Cowboys News: A Jalen Ramsey gamble? Tyron Smith’s hard truth
It’s a time of hard decisions around the NFL. The Cowboys, for example, need to figure out whether it’s time to bid farewell to one of their most legendary offensive linemen in the name of salary cap savings. They may also be looking to determine if they’ll get into trade talks to acquire a star cornerback they let slip by them in the 2014 draft. There are also questions to be answered at running back and center, as well as calls to be made about this year’s crop of college prospects.
A former Cowboys star, meanwhile, may be working through a tough decision of his own after tweeting out what sounded like a retirement announcement… but apparently wasn’t. We’re also looking at the most underrated free agent on the team, we’re getting to know Darren Woodson off the field, we’re spotlighting some draft-day darlings, and we’re re-living the top 10 moments of the 2022 season… all in this edition of News and Notes.
Potential NFL salary cap cuts per team for 2023 season: Joe Mixon, Matt Ryan and more :: The Athletic
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Tyron Smith is still one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the game when he’s healthy. Except he’s rarely fully healthy anymore. Smith has played in just 17 of the Cowboys’ last 50 regular-season games and hasn’t suited up for more than 13 games in a season since his rookie deal expired (2015). He’s a potential Hall of Famer, but his $17.6 million cap hit for 2023 is a lot to swallow if he’s going to spend it in the trainers’ room.
Former Cowboys 1st-round pick Byron Jones denies retirement talk :: Cowboys Wire
Jones posted what many read as a farewell tweet on Saturday, warning this year’s draft prospects about the toll that life in the NFL takes. He claims he “can’t run or jump” and even referred to his career in past tense. An ESPN report later clarified that Jones is not retiring, even though Miami is expected to move on from him this offseason. His very frank revelations, though, about how team doctors often treat injured players may scare off some potential suitors.
Cowboys offseason 2023: Jalen Ramsey on the trade market should tempt Dallas :: Blogging the Boys
Dallas drafted Elliott over Ramsey back in 2014; now the Rams cornerback is expected to be traded away in the coming weeks. Swapping second-round picks in 2023 and 2024 with a fifth-round selection in 2023 might get a deal done. It’s still an expensive gambit for a 29-year-old corner, but it worked out back in 1995 when the Cowboys swung for the fences to trade for a 28-year-old Deion Sanders.
Carlos Watkins is a low-cost, much-needed FA re-signing for Cowboys :: Cowboys Wire
Of all the Cowboys’ free agents, Watkins may be the most underrated. The former fourth-round pick, while a deep rotational piece of the defense, has been a do-it-all player who doesn’t light up the stat sheet yet does his job with a high motor and acts as a complement to everyone around him.
Daniel Jeremiah 2023 NFL mock draft 2.0: Tyree Wilson goes before Will Anderson Jr.; Lions take QB :: ESPN
Jeremiah predicts that the first round of the draft will see a run on defensive linemen, and he’s got Dallas getting on board the train. He likes the Cowboys to select Georgia Tech edge rusher Keion White with the 26th pick. “White has inside/outside versatility,” he notes, “and I think he’ll be one of the stars of next week’s combine.”
Deep Impact: Jalin Hyatt would provice Cowboys game-changer moments :: Cowboys Wire
The Tennessee speedster and 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner is likely to be selected within the first two rounds of the draft this spring. He played mostly in the slot for the Vols, but has the potential to do more at the next level. If the Cowboys land him, he could be a real deep-ball threat who not only produces explosive plays on his own, but opens things up for everyone else on the field, too.
Eli Ricks could help Cowboys shore up CB while addressing other needs first :: Cowboys Wire
He’s tall, he’s physical, he can cover in any scheme he’s given, and he’ll come cheap as a rookie. That combination makes him the ideal candidate for the corner-needy Cowboys, who always prefer to build via the draft. There are consistency and durability concerns, but playing on the big stage at Alabama should give him a leg up on adapting to life and expectations in the NFL.
2023 NFL offseason: All 32 teams' RB situations ahead of free agency, draft :: NFL.com
Kevin Patra puts the Cowboys squarely in the “Shakeup looming?” category. On any other team, Ezekiel Elliott would be a shoo-in cut as a diminishing player carrying a big cap figure ($16.72 million). But the Joneses love him. The bigger question is whether Dallas can afford not to franchise-tag Tony Pollard. If the Cowboys’ offense lost him, it would be disastrous… but it also doesn’t feel like the tag happening is a sure thing.
Sneaky Need? Decision time nears for Cowboys at center :: Cowboys Wire
While it may feel like he just took over from Travis Frederick, Tyler Biadasz is set to hit free agency after the 2023 season. The Cowboys need to decide now whether to build around him or start looking for his replacement. He made it to the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement, but is that enough to warrant committing to him long-term? Centers take time to develop, so if Dallas thinks they’ll be moving on, they should look for their next center this year and start grooming him for the future.
Meet the Dallas 500: Darren Woodson :: D Magazine
Cowboys fans know what Woodson did during his stellar football career, but he’s gone on to find success in commercial real estate and even co-founded a software company that takes down counterfeit NFTs. He credits Lovie Smith with giving him the best life advice he’s ever received: if he consistently shows up, good things will happen.
Top 10 Cowboys plays | 2022 season :: NFL.com
From Jake Ferguson’s Thanksgiving Day hurdle to T.Y. Hilton’s electrifying first catch as a Cowboy- and with several defensive scores, a couple sweet toe-drags, and more than one Pollard breakaway sprinkled in between- re-live the team’s top 10 plays from the 2022 season.
