Set Number: X158752 TK1 We countdown the days to kickoff giving you an interesting fact about each number. Today is number 5 We are at day 5 of our 99 day countdown until the regular season. Here is your daily fact associated with number 5. Tony Romo was full of surprises when he was on the field. One such surprise happened during the team’s Week 5 competition against the Houston Texans in 2014. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images Whenever faced with pressure from a defender, the Cowboys quarterback, Romo, consistently executed a signature maneuver to avoid being sacked: the Romo spin. Throughout his career, Romo successfully performed numerous spins, but the most notable instance occurred in 2014 when he deftly escaped J.J. Watt’s hold to deliver a 43-yard touchdown pass. Tony Romo puts JJ Watt on skates. (you read that right) THEN throws a 43yd TD.MUST-SEE: http://t.co/ckFjsRWeIc pic.twitter.com/CsilMjDOdy — NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2014 It appeared that Romo was on the verge of being overwhelmed by Watt, as the Texans’ defensive end stealthily approached him from behind during this Week 5 matchup. The crowd in the stadium held their breath in suspense, witnessing Watt glide past the offensive line and charge directly toward Romo’s blindside. How did @tonyromo pull off these plays? I don’t know, Jim. Happy 43rd birthday to the 4x Pro Bowler. pic.twitter.com/W1OA5O3PDI — NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) April 21, 2023 Rather than being pummeled, Romo evaded the sack and successfully connected with Terrance Williams on an impressive 43-yard pass that resulted in a touchdown. This pivotal touchdown was significant as it provided the Cowboys with a 10-7 lead in the third quarter of a game they ultimately triumphed in, winning 20-17 in overtime. The Cowboys concluded their 2014 season with a commendable 12-4 record, and secured their second playoff victory since 1997. Although the Cowboys appeared to possess a roster capable of getting a Super Bowl title that year, that outcome remains unknowable due to controversial officiating in the Divisional Round against Green Bay. J.J. Watt barreling down. Tony Romo escapes.AND throws a TD.ICYMI: http://t.co/ybSOg4Bhzd pic.twitter.com/BeXFt2CsnQ — NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2014 In a recent discussion, both Romo and Watt reflected on the play, sharing laughter over its magnitude and the remarkable nature of the touchdown. “I get this clip sent to me 250 times a year from Cowboy fans.” Safe to say @tonyromo had a liiiiitle bit more fun reliving this play than @JJWatt pic.twitter.com/iWDRvcpwH5 — NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) May 9, 2024

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images According to reports the hold up between Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys is the year involved with Dak wanting a longer-term deal. Today is Tuesday of Week 1 which means that the Dallas Cowboys play a football game of significance in five days, which also means the opportunity to reach a deal with Dak Prescott before the season begins is running out. There is nothing concrete that orders the Cowboys to extend Prescott before the season begins, but general NFL history suggests that not doing so means that he will ultimately play the season out and reach the open market in the spring if that is the case. But again, there are always exceptions. Presuming you believe there to be some truth to this overall idea then you can at least rationalize how the next few days have the potential to be seismic for the future of the franchise. Getting Prescott taken care of is a choice on one side of the fork in the road, not doing so is the other. One NFL insider said on Monday that the clock is ticking. Another recently offered what the hold up seems to be here. Latest reports are that the hold up between Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys is about years involved and that the quarterback prefers a longer-term deal 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. The week begins in earnest on Wednesday for the Cowboys. Whether or not this happens before then remains to be seen.

Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images It is game week for the Dallas Cowboys! Dallas Cowboys newcomers to watch in 2024: Tyler Guyton, Marshawn Kneeland and more – Chris Amaya, DMN Amaya offers a mix of veteran and rookie newcomers to keep an eye on, among them Tyler Guyton and Marshawn Kneeland. 1. LT Tyler Guyton Dallas has high expectations for the rookie first-rounder out of Oklahoma. After impressing coaches in training camp, Guyton could start his professional career as Dak Prescott’s blindside protector at left tackle. He’ll have big shoes to fill, taking over a spot that eight-time Pro Bowler Tyron Smith previously manned. Guyton, a Manor native, was behind Chuma Edoga on the first team in training camp until an injury in the team’s first preseason game changed everything. He won’t be the only Cowboys rookie looking to impress on the offensive line. 4. DE Marshawn Kneeland When Sam Williams went down with a season-ending ACL injury, an opportunity opened up for Kneeland. The 2024 second-round pick out of Western Michigan is now expected to contribute significantly at defensive end. Like Guyton and Beebe, Kneeland has received a fair share of praise from the Dallas coaching staff. Kneelend’s strength is stopping the run, which is part of the reason why the Cowboys drafted him. In five seasons, Kneeland had 13 sacks, 28 tackles for loss and 149 tackles at Western Michigan. He spent much of camp learning from DeMarcus Lawrence. Caelen Carson ‘ready’ for Cowboys debut vs. Browns, speaks on No. 21 change – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com The Cowboys may be breaking in Caelen Carson a bit earlier than expected because of DaRon Bland’s injury, but the rookie out of Wake Forest has no shortage of confidence. “I’m more than prepared,” said the level-headed 22-year-old cornerback. “I wouldn’t say that I expected it, but I’m ready. … If you make it bigger than what it is, then it’s gonna be a big moment for you. It’s gonna be [like] any other game. I’ve been playing football all my life, so I feel like nothing changes. “It’s just more people and you’re on television but, at the end of the day, I’ve been doing it since I was five years old.” Carson also has reason to be confident, seeing as he’s not only coming off of a stellar training camp and preseason, but also in the fact he’s been in a similar situation previously — when he didn’t expect to be named starter as a freshman for the Demon Deacons before they decided he was indeed ready for the task. And then came the moniker “Seat Belt”, a nickname earned during that very season, and one that’s already followed him to his Cowboys’ uniform. Speaking of uniforms, Carson also made headlines over the past several days by approaching the Cowboys to request they change his jersey from No. 41 to No. 21 ahead of the 2024 season though, as he explained, it’s not tied to Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders. NFL names Cowboys’ Cooper Beebe among 10 most overlooked rookies – Reid Hanson, The Cowboys Wire Cooper Beebe won the starting job in his first offseason with the team, beating out Brock Hoffman. While looking through a list of NFL rookies hoping to make splash in their first season in the league, Brooks named a Cowboys rookie as one of 10 overlooked rookies who have “showed serious flashes” this preseason. The player he mentioned was aspiring starter, Cooper Beebe. The Cowboys took a gamble when they selected Beebe in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft. It’s not that the Kansas State guard was a poor prospect because he was actually very well regarded in the draft community. Dane Bruglar at The Athletic even slotted him in as the No. 3 guard in the class rating as his 38th ranked prospect in the draft. What made Beebe a gamble was role the Cowboys were going to ask him to play. Drafted as a center, Dallas wanted Beebe to play a position he wasn’t acquainted with in the past. In his 48 collegiate starts, Beebe played at left tackle, right tackle and left guard, but never center. The Cowboys strategy was a rebuttal for what scouts perceived to be Beebe’s biggest weakness, arm length. 7 players who exceeded expectations and could be Week 1 difference-makers – Jon Machota, The Athletic Add LB Marist Liufau to the long list of young players facing high expectations. Linebacker hasn’t exactly been a strength recently in Dallas. From what was on display at camp, it appears it could be headed that way. Eric Kendricks and DeMarvion Overshown are the expected starters, but Liufau showed he can be counted on in Year 1. Like Carson, he’s been a player who has repeatedly shown up even when not looking for him. Last year’s rookie class didn’t contribute much in Year 1. This year’s rookie class looks much different. Expect several first-year players to make a positive impact this season. Dallas Cowboys rookie class expectations for the 2024 season – Tony Catalina, Blogging The Boys The two players drafted ahead of Beebe will also see the field right away, having earned plenty of trust from the coaching staff this preseason. Round 1 • Pick 29 (29) • OT Tyler Guyton There isn’t a rookie, or perhaps a young player altogether, on the Cowboys roster with more pressure and hope resting on his shoulders. Tyler Guyton is expected to be the Day 1 starter at left tackle, tasked with protecting Dak Prescott’s blindside and filling the vacancy left by future hall-of-fame player Tyron Smith. He is expected to be a good player early on, but the hope is that he can also be a cornerstone player in a reasonably quick timeframe. How good and how fast he can achieve this will be crucial for this team’s success. Round 2 • Pick 24 (56) • EDGE Marshawn Kneeland While Guyton was being thrust into a situation from

Dallas Cowboys vs. Cleveland Browns, 2024 NFL Week 1 Keep track of everything related to Cowboys at Browns in NFL Week 1 as Dallas visits Cleveland on Sunday afternoon. Contributors: At long last we have made it to Week 1. Congratulations everybody. The Dallas Cowboys will visit the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon to kick off their 2024 season. It is the 65th campaign in Dallas Cowboys franchise history and the 29th in a row that they are looking to add to their collection of five Vince Lombardi trophies. Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs and the rest of the Cowboys roster have the responsibility of trying to do it. Mike McCarthy will lead them in his fourth season in charge of the team. McCarthy is entering a contract year with the club which is a cloud that hangs over everything. If McCarthy’s contract status is a cloud then Dak Prescott’s is a brewing storm. As of Monday in Week 1 his situation is still not resolved which casts the future of the franchise into relative uncertainty. But none of that will matter on Sunday as Dallas faces a Browns team with Deshaun Watson at quarterback, not exactly an advantage based on his play since the team acquired him. Nick Chubb will miss the contest due to being on the PUP list to start the season, but Myles Garrett will play in his first regular season game since winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and will present all sorts of problems for Cowboys rookie Tyler Guyton. Here’s our stream for everything you need to know about it all. We will update it throughout the week to include all relevant news regarding the game, injuries and everything else.

Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images Never too early to start thinking about potential prospects for the Cowboys in the 2025 NFL Draft. Football is back! While we still wait for the NFL season to officially get underway this week, the NCAA season is already in full swing with Week 1 (plus Week 0) almost fully in the books. There are a lot of talented players doing their best to catch the the attention of scouting departments around the league, and others who are just trying to cement themselves as the best of the best this season. Today, we are going to take a look at a few players who really stood out in the NCAA season opener, players the Dallas Cowboys should keep tabs on the remainder of the year in the possibility of selecting them in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. Each player listed below potentially plays a position of need in the next year for the Cowboys. QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images Whether the Dallas Cowboys decide to extend Dak Prescott or not, they should be deep diving into each and every one of these QB prospects expected to be available in next year’s 2025 NFL Draft. Either as a starter or a developmental project, it’s probably past time to start planning for the future beyond Dak and it’s doubtful Trey Lance is the answer. Jalen Milroe started his Heisman candidacy off with a hot start in the NCAA opener against Western Kentucky. He completed seven of nine passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns through the air and also added 79 yards and two touchdowns on the ground with his legs. He finished with the best QBR (98.7) and passer rating (374.44) of any QB in the opener. He’s somewhat similar to Dak in size (6’2″, 225), but is much more athletic and explosive as a dual threat QB. He’s currently projected to be a Day 2 or early Day 3 selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, but may see his draft stock rise significantly if he continues to play the way he did in the season opener. He’s definitely someone to keep an eye on for Dallas next year. RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images There is absolutely nothing about the Cowboys running back situation that suggest anyone really has a future with the team beyond the 2024 season. And despite the need they pretty much bypassed the position in the NFL Draft. Sooner or later they will strike and it wouldn’t be at all surprising if that happened in 2025. Ashton Jeanty made sure he’s at the top of the Heisman watchlist after he completely dominated on the ground in the season opener against Georgia Southern. The Boise State RB rushed for 267 yards on 20 carries on the ground and scored a jaw-dropping six total touchdowns. His 267 rushing yards and six rushing TDs were both school records. It’s common knowledge the Cowboys haven’t shied away from drafting players from Boise State and Ashton Jeanty could be the next to join the long list. The 5’9″, 215-pound may be just a little bit undersized from what they typically look for in their RB1, but there’s no doubt he has game, should be monitored closely the rest of the year. CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images Given the state of the Cowboys current roster and the positions they could be targeting next year in the 2025 NFL Draft, they could be once again looking for more cornerback and wide receiver help next year. Both positions go early and often when the draft gets underway, so spending a first-round pick at either position is plausible. Right now, Travis Hunter is probably the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy this year. As a two-way player at CB and WR, his elite athleticism and skill set are on full display each and every week. In the NCAA opener against North Dakota State he caught seven passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns and was equally effective on the defensive side of the ball. Unfortunately for the Cowboys though, Travis Hunter is projected to be a Top 5 pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. Unless they completely collapse this year or if he happens to take a historic slide, he’s probably out of their reach. But, given the fact he’d be a significant upgrade at either CB or WR in Dallas he’s still someone to continue to watch closely.

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images We are in the middle of an important week for the Dallas Cowboys, Dak Prescott and a would-be contract extension. This is a butterfly effect week for the Dallas Cowboys. One flap of things sees them extending quarterback Dak Prescott and committing to a future with him under center. Another flap will cast the immediate future of the franchise into serious question at the most important position in the game. Again, an important week. It is assumed that this week carries extreme significance because it is officially a game week for the Cowboys and the rest of the NFL. We have indeed arrived at Week 1 and if the Cowboys do not sign Prescott to an extension before its end. it stands to reason that they won’t at all throughout the season, at least that is what NFL history suggests. Brace yourselves. As of Monday things still seem as they always were with this situation It is hard to know or predict when news of a Dak extension will begin to percolate, assuming it happens. This is the case because these matters are always unpredictable, but the Cowboys have managed to up the ante a bit with how they have approached extensions for their superstars, Dak included in the past, over the last decade or so. As of Monday morning things seem to be the same. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport took to the television airwaves to let us know that Dak is either going to become the highest-paid “everything” in NFL history (with the Cowboys if that is not obvious) or the highest-profile free agent in league history. From @GMFB: It’s a game week! And Week 1 serves as a deadline for some big-time contractual issues. Let’s take a look… pic.twitter.com/8LsEH273fW — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 2, 2024 “The two sides have been working, there have been active conversations, for about the last month or so, and the stakes are as high as they get.” “If Prescott does do a deal… which of course would make him the highest-paid quarterback, player, everything in NFL history… then he will remain with the Cowboys this season and beyond.” “If he does not do a deal then the likelihood is he will be a free agent, the highest-profile free agent we have ever seen. He has all of the leverage you could possibly get and the clock is ticking.” The term leverage has been thrown out a lot throughout the course of this subject/situation, and if it is not clear, it all resides in the hands of Dak Prescott. With the Cowboys unable to place the franchise tag on him or trade him without his consent. they risk losing him for absolutely nothing next offseason, save for what would likely be a third-round compensatory pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Even if you do want the Cowboys to move on from Prescott, this entire saga is an indictment on their contractual handling of the most important player in the game. It is extraordinarily rare for a franchise quarterback of Prescott’s caliber to reach a contract year with a team as doing so offers enormous leverage to the player in question. The Cowboys have painted themselves into this corner on three different occasions over the last six years. It is extraordinary mismanagement. They may very well lock him down to an extension this week and if they do then part of their future will be established. But they simply cannot continue to work like this as doing so creates an unnecessary and untenable situation for proper roster management.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The Cowboys are officially underdogs in Week 1. The Dallas Cowboys are now into Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. The team is prepping for the Cleveland Browns, a game that will be played on the road for the Cowboys. This offseason has been a divisive one for the fanbase as the team did not do all the things that were hoped. They just recently closed a contract deal with CeeDee Lamb, but have yet to reach a deal with Dak Prescott. The longer this goes the more likely Prescott could end up as a free agent at season’s end. They also haven’t started any real efforts toward extending Micah Parsons. The good news is that all three will be playing this season, and that gives the Cowboys a foundational base to build on for the year. And while the Cowboys were slow to sign new additions, by the end of their offseason they actually brought in quite a few free agents or players via trade. Eric Kendricks, Dalvin Cook, Carl Lawson, Linval Joseph, Jordan Phillips, Ezekiel Elliott and Andrew Booth, among others, signed with the squad. The front office just did most of their roster work later in the offseason. That brings us to Week 1. Despite much frustration among the fanbase, the Cowboys possess one of the top rosters in the league, and their rookie class is showing promise already, especially with Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe. This is a team that has won 12 games three seasons in a row and should not be underestimated heading into the regular-season. That regular season kicks off with a tough opponent. The Cleveland Browns went 11-6 last year, making the playoffs, but were wiped out by the Houston Texans in the first round. They have Myles Garrett who will give the Cowboys’ offensive tackles fits, including rookie Tyler Guyton. They hope that QB Deshaun Watson shows the promise that led the team to give up so much to get him. They also have plenty of weapons, including old friend Amari Cooper. The current line set by our partners at FanDuel have the Browns as 2.5 point favorites. How do you feel about this game? Is the line where you would expect it to be? Join our partners at FanDuel for your 2024 betting needs.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports It is finally football season. The 2024 season is closely approaching and we can already feel the expectations climbing for the Dallas Cowboys. We’ll see plenty of the same things we’ve seen in past seasons. Dak Prescott will be great, CeeDee Lamb will be great, and Micah Parsons will be great. Those things are expected, but what about the things we don’t expect? Here are five bold predictions for the Cowboys 2024 season. 1. Tyler Guyton will contribute more than Tyron Smith Smith’s departure was sad as he had done so much for the team over his career. And it was even sadder when you consider he’s coming off one of his best seasons in recent memory. As good as that was, it’s well-known that Smith struggles to stay healthy. The odds aren’t in his favor that he’ll be able to play a full season, and who’s to say the Cowboys didn’t just cash in on his last good year? Of course, swapping that out for a brand new rookie seems like a raw deal, unless that new rookie ends up being one of the best prospects in his draft class. A few months ago, one could say that’s the blue and silver Kool-Aid talking, but after what we’ve seen in training camp and preseason, the table is set for the rookie to make his mark. Don’t be surprised if we’re sending out apology letters to the front office come December. 2. Dalvin Cook will be the team’s leading rusher The running back group is a bit of a mess as we have no idea what will happen. Will Ezekiel Elliott go back to doing Zeke things? Or is it finally time for Rico Dowdle to shine? Those seem like the two most likely players to lead the team in rushing, but don’t be surprised if last-second signee Dalvin Cook is the guy. Before last year when he shuffled around between the Jets and Ravens, Cook was coming off four straight seasons where he had over 1,100 rushing yards, making the Pro Bowl each season. With Zeke having over 50% more mileage and Dowdle yet to show he can handle the workload, it’s not the craziest thing in the world to think Cook could be doing the heavy lifting this season. 3. Ryan Flournoy will be the team’s WR3 We’ve heard good things about the Cowboys’ young receivers over the last two years. First, it was Jalen Tolbert, then it was Jalen Brooks. And even this year, we are hearing positive things about both of them again. Of course, talk is cheap and we want results on the field. Fast forward to this season where there is once again another young wide receiver everyone is excited about. But there are reasons why this one might mean something. You might say, it’s the trifecta of earning reps. Number one, he’s flashed brilliance. Some of the plays he’s made are quite impressive. But so what, anyone can flash, which brings us to number two, he’s been consistent. He’s stringing together more and more good reps, signaling things are clicking for him. Finally, he contributes as a blocker. Ryan Flournoy isn’t challenging targets from CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks, but if a receiver contributes in other ways, he’ll see the field more. 4. Malik Hooker makes the Pro Bowl All eyes have been on the “other guys” as we try to decipher which safety will start opposite Hooker. Who is that smart field general who can step up in coverage and excel in Mike Zimmer’s system? Well, as it turns out, they already have that guy in Malik Hooker. It’s not talked about very much, but Hooker has been one of the best free agent signings the team has had in a while. In every season he’s been with Dallas he’s played in more games than his best season in Indianapolis. Harrison Smith had his first All-Pro season at 28 years of age. Guess who’s 28 this year. Yep, Hooker. The Cowboys’ veteran free safety is a former 15th overall pick who gets better every year. Add in a defensive coach known for turning smart, talented safeties into studs and you could see a career year for the eight-year veteran. 5. KaVontae Turpin takes it to the house, twice!! Okay, this might not seem like a bold prediction because every year we expect this to happen. Now, 33 games later, Turpin has yet to return a regular-season kick for a touchdown. He’s been close a few times, but something always gets in his way (usually one of his own blockers). This year will be different, and we’re not just saying that. It will be different because the new kickoff rules are designed to have teams kick the ball into the landing zone to encourage returns. There will be plenty of opportunities for Turpin to take one the distance and just to be fair and qualify as bold, we’re saying he does it twice. After that, expect more touchbacks. What are your bold predictions for the 2024 season?