Dallas Cowboys 2018 offseason thread

[DougO 5,256]

Ealy is cheap enough to cut if he doesn't start playing better. It would be nice of Dorance Armstrong doesn't hit a rookie wall and looks legit, and Tapper stays healthy. That wouldn't leave a lot of room for Ealy. He doesn't seem like the type of end that would easily transition to DT. Seems like a sign that they're ready to move on from him if nothing bad happens.

[DougO 5,256]

 

[DougO 5,256]

It's also comforting to see Price not showing any effects from last year's knee injury. He looks like a legit rotation tackle when he's on the field.

[Vic Mackey 47,163]

On 8/10/2018 at 11:42 PM, youdunnf'dup said:

They were talking about this on the cowboys break, and i agree. We need to bring in a veteran backup. I don’t know who’s out there, but this qb room has ZERO experience behind Dak, and a QB coach who’s never actually been a QB coach. Bring in a guy like a Derek Anderson, or Matt Moore, or shit, even Mark Sanchez. Just someone who’s actually started a few games in the NFL to talk about what they’re seeing when Dak is on the sideline. I feel like Sanchez actually helped Dak in that role when he was here.

Agreed. If Dak goes down, it is 2015 all over again. Cooper Rush is hardly even an NFL QB and that goes for being a backup. If Dak goes down for a month, you want someone here who can salvage the season until he gets back and not have it where we reel off 4 losses in a row and we sink.

[DougO 5,256]

Cooper Rush is light years better than Kellen Moore. I'd be in favor of a decent vet backup, but the rookie White seems like a practice squad guy at best.

[DougO 5,256]

But I don't think they sign one. They will carry 2 QBs and use the extra spot for an extra WR/TE or DE. This may depend on whether they're still in on the Rico Gathers experiment.

[EvilCaseMcCoy 691]

1 hour ago, Vic Mackey said:

Agreed. If Dak goes down, it is 2015 all over again. Cooper Rush is hardly even an NFL QB and that goes for being a backup. If Dak goes down for a month, you want someone here who can salvage the season until he gets back and not have it where we reel off 4 losses in a row and we sink.

I dont see any back ups on the street thatd give us a better shot than Rush.  If Dak goes down we may be screwed but we were screwed with Sanchez, Cassel and Weeden.  Might as well roll with a cheap backup.  

[Vic Mackey 47,163]

53 minutes ago, EvilCaseMcCoy said:

I dont see any back ups on the street thatd give us a better shot than Rush.  If Dak goes down we may be screwed but we were screwed with Sanchez, Cassel and Weeden.  Might as well roll with a cheap backup.  

I am not refuting that. We are pretty much stuck with what we got right now. Maybe you could find an older journeyman but I really doubt it. With the dire need for quality QBs in this league, there aren't going to be any worth a damn on the street in August. I just wished they had a better plan than this especially after what happened in 2015 and the disaster that was. You don't expect your backup to come in and play just as good but you do want him to at least manage to keep the ship from sinking. Brady and Foles are the outliers. It's not plausible to expect what happened when those took took the field and playing just as good or better than the starter and then winning it all.

But I was all for getting Foles a few years ago. I think he's really good when he's in the right scheme. He went to some bad situations after his first stop in Philly and people wrote him off.

[youdunnf'dup 2,147]

1 hour ago, EvilCaseMcCoy said:

I dont see any back ups on the street thatd give us a better shot than Rush.  If Dak goes down we may be screwed but we were screwed with Sanchez, Cassel and Weeden.  Might as well roll with a cheap backup.  

See, I agree with this. Cooper rush is fine as a backup, but I’d almost rather just cut him, have Mike White as your developmental qb (since you drafted him), and have an experienced backup to help Dak on the sidelines. Who knows, maybe you can sneak cooper rush onto the practice squad. We’re fucked regardless if Dak goes down.

[DougO 5,256]

Rush would get picked up quicker than White. That would be a poor decision.

[youdunnf'dup 2,147]

I guess that depends on what you ultimately think Cooper rush can be. Because they drafted mike White in the 5th round, and he was widely regarded as a player that should be drafted between the 4th or 5th round. He hasn’t looked good yet, but the draft capital would indicate they WANT to like him more than cooper Rush.

[EvilCaseMcCoy 691]

57 minutes ago, youdunnf'dup said:

See, I agree with this. Cooper rush is fine as a backup, but I’d almost rather just cut him, have Mike White as your developmental qb (since you drafted him), and have an experienced backup to help Dak on the sidelines. Who knows, maybe you can sneak cooper rush onto the practice squad. We’re fucked regardless if Dak goes down.

I think White is here to push Rush.  Competition is a good thing.  I dont see why White couldnt fall to the practice squad.  Not sure hes shown enough to be a 53 man lock.

Edited August 12, 2018 by EvilCaseMcCoy

[DougO 5,256]

I don't think there are a lot of expectations for either one. They are prospects. It's good that they are finally starting to try to develop young QB prospects.

Rush was regarded as a good QB talent prior to being drafted, football IQ, production and such, but the knock was his arm strength was in question. That made him intriguing enough to take a FA flier on, but tough to spend a draft pick. I believe he has alleviated a lot of those physical concerns to a significant degree that he is now seen as a smart QB with adequate physical skills who will likely be in the league for a while in some QBing role.

White is more raw material, and another guy to develop. He's sort of the flipside of what Rush was, a guy with big arm talent but very inconsistent, having trouble with the more mental aspects of the game, lack of quick decisions and recognizing blitzes and coverages. Probably a long term prospect that needs a lot of work, definitely not an instant backup.

Between the two, I think Rush has earned strong consideration to be the backup QB. White isn't anywhere close to that. But he's worth trying to develop to see where he is in a year or two. That can probably be done with a PS stash. A 5th round pick isn't an automatic keep, nor an automatic waiver claim by any stretch. QBs like him don't usually get picked up unless they really shine in preseason. Teams just don't have a lot of roster space for a late drafted developmental QB that was cut by another team.

If the Jets, for instance, were to decide to release McCown and keep Bridgewater as the backup, or starter, that would be something that would be logical for the Cowboys to investigate. As for now, I think Rush is likely the backup, and White gets stashed on PS.

Edited August 12, 2018 by DougO

[DougO 5,256]

The Cowboys could keep 3 at the expense of another position, but the numbers at multiple positions and the unsure nature of those higher priorities would seem to make it less likely at this point. But there's a ways to go, things can happen.

[kopp0e 1,135]

9 hours ago, futureman said:

unless ET shows up. 

How good is cell reception in the area..?

ET always bitchin' about "phone home", or something...

[Patrick Bateman 3,933]

It's all in what the staff thinks they can be.  And it's not like they don't make mistakes on QB recognition and development.  I think they see both as quality backups but neither flashed in college they could be a good NFL starter in most scouts eyes.  In some way, we're really lucky to have Dak and we have to hope he continues to develop (although I don't think we've done him a lot of favors this year), but remember, it was a lot of luck..... They and Jerrah desperately wanted Paxton Lynch.  If you watched Lynch this weekend, he's horrible.... and it's his 3rd year in.  Unanswered prayers.

 

Edited August 13, 2018 by Patrick Bateman

[Viper 12,112]

some practice reports and news and notes round up from btb. Gregory is looking good so far (all things considered), Jaylon Smith continues to ball out, Irving is still in his substance abuse program and will probably be gone for all of camp.

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2018/8/13/17682670/news-notes-dallas-cowboys-camp-stars-randy-gregory-why-front-seven-cowboys-deepest-unit-more

Quote

Practice Recap: Optimism For The Defense - Staff, DallasCowboys.com
The defense gets top billing in this camp summary.

The Cowboys’ pass rush has had a productive training camp led by DeMarcus Lawrenceand his cohorts. And just in case they needed a boost of talent, Randy Gregory entered into team drills for this first time on Sunday.

Even more impressive than that might be the Cowboys’ linebacker corps, though. Sean Leeentered team drills on Saturday afternoon and Chris Covington returned to practice on Sunday. Those additions give the Cowboys their full complement of linebackers, which gives them quite a bit of talent to work with.

Joe Thomas has stolen headlines in the early going of this camp, capping it off with an interception in the preseason opener against San Francisco. Leighton Vander Esch has also begun to flash his natural ability as he has gotten acclimated.

The real headliner, though, has been Jaylon Smith – who has appeared to take several steps forward in his development during the Cowboys’ stay in California. Smith has looked the part of a blue-chip talent during training camp.

It’s still early in the summer, to be fair. There’s three preseason games to play before the Cowboys even get to the games that count. But right now, Smith and the defense are showing plenty.

Star of the Day: Another Big Day For Gregory - Staff, DallasCowboys.com
Three stars for Randy Gregory!

David Helman: I never would’ve expected to be writing about Randy Gregory so soon, but here we are. The long-discussed, seldom-seen pass rusher mixed into practice today — and he looked pretty damn good. Gregory probably only got about five total reps working with the defense, and he was held out of pass rush drills. But he looked completely comfortable out there. In the final period of the day, he executed an absolutely beautiful twist stunt and had a free run at Dak Prescott. Had it been a real game, he might’ve notched a sack. Not a bad start at all.

Mickey Spagnola: There were several choices I could have made for today, from Tavon Austin to Kadeem Edwards to Rico Gathers to Dorance Armstrong. But you know what, this is about how far this guy has come, not necessarily about all he did today. I mean, come on, Randy Gregory was practicing in pads today, taking part in team sessions for the first time since the end of the 2016 season. Who would have thought that back then when he was suspended the entire 2017 season? And in the Blue Period, reserved for the young guys, he would have recorded a sack. Good on him.

Rob Phillips: Defensive end Randy Gregory was in the backfield – often – in his first team-drill work of training camp, getting past Cameron Fleming and Jacob Campos near the end of practice. Gregory still looks quick off the line of scrimmage, but he also has power to his pass-rush skill set. I’m still amazed at how different he looks frame-wise. At 242 pounds, he’s added a lot of bulk to his upper-body and carries it well. The Cowboys are pleased with the way he’s worked back into practice. And although these aren’t full-contact reps, you can see his natural talent out here.

Dak hit Tavon for a huge gain here. I didn’t film it, because Randy Gregory appeared to have Dak dead to rights #cowboyswire pic.twitter.com/WBmuBYYjaL

— David Helman (@HelmanDC) August 13, 2018

Jerry Jones spoke in Oxnard. We try to make sense of it – Calvin Watkins, The Athletic
Watkins tries his hand at translating Jerry-speak, with some interesting results.

On the front seven: The Cowboys might keep six linebackers on the 53-man roster. As of now, they’re as follows: Sean Lee, Jaylon Smith, Leighton Vander Esch, Damien Wilson, Justin March-Lillard, and Joe Thomas. Sixth-round pick Chris Covington has missed valuable practice time due to injury and has returned for the last two days. He’s on the bubble but the coaching staff does value him. The Cowboys could try to hide Covington for the final three preseason games by not playing him, then cut him on the final cut day. If they slip him through waivers, they could then sign Covington to their practice squad.

As far as the defensive line, it looks like 10 might be available Week 1. Of course, Kony Ealy and Charles Tapper are on the bubble. Ealy is getting some looks at defensive tackle instead of end, as the team tries to get him going. Tapper remains at end. The Cowboys will not have David Irving for the rest of training camp because he’s in a substance abuse facility and he’ll miss the season’s first four games due to an NFL suspension. The team will need to make another roster move to get Irving on the 53. Maliek Collins, who’s out with a foot injury, is getting closer to seeing some playing time.

The defensive line group might be the Cowboys’ deepest unit.

On Randy Gregory: Gregory got his first extensive practice time in pads Sunday. He recorded a sack and displayed a series of pass-rush moves from a bull rush to a spin. He didn’t look too rusty and in fact, he looked quick, which is something the Cowboys want. Gregory got looks on all three defensive line groups and will continue to do so until the Cowboys can find a spot for him. Gregory lined up at right defensive end, Tyrone Crawfordand Taco Charlton’s spot. So you could say he’s backing them up for now. Jones also said he expects Gregory to make an impact for the Week 1 game against Carolina and that he was worth the second-round pick.

Here are 5 thoughts from Jerry Jones about camp - Clarence Hill, Star-Telegram
Jerry Jones is excited about Randy Gregory, Dak Prescott, Jaylon Smith, and Tavon Austin.

On Randy Gregory: Jones said he is excited about what he’s seen from Gregory. Gregory won’t play in Saturday’s home preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals but he expects him to be ready to go for the season opener against the Carolina Panthers.

“I just know that his attitude, his want to, his genuineness, those are things that I’ve heard players talk about but I would say it’s mirrored all the way through and up through the organization,” Jones said. “Everybody here is rooting for him, he doesn’t want any slack but I know he sees the care that everybody has for him. I did notice some of his trademark skill out there on a couple of snaps that he took out there today. You could see that sleekness/sleuthness? He’s just got the ability to create some pressure.”

On Tavon Austin: Jones said he wanted see more from the offense against the 49ers but didn’t need to risk any injuries. He liked the way both the offense and defense competed. But he specifically pointed out the energy and spirit of receiver Tavon Austin, comparing him to Hall of Famer Michael Irvin.

“I like the energy that No. 10 is bringing,” Jones said of Austin. “That’s inordinate because just by the nature of how we got him here and his pedigree, for him to bring along that really, it’s Michael Irvin-ish as far as the energy that he brings. I know the guys appreciate him. I certainly do from my perspective to have that kind of impact on his teammates at a time you have to call on it, I used to call it two-a-days, but training camp.

Jaylon Smith has Jerry Jones feeling justified - Todd Archer via Facebook
Jerry Jones dominated the headlines, but Archer also took note of what went on during practice.

** Dak Prescott focused on the deep ball in one on one drills. For the most part his throws were accurate and he gave his receivers a chance to make plays. He and Terrance Williams hooked up of a touchdown on a long ball over CB Anthony Brown. He would have had a second one to Lance Lenoir, but the receiver could not hang on to the pass in the end zone after a double move. Prescott completed 10 of 16 passes in seven on seven and team drills, bringing his camp total to 97 of 139 (70%).

A little more on Prescott’s accuracy. It’s not just about completing a pass, it’s about giving the pass catcher a chance to make a play. He threw a check down to tight end Dalton Schultzand hit him in the right shoulder, dictating to the tight end the defender was to his left and how to turn up field. Solid play.

** Rookie DE Dorance Armstrong lined up with the first team in the team run/play action period. The fourth round pick is making the coaches notice. He is active and does solidly against the run and the pass. In one on one pass rush work he was able to work up and under Fleming to get a pressure.

** Rookie LB Chris Covington has been limited in camp because of a case of bronchitis. After making a good play in individual drills, Garrett said, “Good to see ya 5-9,” referring to the rookie’s jersey number. Covington has a lot of catching up to do after missing so much time.

Dorance Armstrong: pic.twitter.com/MgBH707NeK

— Brandon George (@DMN_George) August 13, 2018

Watch Cowboys TE Rico Gathers make one-handed catch in Sunday's training camp practice: 'That's my style right there' - Brandon George, SportsDay
Rico Gathers had a spectacular catch yesterday.

Rico Gathers pic.twitter.com/WHpn0ELEgc

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 13, 2018

Gathers was all smiles when the media approached him after practice, and the tight end tried to play it off as just another play.

”It’s another catch in the books,” Gathers said, before another question was asked. ”If the ball is the air, go get it. That’s my style right there. If you put it up, hey, only I can get that.”

Gathers was asked if he believes his one-handed catch could help propel him to make the final roster.

”Nah, because there is more to this game than making plays like that,” Gathers said. “There’s an every-day aspect of it. Coming in, critiquing the blocking, and just being an every-day guy. You can make that catch one day than, shoot, and you don’t make no more catches for two weeks later like that. Coach doesn’t like flash players.”

---

Observations from Oxnard: Scott Linehan really liked this play from Dak Prescott, Terrance Williams - Staff, SportsDay
Some choice quotes from Sportsday's camp summary:

Per David Moore: Owner Jerry Jones singled out WR Tavon Austin for the inordinate amount of energy he brings to the practice field. “It’s Michael Irvin-ish as far as the energy that he brings,” Jones said. “I know the guys appreciate him.”

Per Brandon George: The Cowboys have been lining up Tavon Austin in several spots and even throwing him deep balls: "I love it. It’s all about getting the ball in space for me. That’s all I really want, get the ball in space and have a little fun and show what God blessed me with."

Per Kate Hairopoulos: Jerry Jones said he expects DE Randy Gregory to be ready for season opener at Carolina. "Just know that his attitude, his want tos, his genuineness, those are things that I've heard players talk about but I would say it's mirrored all the way through p through the organization."

Dak to Terrance Williams. (Scott Linehan really liked this one) pic.twitter.com/0Jrdb7TPOd

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 13, 2018

Cowboys 2018 training camp: Randy Gregory looks good in team drills - Michael Sisemore, Blogging The Boys
Sisemore's always excellent practice summary gives you all the sights and sounds you need to stay up to date on what happened in Oxnard.

---

Kris Richard is here, and so is a new attitude for the Cowboys defense – Calvin Watkins, The Athletic
In addition to his camp summary, Watkins offers up a very readable deep dive into what Kris Richard has brought to Dallas. An excerpt:

He wants cornerbacks to press more on the outside and for the free safety to take away the middle of the field. If the corners eliminate deep throws and get inside position, the Cowboys’ secondary is doing its job.

This brand of football is different from what the Cowboys employed last season. Sure, the Cowboys played some man-to-man, but ultimately, they were in a zone scheme meant to keep the receivers in front of them. It was a safer, more passive scheme.

Now the Cowboys’ secondary will play aggressively and hope to force offenses off the field.

 

[Vic Mackey 47,163]

I also heard Gregory is looking really good so far. He would be a huge boost to this DL. We have the pass rushers. We just need some DTs.

[KeysPhoneWallet 807]

I also heard Gregory is looking really good so far. He would be a huge boost to this DL. We have the pass rushers. We just need some DTs.

Price, Irving,Collins, Crawford could be fine if they can stay healthy and our lbers behind them can stay healthy. Collins and Irving have both shown a lot of potential.

[Guest]

Hey how’s Gregory looking?

[RockyMountainHighHorn 896]

Like a "high" draft pick

[Vic Mackey 47,163]

Dak's dad arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession over the weekend

[futureman 22,552]

apple cant have fallen far from the tree.  cut his ass.  connor rush is our future anyway.  

[Machinator 32,099]

 

[Machinator 32,099]

 

[DougO 5,256]

Maliek Collins activated from PUP. That's good news. He'll have time to get in game shape and test the foot before the start of the season.

Marcus Martin place on IR, not eligible for recall. That's not good news. Out for the year.

[Pato del Muerto 52,616]

You guys count out dalton sturm  at your own risk. 

Edited August 14, 2018 by Pato del Muerto

[Braff Zacklin 13,665]

2 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

You guys count out dalton sturm  at your own risk. 

Dalton? Thought he'd be bigger.

[futureman 22,552]

dalton might not be the best rookie TE on the roster right now.  we can’t keep all of them. 

[cmontexas 3,283]

23 minutes ago, futureman said:

dalton might not be the best rookie TE on the roster right now.  we can’t keep all of them. 

I thought he'd be bigger

[futureman 22,552]

1 hour ago, cmontexas said:

I thought he'd be bigger

cmon, texas.  read before you post. 

[Vic Mackey 47,163]

Scandrick was cut by the Skins

@MikeGarafolo
#Redskins are releasing CB Orlando Scandrick, source says. Signed him to a two-year deal in the spring after getting cut by Dallas. Washington’s younger corners have impressed. Scandrick has a shot to latch on with another team looking for a veteran.

['stache 21,892]

See, I agree with this. Cooper rush is fine as a backup, but I’d almost rather just cut him, have Mike White as your developmental qb (since you drafted him), and have an experienced backup to help Dak on the sidelines. Who knows, maybe you can sneak cooper rush onto the practice squad. We’re fucked regardless if Dak goes down.

Is Ginger too busy clapping to teach QB experience from the sidelines? He sure as shit isn’t doing the defense any good.

[cmontexas 3,283]

52 minutes ago, futureman said:

cmon, texas.  read before you post. 

Figured you of all people would get a fuckin Road House quote

[futureman 22,552]

18 minutes ago, cmontexas said:

Figured you of all people would get a fuckin Road House quote

come. on. texas.  read before you post. 

[cmontexas 3,283]

Welp. Fire away boys

20 minutes ago, futureman said:

come. on. texas.  read before you post. 

 

[SurlyBDR 22,852]

9 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Dalton? Thought he'd be bigger.

 

3 hours ago, cmontexas said:

I thought he'd be bigger

 

1 hour ago, cmontexas said:

Welp. Fire away boys

 

 

[C-Man 27,283]

Did we get Earl Thomas yet?

[Vic Mackey 47,163]

Jaylon continues to look better.

 

[youdunnf'dup 2,147]

3 hours ago, 'stache said:

Is Ginger too busy clapping to teach QB experience from the sidelines? He sure as shit isn’t doing the defense any good.

I need Ginger to focus all of his attention on clock/game management mid game, since he’s always been terrible at that. 

[DougO 5,256]

6 hours ago, Vic Mackey said:

Scandrick was cut by the Skins

@MikeGarafolo
#Redskins are releasing CB Orlando Scandrick, source says. Signed him to a two-year deal in the spring after getting cut by Dallas. Washington’s younger corners have impressed. Scandrick has a shot to latch on with another team looking for a veteran.

Somewhat surprising. I'm glad he got a million in free money from the Skins for signing.

[Mileslong 4,728]

here is some good video of the receivers going one on one against DB's...

 

[DougO 5,256]

I haven't been guzzling the Kool Aid on Lenoir, but he looks pretty sharp here. TW also looking quite good. Maybe he has a sort of breakout year. Tavon is good in practice. Would like to see some of that in real games. KD appears to be giving it a good effort.

Schultz seems like he's not doing that well...at least not this day. He's giving Rico a shot at sticking.

 

[SurlyBDR 22,852]

 

Thread spoiler'd for long(er than it already is)cat 

 

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Edited August 15, 2018 by SurlyBDR

[Sgt Hulk 13,845]

18 hours ago, DougO said:

I haven't been guzzling the Kool Aid on Lenoir, but he looks pretty sharp here. TW also looking quite good. Maybe he has a sort of breakout year. Tavon is good in practice. Would like to see some of that in real games. KD appears to be giving it a good effort.

Schultz seems like he's not doing that well...at least not this day. He's giving Rico a shot at sticking.

 

We watched him in practice and he works hard. Made great plays went 120% every rep. I was truly impressed you could tell he wanted it. 

[GotThatFire 166]

On 8/14/2018 at 9:36 AM, C-Man said:

Did we get Earl Thomas yet?

This is where I’m at

[C-Man 27,283]

On 8/12/2018 at 2:18 PM, DougO said:

 

God, that guy is SO ass my dude.

[EvilCaseMcCoy 691]

So....Dorance should starts?

[futureman 22,552]

1 hour ago, Sgt Hulk said:

 went 120% every rep

that’s impossible. 

[DougO 5,256]

1 hour ago, Sgt Hulk said:

We watched him in practice and he works hard. Made great plays went 120% every rep. I was truly impressed you could tell he wanted it. 

Are you talking about Lenoir? He looks the part. The knock on him in his draft class was a slow 40 time to go with his small frame, like 4.65 at his pro day. But he doesn't look slow.