Dallas Cowboys News & Notes: DT Tyrone Crawford Is Cowboys' Secret Superstar

Tyron Crawford: Secret Superstar - Pro Football Focus
PFF identify Crawford as their secret superstar for the Cowboys. Here's why:

One of the biggest factors that leads us to believe Crawford is here to stay, was his consistency last season. He posted just two games that were graded in the red and finished in the green 13 times. Some of his highlight games included a Week 2 performance against Tennessee (+4.8 with six total pressures), his Week 7 game against the Giants (+4.1 with four stops and two pressures), and his Week 13 game against the Eagles (+2.3 with four stops and three pressures).

The Cowboys added more D-line pieces via the draft (Randy Gregory) and free agency (Greg Hardy) and the two dynamic edge rushers could eventually give Crawford even more room to work inside. With a bump in snaps and what could be an increase in production, look for Secret Superstar Tyrone Crawford to be a key contributor to the Cowboys’ defense going forward.

Man @TCrawford98 stole that guards lunch money https://t.co/zwKJKbSbjz

— Patrick Conn (@DraftCowboys) May 9, 2015

Machota: Your post-OTAs Cowboys injury report | Dallas Morning News
Jon Machota provides a injury overview of players who attended OTAs.

Greg Hardy missed one practice because he was sick last week but he was a full participant this week. DeMarcus Lawrence didn’t practice but it doesn't appear to be anything serious. Doug Free is still out after having ankle surgery but he's expected back in time for training camp. Andrew Gachkar and Darren McFadden were limited with hamstring injuries. Morris Claiborne appears to be progressing well from knee surgery.

Three Cowboys minicamp storylines to watch, from rookies to running backs | Rainer Sabin, Dallas Morning News
For some reason, this strangely titled article actually has five storylines to watch.

Q&A with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dustin Vaughan | Amarillo Globe-News
Vaughan sat down with the Globe-News to answer some questions. Here's one of them.

Q: What specifically did head coach Jason Garrett want to see from you during OTA’s?

Vaughan: "It didn’t have much to do with talent or ability on the field. It had everything to do with being confident as a leader. Being able to lead a group of guys to do the best we possibly can. They told me to be confident and take control while I’m in there getting rep’s in practice. They want me to command the offense. They also want to see better accuracy with my throws. I need to have extreme control of each of my throws and that is what I’m working hard at."

A glimpse into why players trust Jason Garrett - Todd Archer, ESPN Dallas
In the context of what the Cowboys are expecting from Vaughan in terms of taking command, this is a fitting anecdote from Garrett's recent speech at Princeton:

Garrett mixed in stories about his playing days, including a story about Kevin Gogan from a preseason game. In the huddle Garrett asked the players what count they wanted to go on to run a play. Gogan forcefully told him he was the quarterback, so he needed to pick the count. He said it was a "dagger" but also showed him that those in a leadership position must lead.

Can Terrance Williams Replace Dez Bryant In Dallas? Steven Mullenax, The Landry Hat
Mullenax wonders whether the Cowboys could replace Dez Bryant, who is threatening to sit out part of the season, with third-year starter Terrance Williams.

The bottom line is elite, Hall of Fame-level players don’t come around very often. And although Terrance Williams is a good receiver who has plenty of potential to get better, he’s still no Dez Bryant. Just like Alvin Harper was no Michael Irvin.

10 things you might not know about Cowboys fourth-round pick Damien Wilson | Dallas Morning News
If you're still unfamiliar with Wilson, here's you chance to remedy that.

10 things you might not know about Cowboys LB Anthony Hitchens | Dallas Morning News
You may be more familiar with Anthony Hitchens' story, but if you're not, a lot of the "10 things" here revolve around his choice to move in with another family at age 12.

First Mediator, Then Decision Maker - NYTimes.com
Yesterday the Bellingham Herald, today the New York Times. This syndicated story of how Stephen Jones is perceived by some to be calling the shots for the Cowboys as the team’s chief operating officer is making the rounds.

Troy Aikman sells Wingstop shares on 1st day of trading, makes millions
Aikman confirmed he cashed out his shares in Dallas-based Wingstop, which went public on Friday.

Aikman wouldn't disclose his total ownership in the company but did say it's worth more than what he made in his first four years in the NFL. Aikman made about $6 million in those first four years, as he didn't see the final two years of his rookie contract after signing a bigger deal in 1992. That deal was done after the Cowboys won the first of three Super Bowls in four years.

Emmitt Smith Settles Lawsuit with Concrete Company - Eurweb.com
Smith apparently has reached a settlement in a $50K legal battle accusing him of fraud, and the complaint filed against him has been dismissed.

Is Nick Foles or Sam Bradford better? | The Harvard College Sports Analysis Collective
Unless you're a Yale alumnus or an Eagles fan, "Harvard" carries a nice ring among the analytically inclined, especially when they try to figure out who the better QB is between Nick Foles and Sam Bradford. Here's the HSAC's summary of their findings:

We can say that the average QB has a net point gain of 0.39. Nick Foles is right around this average, whereas Sam Bradford is about 0.3 points lower. This would translate to about 4-5 points per game, which is the magnitude we would expect for QB play given Brian Burke’s calculations of Expected Points Added. As shown above, the decrease in points mainly results from an increased probability of punt and a decreased touchdown percentage.

American football has applied to become an olympic sport for the "2020 Toyko Olympics" - SI.com
What do you make of an article that misspells Tokyo four times? I'd venture that American football has an even smaller chance of becoming an Olympic sport than tug of war, another sport that has applied to be on the Olympic charter for 2020.

ESPN mixes up Georgia's flag with the University of Georgia logo #Oops (via @br_uk) http://t.co/KJCw1O0JKY pic.twitter.com/Kl2cZUcr2o

— Arman Singh Walia (@ArmanWalia) June 13, 2015