Cowboys News: Micah near top of PFF101, combine kicks off, Deion ripped for recruiting comments
The NFL scouting combine is set to get underway in earnest on Monday, though an increasing number of coaching staffs are skipping the event; we’ll explain why. One major outlet has released its annual list of the 101 best players in the game; we’ll reveal which Cowboys made the grade. And Hall of Famer Deion Sanders is in hot water over comments made recently about the home lives of the student-athletes he prefers to recruit.
Meanwhile, we’re looking at the team’s cornerbacks and running backs with an eye toward what should happen next, we’re questioning which current Cowboys can safely be called busts, and we’re exploring why it may be too early to give up on at least one of them. All that, plus Mike McCarthy’s surprising place among the all-time coaching greats, and Jerry Jones teams up with an unlikely superstar for his latest business venture. That’s all ahead in News and Notes.
The PFF 101: Highlighting the top 101 players from the 2022 NFL season :: PFF.com
Micah Parsons landed in the top five and is the highest-ranking NFC player here. Tony Pollard and CeeDee Lamb were the only other Cowboys to make this annual list.
Cowboys' Mike McCarthy entering very rare air among all-time NFL head coaches :: Cowboys Wire
With 155 career wins on his résumé, McCarthy could surpass legends Bud Grant, Mike Holmgren, and Paul Brown during the 2023 season. That would put him inside the top 15 in NFL history in terms of coaching wins. Of the 19 head coaches currently ahead of McCarthy on the all-time list, eight already have a bust in Canton.
More coaches question the value of attending the Scouting Combine :: ProFootballTalk
A growing number of NFL coaching staffs are choosing to stay away from the hype of the scouting combine in Indianapolis, which some say has become more of a week-long reality TV show for the league than a valid forum for evaluating prospects in any sort of meaningful way. For some coaches, clocking in at the team facility is a better use of their time.
DL and LB team interviews will highlight first full day of combine :: Kevin Brown (Twitter)
Combine schedule… pic.twitter.com/8GpNhvBiOj
— Kevin Brown (@KevinBrownNFL) February 20, 2023
Cowboys 2023 position preview: What to do with in-house RB options :: Cowboys Wire
The Elliott/Pollard duo has become one of the league’s top RB tandems, but things are about to change. Elliott’s skills have declined dramatically, and the cost to keep him is sky-high. The team appears ready to place the franchise tag on Pollard to keep him around for at least one more season, but that’s not ideal, either. The Cowboys could also opt to move on from Elliott and choose to allow Pollard to hit free agency, then pair Malik Davis with a draft pick to share the rushing load.
Open Market: Impact CBs who should intrigue Dallas :: The Mothership
So many questions at the cornerback position for the Cowboys, with Anthony Brown and C.J. Goodwin set to hit free agency, Daron Bland possibly giving Jourdan Lewis a run for the future starter’s gig, and Trevon Diggs’s contract status about to become a serious discussion point. Patrick Peterson is the biggest name to watch as a possible add, but don’t count out solid vets like Cameron Sutton, Sean-Murphy-Bunting, Byron Murphy, Tavierre Thomas, or Rock Ya-Sin.
Is there a future for controversial draft pick Josh Ball in Cowboys' lineups? :: Cowboys Wire
Dallas took a big chance on Ball in the 2021 draft. Scouts loved his 6-foot-8-inch size, but he came with serious off-the-field issues. After not playing at all as a rookie, he finally saw the field last year and was so bad in 41 total offensive snaps that many in the fanbase are ready to give up on him. Recall, though, that Terence Steele was also a disaster in his first starts. Look for the Cowboys to exercise patience with their former fourth-round pick; he could develop along a similar track.
4 Dallas Cowboys players we can safely call busts :: The Landry Hat
Ball is past the point of redemption, according to this list, but he’s not the only one. Neither Neville Gallimore nor Kelvin Joseph has lived up to expectations, and one year was more than enough for many who watched Jalen Tolbert simply take up space on the roster.
Deion Sanders faces backlash over his ‘duel parent’ vs. ‘single mother’ household recruiting strategy :: MadameNoire
Coach Prime’s recent comments on The Rich Eisen Show have left a bad taste in the mouths of many. He explained that when recruiting quarterbacks, he looks for a kid from dual-parent home who also has a 3.5 GPA and never makes bad decisions “because he has to be a leader of men.” What does he want to see from a defensive lineman, on the other hand? “Totally opposite. Single mama, trying to get it, he’s on free lunch,” Sanders said. While the answer may have been played for a laugh, some are accusing the new Colorado coach of hurtful stereotyping, hypocrisy, and even racism.
World-renowned streamer Ninja joins esports firm backed by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones :: WFAA
The Cowboys owner has an eye for young talent… and lucrative business opportunities. Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is the new chief innovation officer for Jones’s esports and gaming firm GameSquare. The new Ninja Labs incubator will help “innovate and create engaging experiences to inspire the next generation of streamers and leave a lasting impact on the industry,” the popular gamer said. “Innovation and success often depend on big, bold moves,” added Jones. “We’re thrilled to be part of it.”
