The Cowboys have released OT Matt Waletzko from injured reserve, reaching a settlement with the fourth-year prospect to end his time in Dallas. This is hardly breaking news for a player who only appeared for 20 offensive snaps in three years, but it does bring closure to the much bigger story of the Amari Cooper […] The Cowboys have released OT Matt Waletzko from injured reserve, reaching a settlement with the fourth-year prospect to end his time in Dallas. This is hardly breaking news for a player who only appeared for 20 offensive snaps in three years, but it does bring closure to the much bigger story of the Amari Cooper trade in 2022. Waletzko was the last remaining asset from that deal, and his inconsequential Cowboys career is the sesame seed bun on the nothing burger that Dallas got for their one-time star receiver. In March of 2022, the Cowboys sent Cooper to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a fifth-round pick and a swap of sixth-round picks, which moved Dallas up 10 spots. They drafted Waletzko with the fifth and LB Devin Harper with the sixth. Harper was a non-factor, only playing special teams for a few games as a rookie before getting injured. He made the team in 2023 due to injuries but only lasted a few weeks before being waived. Waletzko made it to his fourth and final training camp despite several injuries and a lack of progress thus far. But like most teams, Dallas is always looking for depth at offensive tackle. Unfortunately an ankle injury took Waletzko out of the competition early, and he was waived injured on August 2nd. After nobody claimed him, Waletzko reverted to IR and has now reached a settlement to be fully released from his rookie contract. Obviously, in terms of the draft compensation, Dallas didn’t get much of anything for Amari Cooper. More spins at the wheel are nice, and you never know what those Day 3 picks might become. Just twelve spots after Waletzko was taken, the Cowboys drafted CB DaRon Bland. Between those two Dallas picks, the Rams took RB Kyren Williams. The odds aren’t high for that late in the draft, but that’s why we call them “gems.” Practically speaking, the real return on the Cooper trade was $16 million in salary cap space. This room was used to fund moves like re-signing WR Michael Gallup and adding safeties Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker. It was believed that much of that money was expected to go to DE Randy Gregory, but his negotiation with Dallas bottomed out at the last minute. But in the Cowboys front office’s mind, the trade was just a way to get some additional capital back for Cooper instead of just releasing him for the cap room. But still, that perspective offers little comfort. Dallas essentially dumped Cooper for Gallup, and the result was ugly. Gallup never got back to pre-injury form and was gone two years later. The Cowboys have missed having another true WR2 in the offense for two years, hence why they made the big trade for George Pickens last spring. While Dallas had a very productive passing offense in 2023, putting Dak Prescott into MVP consideration, they still struggled in situational football against top NFL opponents. The lack of talent betrayed them when it counted most. Perhaps what’s more frustrating about this now than even in 2022 is the rumor that Cooper’s departure was driven by Mike McCarthy. The head coach and veteran receiver reportedly did not get along, and it’s become more public in recent years that McCarthy may have been the key reason that Dallas was willing to part with Cooper for such a limited return. Given how McCarthy’s last two years went, you have to wonder how much he was worth listening to. In the end, from any angle, it’s hard to say that the Cowboys got anything back for letting Amari Cooper go. The draft picks went about how Day 3 picks usually go, and choosing Michael Gallup over Cooper was a big risk that blew up in their faces. The unceremonious end to Matt Waletzko’s time in Dallas is just a reminder, and hopefully the last one, of how poorly Cooper’s exit went. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

As the dust settles on the joint practice with the L.A. Rams, the Dallas Cowboys get back into practice before the first preseason game this weekend. Here are the most notable plays and notes posted on social media, and also some thoughts and comments left by fans. Tyler Smith gets to the field, and he […] As the dust settles on the joint practice with the L.A. Rams, the Dallas Cowboys get back into practice before the first preseason game this weekend. Here are the most notable plays and notes posted on social media, and also some thoughts and comments left by fans. Tyler Smith gets to the field, and he looks ready to take on the day. Also returning back is Juanyeh Thomas In the ongoing saga between Micah Parsons and the Cowboys front office, we now see no presence of Micah DaRon Bland making plays and forcing the fumble Jaydon Blue with a run inside And that was followed by Javonte Williams getting in the second level quickly We’re seeing some cheeky plays coming out today from Brian Schottenheimer’s playbook Luke Schoonmaker gets the big catch and run CeeDee Lamb made plays all practice And Dak Prescott gets out running, again Keep an eye on this Highlight of The Day Joe Milton with another big bomb downfield Fan Section See More:

Ahead of their preseason clash, the Dallas Cowboys hosted the in-state Los Angeles Rams for a joint practice. In the earlier portion of practice, the Rams seemed to get the better of the Cowboys’ defensive line, running the ball effectively behind Kyren Williams. However, Dallas got their bearings and performed better in the later stages […] Ahead of their preseason clash, the Dallas Cowboys hosted the in-state Los Angeles Rams for a joint practice. In the earlier portion of practice, the Rams seemed to get the better of the Cowboys’ defensive line, running the ball effectively behind Kyren Williams. However, Dallas got their bearings and performed better in the later stages of practice. Marist Liufau and Jack Sanborn, in particular, did a better job of filling gaps and run fits. Also, to no surprise, with all the star receivers at practice, they all had their crowd-captivating moments. George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb, and Rams receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams made some highlight-reel plays. Yet, it’s been Dallas’ undrafted, USFL dynamo who had another great practice. Today’s undrafted star of the day is once again KaVontae Turpin. For a stretch during the joint practice, Turpin became the team’s go-to-guy, making big plays down the field and using his speed to run away from defenders. On one play, Turpin hauled in a pass from Will Grier and left Josh Wallace reaching for air as Turpin cruised past him for the touchdown. It’s days like these against other competition where Turpin can start to elevate himself up the depth chart. Reserve receiver Jonathan Mingo has had a strong camp, and Traeshon Holden has also done some nice things. Yet, if Turpin can keep stacking good days like this, who knows if he can push for a higher spot on the pecking order. Jalen Tolbert has been penciled in as the number three receiver, yet Turpin could command a larger role because he fits in well with so many personnel groupings. He can be the slot in 11 personnel, or the tailback in other personnel groupings. Plus, he’s the primary player on jet sweeps, and we’ve seen how impactful he is when he gets the ball in space. Turpin also has some surprisingly strong hands to make tough catches in traffic. Could Turpin command the number three job? Stay tuned. See More:

The latest news surrounding the Dallas Cowboys. Micah Parsons contract standoff: What Cowboys QB Dak Prescott told star LB amid his dispute with Jerry Jones – Cody Nagel, CBS Sports Micah Parsons has some help from people who have been in this situation in the past. Micah Parsons‘ contract frustrations have spilled into public view, […] The latest news surrounding the Dallas Cowboys. Micah Parsons contract standoff: What Cowboys QB Dak Prescott told star LB amid his dispute with Jerry Jones – Cody Nagel, CBS Sports Micah Parsons has some help from people who have been in this situation in the past. Micah Parsons’ contract frustrations have spilled into public view, and he isn’t the only one in the Dallas Cowboys locker room feeling the strain. Quarterback Dak Prescott, who has weathered his own drawn-out negotiations with team owner Jerry Jones in recent years, said he reached out to Parsons after the All-Pro pass rusher requested a trade last week amid stalled talks on a long-term deal. The message, per Prescott, was, “F—, man.” “He knows what that means,” Prescott told Yahoo Sports. “It wasn’t ‘F— you, Micah,’ or ‘F— them.’ It’s more of a ‘F— — this is frustrating for everybody involved.’” Parsons, who is holding in during Cowboys training camp as he seeks a contract extension, has not practiced since making his trade request public on Friday. He remains present with the team and in uniform but has stayed on the sideline during team and joint practices, including Tuesday’s session against the Los Angeles Rams. While Jones downplayed the tension, saying he’s “built for” these kinds of challenges, he acknowledged he hasn’t spoken directly with Parsons — or even contacted his agent, David Mulugheta — since the request. Prescott, meanwhile, emphasized his personal understanding of the emotional toll of these situations. The veteran quarterback negotiated with the Cowboys through two extended contract disputes before landing a four-year, $160 million deal in 2021. “Not many people, especially here, have been in that position,” Prescott said. “So I know what that means just to support him.” Micah Parsons’ agent David Mulugheta sends cryptic message amid Cowboys contract saga – Josh Sanchez, Sports Illustrated Parsons’ agent seems to be standing firm that the trade request was sincere. The Dallas Cowboys‘ Micah Parsons saga does not appear to be dying down anytime soon, with Jerry Jones’ refusal to reach out to Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, after an alleged “handshake agreement” between Jones and the Cowboys star. Jones seems to feel slighted that the deal did not come to fruition after unofficial talks earlier this year, while Mulugheta is just waiting for a call. While the contract negotiations heat up and the two sides continue their spat, Mulugheta shared an interesting message on social media while boasting his incredible numbers and value of contracts he’s been able to get done. “Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t,” Mulugheta wrote on Instagram. The news comes at a time when Parsons and Mulugheta are reportedly “very serious” about his trade request from the team. Mailbag: Is a Walker-like trade a possibility? – Tommy Yarrish & Mickey Spagnola, DallasCowboys.com This shouldn’t even be up for a debate, but on the off-chance it does happen… The salary cap is real, and Micah Parsons has value like Herschel Walker did in 1989. We can’t keep them all, so why not trade for help at defensive tackle, cornerback or offensive line and picks? Then you also have that money for others like DaRon Bland, George Pickens, etc. – Joseph Incalcaterra/Princeton, TX Mickey: Joseph, if you know the inner-workings of the Herschel Walker trade, those days are over. The majority of those draft choices were tied to players involved in the trade, basically expendable ones. The Vikings thought the Cowboys would surely keep those veteran players, wanting to get good in a hurry. Jimmy did not, he wanted the corresponding draft choices tied to the players. Thus, the bundle of picks since the Cowboys released the majority of them, though signing a couple back like Ike Holt and David Howard. The difficulty in pulling off one of those types of trades is finding a trading partner who can meet your return demands that can also afford to meet Parsons’ contract demands within their salary cap. There was no salary cap back then. If it were me, I’d want to start with two first-round picks in next year’s draft, along with at least one prominent starter. At least. And at this point looks as if only the Rams and Browns have two first rounders next year. Plus, Parsons doesn’t want to go anywhere, and the Cowboys really don’t want to trade him, and if they did, and they started shopping him around, then the price a team would be willing to pay will go down if thinking you are desperate to unload the player. Whereas Jimmy thought Walker expendable, thus clearing the way to draft Emmitt Smith. Tommy: There will never be another Herschel Walker like trade in the NFL. That said, the only time I would start even listening to any trade offers for Micah Parsons would be if I was offered a haul similar towhat the Cowboys got for Walker. Part of what made the Herschel trade so great for Dallas was the fact that they hit on so many of the draft picks they gave up. That’s not always the case, and there’s an element of luck to it as well. I’ll take a guaranteed game-wrecker that’s proven to be one of the best defensive players in the league year in and year out over a crop of players that could end up being good. The salary cap is something to consider, of course, but a premium pass rusher is something that you never want to move on from one if you don’t have to. Micah Parsons to Follow Cowboys HOFer in Contract Negotiations as Jerry Jones in No Hurry – Ashutosh Kadam, LastWordOnSports.com We may have seen

The slogan for Sour Patch Kids candy is “First sour, then sweet” or some variation of that. That’s a pretty good way to describe KaVontae Turpin’s offseason to date. He left a pretty sour taste in mouths when he was arrested not long ago, but now we’re savoring the sweetness by the way he’s being […] The slogan for Sour Patch Kids candy is “First sour, then sweet” or some variation of that. That’s a pretty good way to describe KaVontae Turpin’s offseason to date. He left a pretty sour taste in mouths when he was arrested not long ago, but now we’re savoring the sweetness by the way he’s being utilized and performing in training camp. As of late, Turpin has been putting on an eye-catching performance in practices, making plays all over the field like the unique, versatile weapon we’ve come to know him to be. He’s proven time and time again he has some game breaking ability, however, the Dallas Cowboys as of yet haven’t really incorporated him into the offense very much in games. In his first three years with the Cowboys, Turpin was really just a return specialist and gadget player. During Mike McCarthy’s tenure we continued to hear the song and dance he wants to get No. 9 more involved offensively, but that never really materialized on a consistent basis. That could be changing under Brian Schottenheimer. If training camp practices are any indication, we can expect an extended offensive role for KaVontae Turpin in 2025. He’ll still continue to be utilized as a return specialist and gadget player, but it certainly looking as if he will also become more of a regular fixture in the aerial attack this season as well. He’s even seen time lining up as a running back in the backfield during training camp. For Turpin to have a career year in 2025 he’ll have to best what he accomplished a season ago. Last year he hauled in 31 receptions for 420 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He also added 92 rushing yards on 16 attempts on the ground. That’s not bad for a depth player without a defined offensive role, especially one who only made two starts. With the expected expanded role on offense this year, Turpin can improve upon those numbers, even with all of the other weapons Dak Prescott and the Cowboys have in the passing game. With the emphasis on getting in the ball in space like they’ve shown so far in practice, he should stack up the yards after catch (YAC) this year. And with CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and even Jake Ferguson as the focal point of Dallas’ offense opposing defenses will have to try to contain, KaVontae Turpin could easily slip between the cracks. Everything seems to be aligning for him to the ball out this season. We don’t know about you, but we are definitely looking forward to seeing the explosiveness, speed, and versatility KaVontae Turpin adds to the Dallas Cowboys offense this year. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

The latest news from around the division. Nick Sirianni explains why Eagles traded for Jakorian Bennet – Dave Zangaro, NBC Sports Philadelphia Philadelphia makes a trade to add secondary depth. The Eagles on Monday night pulled off a trade to acquire cornerback Jakorian Bennett from the Raiders for defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV. About 12 […] The latest news from around the division. Nick Sirianni explains why Eagles traded for Jakorian Bennet – Dave Zangaro, NBC Sports Philadelphia Philadelphia makes a trade to add secondary depth. The Eagles on Monday night pulled off a trade to acquire cornerback Jakorian Bennett from the Raiders for defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV. About 12 hours later, head coach Nick Sirianni was asked about the move at his Tuesday press conference. “Howie (Roseman) does such a good job of continually trying to improve our football team,” Sirianni said. “No one does it better than he does and we thought that was an opportunity to add some depth at corner. We feel good about our depth. “Obviously, we’ll miss [DT Thomas Booker] Book and wish him the best. We feel good about our depth at defensive tackle, but just a way to add some depth there at corner.” Bennett, 24, was an early fourth-round pick out of Maryland back in 2023 and was actually taken one spot ahead of Kelee Ringo. In two seasons with the Raiders, Bennett played in 24 games with 11 starts. He started seven games last season before his season ended with a shoulder injury that needed surgery. As the Eagles took the field on Tuesday morning, Bennett was already with them but not in uniform. Eventually, he’ll wear No. 49 when he does start practicing. For the first 10 days of training camp, there has been a battle for the starting cornerback job opposite Quinyon Mitchell and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has said the competition has been “close” between Adoree’ Jackson and Ringo. Jameis Winston listed 2nd, Jaxson Dart 3rd at QB on Giants’ 1st unofficial depth chart – Stephen Whyno, Associated Press New York’s first-round draft pick is listed as third string. NEW YORK (AP) — Jameis Winston is listed as the backup quarterback and Jaxson Dart the third-stringer on the New York Giants’ first unofficial depth chart released Tuesday ahead of their preseason opener this weekend. Winston, a 31-year-old veteran, and Dart, the rookie first-round pick and perceived QB of the future, have been alternating snaps with the second- and third-team offensive groups throughout training camp after Russell Wilson with the projected starters. Coach Brian Daboll early this week has so far declined to reveal his plan as to who might play in the first exhibition game Saturday at the Buffalo Bills. “We’re focused on us right now,” Daboll said Tuesday on a video call with reporters. “We’ll get to Buffalo later in the week. We’ll talk about it as a coaching staff and do what we think is best.”Injuries are part of the picture. Rookies Cam Skattebo and Beaux Collins have been sidelined from full team practice drills, and standout left tackle Andrew Thomas remains on the physically unable to perform list as he works his way back from October surgery for a Lisfranc injury in his right foot. Despite contract negotiations and trade talks, the vibe still seems solid in Washington. All eyes are on the Washington Commanders right now after Terry McLaurin requested a trade amid his contract dispute with the franchise. However, despite the concerns, rumors suggest that the organization is feeling positive about McLaurin’s situation. There is some speculation that the Commanders, along with McLaurin’s representation, feel optimistic that a deal will eventually come to fruition, said JP Finlay of NBC Sports in a discussion he had with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. From the sounds of it, both sides appear to want to reach a deal. “Everyone feels good that this is going to get done, it’s just when and how do they land there…Yes, he asked for a trade, but does anybody really think he wants to go somewhere else? No.”Rumors suggest that Terry McLaurin is seeking a contract similar to the one DK Metcalf got from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Metcalf signed a four-year, $132 million extension with $60 million guaranteed after being traded to Pittsburgh. So, we’ll see if that’s something the Commanders give McLaurin. See More: Dallas Cowboys News

We made a bit of a change to Blogging The Boys on Tuesday that you may have missed. Things look a little different and the site runs faster for users who are logged in. There is a whole new discussion area known as “The Feed” and all of these things are explained in more detail […] We made a bit of a change to Blogging The Boys on Tuesday that you may have missed. Things look a little different and the site runs faster for users who are logged in. There is a whole new discussion area known as “The Feed” and all of these things are explained in more detail right here. As exciting as the changes are they did interfere a bit with Tuesday’s Dallas Cowboys news and therefore Tuesday’s scrimmage against the Los Angeles Rams. For the most part it was what you expect out of training camp and Jerry Jones predictably threw chum in the waters of Micah Parsons, but something of note was that quarterback Joe Milton hurt his thumb and sat out a bit. First of all it is great to see that Milton was deemed alright by the team’s medical staff. Obviously the Cowboys have a preseason game on Saturday evening against the same Rams who they scrimmaged so keeping Milton fully and totally healthy is important. It goes without saying that keeping Milton healthy in general is a pretty top priority. While Milton is the team’s backup quarterback, he is so on a team with a starter in Dak Prescott who is somewhat injury-prone lately. Dak missed significant time in 2020, a single game in 2021, a handful in 2022 and over half of the season in 2024. These times missed were all due to different ailments so it’s not like there is one specific thing plaguing Prescott, but it all underscores how necessary it is for the Cowboys to have a backup quarterback who they can depend on. Interestingly, Prescott also hurt his thumb once upon a time (that was why he missed the handful of games he did in 2022). For a quarterback the digit is essential, and so it makes sense for the Cowboys to lean towards the side of caution with Milton. Many Cowboys fans were looking forward to seeing Joe Milton in action throughout the preseason. We might get that at some point and it is possible that we even do on Saturday at SoFi Stadium, but just keep in mind that the Cowboys have to make it to the regular season. That is priority number one for everyone. See More: Dallas Cowboys Injuries