We’ve talked about it for years, the way national media uses the star power of the Dallas Cowboys to drive their ratings. People are dishonest about the talent and potential of the team and their players, in both directions, in order to drive ratings. The Cowboys haven’t won in a long time, but somehow are always contenders (though, they really are in 2023). The Cowboys haven’t won in a long time, so all of their players are overrated and of course, the constant target is quarterback Dak Prescott.
A recent ranking gave him his deserved props, though, against the grain. Meanwhile his leadership counterpart on the Dallas defense continues to reap the accolades when discussing 2021 players and future options and contracts. Micah Parsons is the man and is playing in front of one of the league’s best secondaries. Just how good is the Cowboys’ group? Gambling website news, a tragic loss to the NFL community and the NFLPA continuing to look like a poorly run union are all in the latest news and notes.
Best Quarterbacks in the NFL 2023: How Close are Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts, and Trevor Lawrence to the Elite Tier? :: Pro Football Network
Cowboys’ QB Dak Prescott isn’t just a top-10 QB, but he’s knocking on the door of the top 5. What’s this? A ranking that isn’t overreacting to one season of turnovers? Thanks, Dalton Miller.
Prescott is the litmus test for who is a true ball knower and who might be a casual fan listening and watching debate shows at four-letter networks making surface-level arguments about a game as intricate as football.
And that’s why Prescott is such a polarizing figure. Aside from having the star on his helmet, which already makes him a target, Prescott is good in ways that casual football fans don’t really get to see. Sure, he has been known to guide passes through impossibly small windows, but his superiority comes from how he sees the field both before and after the snap.
He’s lost a few steps since snapping his ankle. He has a decent arm, but he’s not pushing triple digits on the radar gun like Allen or Herbert. Prescott wins as a more traditional pocket passer in a league where that archetype is practically extinct. The addition of Brandin Cooks could be exactly what the doctor ordered to fix the spacing issues the Dallas offense suffered from last season.
Which 2021 NFL Draft first rounders will have their fifth-year options picked up? :: The Athletic
Link (paywall)
Of course the holder of the first mention in Tier 1: Franchise cornerstones is none other than Micah Parsons.
Micah Parsons, Edge, Cowboys (Pick No. 12)
Thus far, the best pick of the 2021 NFL Draft has been a guy who has spent a significant number of snaps playing out of his best position. Entering 2023, he’s now a full-time edge, a spot at which he already ranks first in pressure and sack rates among all players on rookie contracts. By expected points added (EPA), no edge rusher on a rookie deal has been more impactful for his team’s passing defense than Parsons. The more time Parsons spends on the edge, the better he’s become as a run defender, too.
Parsons stands to be the future record holder for highest-paid defensive player of all time, and he’ll also likely be the league’s most valuable defensive player.
Replacing Dalton Schultz will be no small task for the Cowboys :: Cowboys Wire
Reid Hanson looks at the decision which every fan seems to agree was the correct move, but will still likely lead to a downturn in production at the position.
3 Dallas Cowboys players not being talked about enough heading into camp :: BloggingTheBoys
Interesting choices here. We’ve written recently how fans shouldn’t expect a repeat performance out of Dorance Armstrong and how Chauncey Golston is probably getting the short end of the rotation stick, but wholeheartedly agree with Malik Hooker.
The Cowboys secondary might be the most complete unit on their entire team and it starts with the safety room. Guys like Jayron Kearse and Donovan Wilson get well deserved props for their contributions, but the most talented one of the bunch may actually be Malik Hooker. The safety from Ohio State is a former first-round pick who struggled to stay healthy early in his career while with the Indianapolis Colts, but has now since found stability and comfort here in Dallas.
NFL units ranked: Who has the best offensive line, receiving corps, secondary? :: ProFootballFocus
This is a recap of PFF’s positional series so no new ground covered. Cowboys come in ranked sixth in both OL and secondary.
Fanatics bumps offer for PointsBet, besting the DraftKings bid :: ProFootballTalk
For the gambling enthusiasts amongst our readers… two top outfits are battling over buying the US rights to a third and the winning bid appears to be $225 million.
According to Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico.com, Fanatics has increased its offer for PointsBet’s U.S. operations from $150 million to $225 million. That’s more than the $195 million DraftKings had offered.
Over the weekend, the New York Post reported that the duel for PointsBet traces to a failed merger of Fanatics and DraftKings from 2021. As that report went, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin backed out of the deal, leaving DraftKings CEO Jason Robins miffed at the development — and determined to block Rubin’s effort to land PointsBet.
Former Arkansas, NFL QB Ryan Mallett dies in apparent drowning :: ESPN
Mallett was never a member of the Cowboys, but when the NFL loses a member in a tragic way, the entire community mourns.
Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson and the best offseason move for all 32 NFL teams :: The Athletic
Link (paywall)
This was close. It came down to trading fifth- and sixth-round picks to the Texans for Brandin Cooks on March 19 and trading a fifth-round pick to the Colts for veteran CB Stephon Gilmore on March 14. Both moves instantly improved areas that were major concerns at the end of last season. The Cooks addition gets the edge, however, because wide receiver was a bigger need, Cooks is three years younger and he has two years left on his contract. Houston also agreed to pay $6 million of Cooks’ guaranteed $18 million salary for 2023. Cooks adds much-needed speed to the Cowboys offense as he is expected to be part of a starting wide receiver trio that includes CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup. — Jon Machota
Silence and secrecy continue to shroud NFLPA’s executive director selection process :: Pro Football Talk
The weird saga of the NFL players not knowing who the candidates are to be the next executive director continues. Will there be an announcement of the decision Thursday?