Dallas City News

Prescott: Extension ‘can be done,’ Lamb’s ‘ready to get back’ – Todd Archer, ESPN

Dak Prescott talks contract.

As discussions continue regarding a contract extension, the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott explained why he believes he has an obligation to other quarterbacks and his teammates as to what kind of deal he does or does not accept.

“I’m a guy that grew up with two older brothers,” Prescott said. “You understand what a brotherhood means, not only for just this team but the fraternity of the NFL and the players. The money is out there and the money can happen. It can be done. There’s ways to make everything work for both ways. That’s in that sense it’s always about pushing the envelope for the next man.”

[…]

[CeeDee] Lamb reached out to wish Prescott a happy birthday to start the week, which prompted a conversation between the quarterback and All-Pro wide receiver.

“I know he shared with me he’s wanting to get back, ready to get back, hoping this thing gets done for him. I know I am as well,” Prescott said. “Hopefully we’ll get him back sooner than later. But I know he’s grinding and working and ready to get back to work.”

Troy Aikman sees Dak Prescott as NFL’s first $60M QB. Will he get that money in Dallas? – Chris Amaya, DMN

The longer the Cowboys wait, the more likely they’ll be too late.

While breaking down a few topics on The Pat McAfee Show, Aikman repeated his belief in a Prescott postseason breakthrough. The three-time Super Bowl champion said Dallas’ lack of playoff success is what keeps Prescott from conversations including Patrick Mahomes and other elite quarterbacks.

According to Aikman, Prescott belongs among the league’s highest-paid signal callers.

“I do believe he’s going to be the first quarterback to $60 million,” Aikman said.

Will he get that money in Dallas? Aikman isn’t so sure.

“The longer this goes, the more I think he will be playing somewhere else,” Aikman said. “If it continues to drag on and he plays great, then the Cowboys come in late to say, ‘Hey, now we want to pay you,’ I don’t know where his head will be at that point.”

3 things we learned from Dallas Cowboys training camp: August 2 – John Owning, Pro Football Focus

Dallas is switching things up under new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

This isn’t your 2023 Dallas Cowboys defense

It didn’t take long to realize that the Cowboys defense has undergone drastic changes from a scheme perspective under Mike Zimmer. While previous defensive coordinator Dan Quinn kept things simple in an effort to let his players play fast, Zimmer’s defense has ushered in a litany of disguises aimed at making opposing offenses’ lives more difficult in 2024.

While Quinn’s defense played mostly single-high shells with under front and Cover 1/3 variants, Zimmer showed a more wide-ranging tool kit that consisted of a wider array of fronts and coverages. On Friday during team drills, the defense employed a steady diet of one- and two-high shells with a ton of post-snap movement at the second and third levels in an effort to confuse the offense. Not only did we see Zimmer’s patented double-mug fronts (where two linebackers align in each A-gap over the center), but we saw safeties align near the line of scrimmage before bailing deep and vice-versa in addition to numerous other schematic tweaks from a year ago.

Moreover, instead of living Cover 1 and 3, the Cowboys defense utilized more than its fair share of quarters and Cover 2 in addition to the typical single-high safety coverages (Cover 1 and 3). While offenses were able to easily identify and predict Dallas’ coverages last season, that’s going to be a much more difficult affair this year.

Even more importantly, the Cowboys defense showed much better counters against shifts and motion at the snap than they did a year ago. Zimmer appears to have instilled a better plan, as the Cowboys defense wasn’t plagued by free runners and vacated gaps like they were on numerous occasions last year when offenses utilized pre- and post-snap motion.

More from Owning in the same article:

• Mazi Smith‘s promising day against the run and struggles versus the pass
• Terence Steele appears to be rounding back into 2022 form
• Don’t be surprised if Brock Hoffman runs away with the starting center gig

Cowboys training camp 2024: Luke Schoonmaker and Israel Mukuamu leave practice early – Tony Catalina, Blogging The Boys

Dallas has a few guys that are banged up.

Luke Schoomaker and Israel Mukuamu didn’t finish Friday’s practice

Year two needs to be a big one for former Michigan Wolverine Luke Schoonmaker. The Cowboys’ 2023 second-round pick didn’t make much of an impact last season and spent much of the offseason rehabbing from an offseason surgery.

With an elevation needed from TE2, the last thing he can afford is to miss time. However, early in practice, it was reported that Schoonmaker came off the field, went to the locker room and did not return to action.

The injury comes after head coach Mike McCarthy spoke up about him before today’s practice and even touched on the fact that Schoonmaker staying healthy would be vital.

What the injury is, or if he will miss any time, is not known right now, but it comes at an inopportune time. The Cowboys are a little over a week away from their first preseason action of the season.

While Schoonmaker was one injury, he wasn’t the only injury of the day, unfortunately. Defensive back Israel Mukuamu came off the field early on Friday as well, and much like Schoonmaker, the timing couldn’t be worse.

Cowboys counting on 2023 first-rounder Mazi Smith to shine – Todd Archer, ESPN

It’s time for Mazi Smith to step up and quickly.

The Cowboys’ largest need for improvement in 2024 is their run defense. Last season, they finished 16th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game (112.4), which was a 17-yard improvement over 2022, but still not good enough. They allowed 222 rushing yards to the Arizona Cardinals and 266 yards to the Buffalo Bills. In the playoff loss to the Packers, they gave up 143 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries.

New coordinator Mike Zimmer will use actual linebackers more than his predecessor, Dan Quinn — who relied more on safeties — including moving Markquese Bell to a full-time linebacker spot.

He will also ask Smith to play differently. The Cowboys drafted Smith No. 26 overall in 2023 because of his ability to chew up blockers, but he never felt comfortable in Quinn’s penetrating up-field style. More often than not, he was slow off the snap of the ball. He also dealt with a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery.

“Trust me, no one’s put more pressure on himself than Mazi has just, based off what he went through last year,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “And I just think like anything, you can’t overreact to players when they have injuries. It’s different … He’s getting to where he needs to be. He’s close.”

In addition to rehabbing his shoulder, which he did mostly back in Michigan, Smith needed to add weight. He is currently 310 pounds, close to what the Cowboys want him at when the season starts.

“In this scheme, you don’t want to be 290,” Smith said. “Probably want to be like 310, 315. See what that’s doing for you, [but] if you got to go up, go up.”

What a one-two punch on the corner – Mickey Spagnola, DallasCowboys.com

Having Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland on the field in 2024 is huge for the Cowboys.

[…] we sometimes ignore what’s staring us right in the face.

Like Pro Bowl and All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland standing out there at left cornerback.

Like the return of two-time Pro Bowl and one-time All-Pro corner Trevon Diggs back out there at right cornerback.

And just asking, are there any other teams in the NFL lining up two All-Pro corners? Two Pro Bowl corners?

How sweet is that?

Well, hey, new-old defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, now in his 29th year coaching in the NFL, ever had such a luxury out at cornerback?

“Never,” Zimm says.

What about you Al Harris, as a 15-year NFL player or now 13th year NFL coach?

“One time as a player,” Harris remembers, himself and Charles Woodson with the Packers, playing together as Pro Bowlers from 2007 through 2009, but never as a coach until now.

As for the Cowboys, before the arrival of Diggs and Bland, they only had seven previous Pro Bowl cornerbacks, and only once did they have two career Pro Bowl cornerbacks actually playing at the same time: Mel Renfro for half the 1967 season and Cornell Green before he was switched to safety.