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It is a real potpourri of news today. With the Super Bowl looming on the horizon, most of the media's attention is directed there, but it is not completely quiet about the Cowboys. However, today also brings some other topics that will be of interest to Dallas fans. Settle in and let's get to it.
Jason Garrett's Dallas Cowboys program is on the line in 2016 - Todd Archer, ESPN
As often happens, the headline sort of misstates the thrust of the article, which is mostly about there still being a lot of faith in the direction the Cowboys are headed, including from owner/general manager/never reticent spokesperson Jerry Jones.
"I have all the confidence that you need to have in Jason," Jones said. "I really like our staff. There's an old adage in evaluating players, since we're here at the Senior Bowl, if you see them do it you know they can do it. If they've done it one or two times then they can do it. Now we've seen this staff perform and have a good year, (2014). That's why I'm confident that if we get some stability at certainly some key positions on offense that we can have the team that we want to have."
Mailbag: Senior Bowl Participants Worthy Of The No. 4 Pick? Long-Term Deals? - Dallas Cowboys
While the excitement builds in the fan base about certain players from the Senior Bowl (cough) Carson Wentz (cough), Bryan Broaddus and David Helman throw a little cold water on the idea of them being worthy of the fourth overall pick. They have some doubts that anyone who attended is a good fit that high.
Did anyone see a player in the Senior Bowl worthy of the of the fourth pick in the first round?
Bryan: Depending how much you like Noah Spence from Eastern Kentucky? He is the best pass rusher in the draft. My thoughts haven't changed on Carson Wentz and Reggie Ragland should be drafted in the middle of the round. Other than that - not really.
The one good thing is that the Cowboys staff should have as clear a picture of what Wentz is as they do of any player eligible for the draft.
It would be a mistake to read too much into a glorified exhibition game, but it is a fantastic jumping off point - for Wentz and the Cowboys. The past week has served as an extended interview, and soon the Cowboys can get into the meat of their decision-making about what to do with their draft picks.
California's Jared Goff has highest ceiling of the QB Group - Bob Sturm, SportsDay
Sturm thinks the real deal at QB may be a player that was getting a lot of attention before all the Wentz hype got in full swing.
If Jared Goff goes before the Cowboys pick, we should not be the least bit surprised. He has probably the highest ceiling of this group, mainly because he seems to have a veteran QB's knowledge of football and defenses and coverages and most importantly, where to go with the ball against those coverages.
Draft Buzz: Two QBs In The Top Five? - Tony Pauline, Philadelphiaeagles.com
According to draftnik Tony Pauline, both Wentz and Goff are in the mix now for top five positions - which just goes to show how opinions can be all over the place. However, depending on how it plays out, could it be an opportunity for Dallas to trade down?
Is it possible two quarterbacks will be top five selections in April? The answer from league insiders is "yes" with Carson Wentz and Jared Goff filling the slots. Wentz is watching his draft stock move north after the Senior Bowl and many believe the Combine is the perfect setting for Goff to show off his talents. Assuming he participates in Combine workouts, one insider told me they expect Goff to, "throw the hell out of the ball and be on the mark with all his passes."
Getting No. 4 Pick Right More Important Than Reaching For Need - Rob Phillips, Dallas Cowboys
You should make a note of the title and put it up on your bathroom mirror as the first thing you see every morning.
In real life, this is the challenge for every team picking in the top 10, including the Cowboys at No. 4.
Get the pick right.
This is easier said than done, even at No. 4. Which is why teams can't ever, ever reach for a presumed biggest need.
2016 NFL Draft Running Back Rankings - Eric Galko, Optimum Scouting
Oh, yeah, the Cowboys could use a good runner, too. Galko offers his ranking of the prospects at the position, and just to provide a reality check, you can look at his final ranking from last year to see how he did.
There was also some non-draft related Cowboys news.
Lions hire Cowboys target Al Golden for assistant opening - SportsDay Staff
Golden interviewed with Dallas, but with them not making a firm offer, he decided to go elsewhere.
"We had a chance to visit with him the last day or so and had good interviews with him," Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said. "We'll have some other guys that we interview over the next week or so."
Former Dallas Cowboys RB Joseph Randle arrested on outstanding speeding warrant - ESPN Staff
This is just sad. Joseph Randle went from the starting running back for America's Team to unemployed and getting jacked up by the police on a regular basis, all in a matter of weeks.
Irving police spokesman James McLellan told (The Dallas Morning News) that Randle, 24, was arrested near the home of his ex-girlfriend on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant.
Best trash-talker for all 32 NFL teams - ESPN
This may surprise some, but it is not news to those who have watched the Cowboys closely in training camp. Todd Archer lets the cat out of the bag in nominating Dallas' best trash talker.
People might think the answer is wide receiver Dez Bryant, but the correct answer is tight end Jason Witten. In training camp, he is constantly carping on the defense after he makes a catch or if the offense dominates in a drill. Witten's trash talk isn't about him being the greatest. He can be sarcastic and sharp with his wit the way Larry Bird was on the basketball court. Neither was demonstrative with his talk, but their delivery mattered.
And some other items of interest.
NFL head of officiating doesn't think catch rule needs overhaul - Adam Stites, SBNation.com
I'll refrain from editorial comment here. Just to keep it clean.
Dean Blandino, the NFL's vice president of officiating, said on Sunday that he believes the rule is fine as is, and that he doesn't expect any major changes in the offseason. On the sideline at the Pro Bowl, Blandino said that catches will always be subjective and that controversy will exist, regardless of the rule.
"We think that the rule is in a good place right now," Blandino told NFL Network's Steve Wyche. "I really feel it's just communicating the rule and educating and showing video examples of what is and what isn't a catch. There's a subjective element to the rule, so there's always going to be those plays where we debate that subjective element. That's just part of it."
NBC, CBS will share expanded 'Thursday Night Football' package - Jeanna Thomas, SBNation.com
Because it dominated Thursday night ratings despite some pretty crappy games, Thursday Night Football is expanding to eighteen games this year.
NFL Network will retain the exclusive rights to eight Thursday games. Both NBC and CBS will broadcast five Thursday Night Football games each, with a simulcast airing on NFL Network.
That could be of interest to us, because some teams are definitely going to have to appear more than once to fill out the slate of games. And we all know how the Cowboys bump up ratings, no matter what.