Cowboys News: Jerry Jones and league not seeing eye-to-eye, Trysten sent packing, Cooks stays put
Cowboys news doesn’t take a bye week. Plenty of action for America’s Team in the headlines to kick off November, but the lead story is the team’s inaction at the trade deadline. We’ve got details on why negotiations for Texans wideout Brandin Cooks broke down at the last minute… and how Cooks himself reacted. Trysten Hill was apparently on the trade block, but getting no suitors, he’s now out the door. And a team big shot just dropped a big hint as to when Tyron Smith may be back in action.
Meanwhile, we’re getting an inside glimpse as to why the Cowboys are likely to stick with their running-back tandem approach, we’re spotlighting a real trouble spot within the Dallas defense, Dak Prescott gets a top-notch grade for his Week 8 performance, and Micah Parsons has a valid beef with officials after one egregious play on Sunday. All that, plus Jerry Jones went for the punchline with his Halloween costume this year, but the NFL may have the last laugh about it. That and more in this edition of News and Notes.
Number-crunched Cowboys cut DT Trysten Hill after trade deadline :: Dallas Morning News
With 11 defensive linemen on the roster and Tarell Basham expected to be activated from injured reserve next week, the Cowboys had a surplus. After finding no takers for their 2019 second-round draft pick, Dallas cut Hill despite the strides he’s made recently. Hill had started just five games since entering the league; he was a healthy scratch last Sunday and was in the final year of his rookie contract.
NFL trade deadline: Brandin Cooks posts cryptic tweet after trade to Cowboys reportedly falls through :: Yahoo Sports
Negotiations with Houston reportedly broke down over questions about draft pick compensation and Cooks’s $18 million salary (and $26.6 million cap hit) next year. Three minutes after the deadline passed, Cooks tweeted, “Don’t take a man’s kindness for granted. Covered for the lies for too long those days are done. Crossed the line with playing with my career”.
If you think there's roster problems I feel bad for you son, 15 teams traded but the Cowboys made none :: Cowboys Wire
The Cowboys reportedly came close to acquiring Texans wideout Brandin Cooks, but no dice. Defensive tackle Trysten Hill was waived shortly after the trade deadline passed, but last week’s deal with Las Vegas to get Johnathan Hankins is still a net-positive on the defensive line. An active trade day saw 10 agreements made and included 15 different teams, with high-profile players like Bradley Chubb, Chase Claypool, Nyheim Hines, Calvin Ridley, and T.J. Hockenson all finding new homes.
Outrage over Cowboys' lack of movement at trade deadline? :: Emmanuel Acho (Twitter)
Cowboys fans should be absolutely outraged that Jerry Jones made no trade deadline moves, outraged. #CowboysNation
pic.twitter.com/HeIAGFuWCL— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) November 1, 2022
RB coach: 'Cowboys need both Zeke and Pollard' :: The Mothership
Skip Peete is a big believer in the two-back system. “I learned that from my former boss, Al Davis,” said the former Raiders staffer. Peete followed suit when he came to Dallas with Julius Jones/Marion Barber and then later, Felix Jones/DeMarco Murray. The tactic keeps “a fresh back in the game at all times,” so don’t look for a major change in the way the team utilizes Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones risks fine with 'blind referee' Halloween costume: 'I had a lot of fun' :: The Sporting News
The Cowboys owner dressed up as a referee for Halloween, but added dark glasses and a white cane in a photo posted to his niece’s Instagram account. “I’m getting real close to a fine,” he acknowledged later. The league prohibits “[p]osting negative or derogatory/demeaning content pertaining to officiating on social media,” but he’s not the one who posted the pic, so it remains to be seen if he’ll see any punishment.
Jerry's costume could draw league fine :: Clarence Hill Jr. (Twitter)
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones with the epic troll Halloween costume. A blind ref.
Hope @nfl has a sense of humor pic.twitter.com/WkZyjmDj1J— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) October 30, 2022
Cowboys set timeline for Tyron Smith return :: The Mothership
The eight-time Pro Bowler could be back sooner than expected. “He’s three or four weeks out,” Stephen Jones hinted casually in a radio interview Monday. There’s no word on how Tyron Smith’s return will shuffle the Cowboys’ current line or rookie Tyler Smith’s playing time at left tackle.
More Cowboys-Bears postgame analysis :: Cowboys Wire
Top-10 toxic, impact plays from Cowboys’ Week 8 victory over Bears
Nom, Nom, Nom: Twitter reacts to Cowboys’ 40-burger win over Bears
3 Stars: Offense finally has to carry Cowboys and their shoulders were indeed broad
Good, bad, ugly from Cowboys’ 49-29 victory over Chicago Bears
Cowboys’ Micah Parsons was right: He was held on TD pass against Bears :: The 33rd Team
After Parsons was thrown to the ground by Chicago tight end Cole Kmet on a late-game pass play, he was told by an official that it wasn’t called a penalty because he was “away from the ball.” But rules analyst and former vice president of officiating Dean Blandino deemed it holding, plain and simple. He added that with Parsons’s speed, there’s nowhere on the field that’s too far away from him to potentially have an impact on any given play.
Cowboys rookie LB Damone Clark 22 mph debut: 'I feel like myself' :: SI.com
Just seven months after spinal fusion surgery, the rookie was on the field taking defensive snaps and impressing coaches in Sunday’s win. “Looked good,” Mike McCarthy said of Clark. “Had the highest mile-per-hour score, over 22… so I think that shows you his ability.” For reference, that’s Micah Parsons-type speed. It’s about to get very interesting.
The Cowboys number to know: 60 (Week 8 versus Chicago) :: D Magazine
While the win was decisive, Sunday marked the second time this season that the Dallas defense has given up 60 or more rushing yards to an opposing quarterback. And it could have been even worse; Justin Fields had a 41-yard run called back by penalty and count for just six yards. With Daniel Jones and Jalen Hurts still on the remaining schedule, the Cowboys coaching staff would be wise to use the bye week to ensure this flaw doesn’t become a fatal one.
PFF 90 Club: Highest-graded players | Week 8 :: NFL.com
Dak Prescott made the list of players with a Week 8 score of over 90 for his 21-for-27, two-touchdown passing performance against Chicago, in which he also added 34 rushing yards and a scoring carry. In his second game back from thumb rehab, Prescott ended the day with a 91.7. Only eight players across the league had better grades; Prescott was second among all passers.
Adam Zimmer, son of former Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, dies at 38 :: ESPN
Adam Zimmer was on the Bengals staff as an offensive analyst living in Minnesota, where he had served under his father for the Vikings from 2014 to 2021. Mike Zimmer was a Cowboys defensive assistant from 1994 to 1999 and then was defensive coordinator from 2000 through 2006.
