The Cowboys have a glaring need at the middle linebacker position. It has been reported that the Cowboys will likely lose veteran linebacker Leighton Vander Esch in free agency. With his departure imminent a player like Eric Kendricks makes perfect sense for the Dallas Cowboys. Dickerson was released today by the Minnesota Vikings after 8 years of serving as their starting middle linebacker.
Advertisements
While he does not have the resume’ of a player such as Bobby Wagner, Kendricks is still a veteran linebacker with both playoff experience and production. As a run defender Kendricks graded out as a 81.1 according to PFF. His ability to be a superior player in run support would give the Dallas Cowboys shaky run defense a needed boost. Last year the Cowboys finished 22nd in run defense, surrendering 2198 yards on the ground as a team. Also, for comparisons sake, Leighton Vander Esch only graded out as a 61.7 in run defense. For the season Kendricks ended with 137 total tackles, 87 solos, 1 sack, 6 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble. He was also able to play all 17 regular season games. So while many fans covet Bobby Wagner in free agency, with good reason, Eric Kendricks would be a valued alternative who is still an upgrade over Leighton Vander Esch. With free agency quickly approaching the Cowboys should be open to all options for improving their roster to make a deeper run in the playoffs.
As both a life long Dallas Cowboys and Arkansas Razorbacks fan I always hope for my favorite Hogs to one day wear the star on their helmet. With another day of the NFL Combine in the books I figured it was as good of a time as any to provide my list of Razorbacks that can improve the Dallas Cowboys.
Advertisements
Drew Sanders (Linebacker)
2022 stats
103 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, 1 int, 3 forced fumbles
Sanders is an exceptional pass rusher with enough versatility to operate as a legitimate middle linebacker and outside linebacker in multiple schemes at the next level. He is a good athlete with size, length, and mobility to allows him to play sideline to sideline. While many are now projecting Sanders to be a first round pick if he happens to fall to the 2nd round he would be a prime candidate to add versatility and size to an already talented defensive front.
Matt Landers DEFINETELY made himself some money with his performance at the NFL Combine. While originally projected to be an UDFA Sanders turned heads by running an official 4.37 at 6’5 200lbs! Sanders also played his best football this season, leading the Razorbacks in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. His size, speed, and big play ability; coupled with his performance at the combine will put him on a lot of team’s radars, but he would be a perfect fit for the West Coast offense the Dallas Cowboys are transitioning to.
Advertisements
Both of these players have the ability to instantly make an impact for the Dallas Cowboys at the next level. Both are amazing athletes with play making ability that will make them coveted during the drafting process. As both a Razorbacks fan and Cowboys it would be a dream to be able to root for both at the next level.
Trevon Diggs has been a revelation at the cornerback position for the Dallas Cowboys these past 3 seasons. His consistent coverage and play making ability has been one of the biggest factors behind the Cowboys’ defensive resurgence as his league leading 17 interceptions in that time frame has shifted the outcome of numerous games. The issue however, is that Diggs has completely outperformed all expectations and in doing so has completely outperformed his rookie contract. As it stands Diggs is set to play on a one year deal that is worth only 4.8 million dollars. For comparison the Cowboys’ second boundary corner, Anthony Brown, played for 6.5 million dollars this previous season! In truth it would be a catastrophic mistake for Diggs to play on a one year deal with his resume’. Diggs was a first team all pro selection just last year and this year he made his second consecutive pro bowl selection, further solidifying himself as one the premier defensive backs in the league.
Advertisements
With a huge payday on the horizon it would be unreasonable to expect Diggs to risk what may be his only opportunity to be the highest paid defensive back in the league. Remember, Diggs has seen first hand what can happen to a player playing on a one year deal when his quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a gruesome broken leg while playing on a franchise tag. He also has witnessed the Cowboys’ publicly eviscerate their star players during contract talks, and it appears the time old tradition of turning the fan base against its’ stars is being imparted on Diggs, as Cowboys’ beat writer Nick Eatman has publicly targeted Diggs “dropped” interception as a turning point in the playoff lost. Former Dallas great Dez Bryant came to Diggs’ defense publicly as he himself was a target of one the Cowboys’ smear campaigns when his contract negotiations were underway.
Advertisements
In truth nearly every star player in Dallas has to hold out. Zeke and Zach Martin both had to force the front offices’ hand before being payed what they were worth. Diggs is one of the best corners in football and he deserves to be compensated as such. If it takes a hold out to get it so be it.
Lamar Jackson is a generational talent and one of the best players in the NFL when he is healthy. Lamar is currently in a contract dispute with the Baltimore Ravens and his future with the franchise has been put in doubt. With his time in Baltimore possibly coming to an end, many fans have wondered if it would be possible to obtain his services for the Dallas Cowboys. While Lamar is an intriguing piece for many teams, his fit in Dallas leaves much to desire.
Advertisements
Not Financially Possible
Lamar Jackson is in line to become one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the league. The former MVP has reportedly already turned down a deal worth more than $250 million, and while the validity of this claim can not be proven or disproven at this time, what is true is that his market is around that price range. The Cowboys already employ Dak Prescott who’s contract carries an 89 million dead cap hit if he is cut this year and includes a no trade clause that prevents him from being moved unless its a situation of his choosing. The Cowboys also have decisions to make about Trevon Diggs who is entering the final season of his contract and impending free agents such as Tony Pollard, Dalton Shultz, Donovan Wilson, and Terrence Steele. It would be next to impossible to sign Jackson to the contract that he wants.
Advertisements
Kellen Moore’s Offense
If Kellen Moore remains the offensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys then Jackson would be destined to fail in his system. Moore has not shown the willingness to utilize the running ability of mobile quarterbacks. In Prescott’s 3 years prior to Kellen Moore, Dak ran the ball 189 times for 944 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. In the 4 seasons since Moore was elevated to offensive coordinator Dak has only run the ball 163 times for 698 yards and only 8 touchdowns. Jackson averages close to 11 rushing attempts per game and that aspect of his game could very well get neglected in this current offensive scheme. Moore likes to utilize a high volume passing attack in his offensive scheme and that in of itself does not suite Lamar’s skill set. For his career Lamar Jackson averages 23 passing attempts per game and he has only averaged 30 passing attempts in a season once. Prescott’s pass attempts per game increased exponentially in Moore’s offense as he has averaged roughly 38 passing attempts per game in Moore’s tenure as offensive coordinator. With Moore likely back in the fold for another year it would be far from an ideal match.
Advertisements
Lamar Jackson is one of the best players in football but, he will be far to expensive to acquire and does not fit with the current offensive coordinator. So while Jackson is a fascinating prospect he’ll only ever be a Dallas Cowboy on Madden.
The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers are gearing up for what may be the most anticipated playoff matchup of the postseason. As the long time rivals prepare for what very well be another postseason classic, all signs are pointing to the latest 88 to have a special performance. The San Francisco 49ers are a great pass defense in terms of causing turnovers but they are not a great defense in terms of coverage. While it is true that the 49ers’ defense led the league in interceptions they were only the 23rd ranked pass defense in terms of yardage. In fact, over the course of the 49ers final 4 games they had one of the worst passing defenses in the league. During that stretch the 49ers allowed 264.3 yards per game, allowed teams to complete 71.5% of their passes against them, allowed 9 passing touchdowns, and also allowed opponents to average a passer rating of 98.1. It is also important to mention that over the course of 17 games the 49ers have allowed 11 different players to gain 90 yards or more receiving against them and that number moves to 12 if you include their playoff game from last week. Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, Travis Kelce, Greg Dortch, AJ Green, Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, Deandre Hopkins, Cooper Kupp, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Courtland Sutton were all able to have big games against the 49ers secondary. It should also be noted that Kelce, Smith-Schuster, and Valdes-Scantling were able to top 90 yards respectively against this defense in the SAME GAME! With the 49ers track record this year of being susceptible in the back end Ceedee Lamb should be able to duplicate the production other players have achieved before him. Lamb enters this game as one of the best wide receives of the 2022 season, finishing with 107 receptions, 1359 yards, and 9 receiving touchdowns. His performance this year was good enough to earn him a 2nd team all pro selection. With Lamb’s ability and the 49ers’ inability to cover in the back end expect Lamb to have a monster game Sunday.
The Dallas Cowboys were able to advance to the divisional round for the first time since the 2018 season with a dominant 31-14 victory over the media favored Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cowboys’ star quarterback, Dak Prescott, put in the best playoff performance in franchise history; posting a 96.5 QBR and scoring 5 total touchdowns to momentarily silence his critics.
While the Cowboys were able come a way with the win they will have little time to enjoy their victory as they will have to travel to San Francisco and play a dangerous 49ers team on a short week. This is an opponent the Cowboys know well as the 49ers eliminated the Cowboys in the wildcard round just last year. With the biggest game of the year on the horizon lets take a look at some of the raw numbers for our divisional opponent.
Defense
Advertisements
The 49ers defense is one of the best units in football and has the luxury of having playmakers at every level. Their defense is the best scoring defense in football, only allowing 16.7 ppg on the season. They are also the 2nd best running defense in terms of yardage, having only allowed 1321 yards on the ground over 17 games, which translates to roughly only 77 yards per game. While the 49ers are a very stout run stopping unit they are more feast or famine in terms of passing defense. The 49ers are only ranked 23rd in terms of passing yardage however, they have proven to be a highly opportunistic team finishing the season with 20 interceptions on the season.
Offense
Advertisements
It is no secret the the 49ers are a run heavy team. The 49ers averaged 29.8 rushing attempts per game during the regular season and finished as the 7th ranked rushing offense in terms of yardage. They also rushed for 20 tds on the season, the 5th most in the NFL. In terms of passing offense they 49ers attempted the 5th fewest passes of any team in the league. Despite of this the 49ers still finished as the 13th ranked passing offense in terms of yardage gained and were tied for 7th most passing tds in the league. So while the 49ers are not a team that utilizes volume passing they are very efficient when passing the ball; leaning heavily of West Coast passing concepts and screens.
Context
Advertisements
The 49ers are a well coached and talented team that the Cowboys will need to play their best game to beat. With that said however, there are plenty of reasons to feel the Cowboys can win this game. While the 49ers are a good run defense in totality they have at times been exploited in their base defense. The 49ers run a variation of the 4-3 known as the Wide 9. In this formation their defensive end is detached from the line of scrimmage. This formation is used to generate one on one opportunities for pass rushers against opposing team’s offensive tackles. While it is a great way to generate pressure on opposing QBs it can also lead to large running lanes in the vacated area between the defensive end and the rest of the defensive linemen and also along the edge of defense if the the offensive line can seal the end. The Seahawks were able to use this to their advantage during the first half of their playoff matchup against the 49ers. The Cowboys will also have the distinction of being one of the best defense they 49ers have played this season, as the Cowboys come into this game as the 5th ranked scoring defense in the league, only allowing 19 ppg.
Advertisements
While the 49ers are definitely talented they have not beaten any elite level competition. Their best wins of the season came against the 9-8 Seattle Seahawks and the 10-7 Los Angeles Chargers. The best team they played this season were the Kansas City Chiefs who beat them 44-23. The Cowboys have been more battle tested, beating the Bengals, Vikings, and Eagles who all won double digit games and also beating the Giants and Lions who finished the season with winning records. The 49ers will be a test but the Cowboys are up to the challenge.
The Dallas Cowboys laid an egg against the Washington Commanders this past Sunday. There is no way around it as all 3 phases of the team underperformed and did not live up to the standard they had set the previous 16 games. The biggest disappointment from that game however, would have to be Dak Prescott, who played the worst game statically of his career in an unforeseen debacle. While Dak was atrocious in that lost, recent history points to Prescott have a much needed resurgence. This year after losses, Dak Prescott is undefeated and has turned in some of his best performances on the year. After a putrid showing against Tampa Bay in week 1 Dak Prescott faced the Detroit Lions in his first game back from injury. In that game Prescott was 19/25 for 207 yards a touchdown and no turnovers. In that game Prescott completed 76 percent of his passes and finished with a passer rating of 113.3.
Advertisements
After losing in over time against the Packers in a game where Prescott threw two first half interceptions Prescott again bounced back with another fantastic performance against the Minnesota Vikings. In that outing Prescott was 22/25 for 276 yards 2 TDs and no interceptions. Prescott completed 80 percent of his passes, posted a QBR of 94 and finished with a passer rating of 139.3.
Advertisements
Finally, after the Cowboys lost a heartbreaker to the Jacksonville Jaguars in OT, Dak had a signature performance against the Philadelphia Eagles. While he did throw an early pick 6 he bounced back and played almost a perfect game. Prescott finished the game 27/35 for 347 yards 3 tds and only one interception. He also posted a QBR of 86.4 and a passer rating of 124.3.
Advertisements
On the season Prescott is 65/85 for 830 yards 6 tds and only 1 interception after losses. With this production after loses it is almost guaranteed Prescott will play one of his best games of the season Monday against the Buccaneers. While Prescott played poorly against the Commanders he has shown he plays his best football following adversity and that trend is certainly destined to continue.
The Cowboys’ Offensive Coordinator, Kellen Moore, could be on the move. The Carolina Panthers have requested the Cowboys’ permission to interview their young signal caller for their vacant head coaching position.
Advertisements
Moore has been highly successful since taking over the play calling in 2019, producing a top 5 offense each year with the exception of 2020 where starting QB Dak Prescott only played in 5 games. If Moore leaves the Cowboys will have a big vacancy to fill and will have to their due diligence to compensate for his absence. While his situational play calling can be lacking at times he has shown the potential to bloom into one of the best offensive minds in football.
The Tennessee Titans have decided to rest a large majority of their players against the Dallas Cowboys in tomorrow night’s Thursday Night Football match up. Regardless of the outcome of this game, whoever wins the Titans’ week 18 showdown with the Jacksonville Jaguars will win the division and capture the 4th seed in the AFC playoff race. With numerous players injured and ailing Vrabel has decided his best course of action is to rest his stars to give them a better chance to come out on top in their winner takes all showdown next week.
The Super Bowl favorite Eagles have taken a devastating blow along their vaunted offensive line. 4 time pro bowl left tackle Lane Johnson has suffered an abdominal injury that threatens to end his season prematurely. Johnson has been diagnosed with an abdominal tear that will force him to miss the remainder of the regular season and may force him to miss time in the postseason according to sources.
Advertisements
Advertisements
This news is concerning as the Eagles also lost starting slot corner Avonte Maddox for the season as well. With injuries piling up the Eagles must do everything in their power to clinch the 1 seed as soon as possible. It also opens the door for the Cowboys to steal the 1 seed and only bye in the NFC if the injuries prevent Philly from winning their final two games.
