2016 NFL season over/under win total picks for NFC: Bury the Eagles - Will Brinson, CBSSports.com
Brinson offers early over/under win total picks for every team in the NFC. As the title suggests, there's bad news for the Eagles, but good news for the Cowboys.
Dallas Cowboys 9.5 Over (+105) / Under (-135) — You want to talk about a guy getting suckered by the Cowboys' first-round pick of Ezekiel Elliott? This is your guy. Combine Zeke, Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden and you're going to get a dominant running game for Dallas in 2016. Elliott will make Tony Romo better because he'll keep him healthy, and he'll make the defense better because he will limit time of possession (the jury is still out on science but it worked two years ago). A lower number would be a lock but this team will be closer to 2014 than it was last year.
VERDICT: OVER
National radio host thinks Ezekiel Elliott will do something that hasn't been done in 33 years - SportsDay
Mike Greenberg of ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike morning radio show offers the mother of all predictions for Ezekiel Elliott. Here's his official prediction:
"Ezekiel Elliott will lead the National Football League this year in yards from scrimmage," Greenberg said. "He is running behind the best offensive line in football, they live to run the ball, he will catch the ball out of the backfield, that's a dynamic offense that's going to want to control the ball and keep time of possession because of the poor defense... If he stays healthy -- and he's given us no reason to believe that he won't -- I think Ezekiel Elliott...will lead the NFL in yards from scrimmage."
The last rookie to lead the league in yards from scrimmage was Eric Dickerson in 1983. The SMU product ended up having a Hall of Fame career, so that's great company to be in for Elliott.
Cowboys’ DB coach on board with Ezekiel Elliott over Jalen Ramsey - Drew Davison, The Star-Telegram
The Cowboys are looking at getting back to their 2014 form, which is why they drafted Ezekiel Elliott. Not even the secondary coach is complaining about missing out on Jalen Ramsey.
I love this quote from Joe Baker in @drewdavison's piece today... pic.twitter.com/4mtnQxDZ1w
— Joey Ickes (@JoeyIckes) May 7, 2016
Video: "We going to Dallas!" - Jaylon Smith
Cowboys LB Jaylon Smith was doing resistance-chord work with athletic trainer Britt Brown during today's rookie minicamp
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 7, 2016
Dak Prescott: With practice, Cowboys fans are going to 'forget I played in the spread' - David Moore, SportsDay
Over the last four months, Prescott has been working hard on taking snaps under center.
In Prescott’s words, taking the snap itself is nothing. The key is to coordinate his drop with the play. That’s been his emphasis during the Cowboys rookie minicamp.
"It won’t be anything here before too long,’’ Prescott said. "I won’t have to think about it. I’ll just be out there playing and reacting more than anything.
"It’s more getting my feet together. I don’t even necessarily need a center. I can have somebody snapping me the ball, getting my drop, transferring my weight into my throws.
Notes: Prescott's Transition Begins - Rob Phillips, Dallas Cowboys
At the senior Bowl, the Cowboys coaches were pleased to see Prescott didn't have any trouble taking snaps from under center, something Prescott hadn't done in college outside of goal-line situations.
"I’ve seen some of those guys come in there and bobble those snaps, and you’re just like, ‘Man, that’s going to take a while," offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "He looked like he’d always been there. I think that says a lot about how hard he worked and has been working on something he doesn’t do a lot, but also I think he’s just a natural athlete who kind of gets how it works.
"You have a certain rhythm and timing from the shotgun, and it’s not just the passing game. It’s the run game, it’s the ball handling, it’s the playaction, all that stuff. Now you’ve got to do it where, I don’t want to say you’re turning your back on the defense but at times you are. But it’s something some guys can do right away and some guys it seems like it’s a little more of a transition."
Dallas Cowboys rookie DL received homework assignments from coordinator Rod Marinelli - Brandon George, SportsDay
Marinelli said he gave each rookie defensive lineman the name of an elite pass-rusher to research, and then have them come in and talk to the group about what they learned. DT Maliek Collins was given Cowboys Hall of Fame defensive tackle Randy White.
"He's a dog. He's half man, half monster," Collins said. "He's just an epitome of a Cowboys, really, what a Cowboy is. The way you play Cowboys football. Nine Pro Bowls ... it's crazy."
Why coach Jason Garrett altered Cowboys' rookie camp schedule - Todd Archer, ESPN
After seeing competitive situations take a toll on players who have been preparing for the draft, the Cowboys are dialing back rookie minicamp.
In the past, the Cowboys have seen a high number of injuries. The heat would knock down some of the players after months and months of working out to get ready for a draft, not playing football.
"If you remember the last couple years at training camp, the first couple days of camp, we haven’t gone 11-on-11 against each other," Garrett said. "It’s really the same idea. We let these guys get their football feet and football legs underneath them, movement without getting into competitive situations. We’ll see how they respond to that. You might see some one-on-ones before the weekend’s out."
Here’s why it’s so much easier for NFL teams to sign their rookies - James Brady, SBNation.com
The Cowboys haven't signed any of their rookies yet, but that's just a question of time.
Each of the 250-plus draft slots are allotted a specific portion of the league's total rookie compensation pool, effectively introducing a wage scale dependent on draft position. This means no more holdouts extending into training camp and few points of contention between agents and teams when it comes time to sign.
Benson Mayowa wants to emerge from shadows with Cowboys - Drew Davison, The Star-Telegram
Did the Dallas Cowboys find a hidden gem in Benson Mayowa? The former Raider certainly thinks so and is ready to shine with a fresh start.
Mayowa described himself as a "fast" and "high motor" player who is itching for the chance to show his best days are ahead. And he is confident he’ll get there, especially working with defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli.
"I feel like he is going to take me to the next level," Mayowa said. "When you work like [we do in practice], it’ll take your game to another level.
"In two years [in Oakland], I played 30 percent of the plays. That’s nothing. That’s two years plus my rookie year, that’s probably 700 plays in my career. I feel like I have my best football ahead of me because it is opportunity. If you take your opportunity, that’s how you shine and you run with it. That’s what I’m trying to do."
Dez Bryant's rehab progressing well with no setbacks - Todd Archer, ESPN
Bryant, who is rehabbing from January surgery on his right foot, is getting "better and better," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said.
Last year Bryant took part in only a handful of workouts. He signed his long-term deal two weeks before training camp started and early in those practices strained a hamstring that kept him off the field for the four preseason games.
The Cowboys believe Bryant’s lack of work in the offseason hurt him when the season started, though nothing could have prevented the foot injury. They hope to give him more work this offseason but are mindful of overdoing it.
Dallas Cowboys shift Keith Smith from linebacker to fullback - Todd Archer, ESPN
Tyler Clutts is gone, and the team is looking in a new direction for fullback help.
The Dallas Cowboys are moving in a different direction at fullback in 2016, shifting Keith Smith from linebacker and Rod Smith from tailback to compete for the spot.