Plus, which Cowboys would deserve “max contracts”?
Chris Simms ranked his top quarterbacks in the league. Where does Dak fall?
While the jury is still out for many football fans, Dak Prescott has earned his due respect in the NFL.
But does he qualify as one of the league’s best?
NBC Sports football analyst Chris Simms doesn’t think he is among the best in the game, but thought enough of Prescott to rank him 13th overall in his recent list of top NFL quarterbacks.
If that seems low, take comfort in that Prescott finds himself sandwiched between Chargers QB Philip Rivers and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford.
Plus, the top of the list is very crowded.
Here is how 11-15 looked:
11. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles
12. Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers
13. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
14. Matt Stafford, Detroit Lions
Do the Dallas Cowboys have the top quarterback in the division? - Tyrone Starr, The Landry Hat
Where does Dak rank in the NFC East?
Simply put, Dak Prescott deserves to be recognized as the best quarterback within the division.
He has won 67% of his games since coming into the league. He’s been to two Pro Bowl’s and is the only NFC East quarterback to win a playoff game since 2016.
Prescott is a dual threat, putting up almost 1,000 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns in his career, while throwing for almost 11,000 passing yards and a 2.5:1 touchdown-interception ratio.
In 2019, he should improve as a quarterback as the Dallas Cowboys fired former offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. New quarterbacks coach Jon Kitna and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will help Prescott improve his footwork and open up the offense.
Prescott’s supporting cast also has been improved with the return of tight end Jason Witten and an upgrade at receiver from Cole Beasley to Randall Cobb.
An interesting question: what will it take for skeptics to go all-in with Dak?
Dak Prescott has done everything that has been asked of him and more. Three winning seasons in his first three years as a pro. Two playoff berths. Two Pro Bowl nominations. One NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. And he’s done it all while making a fraction of the salary his peers do.
By all accounts, Prescott is the ideal teammate and locker room leader. His work ethic and dedication to his craft are unmatched. His off-the-field persona is impeccable. He’s simply everything you could want out of a modern athlete. How could you not absolutely love Dak Prescott?
Yet, there are many who don’t. Many of them being Cowboys fans themselves, which is hard to fathom. More than most, they watch the games. They’ve seen every play. If they’ve been a fan since the Triplets they’ll likely remember the quarterback nightmare Dallas experienced after the retirement of Troy Aikman in 2001. Any fan who went through those dark days surely recognizes the blessing Prescott represents.
Josh Brent arrested, tased by Coppell police - WFAA Staff
Another unfortunate incident involving alcohol and former Cowboys player and current employee in the scouting department, Josh Brent. It’s nowhere as tragic as what happened with Jerry Brown, but a terrible look for Brent.
Former Dallas Cowboy defensive tackle and current team scout Josh Brent was arrested for public intoxication and resisting arrest and was tased by Coppell police Sunday in a Wendy’s parking lot, officials confirmed.
When police arrived to check on the man, they identified him as Brent, and saw he was intoxicated, according to the police statement.
Police told him he was going to be arrested for public intoxication and he then “became uncooperative with the officers by resisting the officer’s attempt to be handcuffed,” according to the police statement.
Will the Cowboys finally take the training wheels off their offense? - Mike Florio, PFT
For Dak to be successful, Kellen Moore needs to be successful. What will the offense look like this season?
Changes apparently are coming, with 29-year-old (until Friday) Kellen Moore serving as offensive coordinator after only one season as an assistant coach. In May, COO Stephen Jones explained that the goal is to make the offense “a little harder to diagnose when we snap the ball.” Which implies that, previously, it hasn’t been all that hard to spot what the Cowboys will be doing before the ball is snapped.
The way to do that is to use different formations and alignments, along with pre-snap motion and players who are capable of lining up in multiple positions. The return of Jason Witten, the arrival of Randall Cobb, and the 2018 trade for Amari Cooper gives the offense intriguing elements that, fueled by a potent running game and a still-strong offensive line, can make things far more interesting offensively.
Then there’s quarterback Dak Prescott, who seemed to elevate his game in a pair of postseason contests in January, arguably performing more impressively in the loss to the Rams than the win over the Seahawks, because the running game went nowhere in L.A., with Elliott gaining a mere 47 yards on 20 carries. If Dak can continue on that trajectory, taking full advantage of his weapons and of the attention Elliott still commands, the Dallas offense could take it to the proverbial next level, extending Garrett’s tenure, vaulting the team to its first NFC title game since 1995, and helping owner Jerry Jones in his quest to recapture a little of the glory
NBA Free Agency Frenzy: NFL Players Worthy of a Max Deal - Jordan Reid, The Draft Network
As you are (likely) aware, it is Free Agency SZN in the NBA. With max deals being a huge topic, here’s a list of players in the NFL that are deserving of one. Hint: multiple Cowboys are listed (Zeke and Travis Frederick were honorable mentions).
Tyron is getting old, but he is still among the elite at his position.
Offensive Tackle - David Baktiari and Tyron Smith
Offensive tackle rankings are always a fluctuating list due to the difficulties of consistency on a yearly basis. Tyron Smith has battled injuries that have sidelined him for a couple games each of the past few seasons, but he’s still the best in the business when healthy. Baktiari is considered by many as the best left tackle in the game. Quietly getting the job done, there’s little worries about the blindside of Aaron Rodgers. Taking that into consideration, they were the top two options here.
Martin is an easy choice.
Guard - Zack Martin and Quenton Nelson
One of the younger combinations on this list, Martin and Nelson are without question two of the best guards in the league. After being the No. 6 overall pick of the 2018 draft, Nelson has quickly established himself as a foundational piece and Martin has been the model of consistency since suiting up for the Cowboys.
Coop is just worried about ball.
On how he doesn’t let his unsettled contract situation keep him from what he needs to do
Cooper: “I just approach the game how I’ve been approaching it. I have a set goal for what I want to accomplish for the season and I just want to be the best player on every field that I step on and I do the things necessary for me to accomplish those goals as far as putting in the necessary work to do what I set out to do.
Amari is an easy choice for All-NFC East WR.
Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper
Talk about one heck of an introduction, Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper quickly established himself in Dallas in his first season; making Cowboys fans forget about the first-round pick it took to stag him from Oakland.
Cooper amassed 53 receptions and 6 touchdowns in his initial 9 games with Cowboys. Last year was a seamless transition for the wideout. With a full offseason under his belt, it’s realistic to think Cooper’s productivity and rapport with Dak Prescott will only improve.
Now that Odell Beckham is in Cleveland, Cooper should be the premier receiver in the division.
Cooper was a unanimous selection by the SportsDay staff.
Every NFL Team’s 2019 Breakout Player Candidate - Chris Roling, Bleacher Report
On the other side of the ball, can Jourdan Lewis breakout in 2019? One positive take.
Dallas Cowboys: DB Jourdan Lewis
In a testament to the team’s strong drafting over the years, it isn’t easy to tag a breakout candidate for the Dallas Cowboys. Prospects like Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch, to name just a few, have already broken out.
That means turning the attention to the secondary, where 2017 third-round pick Jourdan Lewis sounds like he could be headed for a bigger role. Cowboys coaches aren’t letting his stature at 5’10” get in the way, as noted by secondary coach Kris Richard, according to Kate Hairopoulos of the Dallas Morning News: “He just really comes in and competes. He’s not limited by any means, right. ... You take a player like Jourdan Lewis and he’s an exception.”
Lewis shouldn’t have a problem heavily breaking into a rotation led up by Chidobe Awuzie and Bryon Jones, especially if the secondary as a whole continues to underwhelm.
Considering he oozes upside and has yet to see the field for a massive number of snaps, Lewis simply getting on the field could lead to a big breakout.
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