Dallas City News

Ranking the 10 Fastest NFL Players in 2024: Who’s Chasing Tyreek Hill, Xavier Worthy, and De’Von Achane? – Dallas Robinson, Pro Football Network

KaVontae Turpin will have a chance to make a bigger impact on special teams with the new return rules, but Dallas may also look to involve him more in the offense to show off his speed.

6) KaVontae Turpin, WR, Dallas Cowboys

KaVontae Turpin’s smoldering speed helped him win the USFL’s MVP award for the 2022 campaign and make his way to the NFL as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. While he’s primarily served as a returner for Dallas, Turpin has also seen action on offense.

Facing the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14 of last season, Turpin received a handoff from Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and took it for a 22-yard gain, posting the league’s fifth-highest speed (21.91 mph) of the year in the process.

Listed at only 153 pounds, Turpin is built like a paper clip. But while that weight may present contact-balance issues or limit Turpin’s genuine receiving opportunities, he’s incredibly adept at avoiding significant hits on returns.

Dallas Cowboys offense could be a 1-trick pony in 2024 – Shane Taylor, Inside The Star

By losing RB1 Tony Pollard and WR3 Michael Gallup this offseason, the Cowboys have invited uncertainty at key positions on offense going into year two of Mike McCarthy calling plays.

One-Trick Pony

Let’s be honest, CeeDee Lamb is that dude, but if this team does not pay him his money, he may not even be here and then they are in real trouble.

Lamb should have nearly the same numbers in 2024 as he did last season, and that is why, although they won’t win 12 games again, they should at least make the playoffs.

This offense will be a one-trick pony, though.

They have nobody at this moment who makes the opposing team’s defensive coordinator create matchups based on them.

Until given a reason not to, it will be to cover CeeDee Lamb and force everyone else on the Cowboys offense to beat you, and it will probably work most of the time.

Can Trey Lance overtake Cooper Rush? – Staff, DallasCowboys.com

The Cowboys have some real intrigue at the backup QB spot for the first time in a long time, with Trey Lance looking to build on a strong offseason so far at training camp later this month.

Patrik Walker: Two things are true here: Yes, it’s possible for the former third-overall pick to beat out Cooper Rush in training camp and the preseason. It’s also not going to be anything near easy for him to achieve that goal. Lance shows a lot of promise and is developing very nicely under McCarthy, and a full offseason should pay dividends in July and August, but Rush has never been an easy out and he is not only one of the better backups in the league, but his familiarity with McCarthy, Dak Prescott, the receivers and the entire offense plays largely in his favor. This is a matchup that is probably top-3 in ones to watch in Oxnard, because it’s the youth and upside of Lance versus the experience and proven ability of Rush. Hold onto your butts, folks.

Nick Eatman: This is one of those ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ situations. Sure, Lance is supposed to beat out Cooper Rush for the backup job here in his fourth pro season. But he’s also supposed to be the 49ers starting quarterback and that didn’t happen either. I think I’d be surprised if Lance was actually better than Rush when we’re done with camp and preseason. That doesn’t mean the Cowboys wouldn’t make him the backup because it seems as if they’d want it to play out that way. But Rush has been better in the brief things we’ve seen in the offseason. Rush has a good command of what the Cowboys are trying to do schematically and let’s face it, Rush has been better than Lance (and a lot of quarterbacks) when he’s been asked to play. I think if it’s a fair competition, I can see Rush still being the No. 2 quarterback heading into the season.

Kurt Daniels: It certainly seems like the Cowboys brass wants Lance to overtake Rush in the quarterback pecking order. After all, they’d like to get something back on an investment that cost them a much-needed 2024 fourth-round draft pick. But the Cowboys know what they’ve got in Rush, who is considered one of the better backups in the NFL. Although he’s not going to give you anything flashy, he knows the offense and consistently has gotten the job done. So do you roll the dice on someone with maybe a higher upside? Or stand pat with the old reliable? Unless Lance really jumps off the page this coming August, I would think they stick with what they know.

‘Parsons Effect’ is something Cowboys must capitalize on in 2024 – Reid Hanson, The Cowboys Wire

The Cowboys were comfortable letting Dante Fowler and Dorance Armstrong follow former DC Dan Quinn to Washington, not only because of Micah Parsons but the way his presence allows other pass rushers to get involved.

According to ESPN’s pass rush win rate (PRWR) Parsons was the No. 1 edge in the NFL in 2023, a full five percent higher than second place Myles Garrett. He was also double-teamed at the highest rate, a full six percent more often than second place Garrett.

His mere presence on the field opens up near countless opportunities for his teammates, yet no returning teammate managed to post more than four sacks alongside Parsons in 2023. It’s tragedy that must be fixed in 2024.

The Cowboys aren’t exactly devoid of talent alongside Parsons. DeMarcus Lawrence and Osa Odighizuwa are both well regarded defensive linemen in Dallas, with the former coming off his fourth Pro Bowl season. Given the number of opportunities Parsons is creating, it’s difficult to explain how the two only combined for seven sacks.

The interior specifically is somewhere where Parsons opens opportunities. Playing wide on the EDGE, Parsons will often take wide angles as he rounds the pocket and reaches for the passer. The quarterback’s only way of survival in instances such as this is to step up in the pocket. It’s these situations where someone from the defensive interior has to step up and make a play.

There’s a reason teams like the Ravens repeatedly rank near the top of the league in sacks – it’s because there’s seemingly always a second rusher in position to clean up after the initial pressure player flushes the pocket.

Mike Zimmer, the Cowboys new defensive coordinator, might pay off enormously in this facet of the game. Zimmer doesn’t shy away from the blitz and is fairly well known for his blitzes up the middle.

Cowboys 2024 opponent preview: X-factors for the San Francisco 49ers – LP Cruz, Blogging The Boys

It’s never too early to look at how the Cowboys may finally be able to get over the hump against the 49ers, with another Sunday Night Football matchup in Santa Clara set for week eight.

Jauan Jennings, Wide receiver

The 49ers roster is loaded throughout with a blend of star power and depth. With that in mind, it’s easy to forget some of their less notable talents. Such is the case for Jauan Jennings. The former seventh-round pick has worked himself into the team’s receiving rotation and benefits from isolated matchups. His numbers won’t wow anyone, but what he is is consistent. For his career, he averages 12.3 yards per reception, with a career-high of 13.9 last season. Last season, Jennings had the third-highest number of snaps among the 49ers’ receivers. Out of his 410 snaps, 68% of them were from the slot. At 6’3”, 217 lbs., he’s a big receiver working in the middle of the field who will likely match up with Jourdan Lewis.

Additionally, Jennings will be in a battle with first-round rookie Ricky Pearsall for playing time, but his experience should give him the edge for a portion of the season. Also, Brandon Aiyuk is still in a contract stalemate with the 49ers. Should something happen with Aiyuk in the trade market, expect Jennings to step up in Aiyuk’s place in a larger capacity. Whether it be Lewis, DaRon Bland, or Trevon Diggs, do not overlook Jennings lined up inside the slot or split out wide.

Dre Greenlaw, linebacker

As stated, the 49ers roster is stacked, especially on defense, with elite defenders like Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. Much like Jennings above, Dre Greenlaw is a player who can get lost and become a face in the crowd. But Greenlaw will be a true x-factor for this game because it is unclear if he will even be available. Greenlaw suffered an Achilles injury during the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs, and is rehabbing in hopes of playing this season.

Part of the reason the 49ers pursued Eric Kendricks before Dallas stole him was to have a veteran ready to play if Greenlaw’s recovery is slow. If Greenlaw can’t go, the 49ers will be missing a lot for their defense. As a linebacker, he is a physical, in-your-face type of guy, but he’s also a fluid athlete for the position. He’s relentless in his pursuit of the ballcarrier, chasing down outside runs to prevent the running back from capturing the edge and once he gets there, he hits like a tank. He can also drop in zone coverage to disrupt passing lanes underneath.