Cowboys News: Taking away takeaways, most team-friendly contracts, competition at kicker?
Was the 2021 Cowboys defense great simply because it created a ton of takeaways? Or was it a great defense that also happened to rack up interceptions and fumbles in bunches? Those worried that the unit won’t be able to collect turnovers at the same rate this upcoming season may take solace in data that shows that fewer takeaways doesn’t necessarily mean fewer wins.
Elsewhere, Mike McCarthy may be looking to create some competition at the kicker position in Oxnard, CeeDee Lamb reveals his wide receiver role models, the Cowboys rank high when it comes to team-friendly contracts, and the team makes the wrong list when it comes to offseason moves. Also, celebrating Jesse Holley’s signature moment with 77 days to go before the season opener, a way-too-early mock draft has Dallas going back to the ‘backers, a new deal for Sunday Ticket may be coming into focus, and the story of a feared Cowboys defender who bravely became a trailblazer long after he left the game. All that, plus Micah Parsons shows off his new custom-made bling. News and Notes, coming right up.
Dallas Cowboys rolling with rookie kicker? Mike McCarthy urges patience :: ESPN
Todd Archer speculates that the Cowboys will, “in all likelihood,” add another kicker to the mix before training camp. Undrafted youngster Jonathan Garibay out of Texas Tech has impressed so far, but “he’s just young,” according to Mike McCarthy. The coach may decide that, in the pressure cooker that will be his 2022 season, banking his own professional future on the leg of a rookie may be too much.
The Cowboys should see a drastic drop in takeaways this season, but here is why it won’t matter :: Blogging the Boys
It’s a statistical improbability that the Cowboys will lead the league with takeaways for a second straight year, or nab anywhere close to 34 of them again. But looking back over the last 20 years, every double-digit win season the Cowboys have enjoyed happened when the defense also finished in the upper half of the NFL in points allowed. Takeaways proved to be much less of a direct predictor. Picks and strips make the highlight reel, but keeping opposing offenses out of the end zone is what correlates to wins.
CeeDee Lamb names five current and former WRs he’s modeled his game after :: The Landry Hat
The Cowboys’ new WR1 knows where to draw inspiration from. When asked by Mike Silver on a recent podcast to list which receivers he looks up to, current stars Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp, and Odell Beckham Jr. made the cut. Lamb also singled out former standouts Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garçon.
Ranking the top 32 NFL contracts ahead of the 2022 season :: Pro Football Focus
The Joneses do love a good bargain. On this list of the most “team-friendly” contracts in the league, the Cowboys have three players making an appearance. Left tackle Tyron Smith’s eight-year, $97.6 million deal (with two years and $28.1 million in cash remaining) ranks ninth-best, thanks to his level of consistency and dominance at a known and fixed price point and at one of the game’s most important positions. DeMarcus Lawrence’s newly-reworked deal is 21st; Michael Gallup lands at No. 29.
2022 NFL offseason: Best and worst moves, MVPs and more :: SI.com
The Cowboys are mentioned once in this recap of the best and worst from the offseason, but it’s in the wrong category. Conor Orr names Dallas as his pick for the team that didn’t do enough this offseason and could struggle as a result. “After watching both the Rams and Buccaneers take home Lombardi Trophies in consecutive years, it’s obvious the formula is amassing a talent glut so significant that no other team can compete.” Unfortunately, Dante Fowler doesn’t really check that box.
Countdown: Jesse Holley's shining moment :: The Mothership
As the team website continues its daily countdown to the season opener 77 days out, they focused Sunday on fan favorite Jesse Holley. In a memorable overtime battle in the Bay against San Francisco, Tony Romo connected with the unlikeliest of heroes, who then raced for a heart-stopping 77-yard reception. It set up a game-winning field goal in one of the most thrilling moments in Cowboys history.
Jeff Rohrer: Trailblazer :: NFL.com
NFL Films Presents spotlights the former Cowboys linebacker, who became the first NFL player to marry a member of the same sex when he wed his partner in November 2018. The second-round draft pick out of Yale talks about the challenges of learning Dallas’s famed “Flex” defense in the ’80s and how they barely compared to coming to grips with his own truth much later in life.
Amazon, Apple, Disney have reportedly all submitted bids for NFL Sunday Ticket, while DirecTV may strike a deal with the winner :: Awful Announcing
The NFL is reportedly seeking $2 billion per year for Sunday Ticket. DirecTV has not made a bid to keep the service, but the company may work a deal with the winner, focused around providing the service to bars and restaurants and perhaps continuing to service its current residential customers. As of now, it does not appear that the price will change once “The Ticket” finds a new home, thanks to certain contractual details between the NFL and the FOX and CBS networks.
Way-too-early 2023 NFL mock draft :: The Draft Network
While everything about 2022 is still to be decided, it never hurts to look way ahead. This mock draft has the Cowboys continuing to collect linebackers in 2023 by picking Clemson’s Trenton Simpson with the 24th overall selection. In this exercise, he’s the second ‘backer to come off the board.
Micah Parsons turns his Cowboys jersey into $50K diamond chain :: TMZ Sports
The Defensive Rookie of the Year contracted Miami jeweler Christian Johnston to create a 30-carat pendant and chain, complete with Parsons’s jersey number and nameplate on the back. Johnston says he has received approval from the NFL to sell a scaled-down version to fans next season… at, presumably, a greatly scaled-down price.
