The Dallas Cowboys cannot afford to waste any draft picks, despite their recent misuse of their fourth round picks. Some internal data must have told the front office that it’s better to use those selections on currently disappointing young veterans than rookies out of school. The team used their 2024 fourth rounder to acquire QB Trey Lance who hasn’t seen any significant action in two seasons and is going to be a free agent in 2025 after originally being selected third overall by the San Francisco 49ers. Earlier this season, the club sent away their 2025 fourth rounder to bring in WR Jonathan Mingo, who has yet to show any serious ceiling in his handful of games. We can’t fix that in real life, but in the mock draft world, we can work to correct such errors by trading back. The Cowboys are going to have plenty of holes to fill this coming offseason, and the biggest might be the replacement of Zack Martin, who has hinted at retirement and is now out for the year with an ankle injury. His decision will likely include consideration of the new coaching staff and blocking scheme, as he’s had two down years under Mike Solari. In this mock, we assume he’s calling it a Hall-of-Fame career. Other considerations are the departure of WR Brandin Cooks, DT Osa Odighizuwa and other needs. Here’s a look at a four-round mock draft conducted on Pro Football Focus. Cowboys pick at No. 13 The current draft order projection for Week 14 is that the Cowboys’ 5-7 record places them 13th in the first-round draft order. Cowboys Team Needs Sep 28, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones on the field before the game against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium. Dallas beat New Orleans 38-17. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports Dallas has needs all over the place, and as always will have to balance their free agent moves… ahaha just kidding. They’ll need to balance their availability projections. If they need to fill two positions pretty equally, and one is top heavy and the other is deep, it’s probably a better decision to grab the prospect from the top-heavy position. Dallas is in need of a running back, wideout, defensive end, and defensive tackle. They could also potentially need safety help, depending on if they give the youngsters a chance to show their worth, along with linebacker depth. And as explained above, QB shouldn’t be ruled out if one who they think is special is staring them in the face. Top 12 picks ahead of Dallas BOULDER, COLORADO – APRIL 27: Travis Hunter #12 of the Colorado Buffaloes warms-up prior to their spring game at Folsom Field on April 27, 2024 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) Jacksonville Jaguars : WR/CB Travis Hunter, Colorado Las Vegas Raiders: RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State New York Giants: DT Mason Graham, Michigan New England Patriots: WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona Carolina Panthers: DE Abdul Carter, Penn State New York Jets: Safety Malaki Starks, Georgia Tennessee Titans: QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama Cleveland Browns: T Wil Campbell, LSU New Orleans Saints: Edge Nic Scourton, Texas A&M Cincinnati Bengals: CB Will Johnson, Michigan Chicago Bears: WR Luther Burden III, Missouri Miami Dolphins: OT Kelvin Banks, Jr., Texas 1.13: Dec 29, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Josh Simmons (71) blocks Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Darius Robinson (6) during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports With the departure of Martin, the Cowboys look to immediately replace him with a midwest tackle they’ll shift inside. Hopefully similar results as their 2014 choice ensue. Simmons stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 310 pounds, and is a monster whose minimal deficits will be mitigated on the interior and wealth of talents put to greater use. Simmons has missed time this season after knee surgery, but the power and athleticism he showed will make him an easy first-round selection if his medicals are cleared. Trade Down: New England Patriots Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports The Patriots wanted to package their two third-round picks to move up into the second round and Dallas jumped at the chance to demand an early fourth rounder as well, in exchange for including their own fifth rounder. Cowboys receive 3.68, 3.83, 4.105 Patriots receive 2.45, 5.149 Cowboys Mock Draft 5.0 Complete Haul Sep 30, 2023; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Utah State Aggies wide receiver Jalen Royals (1) runs the ball for a touchdown against the UConn Huskies in the second half at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports 1.13 OG Josh Simmons, Ohio State 3.68 WR Jalen Royals, Utah State 3.77 DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon 3.83 DT Deone Walker, Kentucky 4.105 RB Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State

This is currently the Cowboys offense’s best chance without Dak Prescott reidhanson Cooper Rush has played in eight games in 2024, starting four while logging a total of 320 snaps. In that time, he’s passed the ball 185 times, completing 112, for a total of 1,008 passing yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. His 48.0 grade at Pro Football Focus ranks him last in the NFL by a rather significant margin and his -0.027 EPA+CPOE composite score backs up such a claim (also last in the NFL). It’s safe to say at this point the Cowboys know what they have in Rush. Despite banging out two consecutive wins, he’s not a quarterback that elevates a team. And despite calls to open up the offense and take more shots downfield, Mike McCarthy appears to be doing the smart thing with his replacement QB by taking a conservative approach. The Cowboys opponent in Week 14 begs such a conservative attack. The zone-happy Bengals defense ranks 28th in EPA/dropback, 29th in rush EPA allowed and 30th in total EPA allowed. They are vulnerable to both the run and the pass and as long as Dallas plays within themselves, they should be able to find success against the Cincinnati defense. In situations such as this it will be tempting for the Cowboys to take shots down the field. That’s not only unnecessary, but it asks Rush to succeed in an area of personal weakness. Based on FTN Data shown by Doug Analytics, Rush has thrown catchable deep balls on less than 30 percent of his attempts this season. He’s also bottom three in attempts and catchability percentage. PFF tracking shows Rush has attempted 16 passes of 20 or more yards and completed just four of them for a 25 percent completion rate. One of those passes qualified as a big-time throw and one pass qualified as a turnover worthy throw. It’s arguably the biggest inefficiency in his game, making the case for McCarthy to avoid deep passes with Rush at the helm. Even in the 10–19-yard range Rush has struggled in 2024. His completion percentage sits at just 40 percent and this intermediate range grades as his poorest on the field with him throwing three times as many turnover worthy throws than big time throws. For as much as the Cowboys running game and defense have struggled in 2024, they are areas Dallas simply has to lean on in order to win games. Combined with a dink and dunk passing attack that plays inside the numbers, the Cowboys are best positioned to win games behind Rush at QB. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Why Cowboys’ Micah Parsons, Jake Ferguson, Rico Dowdle should have field days vs Bengals reidhanson Injuries and poor defense are shared character traits between the two teams meeting for Monday Night Football in Week 14. Not only do the Cincinnati Bengals have the 30th-ranked defense in the NFL but, just this week alone they’ve lost left tackle Orlando Brown, linebacker Logan Wilson and kicker Evan McPherson to injury. Not to be outdone, the Dallas Cowboys boast a cellar-dwelling defense themselves, ranking 28th in EPA per play in 2024. Injures continue to be an issue on both sides of the ball with left tackle Tyler Guyton, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, and IR-bound Zack Martin all expected to miss action in Week 14. The shared dysfunction between the two teams promises for an entertaining evening as the offenses roll in what could become a comedic shootout. The Bengals remain one of the top offenses in the NFL this season. Led by Joe Burrow, the Cincinnati passing attack is of elite variety and the Dallas secondary will have their work cut out for them limiting the damage. Pressure on the passer will be paramount to the secondary’s success. Matchup winner No. 1: Micah Parsons . (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) Since returning from injury in Week 10, Parsons has been on a tear. The Cowboys All-Pro has logged seven sacks and averaging 5.5 pressures/game according to Pro Football Focus tracking. And he is doing it all without a pass rushing counterpart opposite of him on the defensive line. What has helped is the emergence of linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. Mike Zimmer has weaponized the explosive second-year playmaker and turned him into a blitz nightmare for opponents. It’s clear, Overshown is now drawing attention which only means good things for Parsons down the stretch. The Bengals are without their starting LT on Monday so matchups will be there if Zimmer is willing to exploit them. This may also be the first game all season Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis all play together at the cornerback position. If this finally comes to fruition and the pass rush can do their part, the defense may shock some people against this highly feared Cincinnati offense. Matchup winner No. 2: Jake Ferguson Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports After missing the previous two games to injury, Ferguson has cleared concussion protocol and returned to the field. It’s been a disappointing season for the 2023 Pro Bowler and Ferguson is hungry to notch his first 100-yard game of the season. Week 14 might be his chance. Not only is Cincinnati one of the worst TE-defending teams in the NFL, but they are now without star linebacker Wilson. Ferguson should see plenty of opportunity to make up for lost time against the sixth-worst TE-defending secondary, because the Cowboys are finally starting to trust their backup TEs, Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford, more in blocking assignments. Matchup winner No. 3: Rico Dowdle . Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Dowdle has quietly become a legitimate starting running back in Dallas this season and the Cowboys couldn’t be happier. Once stuck in a timeshare with Ezekeil Elliott, Dowdle has separated from the pack and now demands the lion’s share of opportunities. Just last week Dowdle ranked sixth in the bellcow report meaning he’s becoming on the NFL’s most leaned on RBs. Dowdle also broke free, so to speak, of his explosive play problem. After ranking near the bottom of the league in explosive play percentage most of the season, Dowdle found that extra shimmy and deployed that extra shake that’s needed to make the second level miss. The Bengals lean on zone defense so they’ll be begging Cooper Rush to dink and dunk them to death, but this isn’t bad for Dowdle who should see plenty of action in both phases of the game. Will it be enough? . Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene-USA TODAY Sports It’s hard to see this maligned Cowboys defense doing enough to slow the NFL’s passing leader and NFL’s receiving yards leader but if the Cowboys can get all three of their starting CBs on the field they may have a chance. A big day from Parsons should force some mistakes and with any luck the defense can help the Dallas offense score some points for a change. Rush has been struggling in this 2024 edition of the offense and consistently rates as one of the poorest starting passers in the NFL. To expect him to carry his own in a shootout is probably just wishful thinking. The Cowboys really need this game to stay low scoring so Rush can play within himself and play the methodical type of attack this Cincinnati defense begs for. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Related articles . (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Manning family patriarch wants Arch Manning to play for Cowboys :: SI Link: Former NFL quarterback, and father to both Peyton and Eli Manning, Archie Manning, had a video surface on social media saying that he wants his grandson and current Texas Longhorn QB Arch Manning, to play for the Cowboys after college. Zack Martin can’t be replaced but this UDFA can carve out his own role :: Cowboys Wire Link: Cowboys future Hall of Fame guard Zack Martin is headed to injured reserve yet replacing him has gone well. Surprisingly, an undrafted free-agent lineman has given the team a fiery approach in Martin’s stead. Monday Night Simpsons :: NFL Jake Ferguson clears concussion protocol, expected to play in Cowboys vs. Bengals :: The Mothership Link: Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson suffered a concussion against the Texans and missed the last two contests. Dallas announced the starting TE has cleared protocols and will play against Cincinnati. Patriots legend Bill Belichick linked to Cowboys by insider :: Sporting News Link: Where there is smoke, there is fire and a familiar name continues to lurk. As Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy aims for an extension, behind the scenes, Bill Belichick’s name continues to be mentioned as a replacement for the lame-duck coach. NFC contender signs one former Cowboy to replace another :: The Landry Hat Link: Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore left Dallas for Minnesota this past offseason but the banged up corner is prompting his new team to find some help and they did so by signing former Cowboys second-round cornerback Kelvin Joseph. CeeDee Lamb returns to practice Friday with limited participation :: Pro Football Talk Link: Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb did not participate in Thursdays practice because of a nagging shoulder injury but returned Friday in limited fashion buy says he will play Monday night against the Bengals. It may be the end for Zack Martin but not for Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence: My story is not complete :: Alldlls Link: Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence put rumors to bed putting aside talk of retirement as he wants to continue his career. His return tot he field won’t come for at least two weeks as he says he wont play agaisnt the Bengals or Carolina. Stepping up | Amid injuries, the Cowboys are entering a new era of leadership :: WFAA Link: As the turnover continues in Dallas, the team is entering a new wave of leadership as players such as defensive end Micah Parsons and receiver CeeDee Lamb are now the leading voices replacing injured veterans like guard Zack Martin and DE DeMarcus Lawrence. Cowboys Bengals Injury Report :: Todd Archer Cowboys’ Jake Ferguson opens up about scary moments while dealing with concussion symptoms :: CBSSports Link: Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson said crying profusely after not being able to locate his wear bottle was an initial symptom in the days following a concussion he suffered in the teams Monday Night loss to the Texans.

Cowboys stopped gatekeeping this UDFA, now he’s among NFL’s best workhorses reidhanson My how far the pendulum swings. The Cowboys, stuck in a running back co-op seemingly forever this season, have now safely navigated into bell cow territory. Ezekiel Elliott’s struggles combined with Rico Dowdle’s maturation have pushed the latter into a lead role that most recently ranked the 26-year-old No. 6 on the latest bell cow report. Dowdle has long looked like the top dog in Dallas, even before the season started. Those familiar with the South Carolina product knew it was injuries and availability that had been holding him back. What Dowdle lacked in name recognition he made up for in talent and versatility. It’s why local media spent little time discussing the reunion with Elliott while the national media couldn’t get enough of it. Coming off his best yardage total and highest attempt total of the season, things aren’t likely to slow down for Dowdle any time soon. The 6-foot, 220-pound do-it-all back is primed for a run against some of the NFL’s worst defenses. With the exception of Philadelphia in Week 17, Dowdle has a favorable schedule ahead of him. Working further in his favor is the growth of the Cowboys offensive line. Though left tackle remains a mess, Terence Steele at right tackle is back to his dominant self as a run-blocker, reserve guards T.J. Bass and Brock Hoffman are making the case to be 2025 starters, and center Cooper Beebe is even starting to flash. Prior to Week 13 Dowdle was lacking explosive runs from his game. He fixed that against the Giants popping off multiple explosive runs he earned breaking and avoiding tackles at the second level. It moved his explosive run rate up from 6.3 percent to 8.2 percent on the season (per Sumer Sports) and has Dowdle positioned in that category ahead of players like Bijan Robinson and Aaron Jones. For as good as this is for Dowdle, the Cowboys overall running game still leaves something to be desired. Even with Dowdle the clear bell cow over the past three weeks, Dallas ranks 29th in team EPA/rush and 25th in team success rate running the ball in that time span. The film is getting better, the individual runner is getting better, the only thing that’s left is more positive output. Based on trends, that too is likely to be on the way. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Zack Martin can’t be replaced but this UDFA can carve out his own role reidhanson When Hillary Swank replaced Ralph Macchio as the Karate Kid in the franchise’s fourth movie, she wasn’t met with open hearts and open minds. For as annoying as the Daniel LaRusso character was at times, Macchio was a legend in his role. Swank never stood a chance in her bid to replace Macchio because legends simply can’t be replaced. Legends aren’t just the standard bearers for which all replacements are measured, they hold a mythical status to fans. Zack Martin holds that mythical status reserved for legends. For years he’s been the Cowboys most dominant player. He’s a generational offensive lineman who is both blue-chip and blue collar. He has been the model of consistency in Dallas and a beloved character in and out of the locker room. So, when Martin announced he’ll be having season-ending surgery this week and will not be returning to the field this year, fans were understandably heartbroken. It’s been long speculated 2024 will be Martin’s last year as a pro and the Cowboys will be turning the last page on this truly awesome offensive line era that once also featured him, Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick. Brock Hoffman, the man who has started in Martin’s place the last two weeks, will presumably replace him down the stretch as well. Fans loved what Hoffman brought to the table in his two starts. He graded out well in both phases of the game and was a frequent thorn in his opponents’ side up to and even after the whistle. Hoffman’s nasty attitude endeared him to fans and inspired teammates along the way. While this could make for a smooth transition to the new era, filling in for injury is one thing but replacing a legend on a more permanent basis is something else entirely. The good news for Hoffman is that he doesn’t need to be Martin. The Cowboys have something like that already in 2023 All-Pro Tyler Smith. What they need from Hoffman is for the 25-year-old to just be his regular, cantankerous self. Instead of trying to fill Martin’s enormous shoes, Hoffman just needs to bring a pair of his own. The value he brings isn’t in dominance at the point of attack it’s in his ability to put opponents on tilt and raise the energy amongst his brethren alongside him. It’s been a while since the Cowboys had a certified jerk on their offensive line and that might have been a problem. It takes all types to round a strong unit, and Hoffman fits his own unique role. Replacing Martin is impossible and if fans are looking for a player even half as dominant as Martin in his prime, they will be disappointed. But Hoffman brings different skills to the table, and who knows, as a developing player he may become a dominant blocker one day, too. The point is what he brings today is enough because it’s a special quality that’s been lacking from the unit. Hoffman isn’t Hillary Swank trying to replace Ralph Macchio, he’s a different karate franchise altogether. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Cowboys’ Zack Martin to have season-ending ankle surgery Todd Brock It’s the end of the season for one of the Cowboys’ all-time greats, and maybe even the end of the line. Right guard Zack Martin will require surgery to repair the damage from a right ankle injury he suffered in Week 11, according to head coach Mike McCarthy, who made the announcement in his Thursday press conference. The injury occurred during the fourth quarter of the team’s 34-10 loss to Houston and had kept Martin sidelined the past two games. The team had originally hoped Martin could rehab the ankle with a Week 14 return in mind, but his progress did not go as planned and led to this decision, which Martin and the club reached on Wednesday. Undrafted Brock Hoffman has gotten the start for Martin in both contests of the Cowboys’ current two-game win streak, and he looks to be the primary replacement once again on Monday when Dallas hosts the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night. “He’s gonna be missed. We’re not gonna replace Zack Martin, by no means,” McCarthy told reporters of the nine-time Pro Bowler who was just announced earlier in the day as a nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. “He brings so much to the team, to the team culture. We all recognize what a great player he has been here in Dallas for his whole career, but what he gives us as a person- people gravitate to him and he does a really good job of bringing people together. That offensive line room is really an illustration of his leadership, and he’ll definitely be missed in that area.” [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Both the Nov. 18 injury and Thursday’s announcement immediately raised questions about the future of the 34-year-old, who was the Cowboys’ first-round draft pick out of Notre Dame in 2014 and is now on the final year of his contract. After being absent for just two games over his first six pro seasons, Martin will have missed 16 contests over his last five years by the time the 2024 regular campaign ends. Micah Parsons inadvertently sparked some retirement whispers for the eleven-year veteran back in early November. After a loss to the Eagles, the Cowboys linebacker said, “I kind of feel bad for guys like Zack Martin and guys who might be on their last year, on their way out. Because that’s who I wanted to hold the trophy for.” When asked a few days later about playing beyond 2024, Martin himself wasn’t ready to give the topic serious consideration. “I’m just taking it one week at a time, my guy,” he told reporters. But now there are no more weeks for the seven-time first-team All-Pro… at least for this season, and maybe for good. “I think you just have to take a step back and deal with one thing at a time,” McCarthy said Thursday. “That, frankly, was the conversation that Zack and I had. The focus is really about the surgery, what’s next. Those are all questions that will be asked or be thought about.” Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Cowboys among NFL’s top teams in this valuable roster-building strategy reidhanson Building an NFL roster isn’t simply about finding and retaining talent. It’s also about knowing when to let go, knowing when to roll the dice and knowing where to find the most affordable labor force. For a team like the Cowboys, managing all three of these areas is critical to the wellbeing of the salary cap. Though the cap is highly malleable, and the Cowboys aren’t remotely close to maximizing their purchasing power under it, it is in fact a real entity that should be responsibly managed. Owners of what will likely be four contracts each averaging $19+ million in 2025, the cost-conscience Cowboys will be interested in cutting costs at all possible corners to keep payroll low and their wallets fat. One area where the Cowboys front office particularly excels in is populating their roster with players on rookie contracts. Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), players entering the NFL are capped on what they can receive in compensation from a team. Players often provide services well above their compensation levels, giving teams extraordinary bang for the buck throughout the length of their rookie deals. In 2024 the Cowboys are the No. 3 team in the NFL in snaps by players under rookie deals. In other words, the Cowboys are getting more snaps from players who have been in the NFL less than four complete seasons than 28 other teams. This puts measurements like “snap weighted age” into perspective since it lands Dallas on the other side of the spectrum. The Cowboys are 22nd in the snap weighted age (SWA) this season, meaning they are one of the older teams in the league based on contributions. What having the third most snaps on rookie contracts means is old players are skewing the numbers a bit on SWA and when those outliers fall off (possibly DeMarcus Lawrence, Zack Martin, Eric Kendricks and Brandin Cooks), the Cowboys will swing strongly to other side of the SWA spectrum. What having the third-most snaps from rookie-deal players doesn’t say is how well those players are performing. Being No. 3 doesn’t mean much when the Cowboys are 5-7 and longshots for a postseason berth. It does, however, show Dallas favors their youth and is giving their developing labor force valuable snaps to build on. It also outlines a plan moving forward. The Jonathan Mingo trade notwithstanding, the Cowboys value draft picks more than most other NFL teams. It allows them to afford their expensive superstars and it keeps the fan hope-o-meter pointing up as frequently as possible. It’s made middle class employees scarce in Dallas and requires a ready or not attitude with many offseason promotions, but it fills out a roster in the most affordable way possible. There are many ways for NFL teams to construct winning rosters in the NFL, but options dwindle once superstars start getting paid like superstars. It’s safe to say the strategy of leaning on rookie contracts is here to stay for quite a while in Dallas. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.