Dallas City News

5 things to watch as training camp starts this week – Nick Eatman, DallasCowboys.com

The Cowboys have a strong mix of returning starters and upcoming talent on defense for new coordinator Mike Zimmer to work with in his first training camp.

New Defense – The Cowboys lost Dan Quinn, who is now the head coach in Washington, but his defense wasn’t perfect, especially in the playoff loss to the Packers. Can Mike Zimmer return to Dallas once again and provide not only a new look, but create a scheme that benefits Micah Parsons even more? Those are some of the questions that exist with this defense, which not only gets Trevon Diggs back on the field, but add veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks, who knows Zimmer’s scheme better than anyone.

Leap Year?– The Cowboys really only signed one key free agent in Kendricks. So this team is relying heavily not only on this year’s draft class, but the last few as well. Part of the team’s offseason strategy was to give several young players that opportunity they’ve been lacking. So takes advantage? Right now, look at players like Sam Williams, Jalen Tolbert, Mazi Smith, Juanyeh Thomas, Jalen Brooks, Nahshon Wright, Isreael Mukuamu and Luke Schoonmaker who are all young guys that should get plenty of chances to earn those much-needed reps.

Trevon Diggs is expected to start camp on the active/PUP list – Charean Williams, Pro Football Talk

Trevon Diggs’ return to action is much anticipated for this Cowboys defense in 2024, but seeing him practice in Oxnard will have to wait a little longer.

Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs is expected to start training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports.

That is not unexpected.

Diggs tore an ACL in practice before the Cowboys’ Week 3 game against the Cardinals last season.

He worked on the side with the rehab group during the team’s mandatory minicamp to complete the offseason program. Diggs has posted videos of his workouts since then.

Diggs can come off the PUP list as soon as he passes his physical, but the Cowboys will be deliberate in his return to practice.

2024 NFL Future Power Rankings: Projections for all 32 teams – Staff, ESPN

The Cowboys end up a middling 14th.

Reason for hope: The Cowboys have shown a consistent ability to draft well over the years, so even if the current roster loses key players in the coming years for cap reasons, they should be able to replenish. They have superstars on both sides of the ball in wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (1,749 receiving yards, ranking second last season) and edge rusher Micah Parsons (14 sacks, tied for seventh). And I still believe they will get a new deal done with quarterback Dak Prescott eventually. Hey, we’re being optimistic here. — Graziano

Reason for concern: What’s the alternative to Prescott if these two sides are not able to come to an agreement on a contract extension before he becomes a free agent next offseason? More than anything else, that will determine how this team’s future will play out over the next three seasons. Yes, they need to get Lamb and Parsons signed to new deals, too, but the QB is the focus — especially after Prescott was an MVP runner-up and one of only three QBs to throw for more than 4,500 yards in 2023. — Riddick

Nugget to know: Young cornerbacks DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs racked up the interceptions over the past few years but also allowed a lot of big deep shots to opposing wide receivers. Bland, under contract through 2025, ranked 13th in coverage DVOA among qualifying corners last season, thanks in part to his nine interceptions, but 60th with 8.5 yards allowed per pass. Diggs, under contract through 2028, had 11 interceptions in 2021. He ranked 34th in coverage DVOA in his last full healthy season (2022) but 76th with 9.2 yards allowed per pass. — Schatz

NFL record projections for every team – Nate Davis, USAToday.com

Davis sees trouble ahead for the Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys (8-9): Owner Jerry Jones will doubtless publicly disagree with this assessment at his annual news conference assessing the state of the franchise … and perhaps quadruple down on his avowed “all in” mantra for 2024. But his coach (Mike McCarthy), quarterback (Dak Prescott) and, arguably, best player (CeeDee Lamb) are currently scheduled to enter a lame-duck campaign on the heels of an offseason when the Cowboys were depleted by free agency, apparently unwilling to further cripple their cap in the near term. To survive, they’ll likely need new (and former) coordinator Mike Zimmer to sustain what’s been an opportunistic defense and McCarthy to prove this offense is more than an aerial show while enduring a brutal four-game stretch following a Week 7 bye that includes three opponents that were 2023 playoff teams. Feels like too much to ask, especially given what could be lingering off-field distractions.

‘Connector of people’: What Cowboys are getting from Ezekiel Elliott in 2nd Dallas stint – Michael Gehlken, DMN

Gehlken explains that what Elliott can contribute in his ninth NFL season extends beyond the playing field.

To evaluate him on it, The Dallas Morning News reviewed coaches’ film of all 539 offensive snaps and 239 touches from Elliott’s 2023 season with the New England Patriots. The study showed a player who clearly demonstrated he can be effective with a moderate workload in a committee-style role.

That is what the Cowboys envision for him in 2024.

Within the Cowboys’ building, there seems unanimous regard for Elliott as a person. They are pleased to welcome him back.

Elliott is a rare bird, the class clown who doubles as valedictorian. He logs extra time in meetings with the quarterbacks. He is diligent in his rehabilitation, including extra work before every practice with director of rehabilitation Britt Brown. He’s quick to mentor younger running backs. In four seasons alongside Pollard, there is no known account of him complaining about a lack of touches or involvement amid Pollard’s rise.

“It’s tough for me to explain,” quarterback Dak Prescott said. “He’s truly just the best. …It’s different what he does for me than what he does for anybody else. You know what I mean? What he does for me is not intended for anyone else. That’s a brother in the backfield for me. …

“He’s a huge connector of people, in a good way and the right way. Nobody does better at having fun and snapping their fingers and being completely locked in and detailed. Nobody does it better. …I think that allows everybody almost to come in and relish their own individual personality. He invites it out of people that, at the end of the day, we’re just here to work and get better.”

Patrick Mahomes: Specializing in the Art of the Multiple Game-Winning Drive – Scatt Kacsmar, 365Scores.com

Kacsmar is full of praise for Mahomes and his performance in games with multiple game-winning drives.

We are looking at how good Mahomes is historically at bringing his team back multiple times late in games. Call it a multiple game-winning drive. Not only did he lead the drive that put his team ahead for good in a win (that’s the definition of a game-winning drive), but there was another drive earlier in the fourth quarter where he put his team ahead in the same fashion. That should count for something too.

To see where Mahomes ranks against his peers, I collected the data for 16 starting quarterbacks, which is half of the NFL’s expected starters for Week 1 of the 2024 season.

Mahomes ranks No. 1 on that list, but you may wonder who ranks second.

With 7 MGWDs in 22 GWDs, Mahomes’ 31.8% rate is the highest among his peers, edging out Dak Prescott (30.4%) and Justin Herbert (28.6%)

First-Curl Problems: Cowboys have issue converting pressures into sacks – Reid Hanson, The Cowboys Wire

The Cowboys aggressive defense under Dan Quinn was great at generating pressures, but will they be better at finishing off sacks under Zimmer?

One of the most polarizing arguments in football is the value of a pressure versus the value of a sack. Sacks are the goal and a pressure without a sack is just a failed attempt at reaching said goal. The other side argues sacks are more a byproduct of quarterback play than a show of defensive execution. And that a pressure has hidden value, not as easily measured as a sack.

According to the second side of the argument, a pressured quarterback may rush a pass for an incompletion, throw it away, or even toss an interception. Pressures often lead to very good things for the defense, even if the quarterback keeps avoiding sacks. It should by no means be seen as a failure for the defense.

A missed opportunity? Sure, but not a failure.

The Cowboys are coming off a season where, per PFF tracking, they had the highest pressure rate in the NFL. Unfortunately, their pressure-to-sack conversion rate fell well below league average, causing them to finish 14th overall in sacks. They appear to be the poster children for missed opportunities.

Sacks have significant value. Based on 12 years of NFL data, Eric Eager concluded the average sack has an EPA/play value of -1.856. That’s considerably more than plays with simple pressures which averaged only -0.074.