Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys can now request to speak with either of Detroit’s coordinators. A team wearing silver and blue embarrassed themselves as big-time favorites in the Divisional Round and what do you know, it wasn’t the Dallas Cowboys! The Detroit Lions talked a lot of talk for a very long time only to lose to the #6 seed Washington Commanders as the top one in the NFC. It is possible you enjoyed watching it from afar, but allow me to remind you that Washington advancing to the NFC Championship Game means that the longest appearance drought for that particular stage now belongs to the Cowboys themselves. As things relate to the Cowboys righting that wrong in the immediate future the first thing that they are going to have to do is get a new head coach in tow. To date the Cowboys have conducted two interviews officially. They were with Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore (who obviously has a history with Dallas) and former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh. They reportedly have another interview set with former Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier. While the Cowboys coaching search has been underway for about a week and there have been a lot of names connected to it – including current Colorado head coach Deion Sanders – two names that have drawn little (still some) rumors are Detroit Lions coordinators Ben Johnson (offense) and Aaron Glenn (defense). Dallas has definitely been mildly connected to Johnson and Glenn in certain ways, but they have not put in an official request to interview them yet because they couldn’t. As we noted right after the Cowboys parted ways with McCarthy, the window for Dallas (or anyone) to interview Johnson or Glenn virtually was during the week before and leading through the Wild Card Round specifically. This was true for exclusively Detroit and the Kansas City Chiefs as they were the top seeds in their respective conference. The Cowboys are not able to speak with Lions or Chiefs staffers until their seasons are finished. While the Chiefs advanced to the AFC Championship Game (their seventh straight) on Saturday afternoon, the Lions failed to reach the NFC side as mentioned. Detroit’s season is done. Dallas can now request to interview Johnson or Glenn. They are fair game. Do you think they will? Do you still want them to after Saturday night?

Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Do you think the Cowboys will add at tight end this offseason? It is no surprise that the Dallas Cowboys have a wide variety of needs heading into the 2025 offseason. With substantial changes coming on the coaching side of things and plenty of familiar faces expected to leave in free agency, there will be no shortage of holes to fill via the NFL draft and NFL free agency. One position that is being slightly ignored is the tight end position. Starting tight end Jake Ferguson is heading into the final year of his rookie deal and is coming off the worst season of his young career since being drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Ferguson battled through multiple injuries in 2024 and was unable to build the same connection with Cooper Rush when he was able to get back to full strength. In 14 games, Ferguson posted 494 yards, on 59 receptions, and zero touchdowns on the year. Jake Ferguson of Dallas had the lowest TE DYAR ever, while Elijah Moore had the third-lowest WR DYAR ever. Read more here. https://t.co/GXEeT6r4qO — Aaron Schatz (@ASchatzNFL) January 8, 2025 The Cowboys also just drafted Luke Schoonmaker in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Michigan but have yet to see much production out of the 6-foot-6, 250-lb tight end. In his two years in the National Football League, Schoonmaker has hauled in 35 receptions for 305 yards and three touchdowns. The interesting thing here is Schoonmaker has been labeled as a guy former head coach Mike McCarthy campaigned for on draft day, making him a possible trade candidate this offseason if the new coaching staff is not a fan. Dallas has two respected tight ends currently on the roster, but with Ferguson having a down year and Schoonmaker struggling to produce, could the Cowboys look to add to the room with one of their three top 100 draft picks? In what seems to be a loaded tight end class, there should be plenty of options to add to the room on day one and day two. Penn State TE Tyler Warren is the consensus TE1 in this class, with Michigan TE Colston Loveland, Texas TE Gunnar Helm, LSU TE Mason Taylor, and Bowling Green TE Harold Fannin Jr. all expected to go inside the top 100. While it is tough to foresee the Cowboys spending their first-round pick on a tight end, there is a scenario in a trade-back where Tyler Warren could be the best player available on the board. Outside of Warren, this draft possesses some interesting options at tight end in the middle rounds. Players like Loveland, Helm, and Fannin Jr. are interesting day two options, but the day three tight ends could add some much-needed juice to the tight end room that could benefit Dak Prescott and the Cowboys passing game. Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson, Georgia Tech TE Jackson Hawes, Syracuse TE Oronde Gadsen II, Iowa TE Luke Lachey, Georgia TE Benjamin Yurosek, and Clemson TE Jake Briningstool are some intriguing options that could be had on day three that could provide a TE1 ceiling at the NFL level. With so many holes at important positions for the Cowboys heading into 2025, it is quite easy to look past the tight end position, but it is a position and a class that could provide the Cowboys with an upgrade whether that comes at the TE1 spot.

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images There are two NFC East teams playing in the Divisional Round. No Distraction: Eagles Kellen Moore “Has Team Ready” For Rams – Ed Kracz, Sports Illustrated The Eagles current OC is focusing on the task at hand. Moore, though, is a different story. He has three interviews lined up before Sunday’s kickoff. He is scheduled to talk with the Jaguars, Saints, and Cowboys. Meanwhile, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has decided not to invite distraction and has declined all interview requests. Sirianni himself did the same thing when he was in Indianapolis. The Browns wanted to talk to him about their vacancy after the 2020 season, but the Colts were in the playoffs at the time. They ultimately lost, but Cleveland hired Kevin Stefanski. There’s no right or wrong answer as to what assistant should or shouldn’t do when it comes time to determining their future. This is how the NFL has it set up, so there’s no getting around it. Sirianni said there is time for coaches to talk with other teams who request interviews, usually on Friday and Saturday afternoons. “Those are the times, in these scenarios, guys have earned the right to interview for jobs,” he said. “We’re not the only ones in this position. There are a lot of teams still going this weekend that are having guys do this as well. Kellen’s ready. He has our team ready. He’s handled it big time all week, which I really never thought he wouldn’t. He’s handled it like a pro.” Game status | Bobby Wagner active vs. Lions in Divisional round – Zach Selby, Commanders.com Washington will have their defensive leader on the field against Detroit. The Washington Commanders are getting their Hall of Fame linebacker for their biggest game of the last 20 years. Bobby Wagner will be available for the Commanders’ playoff game against the Detroit Lions in the Divisional round. Wagner was out on Tuesday and Wednesday with an ankle injury, but head coach Dan Quinn dismissed any speculation that he would be unable to play on Saturday. “No,” Quinn said when about any concerns for Wagner. “He did a good job on the rehab part of it. … He looks strong.” Wagner has been the Commanders’ emotional and statistical leader all season. He led the team with 132 tackles during the regular season — he’s had at least 100 in each of his seasons as a pro — and had eight tackles with a quarterback hit against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Wagner supplied one of the game-changing plays in the 23-20 Wild Card. He fell on a fumble by Baker Mayfield in the fourth quarter, setting the offense up at Tampa Bay’s 13-yard line. The Commanders scored and took the lead on a five-yard touchdown to Terry McLaurin four plays later. “He is a rare competitor,” Quinn said of Wagner in his postgame press conference. “So much of his success is unseen work. I’m in early. He’s already there. He’ll be the first one in tomorrow. I’m certain of it. He’s just that type of competitor that he doesn’t back off of it.” The Commanders will need more of that against the Lions, who boast one of the best offenses in the league. They ended the regular season ranked second in yards per game, first in points and fourth in third-down conversion rate. Quinn also said there was no concern about Zane Gonzalez, who appeared on the injury report with a hip issue. Gonzalez hit the game-winning field goal against the Buccaneers that sent Washington to the Divisional round for the first time since 2005. Malik Nabers, Brock Bowers bonded before rookie record chase – Dan Salomone, Giants.com New York’s WR1 bonded with a draft classmate before they broke their respective records. No school. No sports. No combine prep. For the first time since he was 11, Malik Nabers has a break. And the wide receiver has plenty to reflect on in the downtime between now and the start of spring football. “It never really hit me,” Nabers said during a sit-down conversation with Giants.com. “I’m sure it will later on when I’m thinking about it. I’m still taking it all in.” Nabers, whose rookie year coincided with the Giants’ 100th season, broke the franchise record with 109 catches, two more than the previous mark held by Steve Smith since 2009. At the same time, he was in a race with Raiders tight end Brock Bowers to rewrite the NFL rookie record of 105, which was held by the Rams’ Puka Nacua and stood for just one season. Bowers ultimately finished on top with three more than his old lifting buddy. Nabers, the eventual sixth overall pick who capped his college career as the all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards in his backyard at LSU, struck up a friendship during prep for the the NFL Scouting Combine with Bowers, the 13th overall pick and Georgia product who grew up in California wine country. As football players tend to do, they got to talking – and competing – in the weight room, where the 6-foot, 200-pound wide receiver wanted to keep up with the tight ends. “I’m lifting with Cade Stover (fourth-round pick by Houston) and I’m lifting with Brock, and I don’t want to keep taking the weight off,” Nabers recalled. “They’re like, ‘You can lift this?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah.’ They’re like, ‘No way.’ And I was lifting with them. They’re like, ‘All right, cool.’ That friendship became a little bond through the weight room. We’d always see each other and have laughs. Brock is a funny dude. Him and Cade together are funny dudes. It’s great making friends around the league. Those tight ends, though, they like to lift a lot. I was keeping up though.”

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images Change is on the way for the Dallas Cowboys… in a coaching sense at least. Like every offseason, changes are certain for the Dallas Cowboys. New faces will take place of old ones via free agency and the NFL draft, but this year the biggest change will be who steps in as the new head coach replacing Mike McCarthy. As of right now there is no clear favorite to become McCarthy’s replacement. But, the one thing we know for sure is whoever takes over as the new HC will try to implement what he deems best for the organization moving forward. Coming off an injury-plagued 7-10 losing season, whoever is in charge has their work cut out for them. Today, we identify and discuss three of the Cowboys biggest problem areas during McCarthy’s tenure in Dallas that the new head coach needs to fix. If the new HC can fix these problem areas, he may be able to accomplish what McCarthy couldn’t by ending the Cowboys playoff curse in the not-too-distant future. Cut down the penalties The Cowboys were the most penalized team in the entire league in 2024. This of course isn’t a new problem for them. In Mike McCarthy’s five season as the HC in Dallas they’ve averaged a league-high 6.8 penalties per game, but where whistled for the eighth fewest penalties per game in the three seasons prior to his arrival. It’s already hard to win games in the NFL, even harder when continuously shooting yourself in the foot. Penalties of course are going to happen, but it was obvious they happened more often for the Cowboys in McCarthy’s era as HC over the last half decade. Whoever takes over as the new HC in Dallas will have to figure out eliminating the amount of yellow laundry. It is a top priority for the next HC. Fix red zone woes It’s no secret the Cowboys struggled mightily this year in the red zone both offensively and defensively. Offensively, they ended up ranked 31st overall in red zone scoring efficiency at 46%. The fact that they also led the league in red zone turnover’s didn’t help either. The lack of innovative, creative play-calling and poor execution often times resulted in a Brandon Aubrey field goal instead of a touchdown. Defensively they weren’t any better. They finished 32nd in the league in the red zone, allowing an opponents red zone scoring efficiency of 75%. Injuries of course played a big part in all of this, but it’s also been a problem area for them in the past as well. Hopefully whoever takes over for McCarthy finds some way to improve this problem area on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball moving forward. Cultural change There’s little to nothing a new HC can do about the chaotic, zoo-like atmosphere Jerry Jones has created for his team, but there is something he can do behind closed doors in the locker room to change the culture for his players. Look no further than what Dan Campbell did to the Detroit Lions when he took over as their HC. He demanded toughness and accountability from his players and it turned them from the laughingstock of the NFL to one of the better teams in just a few years time. “Toughness” and “accountability” just so happens to be two things this organization seems to have been lacking under both Mike McCarthy’s and Jason Garrett’s tenure as HC. This is a team that has been called “soft” on numerous occasions in the past and hopefully that changes with whoever replaces McCarthy. While personnel changes via free agency and the draft will help, it mostly has to do with an attitude adjustment. After all, “attitude reflects leadership”, at least according to the movie Remember the Titans.

Photo by Khampha Bouaphanh/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images If the Cowboys do bring back Kellen Moore, their history with Sean Payton may be part of the reason. Jerry Jones has generally been able to hire and keep the guys he wants as coaches since he bought the Dallas Cowboys in 1989. But one coach he couldn’t hang on to was Sean Payton, whom Jones has expressed regret over losing in the years since. Now looking for a new head coach in 2025, could Jones think of Payton when he considers bringing Kellen Moore back into the organization? Brief history lesson if you need it; Payton was Dallas’ quarterbacks coach and handled some other assistant duties on Bill Parcells’ staff from 2003-2005. He was valued enough that when teams began inquiring about making him their offensive coordinator during that run, Jones raised his pay. But in 2006, the New Orleans Saints offered their head coaching job and that finally pulled Payton away from the Cowboys. A year later, Parcells retired and Payton had just been named Coach of the Year. The “one who got away” narrative began instantly, especially since Parcells didn’t project to last much longer in Dallas at the time Payton left. But mostly thanks to bad timing, Payton was ready to move up before the Cowboys had an opening. In 2009, Payton led the Saints to a Super Bowl championship and many NFC South titles and playoff appearances during an impressive 16-year run. He was suspended for the 2012 season for “Bountygate,” when he and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams led an effort to reward players for injuring opponents. Despite this blemish, he emerged from his New Orleans tenure as one of the most acclaimed coaches in modern NFL history and is continuing to earn respect for his current work as head coach of the Denver Broncos. Meanwhile, in Dallas, Jones hired Wade Phillips in 2007 with Jason Garrett as offensive coordinator. That lasted until 2010 when the Cowboys imploded and Garrett became interim coach, then held the job until being replaced with Mike McCarthy in 2020. Now, Dallas is parting ways with McCarthy and is still trying to find the guy to move them past an occasional division crown and short playoff run. Kellen Moore is one of the current frontrunners to take that job. He was a Cowboys backup QB from 2015-2017, QB coach in 2018, and offensive coordinator from 2019-2022. With Mike McCarthy wanting more offensive control in 2023, Moore moved on to become the Chargers’ coordinator. But after a difficult season and then Jim Harbaugh’s arrival in 2024, Moore was again on the market and spent last year as OC with the Philadelphia Eagles. Many are drawing parallels to Jason Garrett when discussing Moore’s candidacy for the Dallas opening, and that’s logical given some of their similar history as both players and coaches here. But Jerry Jones’ miss on Sean Payton should also be considered in his desire to reunite with Moore. Like Payton in the early 2000s, Moore is seen as one of the bright, young minds in offensive coaching. He just helped Saquon Barkley go over 2,000 yards for one of the best single seasons in NFL rushing history. The Eagles went 14-3 in the regular season and will be hosting the Los Angeles Rams in a second-round playoff game this Sunday. While their pass game hasn’t posted big numbers, that seems to be more about their personnel. Moore proved he can lead a prolific air attack during his years as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator, ranking second in passing offense in both 2019 and 2021. When Moore left Dallas in 2023, McCarthy was coming off a second straight 12-5 regular season and his first (and would prove to be only) playoff win over Tampa Bay. Much like when Dallas stuck with Parcells in 2006, it was logical to keep things going with McCarthy at that point. Unfortunately, it meant losing Moore much like it meant losing Payton about two decades earlier. Of course, we don’t know if Moore will even be a successful head coach, let alone an upper-echelon one like Payton. But that’s the scary thrill of going with an unknown over a retread. However confident New Orleans was in Payton when they hired him, it’s all conjecture and hope until the guy either proves you right or wrong. Still just 36 years old, Kellen Moore offers Jerry Jones youth and future potential as a head coach like he once saw in Sean Payton. Circumstances didn’t allow Payton to prove his ultimate worth with the Cowboys, but Jones may now see a chance to get Moore back in the fold and continue his growth where it started. Instead of maybe being another one who got away, Moore could be close to becoming just the 10th coach in Dallas’ history.

Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Here is our scouting report on defensive lineman Mason Graham from Michigan We continue our 2025 NFL Draft preview of draft prospects that could interest the Dallas Cowboys. Today we are looking at defensive lineman Mason Graham, from Michigan. Mason Graham DTMichigan Wolverines Junior4-star recruit 6’3”320 lbs Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images History Mason Graham played on the defensive line and at offensive tackle at his high school, Servite High School. Another huge feather in his cap is the fact he was also the school’s star wrestler on the wrestling team. In 2021, Graham officially committed to Michigan as a four-star recruit. In his freshman year, Graham was thrown in the deep end and played in every game that year on Michigan’s schedule. He played a total of 303 defensive snaps and totaled 13 pressures, three sacks and 27 tackles. In 2023, Graham improved dramatically and caught the eye of a lot of scouts. He was instrumental in helping Michigan win the National Championship where he delivered four tackles and five pressures. During the rest of the 2023 season, Graham registered 442 snaps (328 of those snaps at the three-tech position). He made 33 tackles, 29 pressures, eight tackles for loss and four sacks. Last season, Graham had his best season and improved even more. He played a total of 548 defensive snaps and was one of the best run defenders on the team while still maintaining a high level of pass rush production. He had 45 total tackles and seven tackles for loss. As a pass rusher he totaled 34 total pressures and had 3.5 sacks. 2024 Statistics 548 Defensive snaps45 Total Tackles7 Tackles For Loss34 Pressures3.5 Sacks1 Pass Breakup1 Penalty NFL Combine/Pro Day TBC Awards All-America (2024)First-team All-Big Ten (2024)First-team All-Big Ten (2023) Scorecard Overall- 92.3Speed- 73Acceleration- 95Agility- 93Strength- 86Tackling- 78Pass Rush- 90Run Defense- 90Discipline- 97 THE GOOD Graham has an insanely hot motor. The first thing you notice from snap to snap is his relentless play. Extremely athletic for the position. His acceleration and burst off the line is elite. A very savvy hand fighter with fantastic hand strength. Due to his wrestling days he’s able to slip and pass by blocks with clever use of hands or to out leverage lineman if they try to hold him up. Good speed-to-power skills. He diagnoses the play quickly and knows when to hold his gap or half-man his blocker to locate the rusher. Times himself well when two-gapping and blocking the hole. TAPE TIME DT Mason Graham Michigan ✅ THE GOOD✅#scouting #NFLDraft #MichiganFootball #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/NTywkmOIRc — Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) January 15, 2025 THE BAD Size is a huge concern. Graham measures up better as a five-tech than he does playing the nose or A-gaps. Coaches in the NFL may look to restructure his play which will take him time to develop. He will fail to disengage from blocks wanting to purely go straight at the offensive linemen and never back down. More of a “guy in the way” at times rather than leading the charge. He’s all too often wanting rip or spin (his spin move is elite however) and that leads to him being easy to predict. Arm length is his biggest weakness. TAPE TIME DT Mason Graham Michigan ❌THE BAD❌#scouting #NFLDraft #MichiganFootball #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/jfiaQqyhvS — Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) January 15, 2025 THE FIT Graham is very enticing and all his issues are extremely fixable and can be resolved quickly thanks to Graham’s high IQ. His size is somewhat a concern but on the right defense that will look to employ a slanting defensive line or rotated often, Graham can easily be a success in the NFL. His general defensive techniques need very little coaching and his tackling skills are right where they need to be at this stage. His scolding hot motor makes for him to be an early key defender in the NFL and his understanding of balance and getting linemen off-balance is a fantastic trait to watch on tape. His technique, speed and power all make for an ideal candidate at this stage to go very early in the 2025 NFL Draft. COMPARISON Sharrif Floyd, Minnesota Vikings BTB GRADE Top-15 prospect CONSENSUS RANKING 4th(Consensus ranking based on the average ranking from 90 major scoring services)

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Chauncey Golston had an amazing season for the Cowboys. The Dallas Cowboys have a long list of free agents who will officially hit the open market in a little over two months. Of those, six or seven were significant contributors in 2024, meaning the Cowboys have some difficult decisions ahead of them in the next two months. We continue our free agent profile series by taking a look at a player coming off a career-year, defensive end Chauncey Golston. Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images 2024 Regular Season Stats: 17G, 37 Total Pressures, 36 Tackles, 30 Defensive Stops, 28 QB Hurries, 7.0 Sacks, 2 QB Hits Year Review: After losing both Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. in free agency, there was plenty of pressure on Cowboys’ defensive end Chauncey Golston to perform in 2024. The pressure only got more significant at the start of training camp when edge rusher Sam Williams went down with a season-ending injury, leaving Dallas’ pass-rush group very thin. Golston did not do much through the first four games of the 2024 regular season, but things took a turn after that. During Dallas’ Week 4 matchup against the New York Giants, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence suffered serious injuries. With both out for the foreseeable future, Golston was thrust into the starting lineup as a full-time defensive end. For the first time in his Cowboys’ career, Golston was able to stick to one spot on the defensive line and not constantly move inside and out. This worked to the 26-year-old’s advantage, as he put together his best season as a pro. Golston finished the regular season with a career-high seven sacks, tied for the second-most on the Cowboys’ defense. He also recorded two or more pressures in nine of Dallas’ final 13 regular season games, recording five in a single game three times. Golston stepped up when Dallas desperately needed him to and showed some pass-rush ability we had not seen from him during his first three years in the league. The former third-round selection picked an excellent time for a career year as he heads into free agency looking like a capable pass-rusher who could help many teams. Free Agency Outlook: Golston’s performance in 2024 will likely have a significant impact on his free agent market. Teams are always looking to upgrade their pass rush, and in a free-agent class with few capable pass-rushers, Golston may be a hot commodity. The 26-year-old posted comparable numbers to what former Cowboy Dorance Armstrong did before he signed a three-year, $33M contract with the Washington Commanders last offseason. Despite the similarity in contract-year performance, Golston likely won’t come close to what Armstrong got in free agency, simply because Armstrong had multiple years of consistently solid performance on his résumé, while Golston has just one. Still, there is a good chance Golston will secure a multi-year deal on the open market. One player whose contract may resemble the type of deal Golston will receive is Bills’ defensive end A.J. Epenesa. Coming off a 6.5 sack season, the former Iowa Hawkeye signed a two-year, $12M contract to stay with the Bills last March. Golston may have a slightly smaller AAV than Epenesea, but a two-year deal worth anywhere from $4-6M seems within reach. Cowboys Verdict: While Golston was one of Dallas’ biggest overachievers last season, retaining him likely won’t be high on the Cowboys’ priority list this offseason. Dallas has so many other significant defensive players set to hit free agency they likely won’t want Golston back unless he’s willing to take an extremely team-friendly deal. Likely, the only way Golston is back in Dallas next season is if he is willing to sign a deal similar to the one Dante Fowler Jr. signed with Dallas back in the 2023 offseason (one-year, $3M). If Golston is looking to secure a multi-year deal, which he likely will be, there’s a good chance it won’t come from Dallas. It’s unfortunate that the Cowboys only got to use Golston as a full-time pass-rusher in his walk year, but it’s more likely than not they showcased him for his next team, and his time in Dallas has come to an end. Prediction: Chauncey Golston signs a two-year, $12M deal with the Cincinnati Bengals