News: Cowboys, Lamb ‘talking’ contract; expectations for Vaughn; what are the worries for 2023?
The CeeDee Lamb extension talks appear to be moving, albeit at glacial speed. Hope remains that the two sides will get something done in time for Jerry Jones to make a big splashy announcement at the opening of training cam in Oxnard. In the meantime, we’re talking about expectations for players ranging from Sam Williams to Mazi Smith to Deuce Vaughn, who may be much more than a one-trick pony. We’re also looking at the 2023 Cowboys to identify the high-level things that would be keeping a GM up at night.
Elsewhere, we have a look back at the biggest draft steals of the past decade, the best players under 25, and who was the greatest NFLer to wear every available jersey number? There are Cowboys on each one of those lists. We’re busting the myth that running backs don’t matter (as long as they’re named Tony Pollard), we’re ranking the league’s backup quarterbacks, and we’re waiting to see if Will Grier can make a move this year. All that, plus Micah Parsons absolutely goes off in a charity softball game in El Paso.
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Slater: Cowboys 'are talking, but nothing is imminent' on CeeDee Lamb contract extension :: NFL.com
NFL Network’s Jane Slater says her sources indicate that the club is trying to get a long-term deal done with the fifth-year wide receiver and that “things are moving in a positive direction.” Owner Jerry Jones loves to be able to sit in front of fans in Oxnard and announce big new deals, so something getting done closer to July 25 is very possible.
Which Cowboys made NFL.com's All-Under-25 Team? Who was left out? :: Cowboys Wire
CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons were named to the all-star roster of best players under the age of 25. Trevon Diggs missed out, as did Tyler Smith, but Smith still has two more years to make the cut.
Ranking the 50 biggest NFL draft steals of the past decade :: ESPN+
Dak Prescott makes the list as the sixth-biggest draft steal from 2013 to 2022, a 135th overall pick who’s thrown for 24,943 passing yards, 166 touchdowns, and 65 interceptions in seven seasons. Only Derrick Henry, Cooper Kupp, Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce were bigger surprises. Trevon Diggs also made the list after slipping to the 51st pick in 2020.
Running backs may not matter in the NFL but Pollard matters to the Cowboys :: Cowboys Wire
It’s not that running plays don’t matter or the position doesn’t matter, it’s that the individuals themselves are so dependent on the offensive line, the valued added from one runner to the next is negligible. Except the difference between Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott wasn’t: his RYOE over the last three seasons rank him No. 2 overall in the entire league. The problem is, no one knows if he will continue to matter now that he’s the lead back.
What role do we expect for Deuce Vaughn? :: The Mothership
The sixth-rounder being a speedy ankle-breaker out in space is the obvious answer. But the Cowboys expect him to be more versatile than that. In fact, he’s fully capable of being a different kind of short-yardage threat because of that size; his collegiate film showed Vaughn often squeaking through the tall trees on critical third downs and on the goal line.
Why double-digit sacks are perfectly realistic for Cowboys DE Sam Williams :: Cowboys Wire
His explosion off the snap was impossible to miss and despite playing with little polish or technique, Williams found a high degree of success rushing the passer. But he was also one of the best run-stopping EDGE players in the league last season. With that combo, he’s likely to challenge Dorance Armstrong for the third-most EDGE snaps in 2023. More snaps, more chances at sacks.
Mueller: Identifying each NFC East team’s biggest concern from a GM’s perspective :: The Athletic
It’s the GM’s job to find things to worry about. Randy Mueller says in Dallas, expectations about extending Dak Prescott after a rough year are concerning. The Cowboys have a history of over-valuing their own players and paying them before they have to; this could be continuing down that road. And he doesn’t love Parsons adding weight to be more of a full-time edge rusher. The chaos he creates for offenses starts with them having to identify and locate him when his alignment varies; why take that element away and allow offenses to know where he is going to be?
Dallas Cowboys' Micah Parsons joins Aaron Jones to seek softball game redemption :: Yahoo Sports
In the charity softball game pitting Packers running back Aaron Jones versus his linebacker brother Alvin, Parsons was recruited to join Aaron’s team. Parsons put on a show to win the Home Run Derby… and then led off the game with an inside-the-park home run.
Parsons gifts HR Derby bat to young fan wearing his jersey :: Jess Navarez (Twitter)
Micah Parsons wins the Home Run Derby portion of the night and gives his bat away to a lucky fan who is sporting his best Parsons jersey!@BloggingTheBoys pic.twitter.com/B4yuMcoXEc
— Jess Nevarez (@JessNevarez_) June 30, 2023
Former Michigan football DT Mazi Smith goes full beast mode :: Wolverines Wire
A video clip just now making the rounds (again) shows the first-round pick crushing a weight-room session back in Ann Arbor, throwing 800 pounds around on a machine that the manufacturer had to confirm could handle that much weight. And that came after a warmup of 22 bench press reps at a full 100 pounds over what they do at the scouting combine.
2023 NFL backup QB rankings: 49ers have two capable No. 2s, while Panthers, Ravens crack top five :: CBS Sports
Cooper Rush holds down the No. 15 spot on this countdown, putting him at about the midway mark of all backup quarterbacks in the league. After four years with hardly any action in Dallas, Rush went a combined 5-1 in place of an injured Dak Prescott from 2021-2022. Though he’s a straightforward pocket passer, he proved willing to look downfield and feed his playmakers while on the field. Former Cowboys Mike White (Jets) and Andy Dalton (Panthers) are 14th and 2nd, respectively.
The clock is ticking for Cowboys QB3 Will Grier :: Cowboys Wire
Remember, Grier was drafted higher than Dak Prescott. But at the age of 28 and entering his fifth NFL season, he’s going to need to capitalize on his Air Raid offense background and prove he can do more when the situation demands. The developmental status doesn’t last forever, and at some point, a prospect is what he is.
The best pro football player to wear every jersey number :: Touchdown Wire
The greatest across all teams and eras to ever wear No. 33? No. 8? No. 12? Some impossibly tough choices in this exercise, but the Cowboys are nonetheless represented well, with four players- Emmitt Smith, Randy White, Bob Lilly, and DeMarcus Ware- on the list (and many more in the honorable mentions).
