Dallas Cowboys News: Minicamp is an important date for some players

Cowboys 2024 Minicamp: 3 offensive players to follow closely on key offseason dates – Mauricio Rodríguez, A to Z Sports

These players have a lot at stake in these dates of the offseason calendar.

1. Quarterback Trey Lance

This is the obvious elephant in the room. The Cowboys hope to get as many looks as possible on the quarterback they gave up a fourth-round pick for, and minicamp will give them yet another opportunity to do so. Mike McCarthy has claimed that Lance has improved, even saying that he “is close to being a master of the system” and that he “has a very high understanding” of the offense. However, Lance needs reps. They all matter, including these ones from June.

2. Cooper Beebe

Although the third-round rookie won’t earn the starting role with the pads yet to be set, it will be important to monitor how many first-team reps he’s getting and, most importantly, who is giving him a run for his money.

Brock Hoffman, TJ Bass and even Dakoda Shepley have all gotten reps at center and the Cowboys coaching staff appears to be treating it as an open competition. Is Beebe starting to separate?

As the Rangers, Stars and Mavs compete for the championship, don’t forget: the Cowboys set the standard – David Moore, DMN

The success of the other local teams has turned Jerry Jones and the Cowboys into a meme, Moore writes, but he cautions against being more than what he is and provides some historical perspective.

The truth is that the Cowboys give context to what is currently happening. The Cowboys are, like it or not, the standard by which these other local franchises are judged.

How about this one: How many championships has each franchise won?

Mavericks: 1

Stars: 1

Ranger: 1

Add them up and it equals the number of Super Bowl championships the Cowboys have won. Well, the number they’ve won under Jerry Jones’ ownership. Add those other two before he took over and the total is five.

That may not resonate in today’s world — “Come on, I mean, Billie Eilish hasn’t had a global hit in weeks” — but it makes a difference.

Individual championships are exciting. The title chase captivates and energizes the fan base. But a franchise with multiple championships endures. The loyalty that achievement inspires runs deep and crosses generational lines. Extends the expiration date of goodwill.

The Cowboys challenged Pittsburgh as the team of the 1970s, but fell short. Dallas was the team of the nineties. Have the Rangers ever been in the conversation for Major League Baseball’s team of the decade? What about the Mavericks and the Stars?

Sure, Bill Clinton was president the last time the Cowboys hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. Rupert Murdoch decided to launch something called Fox News and actor Mel Gibson won an Oscar for Braveheart. All of this underscores that what the Cowboys did was ancient history.

But ask yourself this: Now that the Mavericks have advanced to face the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, will they be considered equal since each franchise has won a championship in the previous 16 years, or will the Celtics be hailed as NBA royalty? the NBA going against? An accidental tourist?

History matters.

NFL Football Power Index: 2024 Projections, Super Bowl Chances – Seth Walder, ESPN

The ESPN Analytics staff uses its Football Power Index to see how the season could play out, including a look at some Super Bowl odds:

Texans’ CJ Stroud lists Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott among top 5 NFL quarterbacks in 2023 – Julia Stumbaugh, Bleacher Report

The 2023 MVP runner-up gets the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year love.

CJ Stroud believes Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys was one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL during the 2023 season.

The Houston Texans star included himself and Prescott along with Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills in a top five list shared on Instagram.

“Dak’s tough, bro,” Stroud said. “Dak is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the world.”

PFF Interior Defender Rankings: Top 32 Ahead of 2024 NFL Season – Sam Monson, PFF

Osa Odighuzuwa is listed at number 23:

(Odighizuwa) is a rising player who has improved each season in the NFL after being selected by Dallas in the third round in 2021.

2023 was filled with career highs for Odighizuwa, who earned at least above-average PFF grades as a run defender and pass rusher. He finished with 44 total pressures and 27 defensive stops.

PFF also released their Linebacker grade over the weekend. Unfortunately, no Cowboys players made the top 32.

ESPN report: Cowboys ‘committed’ to Dak Prescott extension – Mark Heaney, Inside the Star

It’s moving at a snail’s pace, but the Dallas Cowboys appear to be committed to another deal with their veteran signal-caller.

In March, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said the path was “clear” for Prescott to hit free agency. Other top reports, including insider Adam Schefter, have said teams are preparing for him to be on the open market. Now, with the ESPN report offering a different tune, we may have to change our expectations about the future in Dallas.

Implications of the Prescott extension

Hypothetically, let’s say that Fowler’s report is completely accurate. The Cowboys and Prescott put aside the narratives of this offseason and sign a new contract that will likely break records. That move would have an immediate impact on Dallas for years to come. For starters, the media and fans can cut out all the writing and talk about the quarterback. Shedeur Sanders, Quinn Ewers or any other college quarterback will not be heading to the Cowboys with Prescott on a new contract.

If the deal has a standard length of 4 years, you shouldn’t expect a new quarterback in Dallas for at least a couple of years. This measure would also be a serious blow to defenders of the truth of Trey Lance. The future of the top three picks with the Cowboys depends entirely on Prescott’s walk. With an extension in place, I would expect the team to pursue a trade for Lance either before roster cuts or during the season. There is simply no future for Lance in Dallas with Prescott signed long-term.

Cowboys secondary matches up well against NFC East rivals – Reid Hanson, Cowboys Wire

Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has the pieces to have things “covered” in the division.

How Dallas Compares

Against the Eagles, Diggs matches up well with Brown. His long frame and aggressive nature give him an advantage against Philadelphia’s top weapon. Diggs’ loose style of play may allow for plays here and there, but it makes it difficult for Brown to gain body and leverage in contested situations.

Bland also appears to be a good matchup against Smith. Bland is a little tighter in coverage than Diggs and is better suited to playing zone defense where he faces the passer. He has the ability to shadow Smith because he can travel inside and has the strength to stay in traffic as Smith looks to create separation.

The Commanders have the shallowest pool of WR talent in the division, so it could be less about head-to-head matchups and more about scheme and discipline. As explained before, Zimmer may lean more on zone coverage against Washington since he doesn’t want his CB to turn their backs on Daniels. He will give a route tactician like McLaurin opportunities to find weak spots, but also limit overall damage. This should be a great way for Dallas to hone their zone coverage skills for when they face other top NFC opponents in the future.

Cowboys roster named 9th best in NFL by PFF – Matthew J. Lenix, Blogging the Boys

The Cowboys are just inside the top ten of the best teams in the league in this ranking.

The Dallas Cowboys roster will look much different in 2024 than it did a season ago. Left tackle Tyron Smith is now with the New York Jets, and center Tyler Biadasz went to the Washington Commanders to play for former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Joining him are avant-garde runners Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler. Dallas also lost nose tackle Johnathan Hankins to the Seattle Seahawks, and cornerback Stephon Gilmore and safety Jayron Kearse are currently free agents, and do not appear to be returning.

All of these players were key components of what the Cowboys have done as a team over the last few years. However, Pro Football Focus still believes in the talent Dallas brings. He considered the Cowboys the ninth best team in the NFL.

9. Dallas Cowboys

Biggest strength in 2023: Pass Rush

A pass rush led by Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence is likely among the best in the league, as was the case in 2023. For the second straight season, Dallas ranked second in the NFL in pass rushing grade. Parsons, Lawrence and other contributors like Osa Odighizuwa and Sam Williams made Dallas’ defense one of the most feared units in the league.

Biggest weakness in 2023: Run Defense

The Cowboys’ main weakness in recent years has been their run defense. Although they ranked seventh in run defense grade last season, that ranking is heavily weighted by standout performances against teams like the Jets and Chargers. When tasked with stopping better rushing offenses like the 49ers or Eagles, they tend to come up short more often than not.