The offseason departure of franchise legend, Tyron Smith, opened up a massive need at left tackle in Dallas. Once the draft rolled around, the front office’s top priority was filling that need, and they tapped former Oklahoma Sooner, Tyler Guyton to do it. This move was met with some fan criticism, and admittedly, some of my own. Concerns about how NFL-ready Guyton was spread like wildfire. Once we got to see him in action, however, those fears were eased pretty quickly. Guyton has had a fantastic training camp and preseason, and his work ethic has been evident from the moment he became a Cowboy. You can’t teach this level of effort to finish a defender. You either have it or you don’t. Tyler Guyton has it. Love to see it pic.twitter.com/2HDaMQt38w — Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) August 18, 2024 It all smells a little bit like the Tyler Smith situation. Fan outrage over a pick, “he is too raw,” and then a stellar rookie season that elevated his name to the top ranks in the NFL. Can Guyton achieve similar success in his rookie year, or has the hype over his preseason performance gotten out of hand? Let’s talk about the highs, lows, and bottom line of this Texas natives’ upcoming season. Tyler Guyton: The Rookie Season Ceiling Like I said, the hype around Guyton has been swelling for weeks now, and when you turned on a Cowboys‘ preseason game, it was easy to see why. The guy was an absolute force on the offensive line, and that got fans fired up. Based on preseason performance, Guyton was one of the best offensive lineman in the entire league. #Cowboys LT Tyler Guyton finished the preseason as the highest-graded rookie offensive tackle by @PFF:https://t.co/2w0QApOCcy pic.twitter.com/oOhV0KWFbo — Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) August 28, 2024 All the traits from the Oklahoma days popped up, like athleticism, strength, and freak size, but man did we see a turnaround in what were the college negatives for him. He was much more polished and made fewer mistakes across the board. It was an impressive showing, and it wasn’t too surprising given just how hard Tyler Guyton has been grinding since being drafted. His work ethic is unmatched, and when we project that and his preseason performance to this rookie season, it is hard not to dream of a rookie-season Pro Bowl ceiling. After all, there is no staff in the league that develops young, raw offensive linemen better than Dallas, and it seems their magic has already started working on Guyton. If things continue this way, there is no telling how strong his 2024 campaign might be. Tyler Guyton: Risk Of College Performance Now, for all the excitement, it is still important to maintain some realistic expectations of Guyton. As somebody that watched a hefty amount of his college tape, there were and still are some real concerns about his current preparedness at the NFL level. He exhibited some major technical flaws, running game problems, and had very little on-field experience. The reason Guyton was drafted where he was is because of the flashes on tape and projection, not the overall picture of his ability during college, that was not there yet. What concerns me about him is the jump from an inexperienced, raw college tackle, to a starting left tackle in the NFL that is protecting the blindside of Dak Prescott against elite pass rushers. That is a mountain-sized leap from where he was a year ago. Micah Parsons welcomes rookie Tyler Guyton to his starting LT role. pic.twitter.com/Itunl7x899 — David Moore (@DavidMooreDMN) August 15, 2024 Is he ready for that jump? Nobody can be 100% ready for it, but how close he gets to being fully prepared will determine the outcome of his season. Things could still be hard on Tyler Guyton in his rookie year, and fans should not panic about that. Tyler Guyton’s Bottom Line Here is the bottom line for Guyton: He looks fantastic, he has all the tools to be fantastic, and he will probably get there even if he faces some rough moments in 2024. It is fair to say that the Cowboys have a reactionary fanbase, and a “wait and see” front office and coaching staff. This could make for a bad concoction this year if Guyton has some struggles. Fans outraged over a multiple-penalty game or two in a row, and the organization shouting back that everything is fine. The reality there, is that the organization will be right. He will have ups and downs. Tyler Guyton’s (#60) hand placement is still inconsistent, but you can see some real pop when he does connect. pic.twitter.com/kKVheFeGNn — Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) August 18, 2024 Guyton is a special project that some of the best offensive line developers in the league have in the palm of their hands. They are not going to let his talents go to waste, and it seems that they have already made massive strides in his game. This season likely won’t see him reach his rookie-year ceiling or floor. Rather, we’ll see some fantastic moments, and some rookie ones, and that is okay. Tyler Guyton is going to be the Cowboys left tackle for quite some time. This is just the beginning, so let’s not get too crazy one way or the other at this point.

Last year, former Dallas Cowboys’ cornerback Deion Sanders was the media darling. “Coach Prime” had risen up to head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes in the Pac-12 Conference of Division I college football. Just when you weren’t seeing enough of him on the sidelines of a game, he was the subject of discussion on all the shows filled with talking heads. Even the commercial breaks offered no relief. Because there he was with Coach Nick Saban hawking supplemental insurance. One wonders, given last week’s news, if AFLAC covers butthurt claims or not? Hit Right In The Feelz Last season started out with a bang for Sanders in Boulder. The Buffaloes started 3-0 and cracked the Top 20. Then they started Pac-10 play and won just one game over their last eight – including their last six – to finish 4-8. Suddenly it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows in Boulder. Colorado recently announced that Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler is hereby – and forever, at least for now – banned from asking his Royal HighnessCoach Prime any questions. The ban also excludes Keeler from asking questions of anyone connected to the program. The ban does not apply to any other Post writer, however, so there’s that. Here is the full statement given to ESPN by the athletic department at Colorado: “After a series of sustained, personal attacks on the football program and specifically Coach Prime, the CU Athletic Department in conjunction with the football program, have decided not to take questions from Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler at football-related events. Keeler is still permitted to attend football-related activities as a credentialed member of the media and other reporters from the Denver Post are welcome to ask questions of football program personnel made available to the media, including coaches, players and staff.” Basically, Keeler can still do his job. He figuratively has to go to work with tape over his mouth whenever he’s at a game. The reason for the ban? Apparently, Keeler in his job as a columnist has referred to Sanders’ time in Colorado as: “Deposition Deion,” the “Bruce Lee of B.S.,” a “false prophet,” “Planet Prime,” “the Deion Kool-Aid” and “circus.” I mean, let’s just roll out the guillotine here, right? Side note: That was sarcasm folks, not an actual call for someone’s head, okay? It Comes With The Territory Keeler is just doing his job. If Sanders doesn’t like what’s being said, he needs to not finish 4-8 after being hyped up as “Colorado Jesus.” That one’s all mine, Prime. Don’t at Keeler over that one. Sanders has a history of doing this kind of thing dating back to his Jackson State days. He comes off as a nice guy. But he has mighty thin skin, it would seem. Does AFLAC cover that too? Someone get Saban on the line. I have a feeling I’ll be joining Keeler on the “Deion No Like You” list at this rate. Seriously though, if Sanders wants to remain in Division I – or even eventually get into the NFL as a head coach – he needs to toughen up that skin a little. His ban of Keeler isn’t going to hamper Keeler’s ability to do his job. I know because I’ve got one on me too. Not from Colorado, but there is a professional sports team who all but told me that any request with my name on it will be DOA. They didn’t go to the extreme of broadcasting it for all the world to see. But it’s still there. Nor am I going to name names either. It was handled quietly. I see no need to make a spectacle of it. Especially since it didn’t impact my ability to do my job. It also failed to stop me from dropping the hammer on the team when said hammer needed to be dropped. I suspect Colorado is about to discover the same thing with Keeler this season. Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail. Especially if Sanders’ fails to turn the Buffaloes around and he gets fired. It would behoove the school to immediately revoke the ban on Keeler within the first five minutes after Sanders’ eventual departure. This Was The Way It would have been better though if Colorado had handled the issue like an Arizona official handled a high school athletic director’s attempt to ban me from covering high school sports in Arizona about 30 years ago. The official told the AD that if he didn’t want me to write “negative things” about his program then maybe he should “stop doing stupid s***.” That was a direct quote as relayed to me by said official when he told me the story a few days later. Sadly, they don’t make people that run sports the way they used to. They definitely don’t make college football coaches the same either, it would seem – at least in Colorado. So, Coach Sanders, if you’re reading this: #FreeSeanKeeler and lighten up, Francis. It’s just a game.

Now that all teams have cut down their training camp and preseason rosters to just 53, over 1,000 players have been sent to free agency. Some players were claimed via waivers, vested veterans were signed outright, and others remained in the free agent pool. That doesn’t end the roster building. Teams must now fill up their practice squads, and you’d be surprised at the level of talent that the practice squad holds for the Dallas Cowboys. The size of the practice squad grew to 16 players in response to the overwhelming player availability issues that COVID-19 caused, and the NFL decided to make the temporary fix a permanent fixture for the league. As reported by dallascowboys.com writer Patrik “No C” Walker, the 16 practice squad players signed by the Cowboys are as follows: DE Carl Lawson OL Josh Ball CB Josh Butler WR Jalen Cropper RB Malik Davis DT Denzel Daxon (International Player Program) TE Princeton Fant CB Kemon Hall WR Kelvin Harmon LB Darius Harris S Emany Johnson LB Brock Mogensen OL Dakoda Shepley LB Nick Vigil RB Dalvin Cook DT Phil Hoskins CB Amani Oruwariye You’ll notice that there are actually 17 players on the Cowboys practice squad instead of 16. That’s because DT Denzel Daxon is part of the International Player Pathway Program, and counts as an exemption for the Cowboys. This is the same program previously utilized by offensive lineman turned defensive lineman, Isaac Alarcon. The talent of the Cowboys roster extends to the practice squad, and I want to discuss three players who are most likely to be called up to the active gameday roster throughout the season. Practice Squad Notes First, let’s talk about how the practice squad works for a better understanding of the rules when players get called up to the active roster. Practice squad players can be called up to the active gameday roster three times throughout the course of the season before teams have to make a decision. Once a player is called up for the third time, teams cannot send the player back to the practice squad. At this point, teams must decide to sign the player to the 53-man roster or be forced to release the player into the free agent pool. Strategy and roster maneuvering are a large part of the process, and the Cowboys have always been adept at managing this. Here are three players that the Cowboys will likely call up three times and eventually sign to the active 53-man roster. DE Carl Lawson Carl Lawson was signed by the Cowboys a few weeks ago to add depth to a defensive end room that suffered the loss of Sam Williams to a torn ACL. The Cowboys appeared to give younger players a chance to shine, but no one outside of rookie Marshawn Kneeland has stepped up to the plate. Lawson was released by the Cowboys initially, causing Philadelphia fans to mock the team after several of us celebrated his signing and the impact he could have on Mike Zimmer‘s defense. However, Eagles fans are usually not smart enough to realize that it was simply smart roster maneuvering because, as a vested veteran, Lawson is not subject to waivers. He was immediately signed right back to the practice squad as he continues to ramp up into football shape, and he will likely be on the active roster week 1 and beyond. The first three games will be a test for Lawson to determine if he will be signed to the active roster. RB Dalvin Cook Dalvin Cook is another veteran that will likely be on the active roster for the first three weeks of the season on a trial basis. Cook is 29 years old, but he still showed some explosiveness during the postseason as a member of the Ravens’ backfield. Many say that he can still be more explosive than Ezekiel Elliott, who took zero preseason reps. I’m not sure if the Cowboys did that to preserve his legs, which already have over 2,000 carries, or if he roster spot is so secure that they didn’t feel he needed to take any preseason snaps. Don’t be surprised if the Cowboys alternate healthy scratches for Elliott and Cook throughout the season in an effort to see which running back is more important to the offense. OL Josh Ball Josh Ball proved to be a valuable piece of the offensive line this preseason, and was recognized as one of the highest graded offensive linemen by Pro Football Focus. The Cowboys must not have seen what PFF saw because they sent Ball to waivers, instead keeping the oft-injured Matt Waletzko and second-year Asim Richards on the roster. Ball cleared waivers and landed back on the practice squad. Ball has a good chance to be called up to the active roster this season because of the flexibility he provides to the Cowboys’ offensive line. He can play either guard spot, and prefers to play right tackle, but could fill in at left tackle in a pinch. Waletzko is limited strictly to right tackle, and with Chuma Edoga on Injured Reserve, Ball’s services may be needed sooner than later depending on the gameday matchup.

With three rookie starters taking the field next week against the Cleveland Browns, there has been a ton of focus on the 2024 Cowboys draft class, and for good reason. What we may be forgetting, however, is that the 2023 draftees have an even larger importance this season. Last season, Dallas saw perhaps their worst draft class performance in years. They got virtually no positive contributions from any of their rookies. 2023 Dallas Cowboys Draft Class 1: Mazi Smith, Michigan2: Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan3: DeMarvion Overshown, Texas4: Junior Fehoko, San Jose State5: Asim Richards, North Carolina6: Eric Scott Jr., Southern Miss6: Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State7: Jalen Brooks, South Carolina — RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) April 29, 2023 The 1st round pick had just nine solo tackles, the 2nd round pick caught eight passes, and a preseason torn ACL wiped out the season of the 3rd round pick before it could even begin. The picks later than them were just as irrelevant, and now two of them have been cut. There’s no need to beat a dead horse; Cowboys fans know just how bad things were last season for this crop of rookies. What fans want to know is, will they overcome the rough start for a rebound season in 2024? That, my friends, is what we’re here to discuss. So let’s get into it. Here is a look at the five most important 2023 Cowboys draftees that will try to kick off a major redemption tour when Dallas takes the field against the Cleveland Browns next Sunday. Jalen Brooks: Rising up the Receiver Ranks? The last pick in the 2023 Cowboys draft class, Wide Receiver Jalen Brooks has been quietly making a name for himself in the Dallas offense. Coming out of South Carolina, Brooks was viewed as a low-floor, high-ceiling prospect with natural speed, ball skills, and a workable build. Heading into his second year in Dallas, some think those “traits” are becoming talents. Brooks beat out some serious competition for his roster spot, namely Jalen Cropper, Tyron Billy-Johnson, and Deontay Burnett. Now, his next challenge will be beating out Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, and rookie Ryan Flournoy for snaps in the regular season. Cooper Rush deep bomb to Jalen Brooks pic.twitter.com/SUNI8mITCl — Billy M (@BillyM_91) August 11, 2024 Dallas’ opening depth chart has Brooks as the WR4 behind CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Tolbert, which means he only needs to surpass the ladder to become a full-time starter. This speedster is one of the key guys to watch this season. His work in the short and mid-game is promising because of his yards after catch ability, and man can he beat you deep for a huge gain. It is just going to be a question of can Brooks put it all together to go from a late-round draft pick to a starter. Deuce Vaughn: The Little Man Earns a Roster Spot Speaking of earning a roster spot, how about the little guy, Deuce Vaughn snatching a spot on the 53-man straight out of Malik Davis and Royce Freeman’s hands? It was an impressive preseason for the second-year running back, and with weak talent at his position, he could be a surprise candidate to break-out after a lackluster rookie season. That said, a recent addition to the roster could damage his playing-time prospects this season. The Cowboys brought in former All-Pro Dalvin Cook, which puts the running back room at Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Dalvin Cook, Vaughn, and Hunter Luepke. In short, the room is crowded, and it may be too crowded for the 5’5 Kansas State alum to get meaningful playing time this season. That does not mean, however, that this has not been a successful offseason for Vaughn. His place in Dallas was no guarantee heading into the roster cuts, but his preseason performance forced the Cowboys to keep him. Deuce Vaughn had 14 preseason rush attempts and gained 3+ yards on all of them. pic.twitter.com/jCPoAuxfG4 — Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) August 25, 2024 Where Vaughn does carry potential is with the age of two of the backs ahead of him. Both Cook and Elliott are 29, and they don’t have the ability they once did. If anything were to happen to them, or if their performance was not up-to-par, you can expect Dowdle and Vaughn to reep the benefits. It is a big year for Vaughn, but making the roster was his biggest challenge, and he has proven he deserves to be on it. DeMarvion Overshown: The Long Awaited Return The absence of 3rd rounder, DeMarvion Overshown, was a dark cloud over last season from start to finish. The Cowboys linebacker problems plagued the defense, as they had safeties playing out of position and guys that had no business seeing major playing time getting starter reps. Could things have been different with Overshown present? I’m willing to bet he’d at least have made a solid impact, even if he couldn’t have single-handedly changed the outcome of the Packers game. His speed, size, athleticism, and overall potential had Cowboys fans salivating heading into last season, so you can imagine after a year of recovering, this entire fanbase is clamoring for Overshown to become a leader on defense. DeMarvion Overshown says he feels great, and was held out of the #Cowboys preseason finale as a precaution. He is heading into his first-ever NFL regular season game on Sept. 8 — elated and smiling big — after his 2023 ACL tear. “I’m so excited. I’m ready to strap ‘em up.” — Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) August 29, 2024 Expectations may need to be lowered some, as Overshown is still coming off an ACL tear, which can linger. Even if it does take him a little while to get truly up to speed, his talent is a huge boost for a Cowboys linebacker unit that desperately needs it. Eric Kendricks and Damone Clark alone is not enough. Overshown has a big role in 2024. We’ll see just how much of an

The Dallas Cowboys have one year left with Dak Prescott as quarterback, and the writing is on the wall for a separation. A separation would be terrible without a backup plan in place. As fans know, Dak Prescott and Jerry Jones have been trading slight jabs in the media. It feels slightly eerie, but this may be it for Prescott and the Cowboys. The backup plan could be a legacy player for the Dallas Cowboys, living up to his star Dallas Cowboy father’s big personality and talent while bringing his uniqueness to the team. Dak Prescott and Cowboys Divorce Dak Prescott and Jerry Jones are involved in a public dispute, akin to an unhappy married couple who can’t seem to leave each other alone. Prescott wants a new deal, as he will be playing out the final year of his contract. To the dismay of many fans, Prescott deserves a new contract. If Dak Prescott does play out the final year of his contract, the Dallas Cowboys will not be able to pay him, as the rest of the quarterback-needy teams will outbid Jerry Jones. Jerry Jones and the front office may be ready to move on from their franchise quarterback, who can’t seem to get over the playoff hump he’s had his entire career. The front office would give up on a quarterback with a 73-41 career regular season record and a 2-5 playoff record. He has been one of the best statistical quarterbacks in the NFL since he entered the league in 2016. Those wins and statistics do not hold much value if he cannot win a Super Bowl. This has led many to believe it’s a Super Bowl victory or nothing this season. This means it will likely be an ugly divorce for the Cowboys and one of the best quarterbacks in the franchise’s history. But there could be a silver lining. The Silver Lining Football fans across the country watched one of the first games of the college football season between the Colorado Buffalo’s and the North Dakota State Bison. On the sideline of the game was one of the best NFL players in history, who nowadays goes by Coach Prime. It is none other than Deion Sanders, the Hall of Fame cornerback and Cowboy Super Bowl winner. Coach Prime has a pretty good quarterback on his team, Shedeur Sanders. As every football fan knows, Shedeur Sanders is Deion Sanders’ son, and the kid has the same big personality and talent as his father. This could be the perfect pairing. Shedeur Sanders would bring a media storm to Dallas. Guess who loves media coverage? Jerry Jones. Sheduer Sanders would bring a different type of quarterback play along with the media storm. A style of play that may help the Cowboys get over the playoff hump the fan base needs. Shedeur Sanders Quarterback Style In 11 games as a starter in 2023, Sanders completed 298 of 430 attempts (69.3%) for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns, and three interceptions. Shedeur Sanders has frequently been compared to Geno Smith, the former West Virginia quarterback who played for the New York Jets and is now the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. Both players achieved great success in college. Smith earned first-team All-Big East honors in 2011 and second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2012 after West Virginia’s conference change. Sheduer Sanders does not see his comparison to Geno Smith. His answer may surprise you. Shedeur Sanders opens up about life under the spotlight, embracing the hate, and comparing himself to Tom Brady and Mike Vick. LINK TO HIS FULL INTERVIEW WITH COMPLEX: https://t.co/eXdwX18FdJ pic.twitter.com/njfCXhatXT — Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) November 9, 2023 A blend of Tom Brady and Michael Vick would create an almost unstoppable quarterback. If Shedeur can match this comparison, please bring these qualities to the Dallas Cowboys. He has trained with Peyton Manning and Brady since he was in high school. That training alone could help him become the Tom Brady/Michael Vick hybrid he believes he is now. Drafting a Future Quarterback It would not be easy to get Sanders, as he should be a top-10 pick in the 2025 draft, but wheelin’ and dealin’ Jerry may come to the draft this year. Having Jerry Jones as a general manager helps in this situation, but Deion Sanders’s statements to the media could be the most significant advantage. “I know where I want them to go. … There’s certain cities where that ain’t gonna happen,” Deion Sanders said on a recent podcast appearance. “It’s going to be an ‘Eli.’” Deion Sanders’s statement could be telegraphing his son’s move to the NFL. He wants his son in major market cities. What city has the biggest market when it comes to football? The answer is America’s Team. Deion’s influence on Shedeur’s draft could give Jerry Jones room to trade up and go for Shedeur Sanders. This would be a dream scenario for Jerry Jones, Deion Sanders, and many fans who are ready to move on from Dak Prescott. Is it likely to happen? Many fans following the Dallas Cowboys during Jerry Jones’s reign know that anything is possible with this front office.