for improvement. Terence Steele, the team’s starting right tackle, has regressed since signing a five-year, $82.5M extension in 2023. There’s some hope with how well Cooper Beebe fared as a rookie at center. However, the murkiness around the future of Zack Martin casts a cloudy outlook on the future of the Dallas offensive line. The receivers The advantage again goes to Philadelphia from the big boys upfront to the skill position players on the outside. Dallas has one legit wide receiving threat with CeeDee Lamb, and he is terrific. Lamb is an All-Pro receiver with several Pro Bowl appearances, but who else do the Cowboys have after him? The Cowboys’ passing success mainly depends on CeeDee Lamb and opposing teams try to slow him down with bracket coverage. We’ve seen teams do just that and force someone else to make a play to less than inspiring results. Jalen Tolbert has shown flashes but not enough that you feel that he is a viable number two option in a competent passing attack. Meanwhile, the Eagles have a Heisman trophy winner in DeVonta Smith as their #2 wide receiver behind A.J. Brown. Not many teams can boast that about their roster. This may be overkill, but the Eagles also have a former first-round pick as their third wide receiver. (Jahan Dotson) The Eagles don’t find themselves sputtering on offense because the other team took away their best receiver; they turn to the best option that can also make a play. The front office Arguably, the biggest reason why it’s not close between the clubs is the effectiveness of the Eagles’ front office. They constantly look to improve their roster through every opportunity they are afforded. They don’t sit idly by in free agency and put all their hopes into the NFL draft like Dallas. In today’s NFL, you must embrace free agency, which is why the Eagles zeroed in on Saquon Barkley. By prying him away from a division rival, they fortified their roster while weakening one of the challengers for the division title. Without Saquon Barkley, the Eagles wouldn’t have won the Super Bowl. In contrast, Dallas had their shot at Derrick Henry but passed based on their aversion to signing external help and settled for a disastrous reunion with Ezekiel Elliott. Henry wasn’t even an expensive signing for the Baltimore Ravens; Dallas’ front office merely balked at the chance to take a great player at a position of need because they did not want to be active during the early stages of free agency. Speaking of the draft, regardless of how proud the Cowboys’ front office is of their ability to draft and their faith in draft picks, their approach to drafting has also been flawed. This sums it up well: Based on the consensus draft boards from 2023 and 2024, here’s what the #Cowboys‘ 1st and 2nd round picks would have looked like if they had followed a best player available strategy. Consensus BPA:No. 26 EDGE Nolan Smith (14) No. 58 OG O’Cyrus Torrence (32)No. 29 DB Cooper… pic.twitter.com/IYFKCE6ECV — Dominic White (@DomWWhite) February 11, 2025 A lot of times, the best answer is the simplest one. When great talent falls to you, don’t overthink and take the best player available. That’s what benefited the Eagles so much. Build the best roster, and do not try to plug holes at needs because you don’t line your roster with the proper help from free agency. Dak Prescott Finally, the man of the hour, Dak Prescott. While it’s admirable that Prescott was expressing confidence in his team and the belief any good leader needs to have, he’s also a reason why the Cowboys aren’t close to winning a championship. In the postseason, he hasn’t fared well in his last two postseason outings against the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers. He has thrown six touchdowns versus six interceptions in those two games and lost by an average of 11.5 points in those contests. Also, his health is a concern. He went on season-ending injured reserve last season for a hamstring injury after missing five games in 2022 with a thumb injury. Also, Prescott doesn’t have the same mobility he used to, whether by choice or he doesn’t have that extra gear anymore. The recent injuries, the lack of mobility, and postseason track record hinder the probability that he can put everything together while being straddled by an out-of-touch front office to take