News: Aikman talks Cowboys QBs, Romo wins golf tourney, DiNucci playoff-bound
Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks make up an elite club. But the most decorated of them all says Dak Prescott is the first one since he left the game to share this one quality; now it’s up to the rest of the football world to try to read between the lines of that (maybe backhanded?) compliment. As for Prescott, he spent the weekend watching game film on draftable wide receivers and may have thoughts for the team ahead of Thursday’s first round. Tony Romo and Ben DiNucci also pulled out big Sunday wins- Romo on the links, and DiNucci in the XFL to put his team in the playoffs.
Elsewhere, Cowboys Wire is exploring the ramifications of taking Bijan Robinson with the 26th pick… but we also have another running back prospect to discuss who just might remind you of someone else who wore the star. We’ve got that, plus more Cowboys comps for this year’s class. The Colts are spinning their trading away of Stephon Gilmore as a plus, we’re busting a popular myth about Dallas cornerbacks in the draft, and one Cowboys Hall of Famer stands alone among his draft class. All that, plus what history says about taking a tight end early, and Deion Sanders has quite the coming-out party in Boulder. News and Notes, coming right up.
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Troy Aikman sees something in Cowboys QB Dak Prescott that his predecessors lacked :: Dallas Morning News
“Dak has never cowered to the expectations of winning the Super Bowl,” Aikman said. “He’s taken that head on. He’s the only one I’ve heard since I’ve played that has really been that adamant about that being the standard for a Cowboys quarterback.” While the remark could (and will) be taken as a shot at Tony Romo (or Quincy Carter or several other stopgap passers), the Hall of Famer was really speaking to Prescott’s public acknowledgment of the intense expectations that come with quarterbacking America’s Team and how he’s embraced it in a way others have not.
Prescott to help scout Cowboys' possible WR prospects: 'May give them a call' :; Cowboys Wire
The Cowboys quarterback says he was given some tape to look at featuring several wide receivers from this year’s draft class. He teased that he may reach out to one or two of them, just as he did to Jalen Tolbert last year. Even if the club doesn’t take Prescott’s suggestions, he says he appreciates having the input.
Deep dive into Cowboys history of drafting TEs :: The Mothership
The Cowboys have only ever taken a tight end in the opening round of the draft twice. (Billy Joe Dupree and David LaFleur.) Expand the search to the first three rounds over the past 20 years and the only notables are Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett. Mike McCarthy sat through 17 drafts in Green Bay; he spent a third-round pick or better on a tight end just twice. History would suggest that taking a tight end early is just not in the cards… but never say never.
These top 50 draft prospects draw comparisons to Cowboys stars :: Cowboys Wire
Touchdown Wire’s top player comps show several possible reincarnations of former Cowboys. Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer looks a lot like a young Jason Witten, Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald may remind fans of Robert Quinn, and Northwestern offensive lineman Peter Skoronski could be the next Zack Martin.
DeMarcus Ware to be first member of 2005 draft class in Canton :: Pro Football Hall of Fame (Twitter)
There were 255 players selected in the 2005 NFL Draft, which began #OTD 18 years ago today.
Only one of them has been elected to the Hall of Fame so far: @DeMarcusWare, who went 11th overall and was in @dallascowboys mini-camp (seen here) within a week. pic.twitter.com/nQnAyYgc0Q
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) April 24, 2023
Seven, 7-round mock drafts: So you've grabbed Bijan, Cowboys... now what? :: Cowboys Wire
Playing out the rest of the draft with a hypothetical Robinson selection at 26, the Cowboys miss out on a lot of highly-touted targets at other positions of greater need. In this mock, they end up with Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Tippmann in the second and manage to snag Oklahoma wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. in the third. Texas defensive end DeMarvion Overshown joins the club, as does Houston passer Clayton Tune. Alabama cornerback Eli Ricks and Coastal Carolina defensive tackle Jerrod Clark round out the haul, but it takes trading some future picks to get them.
Future star? UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet would work well with Cowboys :: Cowboys Wire
A next-gen DeMarco Murray: that’s what the comps say on the UCLA running back. Murray was an immediate contributor to the Dallas offense in 2011 with 5.5 yards a carry and 7 yards a reception as part of a carry share with a speedy, shifty Felix Jones. If the Cowboys got that kind of production out of Charbonnet by pairing him with Tony Pollard, he’d make an excellent Day 2 selection.
Colts GM Chris Ballard sees Stephon Gilmore trade to Cowboys as 'good for both of us' :: NFL.com
The Cowboys getting Gilmore for a fifth-round draft pick was seen across the league as a shrewd move that cost Dallas next to nothing. But Indianapolis is spinning it as a win for them, too. “He’s at the end of his career. I thought he was a decent fit for the defense. But a chance to get a pick for him in the last year of his deal. Shed a little bit of the contract money off,” the Colts GM said. “That kind of went into it.”
Height isn't most important CB attribute for Cowboys' draft worthiness, this is :: Cowboys Wire
Consider this myth busted. Since 2011, the Cowboys aren’t any more obsessed with tall cornerbacks than the rest of the league. In fact, there are 14 teams who have a higher average height (of their CB draft picks) than Dallas. Arm length isn’t any more of a Cowboys-only quirk, either. But the team does historically tend to draft corners who score very well in the broad jump, with the third-highest average scores in the NFL.
New Colorado coach Deion Sanders 'amazed' at spring atmosphere :: ESPN
Over 45,000 fans braved near-freezing temps in Boulder to watch Colorado’s spring intrasquad game and catch a first glimpse of Coach Prime. (He wasn’t hard to find, wearing a cowboy hat and a T-shirt that actually read “I AIN’T HARD TO FIND.”) The annual scrimmage drew fewer than 2,000 last year and less than 1,000 in 2021. Safe to say the former Cowboy has already brought a winning culture to the Buffaloes, who went 1-11 last season.
Tony Romo wins celebrity division of Invited Celebrity Classic :: PGA Tour Champions (Twitter)
The longtime @NFL QB secures the win in Texas! 🏆@tonyromo brings home the trophy for the celebrity division @invitedcc. pic.twitter.com/0MhVYwhex7
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) April 23, 2023
Sea Dragons win, earn final XFL playoff spot via tiebreaker :: Touchdown Wire
Former Cowboys quarterback Ben DiNucci led Seattle to a regular-season finale win to improbably put the Sea Dragons in the XFL playoffs, needing the fifth tiebreaker over St. Louis to do so. DiNucci threw for three touchdowns and added another rushing. He’ll play the D.C. Defenders on Sunday. The 4-6 Arlington Renegades also made the postseason; they’ll face the Houston Roughnecks.
