Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Plenty of Cowboys news for today.
Postponement of offseason program avoids showdown between Cowboys, Dak Prescott - Mike Florio, PFT
Yesterday would have been the start of the Cowboys offseason program but that was delayed by COVID-19. The question is, would Dak have shown up?
The Cowboys should have opened their offseason program on Monday. The indefinite postponement of the team’s offseason helped quarterback Dak Prescott delay a potential dilemma.
Dak, by all appearances had planned to not show up for the start of the offseason program without a long-term contract. That’s something franchise-tagged quarterbacks rarely do, in large part because quarterbacks rarely are franchise tagged.
It would have been a very aggressive move from Prescott, especially if the absence had lingered into the OTAs and minicamps. And it would have pressures the Cowboys to get something done, so that they would have their starting quarterback present as their new head coach gets the team up to speed.
That would have made things very real for both sides, but it could have sparked criticism of Dak. With the offseason program not starting, Dak didn’t have to draw a line in the sand and follow through on it. If there’s no offseason program this year, he won’t have to boycott any of the pre-preseason sessions.
And so the real deadline for Prescott and the Cowboys will continue to be July 15, the annual deadline for franchise-tagged players signing multi-year deals. If no deal is done by then, the Cowboys can’t sign Dak to a contract with a term of longer than one year until the 2020 season ends.
Film room: Cowboys trade down for one of the most well-rounded cornerbacks in 7-round mock draft - John Owning, DMN
A little trade action in a mock draft for the Cowboys in the first round.
In this scenario, the Cowboys will trade the 17th and 179th overall picks to the Baltimore Ravens for the 28th and 60th overall picks. According to Draftek’s NFL Value Trade Chart, the 17th and 179th overall picks combined are worth 968.6 points whereas the 30th and 60th overall picks combine to be worth 960 points, making it an even trade all things considered.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the Cowboys seven-round mock draft.
Round 1, Pick 28: AJ Terrell, CB, Clemson
Clemson’s AJ Terrell is one of the most well-rounded cornerbacks in this class who would be an excellent addition to the Cowboys secondary.
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Terrell has good size to go with excellent athletic ability for the position. Terrell is very patient in press along with displaying an impressive ability to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage in an attempt to disrupt the timing of their routes.
He also possesses the full range of movement skills to stay sticky with receivers no matter what route they are running. Terrell’s size and deep speed already make him tough to beat over the top, but when you combine Terrell’s ability to pin receivers to the sideline, it makes things even more difficult for opposing quarterbacks.
Cowboys 2020 Draft Breakdown: Offensive Edition - Brian Martin, Inside the Star
The backup quarterback position needs to be addressed this year. But, don’t count on the Cowboys using a pick to do it.
QUARTERBACK
Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush, Clayton Thorson
Dak Prescott is the unquestioned starter for the Dallas Cowboys and after being tendered – which he signed on March 18 – it looks as if Cooper Rush will return as the QB2.
Clayton Thorson spent last year on the Cowboys practice squad and could theoretically push Rush for the backup job or make a case for keeping three QBs on the active roster.
I don’t think the Cowboys will spend a draft pick on the QB position in the 2020 NFL Draft. I think the most likely scenario is they sign an undrafted free agent to come in to compete and provide a camp arm.
My pick: Bryce Perkins, Virginia (Undrafted Free Agent)
Dallas Cowboys still in need of defensive edge help - Tyrone Star, The Landry Hat
The Cowboys have the bodies to rush the passer but one more couldn’t hurt, right?
In the event that Henderson is chosen prior to the Dallas Cowboys being on the clock with the 17th overall pick, they could opt to select LSU pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson who, ironically is projected to have a similar career to… wait for it… Aldon Smith.
Chaisson would be a very intriguing addition. While he did not have eye-popping sack totals during his three-year stint in the Bayou, he did have his best season in 2019. He is also widely considered the second-best pass rusher in this draft. Most believe he is just starting to tap into his potential and should blossom at the next level under the right guidance.
The best part when considering adding Chaisson to the mix would be that with all of the other bodies Dallas does have at this position, he would not be looked at as a savior. With Smith, Gregory, and Armstrong already in tow, Chaisson could grow into a sack monster without feeling immediate pressure to post double-digit sack totals.
McCourty brothers critical of Rex Ryan, ESPN for Amari Cooper comment - Josh Alper, ProFootballTalk
Two more defensive players have come to the defense of Amari Cooper and criticized ESPN in the process.
Ryan apologized for using that term after a widespread negative reaction and that reaction continued on the podcast hosted by Patriots defensive backs Devin and Jason McCourty. Devin McCourty said to ESPN that “you don’t need to air Rex Ryan” in order to get ratings because they’re about to air a highly anticipated multi-part documentary about Michael Jordan.
His brother criticized the network for amplifying what Ryan said.
“To me, the crazy thing was after he said it, ‘Get Up!’ posted it on Twitter, ESPN retweeted it on Twitter,” Jason McCourty said, via WEEI.com. “Everybody was all-in on this ‘turd’ comment. I guess, at the same time, it’s all about entertainment — how can we get more viewers, how can we get people to click this, click that? But at what point in the game can you call somebody a turd? Whether he’s a good player or not a good player, it was just bad ball all around.”
Former Husker Luke Gifford staying busy with offseason workouts while ‘preparing for the worst’ - Jake Anderson, StarHearld.com
Cowboys linebacker Luke Gifford on what players will be dealing with without OTA’s.
The Cowboys, who hired new head coach Mike McCarthy earlier this offseason, will be starting virtual meetings soon. Gifford said his experience with multiple coaches during his Husker career will help him to learn the verbiage of a new scheme, but teams will miss the experience from spring practices and organized team activities.
”It’s never easy to just look at a board and understand something, you got to get some reps,” Gifford said. “If we don’t end up having OTAs or mini camp, it’ll definitely be tough to just go into training camp and pick up a whole new system.”
Gifford said players are “planning for the worst” while staying busy. He is among a handful of former NU players working out in Lincoln with former Nebraska assistant track coach Chris Slatt.
”It’s really nice to work out with other guys that are at the same point,” Gifford said. “Our workouts are always competitive. We’re always getting after it. ... It’s been a good little escape from everything going on, we can go over there and kind of just focus on something else for a while.”
Thanks To COVID-19 Cowboys Just Got Robbed Of 2 NFL Advantages - Mike Fisher, 105.3TheFan
We knew this was bound to happen, but that doesn’t mean it still doesn’t sting a bit.
Now to the other lost advantage: “Dallas Day.’’ In 2019, “Dallas Day’’ was on April 5. It stands to reason that this year it might’ve been held on April 6, and what it offers (for all NFL teams) is a chance to go beyond the “30 Visits’’ of national NFL Draft prospects to also visit with players with local ties.
So while other NFL teams wanting to bring into their facility a star from, say, Baylor or Texas A&M or Texas, must count him among their “30 Visits’’ (unless that kid somehow has a tie to that team’s region), the Cowboys - centered in one of the handful of richest talent pools in America - are offered the chance to dominate here.
A recent example: Two springs ago, Connor Williams - who is from Coppell and the University of Texas - was a hot prospect. If Buffalo or Seattle or Arizona wanted a sit-down with him? They had to use up a “30 Visit.’’ But the Cowboys? They simply shifted him into a “Dallas Day’’ guy, saving the precious “30 Visits’’ for others who likely didn’t have local ties.
People inside The Star credit the Cowboys personnel department for having done a masterful job in juggling ways to give Dallas the most legal visits possible - even though, again, there is a built-in advantage. (How many real local prospects are there at “Buffalo Day’’ or “Denver Day’’?)
BTB Podcast
What decisions in the draft could sway the 2020 Cowboys the most dramatically? The Athletic’s Jon Machota joins The Ocho to discuss.
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