It was reported on Thursday morning that Marshawn Kneeland tragically died at the age of 24. As details unfolded in the aftermath, it was reported that Kneeland died by suicide as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. This is a horrific and unspeakable tragedy. Kneeland was just 24 years old. The Dallas Cowboys drafted […] It was reported on Thursday morning that Marshawn Kneeland tragically died at the age of 24. As details unfolded in the aftermath, it was reported that Kneeland died by suicide as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. This is a horrific and unspeakable tragedy. Kneeland was just 24 years old. The Dallas Cowboys drafted him in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown just this past Monday night for all the world to see. There is no way to convey how devastating this news is. We cover the Dallas Cowboys here at Blogging The Boys and all matters that pertain to them. Kneeland’s death is something that is going to stick with the team and all involved for some time. Our primary focus and concern is honoring Marshawn Kneeland’s life and following the wishes of his family to give them privacy as they grieve and navigate things amid this tragedy. We will begin moving forward with coverage of the team again while honoring Marshawn. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or suicidal thoughts, you are not alone. Please reach out for help: Call the National Mental Health Hotline: 988 National Institute of Mental Health National Alliance on Mental Illness Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Our continued thoughts and prayers are with Marshawn Kneeland’s girlfriend, family, friends, and loved ones. See More: Dallas Cowboys News

Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away on Thursday morning. The Dallas Cowboys announced the news. He was 24 years old. The Cowboys selected Marshawn Kneeland in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Western Michigan. He had taken on a larger role this season. The Cowboys and Marshawn’s agent both released statements to […] Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away on Thursday morning. The Dallas Cowboys announced the news. He was 24 years old. “It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning,” the Cowboys’ statement read. “Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization. Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family.” The Cowboys selected Marshawn Kneeland in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Western Michigan. He had taken on a larger role this season. The Cowboys and Marshawn’s agent both released statements to confirm the news. It is an unspeakable tragedy. ”I am shattered to confirm that my client and dearest friend Marshawn Kneeland passed away last night,” his agent, Jonathan Perzley, said. “I watched him fight his way from a hopeful kid at Western Michigan with a dream to being a respected professional for the Dallas Cowboys. Marshawn poured his heart into every snap, every practice, and every moment on the field. To lose someone with his talent, spirit, and goodness is a pain I can hardly put into words. “My heart aches for his family, his teammates, and everyone who loved him, and I hope they feel the support of the entire football community during this unimaginable time. I ask that you please give his loved ones the privacy and compassion they need as they grieve this tremendous loss.” Marshawn had seen his role increase in his second season with the Cowboys and had the vast majority of his career and life ahead of him. It is difficult to process that this has happened. Kneeland’s former DC, Mike Zimmer, shared his thoughts on Kneeland via Jane Slater. “He was a great person, eager to learn, wanted to be great,” Zimmer said. “He didn’t take any crap from anyone on the field. He studied hard — loved playing the game. Tough. “My last conversation with him was, ‘Keep being you — you’re going to have a great career.” Our thoughts and prayers are with Marshawn’s family and friends. Update: 11:25am ET Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported a statement from the Texas Department of Public Safety regarding Kneeland’s death. It was noted in the report that Kneeland’s death was ruled a suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Update: 11:35am ET The Frisco Police Department has also released a statement. Marshawn Kneeland’s family also released a statement that confirmed his death. The Kneeland family regarded Marshawn as a devoted son, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, grandson, and friend. They asked for privacy as they navigate this tragedy. See More:

After frustrating Jets stint, Qunnien Williams is ‘hungry to win’ with Dallas Cowboys – Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News The Cowboys newest defensive star is ready to win after tough time in New York. FRISCO — Losing can wear a man down. The constant defeats at home and on the road for a dysfunctional franchise […] After frustrating Jets stint, Qunnien Williams is ‘hungry to win’ with Dallas Cowboys – Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News The Cowboys newest defensive star is ready to win after tough time in New York. FRISCO — Losing can wear a man down. The constant defeats at home and on the road for a dysfunctional franchise can leave you looking for something new. Quinnen Williams, a talented defensive tackle, had seen enough. It was clear he sought a new place of employment after playing seven seasons with the New York Jets. The Cowboys were trying to obtain Williams before the start of the 2025 season but were rebuffed by Jets team owner Woody Johnson. Jerry Jones kept trying. And when the Cowboys owner and his front office made another call at the trade deadline, they got Williams. On Tuesday, the Cowboys gave up a second-round pick in 2026, a first-rounder in 2027 and defensive tackle Mazi Smith for Williams at the trade deadline. It’s a fresh start for the three-time Pro Bowl and one-time All-Pro player, who instantly improves the defensive line. But it doesn’t mask the frustration he leaves behind with the Jets. “As an ultra-competitor, I think anybody who’s going through many, many losses like I was going through, there’s going to be frustration,” he said Wednesday at The Star. “I know guys who go they whole life and they lose one game, they be frustrated. So, of course, I was frustrated, but the relationship that I had with [coach Aaron Glenn]. The relationship with the GM Darren [Mougey], there, man, there’s still great relationships. They knew I was frustrated. I think the world knew I was frustrated being there so long and still losing.” In seven seasons, Williams had three different head coaches, four if you count the interim. He was also coached by three defensive coordinators. In games that he played, the Jets went 31-67. There was a 0-6 start this season. How the Cowboys’ active trade deadline helps them now and beyond – Jon Machota, The Athletic Acquiring Qunnien Williams and Logan Wilson will bring dividends to the Cowboys even after 2025. The Cowboys traded for backup quarterback Joe Milton in early April. They traded for star wide receiver George Pickens in early May. They then sent Parsons to the Packers on Aug. 29. In that deal, Dallas got defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. Tuesday’s deal for Williams doesn’t happen if Dallas doesn’t gain the two first-round picks from Green Bay. In exchange for Williams, the New York Jets received Dallas’ 2026 second-round pick, the better of the Cowboys’ two first-round picks in 2027, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith. Combining both deals, it basically works out to be Parsons, a second-round pick and Smith for Williams, Clark and a first-round pick. The Cowboys also gained extra salary-cap space to sign other players. The Packers had the advantage of gaining Parsons at the beginning of the season. While this has been a disastrous start for the Cowboys, sitting at 3-5-1, adding Williams is a strong move for the rest of 2025 but also into the future. The 27-year-old is one of the NFL’s top defensive tackles and is under contract for two more seasons. He has a $21.75 million salary-cap hit in 2026 and $25.5 million in 2027. Schottenheimer was in a meeting Tuesday afternoon when vice president of player personnel Will McClay pulled him out to tell him the Williams news. “It’s exciting,” Schottenheimer said. “Kudos to Jerry and Stephen and Will. Being aggressive, but smart.” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was as thrilled as anyone in the locker room on Tuesday, telling reporters about the Williams trade, “I’m f–––ing pumped.” The player who could benefit the most from the trade is Osa Odighizuwa, who should see fewer double teams with Williams lined up next to him. “He’s going to add more playmaking ability to the D-line …” Odighizuwa said. “Another very strong and talented guy. … I respect his game a lot. The dude’s a baller. I’m excited to have him on the team.” Earlier in the day, Dallas also traded a seventh-round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for linebacker Logan Wilson. Linebacker has been one of Dallas’ worst position groups. The addition of Wilson gives the Cowboys a veteran who can compete with Kenneth Murray for the starting middle linebacker spot. Wilson, 29, has had four 100-tackle seasons over the previous four years. Wilson, who arrived at The Star on Tuesday afternoon, described himself as tough, physical and hard-nosed. “I saw (the trade for Williams) on the plane here,” Wilson said. “I don’t know much about the guy, I just know he’s an incredible player. To be able to play behind him is gonna be a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to it.” Cowboys pony up to address defense: How DTs Qunnien Williams, Kenny Clark, and Osa Odighizuwa will be utilized – Garrett Podell, CBS Sports The Cowboys have three defensive tackles that can be impactful, and here’s how it could work. So how will it work with the trio of Williams, Clark and Odighizuwa in terms of play time? Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus runs a 4-3 scheme, which means four defensive linemen down on the line of scrimmage with three linebackers behind them in the second level of the defense. Odighizuwa has been a Cowboy his entire career since being selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and he has started every game for Dallas since his second season in 2022, not missing a game in the last four seasons in this span. He still wants to remain

Before the Dallas Cowboys kicked off their game against the Arizona Cardinals, Jerry Jones claimed on the Stephen A. Smith Show that he had already made a trade and was working on a few more. Despite Jones not stating who the team had traded for, we now know it was Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati […] Before the Dallas Cowboys kicked off their game against the Arizona Cardinals, Jerry Jones claimed on the Stephen A. Smith Show that he had already made a trade and was working on a few more. Despite Jones not stating who the team had traded for, we now know it was Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals, or was it Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets? It’s fair to ask, does it even matter? The Cowboys lost another game after they played sloppily, and the defense continued to hemorrhage yardage at an alarming rate. The loss essentially signals to the fans that a playoff appearance is highly unlikely with their upcoming schedule and all that has transpired with the team’s injuries. The one constant that the team had going for it was the offense, and they, too, only found the end zone once on Monday. Let’s all take a collective sigh and analyze how it went so terribly wrong for the Cowboys against the NFC West’s last-place team, the Arizona Cardinals. Offensive tackles can’t get out of their own way or in the way of Cardinals’ pass rush The first sign of trouble was after a promising drive to start the game; things appeared to be looking up for the Cowboys. They were marching down the field and on the doorstep of getting the early lead over Arizona. An assortment of things went wrong to undo the drive, but on their fourth-down try from the four-yard line, Tyler Guyton gave up a sack to Josh Sweat as Dak Prescott was trying to step up in the pocket looking toward the end zone. Guyton also got steamrolled later on Dallas’ last possession that led to a sack on Prescott, and overall, struggled with his technique. Terrence Steele didn’t do much better either. He struggled mightily in pass protection and failed to keep the pocket clean for Dak Prescott. He was also was beaten for a sack by Josh Sweat. By late in the game, Dallas had seen enough, and Steele was benched in favor of Nate Thomas, who, as you might’ve guessed, also allowed a sack. For both Steele and Guyton, their lapses in pass protection are concerning to varying degrees. Guyton is a second-year player, so there is room for him to grow and improve, even with his inconsistency and poor reps happening at the most inopportune times. The Cowboys invested heavily in him as a first-round pick, so he has a longer leash, but it hasn’t been inspiring from his rookie season to now. As for Steele, he has already been paid handsomely when he was given a five-year, $82M contract in 2023 and carries a cap hit of $18M or more in each of the next three seasons. Schottenheimer did promise changes following last week’s loss. Could something with Steele or Guyton be the change that the head coach had intimated? All the same, a productive year from Dak Prescott and his explosive offensive ensemble is being hampered because his offensive tackles cannot give him the extra time he needs to find his playmakers and it undid the team once more. The stars not shining their brightest Prescott threw an interception with the game well out of reach. Prescott’s interception now gives him six on the season, and three versus one touchdown pass over his last two games. Against the Cardinals, he and the offense couldn’t gain any momentum until the late stages of the game. That said, his offensive counterparts also had devastating mistakes. Jake Ferguson had a terrible fumble as the Cowboys were already trailing 10-0. After being backed up by a penalty and facing 3rd-and-17, the Cowboys were hoping to salvage the drive and come away with some points. It’s unclear whether Dallas would have gone for it on fourth down, but with how good Brandon Aubrey has been within 55 yards, it’s very plausible that Ferguson’s fumble took points off the board for the Cowboys. Ferguson also had a drop on Dallas’ first drive that could have given the Cowboys a much shorter try on fourth down. Then, just when you thought the Cowboys might have a chance at an improbable comeback win, Javonte Williams fumbled the ball away late in the fourth quarter, and whatever sliver of hope the team had was soon dashed with the immediate change of possession. What’s more maddening about those two fumbles is that Dallas was trying to get yards to give them a chance at points, but two of their best players couldn’t protect the football. Then, also in the second half, CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott were unable to connect on a fourth down to keep a critical drive going, which would have saved precious seconds on the clock. Prescott threw a pass to CeeDee Lamb where Lamb jumped too early to catch the pass, versus working back to the ball, giving Cardinals cornerback Denzel Burke ample time to break up the pass to force a turnover on downs. It appears that Lamb was supposed to break his route off earlier, and therefore, the timing between the quarterback and the receiver was off. Still, a miscommunication between the two All-Pros led to an interception last week at Denver, and again, their not being on the right page dooms the offense once more. The Cowboys don’t have this margin of error to commit these fundamental mistakes, because of the final reason why they lost last night. Even against a backup RBs and QB, the defense cannot stop anyone To start the game, the Cowboys defense did an admirable job of stopping the run and earning the right to rush the

It has certainly been a strange few days for the Dallas Cowboys. Coming off the 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, it felt like the season was over. And it may still be. But Jerry Jones decided to take one last throw of the dice in 2025 and trade for Logan Wilson, and more importantly, […] It has certainly been a strange few days for the Dallas Cowboys. Coming off the 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, it felt like the season was over. And it may still be. But Jerry Jones decided to take one last throw of the dice in 2025 and trade for Logan Wilson, and more importantly, Quinnen Williams. Now we have to recalculate for a minute and absorb the new reality. Can the season really be saved? Do these move make sense now and for the future? Energetic debate is already ongoing about the trade deadline moves. But instead of looking forward, let’s take a look back. How did the Cowboys end up in this 3-5-1 mess as they enter the bye week? Usually struggling teams have many flaws, and that hold true in Dallas right now. Sometimes things are somewhat out of your control, like injuries, even though good depth can help mitigate them. And of course, the players are one of the biggest culprits when it comes to these kind of situations. Let’s look at management instead. Who do you blame most for the mess we are in? Jerry Jones – The easy answer. He’s the ultimate boss, and his decision to trade Micah Parsons undoubtedly weakened the defense right before the season started. So his roster moves hurt his cause, but he ultimately doesn’t coach them each week. And the Cowboys have talent on their roster. They should be better than this. Matt Eberflus – Let’s face it, the root cause of the Cowboys woes is the play of the defense. It has been horrific, and Eberflus was very slow to respond to the problems. It felt like change was forced upon him instead of him embracing it. With the Cowboys offense clicking in most of the games until recently, the defense has put the team in a deep, deep hole. Brian Schottenheimer – He’s a first-year head coach who may be learning on the job. On gameday, he’s the guy who has to make it happen. His team is very inconsistent. Special teams besides Brandon Aubrey are either average to poor in many categories. They are among the highest in the NFL with pre-snap penalties, and overall they are the second most-penalized team, and second in penalty yards. Hit the poll and vote, then go to the comments to let us know your thoughts. Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cowboys fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

The Dallas Cowboys traded for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams on Tuesday, and in the process provided a lot of interest and intrigue for both the short- and long-term of their franchise. It took a 2026 second, 2027 first (the better between the two Dallas has of their own and Green Bay’s from the Micah Parsons […] The Dallas Cowboys traded for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams on Tuesday, and in the process provided a lot of interest and intrigue for both the short- and long-term of their franchise. It took a 2026 second, 2027 first (the better between the two Dallas has of their own and Green Bay’s from the Micah Parsons trade), and Mazi Smith to get the deal done, but Williams is a Cowboy. The aftermath of the trade deadline is always interesting as everyone involved starts to get a sense of things with dust having settled. The New York Jets are clearly rebuilding towards a different kind of future as they also dealt Sauce Gardner away in sending him to the Indianapolis Colts for multiple first-round picks. The Cowboys also reportedly wanted Quincy Williams The trade deadline aftermath is also interesting in terms of what we learn about the deals that happened as well as those that did not. Given that the Cowboys pulled off two deals on Tuesday it is hard to imagine what else they may have been working on, but Wednesday morning offered an answer there. Quinnen Williams is getting all of the attention as one of the league’s best defenders, but the Cowboys traded for former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson much earlier on Tuesday. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Cowboys were looking to land both Quinnen and Quincy Williams from the Jets, and when they could not get the latter, they ultimately pivoted to Wilson and Cincinnati. Graziano: I heard that at one point the Cowboys were talking to the Jets about a deal that would have sent Dallas both Williams brothers — Quinnen and linebacker Quincy Williams. But that didn’t work out, and the Cowboys pivoted to former Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson. Quinnen and Quincy Williams are indeed brothers if you have any confusion. It would have been quite the deal to see Dallas acquire them both. I can’t imagine that there has ever been an instance of brothers being traded from one NFL team to another in the same transaction. This detail may shed some light on the confusion that surrounded Jerry Jones’ comments on Monday prior to the Cowboys game against the Arizona Cardinals. Jerry went on Stephen A. Smith’s show and noted that the Cowboys were going to have a trade announced on Tuesday (the day after their Monday night game) and that things were still in the process of full development. Brian Schottenheimer confirmed on Tuesday that Logan Wilson was the player in question. Maybe, spitballing here, Jerry was working the trades for Quinnen and Quincy and the latter fell through which led to the pivot or something else along those lines. Who knows. Would you have rather Dallas landed Quinnen’s brother Quincy, or Logan Wilson as a result? See More: Dallas Cowboys Rumors

The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Arizona Cardinals. At just about no point in the game on Monday night were the Cowboys competitive. All the worst fears and speculations were realized in the manners in which we predicted in our worst thoughts and the cruelest part of it all is that none of us are […] The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Arizona Cardinals. At just about no point in the game on Monday night were the Cowboys competitive. All the worst fears and speculations were realized in the manners in which we predicted in our worst thoughts and the cruelest part of it all is that none of us are surprised. The season carries life in a technical sense, but it effectively ended on Monday night. The bye week will force us to dwell on this for a long time which is just great. Here is our Stock Report from the Cardinals loss. Stock Down: Jerry Jones The Cowboys owner, president, and general manager made sure to feed ESPN and their content machine in the lead up to, during, and after this game. He appeared on Stephen A. Smith’s show to tease a trade that we later found out to be Logan Wilson, hosted Smith in his suite that was shown during the game, and continued to insist that the team would be in the mix during his postgame comments. That wound up being true by way of Quinnen Williams. Is there anyone who enjoys all of this? The Williams trade is exciting, but the circus is exhausting. At one point in time it certainly had a bit of intrigue, but these off-the-field things just weigh everything down and that all starts with Jerry Jones. We all know this. I am not saying anything new. Do you remember in Space Jam when the Monstars threatened to shackle Michael Jordan for all of his life so that everyone who wanted could play him one-on-one and humiliate him? And that this would be how he would spend all of his days? That is life for the Dallas Cowboys in modern times. Stock Down: Matt Eberflus We are at a point where it is unfair to blame Matt Eberflus entirely, but the defense is so bad and historically inept that we have to keep pointing at least one of the fingers here. There are debates to be had about whether or not Jacoby Brissett is the best quarterback on the Cardinals roster. Fine. But being so woefully unprepared and unable to do anything mid-game is alarming. Having a fourth defensive coordinator in as many years would not be ideal, but hard conversations have to be had here. Stock Down: Brian Schottenheimer Brian Schottenheimer is in a no-win situation. That being said, he had his team incredibly unprepared for a game against a 2-5 team. His squad got bullied and pushed around (and made fun of with Cardinals’ player comments that were heard on microphones). He preaches toughness and tenacity, but the group seemed more than willing to fold at the first opportunity. For the first time this season the Cowboys looked disinterested. That is a Brian Schottenheimer issue. Stock Down: Dak Prescott This was not a good game from Dak Prescott. That is stating the obvious. He certainly seemed to give things his best effort and was on the move thanks to an offensive line that was getting beat, but he is in a position where he has to find a way. That is the request. Things were looking great for Prescott prior to the Denver game. Unfortunately he has had his worst two-game stretch in some time. Stock Down: George Pickens The taunting penalty that he drew was incredibly light. It stinks that the NFL calls that kind of thing. But rules are rules. George Pickens knows them. For the first eight games of the season he had avoided any kind of discussion like this, but drawing a penalty like that when the team was trying to mount a comeback (an improbable one to be clear) simply cannot happen. Stock Down: Jake Ferguson This was a really tough game for Jake Ferguson. At one point in the first half he had a holding penalty that wiped out a big gain and then almost immediately after had a consequential fumble that felt like the moment where things really went sideways for the Cowboys. He had such a stellar run this season for a while, but he will probably want this one back. Stock Down: DaRon Bland DaRon Bland was awful against the Cardinals. Awful is not a strong enough word. We all saw him fall down after Marvin Harrison Jr. got the best of him. It was a complete and total disaster. Bland’s overall future with the team is still bullish. But this was rough. Stock Down: Kenneth Murray There is not much to add here to the fact that the Cowboys traded for Logan Wilson on Tuesday morning. This marks two linebackers that have been acquired by way of trade in the 2025 NFL season which suggests that the first one (Murray) was a mistake. Stock Down: Brandon Aubrey I do not want to blame someone for missing a 68-yard field goal, but he did and that’s why he’s here. That’s all. Blah. Stock Down: Everything and everyone Things feel incredibly down with the Cowboys right now. They are still trying to recover from their 2023 Wild Card loss to the Green Bay Packers. Overall the franchise is in a really dark place. There are eight games left this season, the part of the year that we all collectively enjoy the most, and that feels like a punishment. When will it be fun again? At what point will this nightmare end? Tuesday’s trades suggest a commitment to the future not being this way, but that doesn’t change the reality of the moment. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster