Report: Cowboys to bring back former player, assistant coach for third stint with team Todd Brock The Cowboys continue to round out their coaching staff for first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer. Their latest hire will be donning the star for a third time, both as a player and a coach. Carlos Polk will reportedly be tabbed as the team’s assistant special teams coach, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. Polk has spent the past three seasons in that same role with the Bears. Polk had previously interviewed for the Cowboys’ special teams coordinator position. That job ultimately went to the 49ers’ Nick Sorensen on Jan. 28; Polk will now work directly under Sorensen…. for the second time in his career. Polk, who will turn 48 later this month, has been with five NFL teams- all as a special teams assistant- since 2010. He was with Dallas in 2019, the final year of the Jason Garrett regime. Prior to that, he served on staff with the Chargers and Buccaneers; after not being retained by Mike McCarthy in 2020, Polk was out of the game for year. He returned to the sidelines in 2021 in Jacksonville, where he was Sorensen’s special teams assistant coordinator the first time, for the Jaguars’ 2021 season, before finally landing in Chicago in 2022. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] As a player, Polk was listed as a linebacker but made the majority of his impact on special teams over eight NFL seasons. Drafted by San Diego in the fourth round out of Nebraska in 2001, Polk was named Special Teams Player of the Year by his Chargers teammates the following season. In 2006, a four-game stretch where he filled in for Shawne Merriman helped him earn the team’s Ed Block Courage Award. The next year, he shared the club’s Most Inspirational Player Award with quarterback Philip Rivers. But Polk did not make the Chargers roster in 2008, and he found himself on the free agency market. That’s when the Cowboys came calling, reuniting him with head coach Wade Phillips, who had been his defensive coordinator in San Diego. A depth signing by Dallas, Polk did contribute on special teams but was not re-signed after the 2008 campaign, spelling the end of his playing career. Now back in Dallas in a familiar role and under a coordinator he knows well, Polk will help head up a unit that includes Pro Bowl kicker Brandon Aubrey and All-Pro returner KaVontae Turpin as well as special teams standouts C.J. Goodwin, Israel Mukuamu, Nick Vigil, Juanyeh Thomas, and Markquese Bell.

Report: Cowboys to hire college WR coach who Cooper Kupp calls ‘the best there is’ Todd Brock The Cowboys obviously weren’t playing in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, relegated to watching from home as the two top teams in the NFL battled for football’s ultimate prize. Even so, the team was at work, zeroing in on a key hire over the weekend. It’s an encouraging move that could bring the Cowboys a step or two closer to the big stage one year from now. Dallas is expected to name Junior Adams as the team’s new wide receivers coach. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Todd Archer and later confirmed by other outlets. Adams has been the wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator for the Oregon Ducks since 2022. This will be the 45-year-old’s first job at the pro level. A California native, Adams played wide receiver in college at both Oregon State and Montana State. He remained at Montana State to begin his coaching career in 2004. After three seasons on staff with the Bobcats, he went back to high school, spending a year at Washington’s Prosser High. There, under longtime head coach Tom Moore (Kellen Moore’s father), he helped lead the school to a state title in 2007. Adams went on to stints at Chattanooga, Eastern Washington, Boise State, Western Kentucky, and Washington before ending up at Oregon. While at Eastern Washington for five seasons, Adams played a key role in the development of an undersized and seldom-used pass-catcher named Cooper Kupp into a premier NFL-caliber talent. Kupp has called Adams “the best there is” and said that no coach has ever had a greater impact on him than Adams. “As hard as he can be on you, I think he sees more in people than they see in themselves a lot of the time,” Kupp once told Mike Vorel of the Seattle Times. “I think he sees the best in people as well, and he wants to bring that out. He definitely pushed me and really forced me to accept the fact that I could be greater than what my own thoughts were. “I really credit a lot of my mindset and the way that I’ve gone about my whole career – the mindset I’ve taken into my training, into my preparation – I credit a lot of that to Coach Adams.” [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] The addition of Adams to Brian Schottenheimer’s staff has already led some to wonder if the Cowboys may try to maximize his success with Kupp by also bringing the All-Pro receiver to Dallas. The Rams have reportedly told the MVP of Super Bowl LVI that they are seeking to trade him. Adams has also had a hand in the ascension of current NFL receivers Jalen McMillan, Rome Odunze, and Puka Nacua. And while serving as offensive coordinator at Western Kentucky, he was a mentor to Hilltoppers quarterback Mike White, who went on to be a fifth-round draft pick of the Cowboys in 2018 and has since gone on to play for the Jets, Dolphins, and Bills. In Dallas, Adams will replace wide receivers coach Robert Prince, who was on staff for three seasons and is now with Miami.

Cowboys dead last in NFC spending at this position, just $3 million before free agency, draft K.D. Drummond The Cowboys have completed the mission. After heavily investing in the running back position in both draft and financial capital, things have bottomed out. In 2016, Dallas invested the No. 4 overall pick on the position, drafting Ezekiel Elliott. Three years later they invested financially making him the highest paid player in the history of the position. Four years after that, while still carrying $just under $6 million in dead money after releasing Elliott, they slapped a $10 million franchise tag on Tony Pollard. Still, even in 2024, they still had $6.4 million in space being used by Elliott’s old contract. So it is just now that they’ve landed on the less invested side of things in that regard. And landed their with authority, it might be added. The Cowboys churned out another 1,000 yard rusher, but he is a free agent, leaving just three players with under 100 total carries amongst them remaining on the roster. So what comes next? Rostered: $3.09 million in cap space The Cowboys have three players under contract for 2025, Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis and Hunter Luepke, who count for only $3.09 million in cap space. That’s the lowest total among all NFC teams and 30th overall. None of the three backs have proven much, with only Luepke feeling like he has a great chance to stick. Pending Free Agents Rico Dowdle, the team’s starter the majority of the season and bell cow the last half of it, hits free agency for the first time. Undrafted in 2020, an injury stole his 2021 season and it took him until this year to become a consistent contributor. He’s seen as the fourth or fifth-best back available in free agency after averaging 4.6 yards a carry on his way to 1.079 rushing yards with another 249 through the air. Dowdle’s average is a true representation of what to expect on any given carry, as his longest run was just 27 yards and he rarely broke off big gains. The Cowboys are likely looking for someone with more juice to lead the way in their new play-action based system. Prediction: Dowdle signs elsewhere. External Free Agents The Cowboys are likely going to want to meet all types of runners on their offseason roster before making their way to the draft. Luepke is the short-yardage guy, and he’s expected to make the 2025 roster regardless. Davis has the all-around label and Vaughn… well Vaughn has a touching story. The Cowboys will likely be looking for a speed merchant style of back, but more than likely at a discount. Prediction: Jordan Mason could see free agency this year. He’s a restricted free agent but was undrafted and it would be a big ask for the 49ers to offer him a second-round tender while also paying Christian McCaffrey big money. If he comes free, he’s the guy that would make a ton of sense to spend the NFL version of the mid-level exception on. A two year, $7 million deal with two void yearsbmay get him in the fold. 2025 NFL Draft The Cowboys are expected to be players in the market for a top running back in a deep class. Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty may slide down to No. 12 and make the decision very hard on Will McClay and company. If not, Omarion Hampton (UNC) and Treyveon Henderson (OSU) could be second and third-round targets who offer breakaway speed at any given moment. Prediction: The Cowboys go elsewhere with their top pick, Hampton is snatched before they hit the clock in Round 2 and Henderson is the pick in Round 3.

Dallas Cowboys aspire to build an elite Eagles-level offensive line reidhanson The Philadelphia Eagles just won the Super Bowl after winning the conference two of the last three seasons . They laid claim to the NFL’s highest honor on the backs of their offensive line. The Eagles O-line made things easy for the plethora of playmakers wearing midnight green on Sunday night in New Orleans. Saquon Barkley might get most of the credit for the Eagles’ dominant ground game, but those who’ve been paying attention know the offensive line is the real hero in Philadelphia this season. The Eagles success has given the Dallas Cowboys something to aspire to in 2025. Not only is Klayton Adams, Dallas’ new offensive coordinator, one of the NFL’s best offensive line coaches, but the Cowboys new actual offensive line coach, Conor Riley, is also highly regarded in his role. As if that wasn’t enough, the Cowboys holdover tight end coach, Lunda Wells, is a respected offensive line mind as well.The Cowboys have a clear focus on their offensive line this offseason and they have all the money-backed moves to prove it. Whether the Cowboys can bridge that gap between them and the Eagles in a single offseason remains to be seen. Philadelphia won Pro Football Focus’ honors for being the top offensive line in the NFL in 2024 while the Cowboys finished ranked just 25th.  The Eagles also finished in the top 10 in both pass block win rate and run block win rate, while the Cowboys only cracked the top 10 in run block win rate. To the surprise of no one, the Cowboys’ pass protection rated just 24th in this ESPN metric. It should be no surprise Jalen Hurts had the longest time to throw (TTT) in the NFL last season, averaging 3.23 seconds per drop back. Cooper Rush (2.36 seconds) and Dak Prescott (2.64 seconds) finished in the NFL’s bottom seven (of those playing at least 20 percent of the snaps) in 2024. When kept clean, Hurts posted a 92.8 offensive grade, good for top five in the NFL. When under pressure he was third worst. Hurts was just a hair above Daniel Jones when playing under pressure, company no self-respecting quarterback wants to find themselves amongst. All Hurts did in the Super Bowl was win MVP, being one of the most OL-dependent players in the NFL. Hurts still had to perform, but it’s a similar ask to that of the Kyle Shanahan QBs in San Francisco. Barkley dominated the NFL in yards before contact behind his elite offensive line; it was them who deserve the bulk of the credit for his historic season, opening holes and keeping him clean and untouched for so long, down after down. Barkley was still a beast as a runner, finishing No. 6 in yards after contact/attempt in 2024, but Rico Dowdle also finished in the top 10 in this RB specific performance stat and he’s hardly considered elite . There’s a lesson the Eagles have taught Dallas this season and a blueprint for success the new coaching staff seems particularly qualified to follow. It’s all about the offensive line and the Cowboys seem to finally understand that. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Follow all of your favorite Texas teams at Cowboys Wire, Longhorns Wire, Texans Wire, Rockets Wire and Aggies Wire!

WATCH: Did Cowboys legend Jimmy Johnson just retire from TV in weird A.I. segment before Super Bowl? Todd Brock Jimmy Johnson has seen quite a few of his biggest life moments unfold on live television. The former coach who took over the doormat Cowboys in 1989 and then turned them into one of the most dominant teams in NFL history with back-to-back Super Bowl wins learned he was going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame while on the air at Fox Sports. Then he found out he was finally being put into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor in the same way. On Sunday, a lengthy video tribute to Johnson that recapped his entire football life in emotional detail had viewers of Super Bowl LIX’s pregame show thinking another big reveal was coming from the 81-year-old. So… did Johnson just retire… or not??? The NFL on Fox crew set up the piece as “a one-of-a-kind look back” at Johnson’s legendary career, using artificial intelligence. Then, using computer-generated effects, a CGI Johnson strode onto the field at a virtual AT&T Stadium. With Johnson’s digitally-altered voice providing the narration, the next four and a half minutes took viewers back in time to Johnson’s days as an defensive lineman at Arkansas in 1964. A young-looking Johnson avatar told his own story of his college days, including his friendship with teammate Jerry Jones and the national championship their team won. A tour through his college coaching stops followed, foreshadowing his later pairing with Terry Bradshaw (then a Johnson recruit at Louisiana Tech) and recalling the famous “Hail Flutie” play that shocked the world while Johnson was on staff at Miami. His AI self sporting a touch of grey in his perfectly-coifed hair (not to mention that sweet Apex jacket, for those that remember), Johnson next walked viewers through the dramatic turnaround he engineered as Cowboys head coach in the early 1990s. His Dolphins stint earned a mention, but the piece ended with the real Johnson in footage that looked to be shot at the real AT&T Stadium, being welcomed back to the set by his real deskmates. After a quick moment between the modern-day Johnson and his 21-year-old self, it was back to the live Super Bowl set in New Orleans, where an emotional Johnson was in tears. What followed was strange, to say the least, The coach, in a shaky voice, went on to thank a long list of people for his career in the game, including his family and the players and coaches he’s worked with along the way. Johnson’s co-hosts were gathered around the set and took turns practically eulogizing the legendary coach and waxing very poetic about his life, his character, and how much they all loved him. It sounded for all the world like a big farewell was coming. Curt Menefee even asked after all the gushing, “Was that goodbye?” “One day at a time, Curt. One day at a time,” was Johnson’s reply. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Social media was divided about what they had just seen. Johnson has recently hinted at hanging up his microphone. He told Awful Announcing just this week, “I used to say ‘One more year,’ and then it got to be, ‘Well, I don’t know,’ and now it’s ‘One more day at a time.’ I never know. I’ll just see how I feel here going into next year.” So was it just high-tech filler for the pregame show or was it a retirement announcement? No one seems to know. Maybe not even Johnson. Whether you found Johnson’s AI video tribute incredibly moving and heartfelt or incredibly creepy and weird, nearly everybody found the whole thing at least a little confusing. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Cowboys shipped Super Bowl starting WR, different OT in ESPN’s 2024 redraft K.D. Drummond The 2024 NFL season comes to a close on Sunday evening, once the final whistle is blown on Super Bowl LIX. For the Dallas Cowboys, who missed the playoffs for the first time in four years, it was a disappointing campaign to say the least. Part of the issue with the Cowboys is that they haven’t gotten the kinds of contributions from their recent draft classes that they are used to. Both the 2023 and 2024 classes failed to contribute impact players, with the club not getting much of any traction with either classes first or second-round picks. DT Mazi Smith is on the precipice of the club designating him as a bust after two years and redrafting the position, and LT Tyler Guyton was oft-injured and oft-benched in his rookie season. TE Luke Schoonmaker hasn’t done much and DE Marshawn Kneeland missed a chunk of time with a knee injury. But what if things went a different way? ESPN conducted a 2024 redraft recently, going through 64 picks and giving teams chances at do-overs based on the performance of the rookie class. Instead of picking Guyton in a first-round trade down, Dallas stayed put and took an explosive rookie, and then circled back on the OT position instead of drafting Kneeland. 24. Dallas Cowboys Original pick: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama (DET traded up) New pick: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas I contemplated Olu Fashanu and Troy Fautanu at this spot to keep with the offensive line theme, but I kept coming back to the lack of explosive plays on offense. With CeeDee Lamb and Worthy, the Dak Prescott-led offense could get back to the playmaking it had in 2023, even if Worthy might not fit the size profile the Cowboys like in receivers. Worth had 59 catches for 638 yards and 9 total touchdowns with the Chiefs. — Todd Archer Worthy, the University of Texas product, is of course a starting wideout for the Super Bowl participating Kansas City Chiefs. He’s started 13 of 17 games in the regular season and his dazzling speed would’ve been exactly what Dallas wanted to get out of Brandin Cooks and Kavontae Turpin. 56. Dallas Cowboys Original pick: Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE, Western Michigan New pick: Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU The Cowboys had Suamataia in for a visit before the draft, and he was in the mix when they took Tyler Guyton in the first round. Guyton would have been the pick had he lasted to this spot. Suamataia started the first two games at left tackle for the Chiefs, but he did not answer their issues. Still, the potential remains as he’s just 22 years old. — Todd Archer Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Should Cowboys fans root for the Eagles in the Super Bowl to drive point home to Jerry Jones? K.D. Drummond On one hand, there’s no more hated franchise than the Philadelphia Eagles. During the 1980s and 1990s, the Eagles were the NFC East afterthought. While the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Washington franchise were winning up all the championships, the Eagles were the one competitor unable to cash in. That all changed as the millennium set to change, and since that point it’s been the Eagles’ world in the division. While the Giants have won two more Lombardis, it’s been Philadelphia that has maintained dominance year after year after year, winning one chip and now appearing in their third Super Bowl in eight seasons. And in that time, Dallas has been the not-quite-good enough franchise. The Cowboys have won plenty of divisions, but they haven’t done anything with those wins. It’s been 30 years since they sniffed an NFC Championship game, much less The Big Game. So that brings the other hand forward. Dallas fans are as frustrated as ever at owner and general manager Jerry Jones. Jones is no longer the maverick owner, willing to make daring moves in talent acquisition. He’d rather play it safe then invest in stars from other teams, or make boom-or-bust trades for superstars. Jones has gotten relatively boring but he doesn’t know it, still telling anyone who will listen they are wrong about his daring ways and refusing to take blame for the lackluster performance as he continues to roll in the dough. Will anything convince him to change directions? Maybe having to watch Jeffrey Lurie hoist another Lombardi from the celebratory platform would do the trick. All of the falsehoods the Cowboys have convinced themselves are reasonable explanations would turn into hollow excuses. The Eagles have a quarterback on a $255 million contract. They have a wide receiver making over $30 million a season, with another making $25 million per year. They’ve invested big money, yet they don’t whine about not having enough pieces of pie to go around that force them to cry they’re cap poor year after year after year. They just go out and acquire talent that helps their quest, like signing running back Saquon Barkley to form their Triplets with Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown. A Super Bowl win with all those stars making huge money would remove the one final cover that the Jones hide under, so in that vein it would make a ton of sense for Cowboys fans to pull for a Philadelphia victory. But then they’d have to live in a world where Eagles fans, the most smug, annoying awareness lacking people to jump in Cowboys’ fans social media mentions would be unbearable. So which reality could Cowboys fans stand the least?

Cowboys UDFA safety looking to re-establish himself before free agency reidhanson Once upon a time, a hardly known undrafted free agent named Markquese Bell saved the Dallas Cowboys season. It was early 2023 and the Cowboys endured a rash of injuries to their linebacker group. Starters, back-ups, even practice squad call-ups fell to injury that season. It put Dan Quinn’s defense in quite the predicament. Coming off two consecutive 12-win seasons, expectations were high in Dallas. The Cowboys were considered to be among the cream of the crop and couldn’t afford to fall flat at any position, especially the all-encompassing linebacker position. Quinn did what most coaches would do at that point; He stole from a position of strength. Bell, a safety by trade, just wanted to get on the field. And since there’s considerable overlap between Quinn’s LBs and his safeties, moving Bell into the new role wasn’t that crazy of an idea. So, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound defensive back from Florida A&M made the move inside, playing 608 of his 701 defensive snaps (per PFF snap tracking) from inside the box. Despite the slender build, Bell held up well that season. The Cowboys run-stopping issues were team wide and ongoing, but Bell did his best to fall onto on the asset side of the ledger rather than the liability side. His contributions were critical to the Cowboys’ success that season, and his presence allowed Dallas to post their third 12-win season in as many years. Pro Football Focus graded Bell’s play as 16th among the 60 qualifying LBs (50 percent of total snaps) that year. His 83.5 coverage grade was good enough to rank fourth in the NFL in 2023. He played well, not just given the circumstances, but overall and without qualifiers. Then 2024 came. Bell moved back to his natural position of safety and was effectively buried on the depth chart.  He played just 34 defensive snaps in 2024. He was a bit player in a forgettable season. Now with the 2025 season approaching, the Cowboys and Bell have decisions to make. The 26-year-old is a restricted free agent and eager to hit unrestricted free agency on a high note. If free agency would have happened after his 2023 campaign, he’d probably be playing on a hefty deal somewhere right now. But coming off a lackluster 2024 season his market is trending in the wrong direction. 2025 is a big year for Bell. The man who saved the Cowboys season two years ago is determined to reclaim his game in Dallas. Can he bump one of the veteran starters who are both coming off down seasons? Can he fight off fellow reserve safety Juanyeh Thomas for snaps? Bell is a player the Cowboys should want to re-sign this offseason. He’s a proven player with versatility and the motivation to succeed this year. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Trade Fodder? DK Metcalf among 5 coach-connected candidates Cowboys could call about Mike Crum The Dallas Cowboys have many holes to fill before they kick off the 2025 season, and while most fans worry about how the team will approach free agency, they could instead look to trade for upgrades. The last few significant trades that Jerry Jones have only recently been eclipsed in Dallas-area fandom ire by Nico Harrison jettisoning Luka Doncic, but there are some moves the Cowboys could make that would please the base in 2025. CeeDee Lamb needs a running mate. Jalen Tolbert hasn’t shown signs of being that guy, and Jonathan Mingo is a long shot to develop into one. New head coach Brian Schottenheimer has a history with a couple of players for whom the Cowboys could try to acquire. DK Metcalf had some of his best seasons with Schottenheimer as his offensive coordinator, including his second-highest receptions total (83), most ever receiving yards (1,303), and both of his top two touchdown receptions in a single season totals. Tyler Lockett also had his best Seattle seasons with Schottenheimer. His only 1000-catch campaign, as well as his highest receiving yards mark (1,175) tooks place with Schotty calling the shots. In addition, his top-four touchdown totals all came in that stretch. On the defensive end, new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton are familiar with a few options that the Cowboys could look to trade for. Andrew Billings is a 6-foot-1, 311-pound one-technique who signed with the Chicago Bears in 2023. Under Eberflus, Billings had his most tackles in a season, 39, and his lowest missed tackle percentage, at 4.9%. He also had the most pressures since his rookie season. The Cowboys could be losing Osa Odighizuwa to an enormous payday elsewhere. Sheldon Rankins is a defensive tackle who played one season under Whitecotton while on the New York Jets. He had his highest total tackles and lowest missed tackle percentage in that season. Defensive end John Franklin-Myers might have had his most productive season in 2024 with the Denver Broncos, but he developed under Whitecotton. He started all 50 games he played under him, averaging 35 tackles, five tackles for a loss, 24 pressures, 16 QB hits, and five sacks in three seasons. Dallas could sign cheap free agents with connections to their new coaching staff, like Leki Fotu, Javon Kinlaw, or Carl Lawson, but impactful trades could be the better way for the Cowboys to build a contending team.