Chris Jones-Imagn Images There are several former first-round picks on the Cowboys roster that could play an interesting role this season. The Dallas Cowboys added over 30 new faces to the roster either through trades, free agency, or drafted/undrafted rookies. Some of these players will play a more significant role than others for the Cowboys this season, but each of them were brought into hopefully overhaul the roster and Brian Schottenheimer’s first-year as Dallas’ new head coach. Surprisingly enough, several of these new additions, and a couple of Dallas’ original draft picks, are former first-round selections looking to shed labels after not living up to expectations thus far in their careers. Today, we take a look at these former first-rounders and see how they could fit in with the Cowboys in 2025. The Cowboys own DT Mazi Smith – The 26th overall pick by Dallas in 2023 may not have gotten a fair shake in his first two seasons with the organization. He’s had a different defensive coordinator both seasons and will have another new DC in 2025. That could have stunted his development, but whatever the case, he as of yet hasn’t lived up to his first-round pedigree for Dallas. LT Tyler Guyton – It’s still way too early to judge the Cowboys 29th overall pick last year, but he’ll need to take a significant jump in his development entering Year 2 with the organization to establish his starting position. He could be one of the most important players on the roster this season not named Dak Prescott, and as he goes, so goes Dallas. The Cowboys trade acquisitions CB Kaiir Elam – Elam was the 23rd is pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2022 and spent three seasons there before getting traded to the Cowboys this offseason. He is competing to start on the outside early on in Dallas, at least until Trevon Diggs is able to return to the lineup. A change of scenery might help him find the consistency that eluded him in Buffalo. LB Kenneth Murray Jr. – Murray was the 23rd pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020 and is the second former first-rounder Dallas acquired via trade this offseason. Some consider him somewhat of a draft bust thinking he didn’t live up to expectations, however, he has been a starting caliber LB in his five-year career and is expected start for Dallas in 2025. The aging vet DT Solomon Thomas – Thomas was the third overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2017. He spent four years in San Francisco, one with the Las Vegas Raiders, and the last three with the New York Jets before signing the Cowboys this offseason. He’s never quite lived up to his draft status, but has turned into a solid rotational backup 3-tech, which he’ll be in Dallas. The free agent DE Payton Turner – Turner was the 28th overall pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2021 and spent four injury-plagued seasons with the organization. The Saints declined to pick up his fifth-year option, leading him to sign with the Cowboys this offseason. He’s likely nothing more than a depth piece this season in Dallas, if he makes the final 53-roster.

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Should the Cowboys consider trading any players away in your opinion? If so, who? Monday brought with it the latest trade in the NFL as the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick (as far as players involvement). You know the NFL just couldn’t stand that NBA free agency was about to begin. It was a bit of a surprising thing to drop on a random morning, but all reports were that this was something being worked on for some time. Clearly that was the case. Shortly after the trade details came out it was reported that the Dolphins were in need of tight end depth after sending Jonnu Smith away. This led a number of fanbases to suggest players from their favorite team. The #Dolphins are now in conversations with multiple teams about acquiring a tight end after sending Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh, per sources. A wild start to the holiday week could get wilder … pic.twitter.com/11EGxDsVMp — Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 30, 2025 You can surely imagine that Cowboys fans were in on the mix as well. Luke Schoonmaker’s name was the one thrown out and given that he still has two years left on his rookie deal it makes some sense. Schoonmaker was a second-round pick of the Cowboys back in 2023 and the opportunities haven’t quite married well with production. There is argument as noted here, but it would have to make sense for Dallas. Giving a player up without any proper plan in place isn’t smart or sensible. Should the Cowboys be trying to move a player, though? Schoonmaker or anyone else? Let us know in the comments down below!

Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images All the Dallas Cowboys news that’s fit to print. 3 players who will benefit the most from adding George Pickens – Shane Taylor, Inside The Star The George Pickens trade really has changed the entire feel around Brian Schottenheimer’s first season as head coach, and offensive play-caller. Jalen Tolbert Pickens will now be the No. 2 receiver, solving the offense’s biggest need. That should alleviate some pressure from CeeDee Lamb and now puts Jalen Tolbert into his natural position as the No. 3 receiver. Last season, Tolbert had career highs in targets (79), catches (49), yards (610), and touchdowns (7). He led the team in touchdown catches and was the second-leading receiver in terms of yards. Tolbert provides significant depth that Dak Prescott and the offense will benefit from. 610 yards when catching passes from Cooper Rush and Trey Lance should only set Tolbert up for a similar season with two number one guys in front of you and Dak Prescott back under center. Jake Ferguson Jake Ferguson should have his best year as a pro with both Pickens and Lamb on the outside. Ferguson had a breakout season in 2023, catching 71 passes for 761 as the starting tight end in Dallas. A Week 1 knee injury in 2024 caused him to miss three starts and he never quite looked the same all season. He finished last year without scoring a touchdown and totaled just 494 yards on 86 targets. Ferguson should get a lot of good looks this season, and trust me I will probably draft him as my fantasy tight end this season because of it. Cowboys’ George Pickens trade sets up huge comeback for former Pro Bowler – Marcus Mosher, The Landry Hat Jake Ferguson had a hard time playing second fiddle to CeeDee Lamb in the passing game last season but adding Pickens could lead to way more opportunities for the tight end. Pickens will now be the No. 2 receiver, solving the offense’s biggest need. That should alleviate some pressure from CeeDee Lamb and now puts Jalen Tolbert into his natural position as the No. 3 receiver. But Lamb and Tolbert aren’t the only players in the passing game that will benefit from the presence of George Pickens. He could have a major impact on several other weapons in the passing game, including the tight ends, as he should keep some of the safeties away from the middle of the field. In a recent article, Moe Morton of Bleacher Report made a case for Jake Ferguson to have a bounce-back fantasy season. “After playing half the previous season with Cooper Rush under center, Ferguson’s fantasy outlook gets a boost as long as Prescott stays healthy,” Morton wrote. “Even with the addition of wideout George Pickens, he should see enough targets to produce at the level of a top-10 fantasy tight end.” Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson could have a monster year in 2025 “… With the Cowboys’ uninspiring running back group, expect Prescott to fire away through the air for stretches in the upcoming term. He’ll have enough targets to spread around for Ferguson to get back into Pro Bowl form.” Ferguson had a breakout season in 2023, catching 71 passes for 761 as the starting tight end in Dallas. But a Week 1 knee injury in 2024 caused him to miss three starts and he never quite looked the same all season. He finished last year without scoring a touchdown and totaled just 494 yards on 86 targets. But Ferguson is healthy and going into a pivotal season with his contract set to expire. However, the addition of Pickens, along with a healthy Dak Prescott, will likely enable Ferguson to have his best season yet. Ride or die: Understanding the financial commitment the Cowboys have in Dak Prescott – Dan Rogers, Blogging The Boys One thing that isn’t changing for the Cowboys offense anytime soon is Dak Prescott under center. But there is even more to the story because of the contract language. With each new year that goes by, more guarantees are triggered, increasing the team’s overall investment. For example… $40 million of his 2026 base salary became fully guaranteed on March 16 of 2025 $45 million of his 2027 base salary becomes fully guaranteed in March of 2026 $17 million of his 2028 base salary becomes fully guaranteed in March of 2027 This means the front office must declare their commitment in the spring of every year without the knowledge of what the draft or training camp activity might bring them. Breaking it down by these time intervals, here is the financial commitment the Cowboys have with Prescott over the length of his contract. The values in blue represent how much of his base salary is guaranteed, whether it’s from the current year or the following year. The values in red are his signing and restructuring bonus money that has already been paid to him, but still must be accounted for on the books. Adding those numbers together produces the purple values on the far right. That’s the figure that matters the most in terms of describing their financial commitment to him. Using a timeline, it looks like this… This makes it really easy to identify a potential out for the Cowboys, which is not until 2028. That means three more years of Dak, whether people like it or not. That is not to say that if some of those extenuating circumstances we mentioned yesterday started happening, the team couldn’t replace him on the field, but it wouldn’t alter their financial commitment to him. This means Prescott has a very long leash. Rushin’ Roulette: Cowboys’ strengths, weaknesses at RB along with a 2025 wildcard – Reid Hanson, The Cowboys Wire How the Cowboys will support Dak Prescott with a better run game might be the biggest question of all going into training camp. Cowboys’ RB strength: Offensive line The Cowboys offensive line might be worrisome in

Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images We’re counting down to the season opener (Day 66) with some Cowboys history We’re counting down the days until the Dallas Cowboys battle the Philadelphia Eagles in the season opener of the 2025 NFL season. To pass the time and mark the days, we running through 100 Days of Cowboys. So sit back and enjoy some Cowboys history while we countdown to football. Today – number 66 Ralph Neely Born: September 12, 1943. Little Rock, ArkansasPosition: Offensive tackleDallas Cowboys: 1965-1977Awards: Super Bowl champion- VI, XIIAll-Pro- 1967, 1967, 1968, 1969Pro Bowl– 1967, 1969NFL 1960s All-Decade Team Photo by Shelly Katz /Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images Ralph Neely played offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys from 1965 to 1977, becoming one of the franchise’s foundational linemen during its rise to prominence under Tom Landry. Originally drafted by both the NFL and AFL, Neely chose the Cowboys as the team entered its birth into the NFL and quickly became a starter for the team. He was a key member of the offensive line for 13 seasons and was known for his strength, consistency, and ability to play both tackle spots. Neely earned multiple All-Pro selections and helped Dallas win two Super Bowls, anchoring an offensive line that powered the team’s success in the 1970s. Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images Best known for:Neely was best known for his versatility and dominance as a tackle, serving as a cornerstone of the Cowboys’ offensive line for 13 seasons and playing a major role in their first Super Bowl championship. Lesser known fact:Neely was involved in a legal dispute between the NFL and AFL over his draft rights, a case that delayed his rookie season and later became a pivotal moment in the eventual merger of the two leagues. Photo by Robert Riger/Getty Images

Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The Steelers have made several moves since trading George Pickens… do they make you feel better about the deal? We are approaching the two-month anniversary of the Dallas Cowboys trading for George Pickens. It somehow feels even longer than that. When it comes to trades like this we obviously won’t really know who the true winner is until Pickens has a chance to play for the Cowboys. Even then we still need to see who the third-round pick becomes for the Steelers, and what’s more is we also have to see how Pickens’ contract situation is resolved and whether he re-signs with Dallas or goes elsewhere in 2026. This is in no way a perfect science to measure things either, but another thing we can pay attention to is the aftermath of everything involved. While the Pickens trade was the final move for the Cowboys following a rather busy offseason, it was sort of the catalyst for the Pittsburgh side of things as they have been a bit busy since. Consider the notable things that the Steelers have done since trading Pickens to the Cowboys: Signed Aaron Rodgers (after months of hanging in limbo there) Traded for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith Sent Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Dolphins in the trade in question When word broke of the Steelers trading for Ramsey there were many people lauding it. Ramsey is still a very good player, after all. But once it became public knowledge that Pittsburgh was sending Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami in the deal, it suddenly became clear who the winner in the trade was – Miami. This was true even when factoring in the Steelers acquiring Jonnu Smith as well. Obviously the Cowboys were not involved in Monday’s trade, but it adds to the list of things the Steelers have done since sending Pickens to them. It goes without saying that the most controversial move Pittsburgh has made all offseason was signing Aaron Rodgers, so ultimately the question is whether or not what they have done since dealing Pickens has made you feel better (assuming you didn’t feel as good as possible already). Of course, each and every situation is different. The Steelers seemed to have issues with Pickens in terms of harmony or chemistry or whatever you want to call it. They also obviously had a need at quarterback and Aaron Rodgers is Aaron Rodgers which makes dealing with certain things worth it to some people. All told it is hard though not to look at the Steelers and scratch your head a bit at how they feel they are bettering their team. In this sense it stands to reason that a Cowboys fan would feel better about them handing off a player like Pickens. Who agrees?

Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images Dak Prescott is going to be the Cowboys quarterback for the next few years, and it is amazing how many people don’t understand this. Dak Prescott is the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. If that feels like something you just read yesterday, it’s because it was. Yesterday, we entertained a hypothetical situation where Prescott would play himself out of the heralded position that is the starting quarterback of America’s Team. It’s hard to know what the team is going to get out of Prescott this upcoming season. His play has been red hot and a little chilly over the last few seasons, and he’s had problems staying on the field. There are a handful of reasons that have contributed to some lackluster play including the offensive line, the running back situation, and the playcalling. Whatever the root cause, Prescott has encountered some figurative and literal bumps and bruises recently, and for the first time in a while, he is a little bit of a wild card entering the new season. While how well Prescott performs this upcoming season is an uncertainty, what’s not murky is the team’s financial commitment to him. Less than a year ago, Prescott signed a new four-year, $240 million contract, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. On the surface, we know the team is committed to Prescott, but maybe in the back of your mind, you’re thinking, if things don’t go well, the team can get out of it. It might not be real soon, and it certainly will be expensive, but there has to be an escape hatch somewhere if things get really bad, right? In the words of a piece of twine who’s at the end of its rope, “I’m a frayed knot.” Prescott’s agent, Todd France, and the CAA Football agency made sure that their client had a room full of money where he could roll around in it like Scrooge McDuck. Not only is Prescott the highest-paid player in the NFL with an annual salary of $60 million, but they also worked some contract language that should help preserve some job security over the next few years. Here is what Prescott’s contract looks like (courtesy of spotrac.com) But there is even more to the story because of the contract language. With each new year that goes by, more guarantees are triggered, increasing the team’s overall investment. For example… $40 million of his 2026 base salary became fully guaranteed on March 16 of 2025 $45 million of his 2027 base salary becomes fully guaranteed in March of 2026 $17 million of his 2028 base salary becomes fully guaranteed in March of 2027 This means the front office must declare their commitment in the spring of every year without the knowledge of what the draft or training camp activity might bring them. Breaking it down by these time intervals, here is the financial commitment the Cowboys have with Prescott over the length of his contract. The values in blue represent how much of his base salary is guaranteed, whether it’s from the current year or the following year. The values in red are his signing and restructuring bonus money that has already been paid to him, but still must be accounted for on the books. Adding those numbers together produces the purple values on the far right. That’s the figure that matters the most in terms of describing their financial commitment to him. Using a timeline, it looks like this… This makes it really easy to identify a potential out for the Cowboys, which is not until 2028. That means three more years of Dak, whether people like it or not. That is not to say that if some of those extenuating circumstances we mentioned yesterday started happening, the team couldn’t replace him on the field, but it wouldn’t alter their financial commitment to him. This means Prescott has a very long leash. Now, because we are not Siths, we don’t believe in absolutes. There is a non-zero chance that the Cowboys could pass the torch to someone else and that Prescott might agree to waive his no-trade clause, opening the door for a trade. This would alleviate some of the dead money the Cowboys would be hit with because the base salary guarantees could go on the books of his new team. If you’re holding your breath for the Dak experiment to end, you might want to reconsider because you’ll be blue in the face before there are any signs that a change might occur. The reality is, Prescott is this team’s ride or die for the foreseeable future, and there’s really no way around it. He looks to be in great shape, and hopefully, some of the elements that have limited him in the past won’t be present this upcoming season. With any luck, fans will stop looking at their watch and instead savor the moment that this team still has a quarterback who gives them a fighting chance to win a Super Bowl.

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Who do you think will be this year’s surprise roster cut? We have less than a month to go until the Dallas Cowboys land in Oxnard for training camp and that is certainly very exciting. Training camp is obviously when work and preparation begins towards the season at large, but a huge part of that is construction of the roster that the team will take into the season. Things both run chalk and are unpredictable relative to the overall roster which stands to reason as there are 53 spots that have to be filled. An unfortunate occurrence that tends to happen on an annual basis is a surprising roster cut. Every now and then (again, it feels like every year) the Cowboys will cut someone that nobody saw coming (generally speaking). Very few things will ever top the shock that accompanied Dan Bailey’s dismissal in 2018, but odds are that something will catch the majority of people off guard. Who do you think that player will or could be this year? Let us know in the comments below!

Chris Jones-Imagn Images Notable headlines surrounding America’s team. Dallas Cowboys edge rusher sends major warning to rest of NFL- Matt Galatzan, Sports Illustrated A comeback season from Sam Williams would go a long way. However, the Cowboys were also missing one of their top pass rushers for the entire year after Sam Williams went down with an injury before the start of the 2024 season. And now, according to Williams himself, he is not only healthy and ready to get back to the field, but during a podcast appearance with Law Nation Sports, he sent a warning to the rest of the NFL, letting his opposition know that he is coming back with a vengeance. “All that new coach, new that, this this, it doesn’t matter. I’m fixing to go kill some sh*t,” Williams said. “End of the story. Somebody gonna feel me, bro. I’ve been off of this for what, a year? They’ve gotta feel me. They’re gonna know every game.” Adding Williams back into the fold is going to be a major win for the Cowboys’ defense heading into a very difficult 2025 slate. The Cowboys Cornerstones: Ranking Dallas’ Top 5 Players in 2025 – Mark Heaney, Inside The Star Dallas has no shortage of talent heading into the season. 2. CeeDee Lamb: Sights Set High With New Sidekick If Dallas hadn’t made a blockbuster trade for George Pickens, the offense would have been in serious danger. It is also what moves superstar wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, down to two on my ranking. The former Oklahoma Sooner is one of the best in the league at his position, and now he’s joined by an actual WR2, which should take some volume away. It doesn’t mean he won’t hit the 150 target mark, but we should see a big impact from Pickens. Larger than the one that guys like Jalen Tolbert and Brandin Cooks have had in years past, to say the least. In 2025, everybody knows Lamb is one of two offensive Cowboys cornerstones, and he remains a consistent OPOY candidate as long as his cleats are on grass. He is a dominant force on offense who is just getting started. Cowboys fortified OL with versatile, $3.7 million reclamation project – K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire Not a flashy signing, but a necessary one. [Hakeem] Adeniji has started 15 games across his career, all at various positions over his first three years with the Cincinnati Bengals. He has played both guard and tackle, which could lead him to regular game-day rosters if he makes the Dallas 53 coming out of training camp. His presence as a Top-8 lineman would allow Dallas to move players around to still present a best-five regardless of where an injury occurred. This long-overdue Cowboys cut could finally be happening – Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat Deuce is fun, but he might not be what Dallas needs heading into the season. Machota believes that vets Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, as well as rookie Jaydon Blue, are “pretty locked in” to make the team. Luepke is simply too versatile to leave off the roster, which could leave Vaughn and Mafah slugging it out for the final spot. Vaughn’s journey to the NFL is nothing short of inspiring, but does he really deserve to be on an NFL roster? That is open for debate. He would provide more value to an offense that has a more dependable RB1 where he can specialize as a scatback and receiving threat. It is hard to envision a role for Vaughn on the Cowboys. Blue is more shifty and explosive and offers more upside as a pass-catcher. Heck, KaVontae Turpin might offer more upside than Vaughn as a gadget weapon. The Cowboys’ backfield is one of the worst in football, but it is deeper than last year’s group and Vaughn hardly sniffed the field then. He was active for just seven games and saw 17 carries. How much work can Vaughn realistically expect behind Williams, Sanders, Blue and Luepke? Cowboys win projection for 2025 is the lowest it’s been in over 20 years – Dan Rogers, Blogging The Boys Vegas isn’t optimistic about Dallas’ 2025 outlook. The NFL oddsmakers aren’t putting a lot of faith in the Cowboys, offering up 50 to 1 odds for them to win the Super Bowl. A ten-dollar dart throw bet could be worth 500 bones should the Cowboys shock the world and take home that long-coveted sixth Lombardi trophy. While winning the Super Bowl might seem outlandish, they have the Cowboys’ win total projection at a mere 7.5 games this season. If that seems low to you, that’s because it is. In fact, you’d have to go back over 20 years to find a season where they had a win total projection this low. Marcus Mosher from Locked on Cowboys rounded up the data since the turn of the century. Plotting win projections by year gives us the following graph… This graph is telling for a handful of reasons. For starters, it’s a testament to how consistently well the team has performed over the last two decades to have to go back to 2003 for them to be projected to have a losing record. Before the 2003 season, the Cowboys were coming off three straight seasons under head coach Dave Campo, where they finished with a 5-11 record. The skepticism was justified. Fortunately, the Cowboys brought on Bill Parcells to right the ship, and they finished the year 10-6 and returned to the playoffs for the first time in the 2000s. The stretch from 2004 to 2024 was pretty amazing. 100% of the time, they were projected to have a winning record 71% of the time, they were projected to have at least nine wins 24% of the time, they were projected to have double-digit wins 0% of the time were they projected to have 11 wins or more

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Don’t sleep on these Bears in Week 3  When the Dallas Cowboys travel to take on the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, many will deem this game a “trap game”. On the surface, that is a valid point. The Bears finished 5-12 last season, fired their head coach during the season during a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Detroit Lions, and for the most part, appeared disjointed for the remainder of the season. That said, the Bears boast a lot of talent on their roster that with the proper coaching could become a formidable sleeper in the NFL. Chicago brought in former Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to take the reins of the franchise and guide them into a new era of playing in a fiercely competitive NFC North division. The Bears could catch the Cowboys by surprise. Remember that at this point in the season, the Cowboys would have played two pivotal games against the NFC East. Let’s hope the Cowboys are ready for the Bears and prepared for these X-factors that could decide the game. Caleb Williams Fair or unfair, but the entire franchise hinges on the development of Caleb Williams, which includes the job of general manager Ryan Poles. On paper, Williams has a lot of weapons to work with but needs to put it all together. Armed with a supporting cast of D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, D’Andre Swift, and Cole Kmet, there are a lot of options for the Cowboys’ defense to account for. Outside of the pocket, Williams is a very accurate passer that puts the ball on a rope to his receivers. Although he’s a scrambler, he’s primarily looking to drive the ball down the field versus running for yards. The Bears hired Declan Doyles as their new offensive coordinator under Ben Johnson in hopes of helping Williams take a leap forward in his sophomore season. With what’s around him and Ben Johnson’s pedigree as a playcaller, that’s possible. The best chance the Cowboys have at slowing down Williams is keeping him in the pocket and forcing him to make full-field reads and deliver the ball on time. His offensive line was atrocious last season and surrendered 68 sacks. Look for Dallas to use zone coverages to force Williams to hold the ball a little longer to buy time for the defensive line to get to Williams. Gervon Dexter As bad as the Bears offense looked at times, the defense didn’t fare much better. The Bears allowed the sixth most yards per game on defense last year with 354.2 yards per game. Current Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus oversaw the Bears’ defense, and his unit struggled to communicate and get on the same page, as infamously seen during the Hail Mary they surrendered against the Washington Commanders last year. However, one big bright spot was Gervon Dexter. Dexter has a massive frame at 6’6”, 326 lbs. and despite his size, he moves very well. Gervon Dexter’s sack, club-rip pic.twitter.com/yGh5vla6px — mike faltas (@mfaltas_) September 10, 2024 Dexter is agile enough to effortlessly move from one gap to the other on twists and stunts. Although he doesn’t have a lot of moves, he has a good motor to get off blocks and continue his path to the quarterback. How well Tyler Booker and Cooper Beebe communicate to handle the games up front played by the Bears will be important to limit Dexter’s impact on the passing game. Kevin Byard At one point in his career, Kevin Byard was known as one of the premier ballhawks in the NFL, totaling 23 interceptions over his first six NFL seasons despite having zero his rookie season. Byard’s career took an awkward turn after being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles halfway through the 2023 season. While with the Eagles, Byard didn’t look like himself and struggled to find his footing playing for his hometown team. However, he bounced back in a major way in 2024 despite playing for a less-than-stellar Bears defense. Last season, Byard set career-highs in tackles, sacks, and fumble recoveries. Alan Goldsher of SI.com has Byard as one of the most underrated Bears coming into this season with some added context: The 11-year veteran isn’t underrated so much as he’s taken for granted. Last season, he played every snap in 15 of Chicago’s 17 games, he led the team in both tackles (130) and assists (50), and he committed a grand total of one penalty. It’s possible that his relatively advanced age (31) has colored our view of him, but when you look at the numbers, you can’t deny that the dude’s a stud. While his interception numbers have decreased, he’s still a viable option in pass coverage and has immensely improved in run support. He could be the defense catalyst to sway the game in the Bears’ favor.

Photo by Kirby Lee/NFLPhotoLibrary There is not a lot of faith in the Cowboys heading into the new season. This isn’t going to be a good year for the Dallas Cowboys. We might as well just pack up shop and head home because there won’t be much to cheer for this upcoming season. At least, that’s the mindset of many of the NFL so-called experts when it comes to their season predictions. The NFL oddsmakers aren’t putting a lot of faith in the Cowboys, offering up 50 to 1 odds for them to win the Super Bowl. A ten-dollar dart throw bet could be worth 500 bones should the Cowboys shock the world and take home that long-coveted sixth Lombardi trophy. While winning the Super Bowl might seem outlandish, they have the Cowboys’ win total projection at a mere 7.5 games this season. If that seems low to you, that’s because it is. In fact, you’d have to go back over 20 years to find a season where they had a win total projection this low. Marcus Mosher from Locked on Cowboys rounded up the data since the turn of the century. Plotting win projections by year gives us the following graph… This graph is telling for a handful of reasons. For starters, it’s a testament to how consistently well the team has performed over the last two decades to have to go back to 2003 for them to be projected to have a losing record. Before the 2003 season, the Cowboys were coming off three-straight seasons under head coach Dave Campo, where they finished with a 5-11 record. The skepticism was justified. Fortunately, the Cowboys brought on Bill Parcells to right the ship, and they finished the year 10-6 and returned to the playoffs for the first time in the 2000s. The stretch from 2004 to 2024 was pretty amazing. 100% of the time, they were projected to have a winning record 71% of the time, they were projected to have at least nine wins 24% of the time, they were projected to have double-digit wins 0% of the time were they projected to have 11 wins or more Over the last two decades, people expected the Cowboys to be aight, but never bad and never great. It feeds the mediocre narrative that has haunted this team for so long. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Often the divisional playoff game, never the conference championship game. Sadly, the Cowboys have dropped below the water line for the first time since the dreaded dark ages of the early 2000s. Why have the NFL experts suddenly turned on the Cowboys? Maybe they’re fed up with Jerry Jones. His never-ending antics of dragging out contracts, providing stadium tours, and not even supplying curtains to keep the sun out on game day are holding this team back. At least, that’s what people say. His stubbornness in not hiring a real general manager, allowing himself and Stephen Jones to navigate through the roster-building process, has kept them from hanging with the big boys of the NFL. At least, that’s what people say. Maybe it’s not Jones who is the deterrent. Maybe the experts feel like getting rid of Mike McCarthy was a huge mistake. Instead, the team is counting on first-time head coach Brian Schottenheimer. As respected as he may be, Schotty is a new coach. Nobody knows what to expect with him. All we know is he’s not Ben Johnson or Pete Carroll or Mike Vrabel or anyone whose name alone inspires confidence that good things are coming. Or, maybe it’s Dak Prescott. One of the most talked about quarterbacks over the last several years, Prescott has been highly praised and repeatedly drug through the mud to the point that you almost feel like he’s two different players. Recency bias is a huge influencer, and right now, Dak’s recency isn’t all that decency. Who knows what concerns the experts have about the Cowboys’ chances this year. Maybe they feel their schedule is just too difficult, including four games against the two teams that represented the NFC in the conference championship game, is going to be a buster. The last time people counted the Cowboys this low, they surprised people. They finally found a good head coach in Parcells, had a nice draft (selected Jason Witten and Terence Newman), and even made an offseason trade to get a WR2 (Terry Glenn). If the Cowboys have made similar impactful moves, things could be on the up and up for this football team.