Cowboys News: Pollard’s Pro Bowl chances, McCarthy may be safer than thought
There’s still plenty of time to make predictions about how the 2022 season will unfold for the Dallas Cowboys. Right now, it all seems possible (both good and bad). For instance, one outlet says to keep an eye on backup running back Tony Pollard; this could be the year that gets him his first Pro Bowl nod. Another says Mike McCarthy probably isn’t going anywhere, regardless of which would-be head coaches are waiting in the wings.
What we do know is it all starts with training camp; we’ve got a full schedule for Oxnard. Elsewhere, center Tyler Biadasz has an unexpected perspective on watching the team’s playoff loss to the 49ers five months later, former wideout Amari Cooper makes his full-uniform debut in orange and brown, and ESPN places the Cowboys’ roster squarely in the middle of the pack. All that, plus how Jerry Jones’s tenure stacks up against the league’s other general managers, the surprising evolution of the larger-than-life figure once called Neon Deion, and could fullbacks be making comebacks across the NFL? That’s all ahead in News and Notes.
2022 NFL season: One potential first-time Pro Bowler from each NFC team :: NFL.com
There’s nothing like your first time. And for Cowboys running back Tony Pollard, 2022 might earn him his first Pro Bowl nod. Technically the “backup,” Pollard has three-down ability, posted career numbers last season, and has been more effective than Ezekiel Elliott of late. If this is the year the Dallas coaches utilize him as frequently as they’ve been saying they’re going to, Pollard could take a massive leap in his leaguewide standing.
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy may be around longer than you expect :: Blogging the Boys
McCarthy is already on the hot seat, at least in the minds of many fans who are eager to see Dan Quinn or Sean Payton (or nearly anybody else) installed as Cowboys coach. Not so fast. He still has three years left on his contract, and did deliver major improvement in Year Two. As long as he can orchestrate another playoff berth, why wouldn’t the front office show him the same kind of patience they showed Jason Garrett for so long?
California Dreaming: Cowboys announce 2022 training camp practice dates :: Cowboys Wire
The Cowboys will report for their 16th camp in Oxnard on July 26, with the first practice slated for the next day. An opening ceremony will take place on July 30. Thirteen practice sessions will be open to the public, with the team packing up and closing the California portion of their camp on August 10.
Countdown: Larry Allen's most iconic moment :: The Mothership
To commemorate 73 days until the start of the season, the team website remembers No. 73’s legendary play… as a defender. After Saints linebacker Darion Conner intercepted Troy Aikman during a 1994 game, he was racing for the end zone when Allen improbably chased him down from behind. No matter how many times you watch the replay of the 335-pound rookie offensive lineman’s seemingly superhuman speed, it never gets old.
Cowboys' Tyler Biadasz praises Dak Prescott's work ethic, relives brutal playoff loss :: Cowboys Wire
The third-year center doesn’t shun replays of the team’s heartbreaking playoff loss, but instead uses it as impromptu film study to mentally improve his craft. He spoke glowingly of Dak Prescott, saying of the quarterback’s rehab efforts after his 2020 injury, “I’ve never seen a work ethic like that.” Biadasz will try to fend off two UDFA centers in training camp next month.
Deion Sanders vs. Prime Time: The man behind the masquerade :: Pro Football Network
Whichever name you know him by, there’s more to the Hall of Famer than his flashy personality. The multi-sport superstar became a national icon because he always had the game to back up his bravado. But once he had stepped out of the stadium spotlights for good, Sanders had to re-invent himself once again. Today, to the young athletes he mentors at Jackson State, Coach Prime is the person Sanders needed when he was younger.
ESPN gives Cowboys 2022 roster middle of the road ranking, all thanks to defense :: Cowboys Wire
The network ranked the Cowboys roster 16th in the league. The biggest strength, biggest weakness, and biggest X factor all come on the defensive side of the ball: Micah Parsons, the interior defensive line, and Trevon Diggs, respectively. The Eagles have the division’s best ranking, at No. 7.
The NFL’s longest-tenured GMs :: Pro Football Rumors
Twelve NFL teams have now hired a new general manager in the past two offseasons. But Jerry Jones, who admits he didn’t know a thing about running a football team when he bought the Cowboys in 1989, has now been at it the longest of any GM in the league.
Former Cowboys WR Amari Cooper looks odd in orange and brown :: The MMQB (Twitter)
First look at Amari Cooper in a @Browns uni 🔥 pic.twitter.com/653QyMnXwK
— The MMQB (@theMMQB) June 30, 2022
How fullbacks are valued (and devalued) in today's NFL :: Touchdown Wire
Over the last two decades, the fullback position has become an anomaly. The Cowboys are the rare team that have one on their roster, and they actually currently have two. But with players like Kyle Juszczyk, Patrick Ricard, C.J. Ham, and Jakob Johnson each redefining the position in different ways, fullbacks could be making a bit of a comeback as multi-skilled utility men in today’s changing NFL.
