Eric Hartline-Imagn Images The latest news surrounding the Dallas Cowboys. Making a case for drafting a RB in the first 3 rounds – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com With Rico Dowdle set to be a free agent, Dallas may need to pick a running back. FRISCO, Texas – In recent years, the running back position has been an interesting study. The NFL has seen a trend of offenses throwing the ball more, bringing into question how much valuable should be placed on a running back. Recent history shows that investing early round draft capital can make a huge difference in your offense. In the last three Pro Bowls, 18 of the 21 running backs selected have been first or second round picks. If you expand that filter to the last six seasons, 32 of the 40 Pro Bowl running backs were picked in the first two rounds. In this Sunday’s conference championship games, three of the four starting running backs playing were drafted in the first three rounds of their respective classes. Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles, the second overall pick in 2018, just became the ninth player in NFL history to surpass 2,000 single-season rushing yards in his seventh year in the league. All that goes to show that there’s a lot of value in taking a running back early in the draft as opposed to waiting until the later rounds hoping to strike gold. The Cowboys are one of the teams that found a quality ball carrier in Rico Dowdle from the undrafted ranks, but he’s an unrestricted free agent now and the Cowboys didn’t take a running back in the 2024 NFL draft, so there’s isn’t much depth in the room even if Dowdle does return. And so, it appears likely that the Cowboys will draft a running back in 2025, and the record shows they’d benefit from drafting one in the first three rounds. Cowboys breakout star projected to sign with desperate AFC team – Koby Skillern, Sports Illustrated If Dowdle does depart, here’s where he may end up. The Dallas Cowboys find themselves at a crossroads once again, tasked with not only finding the right head coach but also retooling their roster to build a Super Bowl contender, following yet another failed campaign under head coach Mike McCarthy. However, amid the uncertainty and the letdowns of this past season, there were some bright spots, notably with running back Rico Dowdle, who impressed by rushing for over 1,000 yards. As the Cowboys turn their attention to the future, former All-Pro running back and former NFL rushing leader Maurice Jones-Drew has made an intriguing prediction in his breakdown of team fits for six running backs set to hit free agency in 2025. Jones-Drew anticipates that Dowdle will sign with the Cleveland Browns, a move that could reshape their backfield. Jones-Drew explained his rationale: “He’d be a great option in Kevin Stefanski’s offense, which needs a new bell-cow back for 2025, with Nick Chubb’s contract running out. Pairing Dowdle with Jerome Ford would help get this run game back on track and elevate the offense.” The Cowboys have 25 players set to hit free agency, and while Dowdle may not be the most high-profile name on that list, he’s certainly a player the team would like to retain after his breakout performance this season. However, Dowdle is a player the Cowboys could afford to lose, particularly if his price tag rises, especially with an upcoming draft class stacked with running back talent that could help fill the void. Cowboys, OC Brian Schottenheimer to continue talks for head coaching job Wednesday – Sean Leahy, Yahoo! Sports Dallas seems to be enamored by their current OC becoming their new HC. Brian Schottenheimer and the Dallas Cowboys will talk again on Wednesday, Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein confirmed, as the team looks to fill its open head coaching job. Schottenheimer, who has been the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator since 2023, interviewed for the head coaching job on Tuesday over the course of four hours. Now he’ll reportedly get more time to convince the Dallas brass that he is the right man to succeed Mike McCarthy. It’s no surprise Schottenheimer is getting a look. Owner Jerry Jones prioritizes coaches he is familiar with and that could be a reason why Schottenheimer is the favorite for the job. As of this week, Schottenheimer became the betting favorite on DraftKings at -250 odds (bet $250 to win $100). Kellen Moore, who was the initial favorite, went back to +250 odds. The Cowboys job would be the first NFL head coaching gig for the 51-year-old Schottenehimer, who is the son of the late Marty Schottenheimer. Brian Schottenheimer served as quarterbacks coach for the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers from 2001-2005 and was the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets, St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks before landing in Dallas in 2022. While McCarthy called the plays in Dallas, should Schottenheimer land a head coaching job, whether with the Cowboys or elsewhere, he reportedly wants to have that responsibility. Schottenheimer is the first known internal candidate to interview for the Cowboys head coaching job. Team executives have already spoken to Moore, Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier during the process.The Cowboys job would be the first NFL head coaching gig for the 51-year-old Schottenehimer, who is the son of the late Marty Schottenheimer. Brian Schottenheimer served as quarterbacks coach for the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers from 2001-2005 and was the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets, St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks before landing in Dallas in 2022. Why the Cowboys shouldn’t hire Brian Schottenheimer as head coach – LP Cruz, BloggingTheBoys.com Making this internal hire may not be the best decision for the Cowboys. No one knows where the Dallas Cowboys will turn to in finding their next head coach right now. They’ve been rumors about Deion Sanders; they had an interview with Robert Saleh and a virtual interview with Kellen Moore. It’s

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys caught the NFL world by surprise on Tuesday when they interviewed Brian Schottenheimer for their head coach vacancy, and it’s looking like they might be heading for an actual deal with a second interview coming up. There is plenty of anti-Schottenheimer sentiment going around, and it’s not without merit. That said, Schottenheimer’s track record on offense is better than some remember. Let’s take an in-depth look at his time as an offensive coordinator. New York Jets (under Eric Mangini) Brian Schottenheimer’s Jets offenses under Eric Mangini Scoring rank Yards Rank Pass yards rank Rush yards rank 3rd down rank Red zone rank Quarterback(s) Scoring rank Yards Rank Pass yards rank Rush yards rank 3rd down rank Red zone rank Quarterback(s) 2006 18th 25th 17th 20th 4th 21st Chad Pennington 2007 25th 25th 25th 19th 19th 31st Chad Pennington, Kellen Clemens 2008 9th 12th 15th 9th 9th 6th Brett Favre Patriots assistant Eric Mangini was hired to replace Herm Edwards as the Jets head coach after Edwards was traded to the Chiefs. Mangini turned around and brought in Schottenheimer to lead an offense that had shown flashes with Chad Pennington but nothing consistent enough to feel great about it. Pennington, who was coming off a season-ending injury, enjoyed a strong rebound season in his first year with Schottenheimer calling plays. The quarterback set a then-career best in passing yards, leading the Jets to 10 wins and being named the Comeback Player of the Year. Unfortunately, the next season saw Pennington get bit with the injury bug again, playing just half the season. Unsurprisingly, the offense took a nosedive with Kellen Clemens taking over midway through the year, and the Jets fell to 4-12. That motivated them to land Brett Favre in the offseason, which prompted Schottenheimer to tweak his offense to fit the former Packers star. It was largely a success, as the Jets offense put up its best season under Schottenheimer to that point, and Favre was named to a Pro Bowl for his efforts. Even still, the Jets missed the playoffs at 9-7 after losing four of their final five games, and Mangini was fired as a result. New York Jets (under Rex Ryan) Brian Schottenheimer’s Jets offenses under Rex Ryan Scoring rank Yards Rank Pass yards rank Rush yards rank 3rd down rank Red zone rank Quarterback(s) Scoring rank Yards Rank Pass yards rank Rush yards rank 3rd down rank Red zone rank Quarterback(s) 2009 17th 20th 31st 1st 20th 20th Mark Sanchez 2010 12th 11th 22nd 4th 6th 30th Mark Sanchez 2011 12th 25th 21st 22nd 22nd 1st Mark Sanchez Rex Ryan was brought in from the Ravens and the fiery defensive coach opted to retain Schottenheimer with one clear mandate: run the dang ball. Favre departed the Jets as one of his many retirements and the team spent the fifth-overall pick on Mark Sanchez out of USC. Schottenheimer set out to build a run-heavy offense that would ease the burden on his rookie quarterback and, by all accounts, he succeeded. The Jets had the best rushing attack in the league and Sanchez was voted First Team All-Rookie by the Pro Football Writers of America. The Jets finished 9-7, snuck into the playoffs, and made it all the way to the AFC Championship game. Going into the next year, expectations were high, and Ryan himself guaranteed a Super Bowl victory. Schottenheimer’s offense was once again dynamite on the ground, and the passing game took a step forward as Sanchez grew into his role. The Jets finished 11-5 and once again reached the conference title game, but lost by five to the Steelers. The next season came after a tough offseason. Two of the Jets’ top receivers, Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery, left the team. On defense, they lost two of their top pass rushers in Shaun Ellis and Jason Taylor, as well as cornerback Dwight Lowery, who had just led the team in interceptions. This proved to be too much for the Jets to handle, as they missed the postseason at 8-8. Schottenheimer’s offense regressed, especially in the run game, but Sanchez put up career best numbers that remain to this day. Ryan ultimately decided to move on in an effort to commit more to Sanchez’s development, though that never happened. St Louis Rams Brian Schottenheimer’s Rams offenses Scoring rank Yards Rank Pass yards rank Rush yards rank 3rd down rank Red zone rank Quarterback(s) Scoring rank Yards Rank Pass yards rank Rush yards rank 3rd down rank Red zone rank Quarterback(s) 2012 25th 20th 18th 19th 29th 19th Sam Bradford 2013 21st 30th 27th 19th 28th 24th Sam Bradford, Kellen Clemens 2014 21st 28th 23rd 20th 27th 22nd Austin Davis, Shaun Hill From there, Schottenheimer stuck with the Rams, who had just hired Jeff Fisher after he parted ways with the Titans. Fisher, like Ryan, valued a strong run game that took the load off his quarterback. In St. Louis, Fisher inherited Sam Bradford, who had won Offensive Rookie of the Year before an injury-shortened year prior to Fisher’s arrival. Schottenheimer’s offense looked fairly similar to what he had run in New York, ranking in the middle of the pack in most categories but largely avoiding mistakes. Bradford showed signs of a resurgence, though, setting career bests in passing yards, touchdowns, and adjusted completion rate. There was optimism for the offense heading into 2013 because of this, but it quickly evaporated when Bradford tore his ACL in Week 7, ending his season. Once again turning to Clemens, the offense faltered, though the Rams still won seven games. The next year, tragedy struck even sooner, with Bradford suffering another torn ACL in preseason. Schottenheimer then alternated throughout the season between Shaun Hill and Austin Davis, but neither were able to produce positive results. In the end, Bradford moved on from the team and so did Schottenheimer, leaving Rams fans with a massive “What if?” Georgia Bulldogs Brian Schottenheimer’s

Photo by Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images We have an NFC East NFC Championship Game this week. Jayden Daniels voted PFWA 2024 Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year – PFWA, Commanders.com Awards are in order after the rookie’s historic season. Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels, who broke the NFL rookie quarterback single season rushing record in leading the Commanders to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, is the 2024 Rookie of the Year and the Offensive Rookie of the Year, chosen in voting conducted by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA). Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse, who led NFL rookies in quarterback hits, pressures and hurries, is the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year. Daniels, the second overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft out of LSU, started all 17 games for the Commanders and completed 331 of 480 passes (69 percent; sixth in the NFL) for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a passer rating of 100.1 (seventh in the NFL). He also had 148 rush attempts for 891 yards (second-most among NFL quarterbacks) and six touchdowns. He is the first player in NFL history to record over 1,000 passing yards and over 250 rushing yards in his first five career games. Daniels also is the first rookie and fifth player in NFL history to record a completion percentage of 80 percent or higher in four games in a season, and the sixth rookie QB to throw five touchdowns in a game. His 31 touchdowns (25 passing, six rushing) and his 891 rushing yards are both second among all NFL rookies this season. Daniels’ 3,568 passing yards is second among NFL rookies, and he also rushed for 55 first downs. He was the NFL Offensive Player of the Week in Week 3 and the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Month for September. Daniels is the second player in Washington history to be selected as the PFWA’s Rookie of the Year, as running back Mike Thomas captured the 1975 award. Daniels is also the second Washington player to be the PFWA’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, joining quarterback Robert Griffin III, who won the award in 2012. Eagles’ 1st thoughts on facing Jayden Daniels and Commanders again – Dave Zangaro, NBC Sports Philadelphia The third matchup between Washington and Philly will be the rubber match. The Eagles will jump into their preparation this week to face Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders, but they already know what’s coming. They’ve seen Daniels twice this already season. “Oh, you know the challenge,” All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun said on Sunday. “He’s dynamic, he can throw the ball, he makes all his reads. He doesn’t play like a rookie quarterback and we’re not going to treat him like one.” The Eagles will host the Commanders on Sunday at 3 p.m. in the NFC Championship Game at the Linc. They get a home conference championship game after the Commanders shocked the No. 1-seeded Lions on Saturday. Thanks to that upset on Saturday, the Eagles knew they weren’t just playing for a trip to the NFC title game on Sunday; they were playing for the chance to host one. And they took care of business with a 28-22 win over the Rams. After the win, they had already started to their attention. As they now get ready to host the Commanders this coming Sunday, they don’t need any reminders about how dangerous Washington’s rookie quarterback can be. New York Giants’ Top Offseason Priorities – Scott Salomon, Sports Illustrated The ship needs to get back on track in New York. The New York Giants need to upgrade an underperforming roster that finished with a franchise-worst 3-14 record and has seemingly not progressed since 2022 when the Giants surprised the NFL with a postseason run. General manager Joe Schoen, given a reprieve on his job, has a lot of work to do, starting with an honest and thorough evaluation of the roster he and head coach Brian Daboll helped assemble. This includes being willing to admit to mistakes made since 2022 that they have stubbornly denied, such as offensive lineman Evan Neal’s best position. They also need to come up with answers to the following glaring problem areas. The Quarterback It is no secret the first position that must be addressed is the quarterback position. They must have a contingency plan if they cannot draft Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, both of whom they’ve been linked to. By picking third, there is no guarantee either will be around when the Giants are on the clock, and there are no other quarterbacks worthy of being selected as high. There is also no guarantee that the Giants have either quarterback ranked that high. The Giants must plan to get a veteran bridge quarterback in free agency, such as Minnesota’s Sam Darnold, Pittsburgh’s Justin Fields, Los Angeles Rams’ Jimmy Garoppolo, or maybe even Carson Wentz, to be that plug-and-play guy who can carry the team through until they find their next Eli Manning.

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Cowboys, please look elsewhere. No one knows where the Dallas Cowboys will turn to in finding their next head coach right now. They’ve been rumors about Deion Sanders; they had an interview with Robert Saleh and a virtual interview with Kellen Moore. It’s also hard to rule out reopening talks with Mike McCarthy if they genuinely were unsure of what direction to go after their negotiations broke down a few weeks ago. That would be shocking, yet uninspired. However, what would be equally uninspiring is hiring Brian Schottenheimer for the position of head coach. Fans understand that Jerry Jones’ way of doing business isn’t like that of anyone else in the league. A positive spin would be that he is comfortable in his beliefs and methods, but a negative spin would be it’s terribly archaic for the modern NFL. Dropping McCarthy and spurning other coveted candidates to promote from within with Schottenheimer would be a horrible mistake. Here’s why the Cowboys settling on Schottenheimer would set them back. The Results Should Dallas make the unpopular decision and hire Schottenheimer, it would be the first time he’s occupied that role in his coaching career. He is the son of longtime NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer. Like many others, Schottenheimer worked under his father in multiple stops while he developed his coaching experience in a career that spans almost 25 years. Still, you wonder why it’s taken so long for him to have gotten a shot as an NFL head coach. When you look at his résumé and his results, you understand why. For much of his career, he’s failed to get the most out of quarterbacks, which is worse when his primary function as a position coach was quarterbacks. Here’s a long list of the outcomes of his primary starting quarterbacks with him as either the quarterbacks coach or offensive coordinator from 2001-2014. After his time with the Rams, Schottenheimer spent one year at the University of Georgia before returning to the NFL. Sure, Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck had two good years under Schottenheimer, but that’s more the anomaly over his long coaching career. The numbers aren’t good. The question that has to be asked: If these are the results he’s had and the offense took a nosedive last season, then why double down on this system with him as the leader of your team? His history suggests he’ll get pedestrian results with good quarterbacks and will not uplift bad quarterbacks to be somewhat passable. Him, but no Lunda Wells and Al Harris? Lunda Wells has been excellent in developing tight ends when given significant snaps to develop. Before Wells arrived, Dalton Schultz was just an afterthought. After Wells joined the Cowboys staff, Schultz tallied up 198 receptions and 1998 receiving yards from 2020-2022. Wells did it again by making another fourth-round into a valuable piece for the offense, Jake Ferguson, a former Pro Bowler. Let’s also consider Al Harris. As a coach and player, Harris has been around the NFL every year except for one since 1997; he spent a year at Florida Atlantic. He understands the defensive back position well and has overseen the development of Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland, who have been named all All-Pros. When you look at Wells and Harris, you can tell they’re well-liked, but also, more importantly, they’re respected and unafraid to be straightforward with their players. Despite his years of experience, it’s hard to gauge how the players feel about Schottenheimer and whether his personality is able to hold the team accountable. If the team insists on promotion from within, why not, at the very least, interview Harris and Wells? Can he fix the problems from last year? Over the last two seasons, the Cowboys offense has found itself in a rut regarding CeeDee Lamb. In 2023, there seemed to be a brick wall between Dak Prescott and Lamb until things clicked in the second half of the season, but that shouldn’t have been a problem. It also happened this year, with Lamb disappearing for stretches at times during games. Look around the NFL, it doesn’t seem so easy to take away premier receivers like Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. Yet, it’s been happening in Dallas. Last year, Prescott also saw his production take a downturn before he ultimately went on injured reserve, but the numbers weren’t looking good. He threw eleven touchdowns versus eight interceptions. The Cowboys were one of the worst red zone offenses in the NFL in 2024 and only better than the lowly New York Giants. Dallas converted just 46% of their red zone drives into touchdowns. The last two points would be the usage of KaVontae Turpin. Turpin is the most explosive offensive talent the Cowboys have, but somehow, there’s no concerted effort to get him touches with regularity. Finally, does Schottenheimer have the ability to develop integral pieces on the roster, like Tyler Guyton, who will play a pivotal role in the team’s future?

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images The Cowboys are set to have a second interview with Brian Schottenheimer on Wednesday. The Dallas Cowboys are taking things to a more serious level with one of their head coach candidates in Brian Schottenheimer. Around lunchtime on Tuesday, it was reported that the Cowboys are interviewing Brian Schottenheimer (on Tuesday as well) for the position for a second time. This is the first report of any candidate of the four interviewed so far to get a second interview. The #Cowboys are planning to have a second interview with their own OC Brian Schottenheimer today, per me, @TomPelissero and @SlaterNFL. After spending nearly four hours with Schottenheimer yesterday, Dallas brass sits down with him again. pic.twitter.com/fXLod0taVI — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 22, 2025 The other three candidates to be interviewed to date are Kellen Moore, Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier, but as noted there have been no reports of any of them getting a second interview. This would suggest that Schottenheimer has the inside track on all of them, especially given how quickly everything has come together here. Consider the timeline of Schottenheimer events relative to the opening: Monday, January 20th: It is noted he is the betting favorite for the job Tuesday, January 21st: It is reported he would get an interview, and then he ultimately did interview. After the interview it was reported that the interview in question was also done with the Cowboys considering him for offensive coordinator as well Wednesday, January 22nd: Second interview reported and scheduled for same day Schottenheimer’s first interview reportedly lasted four hours. How long will the second go Will it end with an offer? Is this really going to happen? It certainly seems that way.

Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images It is possible that Donovan Wilson has played his last snap for the Cowboys. Donovan Wilson has had an unpredictable career in Dallas, rising from draft obscurity to a prominent starting role. But the safety’s future is in doubt as potential salary cap savings and a ready in-house replacement make it hard to see him getting a seventh season with the Cowboys. Wilson is a hard-hitting, occasional play-making safety who’s been a full-time starter in Dallas over the last four-plus seasons. Taken near the end of the sixth round in the 2019 NFL Draft, Wilson moved up the depth chart in 2020 and remained prominent even after the Cowboys added veterans Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker in 2021. They often worked as a trio in Dan Quinn’s defense, with Kearse playing a nickel linebacker role. Things became more traditional in 2024 after Kearse was not re-signed, making Hooker and Wilson the starters with Juanyeh Thomas and Markquese Bell as intriguing, young backups. A year later, Wilson is now the veteran at risk of not being retained. With one year left on his contract, Wilson is scheduled to count $8.65 million against Dallas’ 2025 salary cap. The Cowboys can get back $5.35 million if they make him an outright cut or $7 million with a June 1st designation. It’s put Wilson in a neck-and-neck race with OT Terence Steele for the team’s most likely cap casualty this offseason. But while Steele has some mitigating factors given the team’s overall landscape at offensive tackle, Wilson doesn’t have the same traction at safety. Granted, Dallas isn’t without offseason business at safety. Markquese Bell and Juanyeh Thomas are both entering free agency, albeit not with unrestricted status. Thomas is the key figure here, having shown much more potential as a future starter. With only two years of accrued NFL seasons, having spent his rookie season only on the practice squad, Thomas will be an exclusive rights free agent. Dallas can essentially offer him any amount, though they may not lowball him too severely if they want to preserve a future relationship. Still, Thomas isn’t likely to get much more than about $1 million for 2025. The idea of replacing Wilson with Thomas as a starting safety could make sense on multiple levels. Thomas has generally shown comparable talent to Wilson when playing. He would also be much more affordable for two more years between the ERFA contract and being a restricted free agent in 2026. And while he finished 2024 on the injured list with his knee, Thomas is expected to be fully recovered well before the next campaign. Still, Dallas isn’t exactly flush with other safety options. Bell will be a restricted free agent and the Cowboys aren’t likely to pay him $3 million or more for one of the RFA tenders, which will allow him to test the open market. Israel Mukuamu is also a free agent now that his rookie deal is up. So right now, Wilson and Malik Hooker are the only safeties officially under contract for next season. Also, it’s worth noting that Dallas’ overhead at safety is much lower than many NFL teams. The $7 million per year that Hooker and Wilson each make is a fraction of the $18-$21 million in annual salary for the likes of Antoine Winfield Jr, Derwin James, and Budda Baker. Of course, they’re also not nearly as impactful on the field as those stars. But that does give some perspective on why the Cowboys may not feel too bad about keeping Wilson at his current salary, even with the cap relief potential. Going into next season with Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson, and a re-signed Juanyeh Thomas as your core safeties leaves just one or two roster spots to fill at the bottom of the depth chart. It’s not a bad way to go with so many other needs to address, but the question is if they feel they can handle other business without that $5 million chunk they could get by cutting Wilson. That’s what puts him in the crosshairs and, with Thomas ready for a bigger role, makes him the Cowboys’ most likely salary cap casualty.