Dallas Cowboys News & Notes: Cowboys Offense "Blows Away" Other NFC East Offenses

NFC East roster rankings: Cowboys blow away Giants and Eagles with offensive talent | NJ.com
A Giants and Eagles writer agree that the Cowboys offense is easily the best in the division. The Eagles and Giants aren't even close.

This one wasn't really close. The Cowboys finished first on both ballots, despite having the worst running backs in the division. They did well everywhere else, including dominating the quarterback, tight end and offensive line categories.

The Eagles and Giants finished in a tie for second, if only because of the weighted quarterback position. Philadelphia's uncertainty with Mark Sanchez and Sam Bradford proved costly.

Could Chris Johnson end up in Dallas? - CBSSports.com
Jason La Canfora writes that several NFL executives brought up the Cowboys as a possible destination for free agent Chris Johnson.

Several other execs brought up Dallas as a possible destination, with the Cowboys currently hoping that a trio of backs will replace the elite production of DeMarco Murray.

Certainly, his big-money days are over in the league, but it's not about that at this point for Johnson, particularly after this spring's life-altering events. Eventually he will find his market-value as the right player, at the right time, at the right price. And, call it a hunch, but I wouldn't be shocked if it ends up being Dallas, whether at some point during training camp or the regular season.

The full Dez Bryant deal | ProFootballTalk
Florio, Bryant's non-existing-video troll, provides the details of Bryant's contract, and points out that the deal took 16 more days before it finally got done after Dallas-based sources had claimed a deal was "imminent".

That's a bit rich, coming from a guy who's had five months and still hasn't produced the Bryant video he used to get his name in the headlines.

Tyron Crawford wins "Unoriginal Sleeper Who Everyone Labels a Sleeper" award | Football Outsiders
Sterling Xie takes a look at run defense by number of backs, and highlights the Cowboys' impressive turnaround as a run defense from 2013 to 2014.

Kansas City may have been the worst two-back run defense last year, but the Chiefs won't mind if they experience the type of revival their predecessor did. The Cowboys finished dead last in two-back DVOA in 2013 (16.1%), but experienced the biggest year-to-year improvement, dropping down to -15.9%, a -32.0% improvement that placed Dallas 17th overall in the category. Most of our numbers saw the Cowboys' defense as a middling smoke-'n'-mirrors unit, and while this area was no different, it counts as a win for a front that looked hopeless following Sean Lee's ACL tear.

Tyrone Crawford has won the unofficial "Unoriginal Sleeper Who Everyone Labels a Sleeper" award this offseason, but most of that has centered around his pass-rushing potential. In reality, Crawford already has an elite run-stuffing season under his belt. Crawford's run tackles allowed an average gain of just 1.0 yard (fourth-best among edge rushers) with a 92 percent stop rate (third-best). Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory are receiving tons of attention (for better or worse), but Crawford seems like one of the few players on Dallas' defense that doesn't elicit a divisive response.

Former Cowboys DL Tony Casillas on Greg Hardy: "Formidable pass rusher." | Dallas Morning News
Casillas talked to 105.3 The Fan about Hardy earlier this week.

"I’ve been around this kid. I know he’s got stuff that’s happened in the past, some stuff off the field, but I think he definitely understands. And you look at what he can bring. All of the sudden you’ve got a guy that’s a formidable pass rusher, not only on the end but inside. You can line up anywhere on the line of scrimmage and that just creates so much havoc for the offensive line."

Rookie Watch: Despite Hip Surgery, Green Has Valuable O-Line Versatility | Nick Eatman, Dallas Cowboys
Eatman writes that Green's versatility will likely secure him a roster spot despite being limited by offseason hip surgery.

The versatile rookie will be used at both guard and tackle. He was making solid progress in the OTAs before needing offseason hip surgery, which could limit his time during training camp. He has a chance to be placed on PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) that could sideline him for the first six weeks of the season. When healthy, Green has a chance to move into the role of a swing tackle, with his experience on both sides of the line and then perhaps working in a future starter.

Agent's Take: Five receivers set to cash in after Dez, Demaryius deals - CBSSports.com
Former sports agent Joel Corry explains the difference between the deals Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas received.

There are structural differences between the Thomas and Bryant deals even though the overall dollars for the five years are the same. Bryant's guarantees are more player-friendly. He will have $45 million fully guaranteed next March while Thomas will still be at $35 million.

Bryant's guarantees have offsets. Thomas doesn't have offsets. This issue will only become relevant if the players have a big drop in productivity during the next three seasons since there isn't any guaranteed money in their 2018 and 2019 contract years. An offset clause reduces the guaranteed money a team owes a player when he is released by the amount of his new deal with another team. Without an offset, the player receives his salary from the team that released him as well as the full salary from his new contract with another club (also known as "double dipping").

Terrell Owens: 'Really doesn't bother me whether I get in' Hall of Fame - CBSSports.com
There is no doubt that T.O will eventually end up in the Hall of Fame, and his time in Dallas is part of the reason why.

On the field, Owens was a sure-fire Hall of Fame talent. Anyone questioning this is lying to themselves. You don't rank sixth all-time in receptions, second in receiving yards and third in receiving touchdowns by accident.

There was also a time when Owens was arguably the best receiver in football. His 42 receiving touchdowns for the 49ers between 2000 and '02 led the NFL, while his 290 catches and 4,163 yards each checked in third. He also had a second peak during his first two years with the Cowboys (2006 and '07), where he led the NFL with 28 receiving touchdowns and ranked third with 2,535 receiving yards.

New Hype Surrounding Philadelphia Eagles’ Tim Tebow is Based on the Same old Story - The Sports Journal
Tebow the Lemon, presented by The Sports Journal.

If this narrative sounds familiar, it’s probably because it is. Every time Tebow goes into a new organization, the same reports of his great work ethic come out. And the reworking of his mechanics is nothing new. Tebow reworked his mechanics after his final season at Florida in preparation for the draft. He re-reworked his mechanics before joining the New York Jets after his final season with the Denver Broncos.

He re-re-reworked his mechanics with quarterback guru Steve Clarkson after his season with the Jets and in advance of the opportunity he got with the New England Patriots. Clarkson declared him mechanically sound.

Now, after re-re-re-re … you get the point—the hype about his newfound mechanics should be ignored. You can only hire a mechanic to fix a car so many times before acknowledging that it’s a lemon.

NFC East beginnings: A look back through the division's history - Big Blue View
This is a lengthy but enjoyable read about the history of the three Super Bowl-winning teams in the NFC East and one other team.