Zack Martin can’t be replaced but this UDFA can carve out his own role reidhanson When Hillary Swank replaced Ralph Macchio as the Karate Kid in the franchise’s fourth movie, she wasn’t met with open hearts and open minds. For as annoying as the Daniel LaRusso character was at times, Macchio was a legend in his role. Swank never stood a chance in her bid to replace Macchio because legends simply can’t be replaced. Legends aren’t just the standard bearers for which all replacements are measured, they hold a mythical status to fans. Zack Martin holds that mythical status reserved for legends. For years he’s been the Cowboys most dominant player. He’s a generational offensive lineman who is both blue-chip and blue collar. He has been the model of consistency in Dallas and a beloved character in and out of the locker room. So, when Martin announced he’ll be having season-ending surgery this week and will not be returning to the field this year, fans were understandably heartbroken. It’s been long speculated 2024 will be Martin’s last year as a pro and the Cowboys will be turning the last page on this truly awesome offensive line era that once also featured him, Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick. Brock Hoffman, the man who has started in Martin’s place the last two weeks, will presumably replace him down the stretch as well. Fans loved what Hoffman brought to the table in his two starts. He graded out well in both phases of the game and was a frequent thorn in his opponents’ side up to and even after the whistle. Hoffman’s nasty attitude endeared him to fans and inspired teammates along the way. While this could make for a smooth transition to the new era, filling in for injury is one thing but replacing a legend on a more permanent basis is something else entirely. The good news for Hoffman is that he doesn’t need to be Martin. The Cowboys have something like that already in 2023 All-Pro Tyler Smith. What they need from Hoffman is for the 25-year-old to just be his regular, cantankerous self. Instead of trying to fill Martin’s enormous shoes, Hoffman just needs to bring a pair of his own. The value he brings isn’t in dominance at the point of attack it’s in his ability to put opponents on tilt and raise the energy amongst his brethren alongside him. It’s been a while since the Cowboys had a certified jerk on their offensive line and that might have been a problem. It takes all types to round a strong unit, and Hoffman fits his own unique role. Replacing Martin is impossible and if fans are looking for a player even half as dominant as Martin in his prime, they will be disappointed. But Hoffman brings different skills to the table, and who knows, as a developing player he may become a dominant blocker one day, too. The point is what he brings today is enough because it’s a special quality that’s been lacking from the unit. Hoffman isn’t Hillary Swank trying to replace Ralph Macchio, he’s a different karate franchise altogether. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Streaking Cowboys have much more to play for on Monday Night Football against Bengals
Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys have only played six opponents in their entire history as a franchise since 1960 less times than the Cincinnati Bengals, hardly a team anywhere in the realm of historic rivalries when it comes to Dallas football. These teams find themselves in a late season primetime matchup on Monday Night Football here in Week 14, also a first for this limited series. Even though the Cowboys are home underdogs by a significant margin, they are also the team in this matchup that finds themselves with much more at stake with the better record of 5-7 compared to 4-8 for the Bengals. Both of those records are good for third place in the NFC East and AFC North right now. Even though it will be the first time in history these teams meet on ESPN, as well as Disney+ if watching this game transformed into Simpsons characters is your thing, it will hardly be the first time a national outlet like ESPN is relying on the Cowboys to be interesting and the main story. Even led by Cooper Rush, who has a previous win against the Bengals in his second career start in 2022, Dallas has all of the intrigue in this matchup as not just a fringe playoff team that can gain viability with their third straight win. They are also, to a degree that simply cannot be known by anyone outside The Star right now, potentially playing to keep Mike McCarthy in place as head coach after his contract expires at the end of the regular season. Never have so many possibilities been hanging in the air all at the same time in recent Cowboys history, which for both good and bad reasons, is a wild change of fortune from early season incompetence that felt destined to continue from start to finish and mark this 2024 team as nothing but one of the biggest failures in recent memory. Thanks to two wins in four days against the Commanders and Giants on Thanksgiving, the Cowboys are now miraculously the team in this MNF matchup failing much less than their opponent. Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images The Bengals have lost three in a row, two of which were to divisional opponents in the Ravens and Steelers by a combined seven points. Finding the types of clutch wins that Joe Burrow has proven capable of in his career has been impossible for the Bengals this year thanks to a historically bad defense. The Bengals have lost four games when scoring at least 30 points this season. The Cowboys are 3-0 when scoring at least 26 points and have reached 30 twice in wins at the Browns and much more recently at the Commanders (needing two kick return touchdowns in the fourth quarter to get there). The Bengals’ best wins, only by opponent record and nothing else, are against the currently 3-9 Panthers and Browns. The win at Carolina came in week four to avoid a dreadful 0-4 start and was against former Bengals and Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton. The Bengals’ win in Cleveland was before the Browns switched to Jameis Winston at quarterback as well. It sounds preposterous to say, but Monday’s starter in Cooper Rush is absolutely playing at a level capable of beating this Bengals team that’s given up at least 35 points in five of their last ten games. Cincinnati has also found ways to lose close, lower-scoring affairs to the Patriots 16-10 and Chiefs 26-25. If the Cowboys and Rush do extend their win streak to three games, they’ll reach a 6-7 mark that would place them firmly “in the hunt” for a playoff spot. Although Dallas would still face some of the longest odds out of the teams still battling to reach the postseason, and much like the Bengals have nobody to blame but themselves for being on the outside looking in with four games remaining after Monday night, the Cowboys would have yet another win under their belt that shows viability to the style of football they’re playing under Rush. When Rush beat the Bengals 20-17 in week two of the 2022 season, it immediately changed the tenor of a season that somehow felt lost after just week one. The Cowboys opened with a home loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday night and lost Dak Prescott in the process, not giving fans much of anything to have hope for early on much like this year’s team. Rush leveled the Cowboys’ record at 1-1 with an upset win by going three for three on the final drive of the game and getting quick completions to CeeDee Lamb, Noah Brown, and Lamb again to set up a Brett Maher 50-yard field goal on the last play of the game. The Cowboys won in dramatic fashion after jumping out to a 17-3 lead on a Brown touchdown on the opening drive. The Cowboys pass rush got to Joe Burrow six times, with Micah Parsons and Dorance Armstrong both having two sacks. Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images With Parsons being one of the most outspoken current Cowboys about wanting this team to still play hard and fight for the playoffs, it is fitting he draws another matchup in primetime against this current Bengals team that’s allowed at least three sacks in back-to-back weeks. A big part of how the Cowboys have found some late season wins of late is their ability to win up front on both sides of the ball, which will be critical against the Bengals. This is not an opponent that’s laid down for anyone this year despite their struggles, with Burrow firing until the end even in losses. Dynamic receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are capable of making a huge play at any given time. The Cowboys have looked much more up to the challenge in the secondary in recent weeks thanks to getting players back healthy, but affecting Burrow in the pocket and forcing this Bengals
Cowboys news: All-Pro Zack Martin’s season-ending ankle surgery puts his football future in doubt
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Your Friday morning dose of Dallas Cowboys news is here. Cowboys All-Pro Zack Martin to undergo season-ending ankle surgery, football future in doubt – Garrett Podell, CBS Sports Zack Martin’s 2024 season has come to an abrupt end due to injury and questions arise around it possibly being his last in the NFL. “Zack is going to have season-ending surgery on his ankle,” McCarthy said Thursday. “We started off a couple of weeks ago, we felt with the two weeks prior to Cincinnati, we felt this was a good path for him to try to get back for the Cincinnati game. But as he went through the protocol and the planning, Friday, things didn’t look quite as good as we hoped, then there were some more studies and a conversation that went on yesterday. Everybody involved thought it was best for him to get the surgery. There was hope still Friday. Britt with the rehab process, goal was back for Cincinnati. Monday, Tuesday, it looked like it was going in a different direction.” Martin’s seven first-team All-Pro selections are tied for the most in NFL history among offensive guards with Hall of Famers Randall McDaniel and John Hannah, is in the final year of his contract in 2024, his 11th NFL season. He turned 34-years-old Nov. 20, so it’s natural to wonder if this season is his last. His on-field production has been nothing short of excellent. Martin is a nine-time Pro Bowler who has the fewer career holding penalties (six) as he does first-team All-Pro selections (seven). “Clearly a Hall of Famer,” McCarthy said of Martin. “Not only for the way he plays but just first class. He just commands a lot of respect. Same person, personality every single day. Hard working. True team guy. Puts the team first. He’s been a joy to work with and I can’t say enough great things about him.” Joe Burrow, struggling Bengals pose threat Cowboys haven’t yet faced this season – Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News While the Bengals’ record may not reflect it, the Cowboys will be challenged to keep up with them on MNF. The biggest issue for Dallas would appear to be their inability to stop people at the goal line. The Cowboys rank 32nd in touchdown percentage when teams get inside the 20-yard line. The Bengals’ offense ranks second in touchdown percentage when they penetrate the 20. How do you correct that in one night? Keep the Bengals outside the 20 for most of four quarters? As for the other side of the ball, the Cowboys just aren’t built for shootouts. That was true when the club broke camp fully healthy, even if management didn’t want to admit it. The total absence of a running game put too much pressure on Dak Prescott and Lamb to do everything, and the whole thing basically collapsed. Remember that even when Dak was around and the Cowboys won back-to-back road games in New York and Pittsburgh, those were 20-15 and 20-17 slow-motion slogs. With Rush at quarterback, the Cowboys are 2-2 and have totaled 77 points in the four games against opponents allowing a combined 86.5 points per game. So that’s a subpar performance before we even factor out the two touchdowns on kickoff returns scored in the final minute in Washington. What gets recorded as a 34-26 victory was a 10-9 Cowboys lead with nine minutes to go. Those are the kinds of games Dallas has had to play in order to win. Micah on MNF: ‘I’ve got to be best player on the field’ – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com The Cowboys will need the best version of Micah Parsons on Monday night when they face Joe Burrow and the Bengals. “I’ve got to do my job at extremely high level. I got to be the best player on the field,” Parsons said on Thursday. “If Joe Burrow’s record was opposite (8-4 instead of 4-8), he’ll be the leading running for MVP. I still think he should be the MVP. I mean he’s leading in passing yards, passing touchdowns this year.” Parsons said Burrow is playing like he did at LSU when he won the Heisman Trophy in 2019. Ironically enough, Burrow is the first five straight former Heisman Trophy winners the Cowboys will face to end the regular season. But Burrow was arguably the best of all of them, and he’s playing like that this year. The only difference is he’s not getting the same defensive help, which has led to the Bengals’ struggles. Cincinnati is still averaging over 27 points per game, good for fifth in the NFL this year. “You give me someone who’s better than JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins right now,” Parsons said of the Bengals’ two receivers. “That duo right there is none other than the best in the NFL. So I’m excited for the challenge.” Dallas Cowboys expected to have key offensive playmaker back vs. Bengals – Josh Sanchez, Sports Illustrated After missing a few games due to a concussion, Jake Ferguson is expected to be ready to go this week against the Bengals. Star tight end Jake Ferguson, who has missed the past two games with a concussion, was back on the practice field Thursday. Ferguson cleared concussion protocol and is on track to play on Monday night. Ferguson had high hopes entering the 2024-25 NFL campaign after a breakout sophomore performance a season ago, but injuries have held him back. Ferguson has just 43 catches for 369 yards and zero touchdowns on the season. In Ferguson’s absence, 2023 second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker has stepped up for the Cowboys. Schoolmaker has at least 3 catches and 33 yards in each of his previous three outings. During that stretch, Schoonmaker has recorded 14 catches for 144 yards and one touchdown. While it has been admirable production, there is no denying the impact Ferguson has on the team’s offense when he is healthy — especially on the field at
Cowboys Headlines: Ferguson practices in full, Zack Martin looks ahead, Bengals lose 2 starters
Updates: CeeDee expecting to play on MNF :: The Mothership Link Although he sat out Thursday’s practice with a nagging shoulder AC sprain, Lamb plans on suiting up Monday night when the Bengals come to town. (He worked through a similar injury while at Oklahoma.) The current mini-bye break, he says, has helped him work himself back into game-ready condition. “I have my range of motion and I have my strength back.” Lamb said. Cowboys’ Jake Ferguson: Logs full practice Thursday :: CBS Sports Link The tight end practiced in full on Thursday, the first time he’s done so since his Week 11 concussion. It’s unknown if he’s gotten full clearance from an independent neurologist to play this week, but he appears to be trending in that direction. Cowboys’ Zack Martin to have season-ending ankle surgery :: Cowboys Wire Link Martin injured his right ankle in Week 11 and had hoped to return to action this Monday night versus Cincinnati. But when the rehab didn’t go as expected, he and the team made the decision to opt for surgery that will end his 2024 season. He will end up missing 16 games over the past five years. Zack Martin emotional, candid about injury and future with the Cowboys, NFL :: The Mothership Link Martin is not ready to talk about whether or not he’ll come back for a 12th NFL season, electing to look no further than the ankle surgery he has scheduled for next week. “This is not the time to have those discussions, and this is kind of all I’ll say about that,” he said Thursday. “It’s a tough situation and the most important thing on my mind is getting healthy, and then having those conversations down the road. First and foremost, I want to get healthy and maybe those conversations are a little bit easier… We’ll see what the future holds.” ‘A lightning rod’: Brock Hoffman has been a difference on the Dallas Cowboys offensive line :: All DLLS Link Martin’s fill-in for the past two games- and likely replacement moving forward- brings a mile-wide nasty streak to the offensive line that tends to frequently draw retaliation from opponents. “I’m always going to toe that line,” Hoffman explained. At least one of his Cowboys teammates finds it contagious. “It’s kind of a mindset,” Tyler Smith said. “You can’t mess with us. We can mess with you, but you can’t mess with us.” Just how good has Zack Martin been? :: Bobby Belt Who’s NFL MVP? Here’s why Cowboys’ Micah Parsons believes it’s Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow :: Dallas Morning News Link Parsons, for one, isn’t letting Cincinnati’s lackluster 4-8 record lull him into thinking Monday night’s game won’t be a major problem for the Cowboys defense. “If Joe Burrow record is the opposite, he’ll be the leading runner for MVP,” Parsons said. “I still think he should be the MVP. I mean, he’s leading in passing yards, passing touchdowns. The year he’s having, like Joe Burrow at LSU. I think that’s what a healthy Joe Burrow looks like.” Parsons called the Bengals “the greatest challenge of them all outside the Eagles.” Bengals lose second starter to injured reserve before Week 14 :: Bengals Wire Link Cincinnati linebacker Logan Wilson had a surgical cleanup on his knee Thursday, a move that will take him out of the Week 14 lineup. He’s been a key cog in the Bengals defense this season. The team will also be leaning on a new kicker- Cade York- when they visit Arlington on Monday night; Evan McPherson has been placed on injured reserve. Cowboys stopped gatekeeping this UDFA, now he’s among NFL’s best workhorses :: Cowboys Wire Link Once considered just an injury-plagued practice-squadder who seemed unable to take on a bellcow role, Rico Dowdle is now looking like the top dog in Dallas, even if it took the club most of the season to start feeding him like it. He took 83% of the backfield’s workload in Week 13 and is logging explosive runs at a clip better than Bijan Robinson and Aaron Jones. Now coming off his best yardage total and highest attempt total of the season, Dowdle will face some of the league’s worst run defenses in the season’s home stretch. Cowboys nominate Zack Martin for 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award :: Cowboys Wire Link Martin was chosen for his tireless work with the Salvation Army, the National Medal of Honor Museum, and local outreach efforts with first responders and families in need, as well as his outstanding play on the field. The winner of the league’s most prestigious individual honor will be announced Feb. 6. 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Latest first-round predictions entering Week 14 :: The 33rd Team Link With the projected 13th overall pick, the Cowboys take Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in this mock exercise. He may be the best pure first-round fit possible for Dallas. He’s the ideal complement to CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott, offering a huge catch radius, terrific quickness and agility for his 6-foot-5 size, and post-catch creativity. Cowboys among NFL’s top teams in this valuable roster-building strategy :: Cowboys Wire Link Football is a young man’s game. At least that’s the principle the Joneses have founded their entire team-building philosophy on. Rookie contracts make up a large and critical portion of the Cowboys roster, with the team giving nearly 10,000 snaps to its players on years one though four. That’s third-most in the league through 13 weeks this season. In snap-weighted age, however, they rank 22nd, with older veteran contributors like Martin, Brandin Cooks, Eric Kendricks, and DeMarcus Lawrence skewing the numbers significantly in 2024.
Cowboys injury report: Lamb & Guyton DNP, Diggs limited Thursday
Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images The Cowboys injury report for Thursday At 5-7, the Dallas Cowboys are mathematically still alive in their pursuit of the postseason. All hope isn’t lost but it is a long shot for the team to make their fourth consecutive postseason. Injuries have been a large factor in the Cowboys disappointing season. Heading into their Monday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals, here’s what we know about the Cowboys injuries in their first injury report of the week. #Cowboys initial injury report vs. Bengals: CeeDee Lamb expected to play, fyi. Zack Martin will eventually go to IR. Jake Ferguson full participant, cleared from protocol. Full report: pic.twitter.com/eLwgECdTB4 — Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) December 5, 2024 After the mini-bye, Dallas has some bad news to report. Head coach Mike McCarthy said Zack Martin will undergo season-ending ankle surgery. This is a big loss for the team. However, Brock Hoffman has played well in his stead and will remain in the starting lineup. Marshawn Kneeland (knee) was a full participant along with Jake Ferguson. Ferguson hasn’t played since his concussion suffered against Houston and with a full practice has been cleared from the NFL’s concussion protocol. Trevon Diggs (groin) was limited Thursday. CeeDee Lamb (shoulder), who was in visible discomfort against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving, was held out of Thursday’s practice although he is expected to play. Also not in team activities was Juanyeh Thomas (knee). Thomas appeared to have suffered a serious knee injury last week, but thankfully it was less serious than it appeared. Tyler Guyton (ankle) was also listed as a DNP Thursday. DeMarvion Overshown was limited (hamstring). For the Bengals, linebacker Logan Wilson (knee) did not practice and is possibly heading to injured reserve and Orlando Brown Jr. also did not participate Thursday. Meanwhile, Tee Higgins (rest) was limited.
Cowboys’ Zack Martin to have season-ending ankle surgery
Cowboys’ Zack Martin to have season-ending ankle surgery Todd Brock It’s the end of the season for one of the Cowboys’ all-time greats, and maybe even the end of the line. Right guard Zack Martin will require surgery to repair the damage from a right ankle injury he suffered in Week 11, according to head coach Mike McCarthy, who made the announcement in his Thursday press conference. The injury occurred during the fourth quarter of the team’s 34-10 loss to Houston and had kept Martin sidelined the past two games. The team had originally hoped Martin could rehab the ankle with a Week 14 return in mind, but his progress did not go as planned and led to this decision, which Martin and the club reached on Wednesday. Undrafted Brock Hoffman has gotten the start for Martin in both contests of the Cowboys’ current two-game win streak, and he looks to be the primary replacement once again on Monday when Dallas hosts the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night. “He’s gonna be missed. We’re not gonna replace Zack Martin, by no means,” McCarthy told reporters of the nine-time Pro Bowler who was just announced earlier in the day as a nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. “He brings so much to the team, to the team culture. We all recognize what a great player he has been here in Dallas for his whole career, but what he gives us as a person- people gravitate to him and he does a really good job of bringing people together. That offensive line room is really an illustration of his leadership, and he’ll definitely be missed in that area.” [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Both the Nov. 18 injury and Thursday’s announcement immediately raised questions about the future of the 34-year-old, who was the Cowboys’ first-round draft pick out of Notre Dame in 2014 and is now on the final year of his contract. After being absent for just two games over his first six pro seasons, Martin will have missed 16 contests over his last five years by the time the 2024 regular campaign ends. Micah Parsons inadvertently sparked some retirement whispers for the eleven-year veteran back in early November. After a loss to the Eagles, the Cowboys linebacker said, “I kind of feel bad for guys like Zack Martin and guys who might be on their last year, on their way out. Because that’s who I wanted to hold the trophy for.” When asked a few days later about playing beyond 2024, Martin himself wasn’t ready to give the topic serious consideration. “I’m just taking it one week at a time, my guy,” he told reporters. But now there are no more weeks for the seven-time first-team All-Pro… at least for this season, and maybe for good. “I think you just have to take a step back and deal with one thing at a time,” McCarthy said Thursday. “That, frankly, was the conversation that Zack and I had. The focus is really about the surgery, what’s next. Those are all questions that will be asked or be thought about.” Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Thursday Night Football odds, pick and live discussion: Packers at Lions
Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Who wins tonight… Green Bay or Detroit? The Green Bay Packers play the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football. FanDuel has the Lions as 3.5-point favorites over the Packers. Final score prediction: Lions 27 – Packers 24. Check out FanDuel for all of your NFL betting needs. This is an open thread for game chat.
NFC East update: Cowboys technically still alive in division race
Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Technically speaking (although certainly not realistically) the Cowboys could still win the NFC East. Just technically. It’s hard to believe given where we were a few weeks ago, but the Cowboys’ recent wins have kept them alive in the NFC playoff picture. While creeping back into the last wild card spot is the more attainable goal, Dallas could still technically win the NFC East if fortune smiles upon them. For that to happen, specific things have to start falling in place this week. Despite their 5-7 overall record, the Cowboys have managed to go 3-1 within the division. Their sweep of the Giants and upset win over the Commanders two weeks ago have help give Dallas this alternative, albeit highly unlikely, path to the postseason. The problem is, of course, the 10-2 Philadelphia Eagles. Not only are they running away with the NFC East, Philly is starting to look like one of the best teams in the entire league. And with a cupcake opponent this Sunday in the Carolina Panthers, odds are that they’ll get the win that puts the final, long-assumed nail in the Cowboys’ chances of repeating as division champions. Current NFC East Standings Philadelphia Eagles 10-2 (3-0, 6-2 vs NFC) Washington Commanders 8-5 (2-2 in division, 5-3) Dallas Cowboys 5-7 (3-1, 3-5) New York Giants 2-10 (0-5, 1-8) It’s simple; the Cowboys have to go 5-0 and the Eagles 0-5 over the remainder of the regular season. That would leave them tied at 10-7 overall, split the season series, and give Dallas the NFC East with a 5-1 division record versus 3-3 for Philly. It’s the longest of shots, especially with Carolina and the Giants still to come on the Eagles’ schedule. The Cowboys winning five more, not to mention beating Philadelphia in Week 17, is pretty a far-fetched notion as well. But at least it’s still on the table, at least for a few more days. But in the highly-expected event of the Eagles beating the Panthers this Sunday, then Dallas’ only remaining road to the playoffs will be fighting their way back into a wild card spot. Along with the rematch with Philadelphia, Monday night’s game against Cincinnati is a big obstacle left on Dallas’ schedule. The Bengals are one of the better 4-8 teams you’ll ever see, losing multiple nail-biters against the likes of Baltimore, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. If their latest letdown breaks their spirit, the Cowboys might be able to take advantage. Elsewhere in the NFC East, Washington has the week off with a late bye. The Giants host the Saints in a fairly meaningless game. New Orleans seems to be fighting since their head coaching change, while New York hasn’t shown much of any. It will likely be another shovel full of dirt on their season.
Cowboys among NFL’s top teams in this valuable roster-building strategy
Cowboys among NFL’s top teams in this valuable roster-building strategy reidhanson Building an NFL roster isn’t simply about finding and retaining talent. It’s also about knowing when to let go, knowing when to roll the dice and knowing where to find the most affordable labor force. For a team like the Cowboys, managing all three of these areas is critical to the wellbeing of the salary cap. Though the cap is highly malleable, and the Cowboys aren’t remotely close to maximizing their purchasing power under it, it is in fact a real entity that should be responsibly managed. Owners of what will likely be four contracts each averaging $19+ million in 2025, the cost-conscience Cowboys will be interested in cutting costs at all possible corners to keep payroll low and their wallets fat. One area where the Cowboys front office particularly excels in is populating their roster with players on rookie contracts. Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), players entering the NFL are capped on what they can receive in compensation from a team. Players often provide services well above their compensation levels, giving teams extraordinary bang for the buck throughout the length of their rookie deals. In 2024 the Cowboys are the No. 3 team in the NFL in snaps by players under rookie deals. In other words, the Cowboys are getting more snaps from players who have been in the NFL less than four complete seasons than 28 other teams. This puts measurements like “snap weighted age” into perspective since it lands Dallas on the other side of the spectrum. The Cowboys are 22nd in the snap weighted age (SWA) this season, meaning they are one of the older teams in the league based on contributions. What having the third most snaps on rookie contracts means is old players are skewing the numbers a bit on SWA and when those outliers fall off (possibly DeMarcus Lawrence, Zack Martin, Eric Kendricks and Brandin Cooks), the Cowboys will swing strongly to other side of the SWA spectrum. What having the third-most snaps from rookie-deal players doesn’t say is how well those players are performing. Being No. 3 doesn’t mean much when the Cowboys are 5-7 and longshots for a postseason berth. It does, however, show Dallas favors their youth and is giving their developing labor force valuable snaps to build on. It also outlines a plan moving forward. The Jonathan Mingo trade notwithstanding, the Cowboys value draft picks more than most other NFL teams. It allows them to afford their expensive superstars and it keeps the fan hope-o-meter pointing up as frequently as possible. It’s made middle class employees scarce in Dallas and requires a ready or not attitude with many offseason promotions, but it fills out a roster in the most affordable way possible. There are many ways for NFL teams to construct winning rosters in the NFL, but options dwindle once superstars start getting paid like superstars. It’s safe to say the strategy of leaning on rookie contracts is here to stay for quite a while in Dallas. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Cowboys player projections for Bengals game suggest Cooper Rush success
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Cooper Rush is projected to perform well against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Dallas Cowboys will do battle against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, and as they do, they will be seeking their third win in a row. How the tides have turned. It remains to be seen whether or not the Cowboys can pull off a win of this variety. They may have shocked the world from an underdog perspective (literally speaking, in terms of betting underdogs) when they won at Washington a few weeks back, but Dallas is almost a touchdown dog at home against a Bengals team that is 4-8 on the season. That says a lot. Entering Week 14 the Bengals feature the league’s leading passer in Joe Burrow and receiver in Ja’Marr Chase. You can expect that they will perform rather well, and projections certainly suggest that for obvious reasons. Each and every week we examine the projections that our friends at NFL Pro have for the Cowboys in their upcoming game and it is always worth pointing out how they did in the most recent game. Projected Cooper Rush vs. New York: 217.7 yards, 1.1 TD, 1 INT, 13 rush yards, 0.1 rush TDActual: 195 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT Projected Rico Dowdle vs. New York: 46.1 yards, 0.3 TD, 2.1 rec, 15 rec yards, 0.1 rec TDActual: 112 yards, 1 TD, 3 rec, 11 rec yards Projected CeeDee Lamb vs. New York: 6.6 rec, 67.6 yards, 0.4 TDActual: 2 rec, 39 yards Projected Jalen Tolbert vs. New York: 2.4 rec, 28.7 yards, 0.2 TDActual: 2 rec, 41 yards Projected Luke Schoonmaker vs. New York: 3.9 rec, 41 yards, 0.3 TDActual: 5 rec, 33 yards Clearly it was not a day full of offensive explosions for the Cowboys as they had two total touchdowns that they were responsible for (DeMarvion Overshown made the other possible). We may be reaching the point where taking the under on CeeDee Lamb’s prop lines is the wise play, but he is such a talented player that you are doing that at your own risk given that he could go off at any given moment. Will that moment come against the Bengals? Here are the projections for this week for both sides from NFL Pro. There is a bit of an uptick in Rush’s passing here, but there is a bump down for Lamb from both a receptions and receiving yards standpoint. Maybe the model is getting shy. You will note that Brandin Cooks is featured in projections for the first time in a while. Cooks obviously played last week, he caught Rush’s lone touchdown pass, but when the projections came out it was still unknown whether or not he would. Consider that the model does have Jake Ferguson listed but that injury reports will fluctuate until kickoff and he may or may not play. As noted, this figures to be a challenging game for the Cowboys in many ways as the Bengals are a pretty stout team for holding a 4-8 record. Cincinnati has a right to be favored as NFL Pro’s advantages prove. Given that Cincinnati has Burrow and Chase, they are going to be favored in the passing game against just about anyone. From a rushing standpoint, the Cowboys may be coming off of their most impressive game as a team (and from an individual perspective with Rico Dowdle) but their poor run (no pun intended) all the way up to that point really weighs them down in the collective.
