Cowboys News: Amari Cooper to sign before Dak Prescott?

Cowboys active in talks with Cooper - @WerderEdESPN

Early on Tuesday morning it was reported that the Cowboys were getting very active in their negotiations with Amari Cooper, and the possibility has arisen that the star wide receiver could actually see a deal get done before his quarterback gets a new deal.

Dak Prescott Rumors: QB Wants 4-Year Contract; Cowboys Offer Surpasses Goff Deal - Rob Goldberg, Bleacher Report

While contract talks with Amari Cooper heat up, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys still seem to be at an impasse. Apparently, the conflict in negotiations stems from Prescott wanting a shorter deal so he can cash in again soon, while Dallas wants him locked up for a while.

It now seems Prescott will at least be among the top three players in the league with his new deal. The quarterback also realizes how much salaries continue to rise at the position, seeking a shorter contract to maintain a lot of earning power in the future.

The 26-year-old is coming off a strong season with 4,902 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, both career highs. He also engineered the No. 1 offense in the NFL in yards from scrimmage.

Dallas clearly doesn’t want to let him hit free agency, although the franchise tag remains an option, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Dallas Cowboys Awarded 5th Round Compensatory Pick in 2020 NFL Draft - John Williams, Inside the Star

On Tuesday, the NFL finally announced their full slate of compensatory picks for the 2020 NFL draft. The Cowboys received a fifth-round pick as compensation for Cole Beasley. Considering Beasley himself was an undrafted free agent, that’s a good deal for Dallas.

The Cowboys joined the Denver Broncos as the only teams granted 5th round compensatory picks. In total 32 picks were awarded with the New England Patriots leading the way with four compensatory selections in this year’s draft.

The Dallas Cowboys now have seven picks throughout the draft with which to work.

Heading into the next phase of player acquisition, the Cowboys have a ton of holes, especially on the defensive side of the ball. They need to have a bounce-back Draft after not receiving much in the way of contributions from their 2019 rookie class.

Dallas Cowboys pick up option on fullback Jamize Olawale - Dallas Morning News Staff

The Cowboys have started making moves, just not the moves that fans are eager for. On Tuesday, they picked up the option on Jamize Olawale’s contract, ensuring he’ll stick around for the 2020 season.

A day after announcing a deal for backup offensive lineman Adam Redmond, the Cowboys will also be picking up the 2020 club option on fullback Jamize Olawale’s contract.

Olawale will have a base salary of $1 million next season. In addition to his role on the offense, Olawale has spent a significant amount of time in Dallas on the special teams unit.

Undrafted out of North Texas in 2012, Olawale initially signed with the Cowboys and joined the practice squad. The Oakland Raiders would sign him off of Dallas’ practice squad that December.

Olawale was a member of the Raiders organization until 2018 when he was traded back to Dallas.

Cowboys, Steelers to play in 2020 Hall of Fame Game - Kevin Patra, NFL.com

The Cowboys will be playing an additional preseason game as they have been chosen for the Hall of Fame game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The matchup between two of the most storied franchises in the NFL is a perfect fit for the game.

The selection of the Cowboys and Steelers makes perfect sense with the two storied franchises sporting several members of the expanded Hall of Fame class this season.

Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher and safety Troy Polamalu along with former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson will be enshrined into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, Aug. 8, as members of the Centennial Class of 2020.

Steve Atwater, Isaac Bruce, Steve Hutchinson, Edgerrin James, Steve Sabol, Paul Tagliabue and George Young will also be enshrined into the HOF class during the ceremony Aug. 8.

The Cowboys and Steelers have each played in six Hall of Fame matchups in their histories, but never faced each other in the HOF Game. Dallas (3-3) most recently played in the game in 2017, with the Steelers (3-3) playing in 2015.

Cowboys free agent Michael Bennett ‘would love’ to finish his career with the Seahawks - Sean Wagner-McGough, CBS Sports

Michael Bennett is just another in a long list of pending free agents for the Cowboys, but it doesn’t really seem like there’s any interest in him returning. Bennett seems to have a desire to go elsewhere, speaking fondly about a reunion in Seattle.

“I would love to end my career in Seattle,” he said, via NBC Sports Northwest. “It’s not up to you, though. It’s up to the team.”

From 2013-17, during Seattle’s peak that resulted in two trips to the Super Bowl and one championship, Bennett functioned as one of the Seahawks’ most important defensive players. His versatility up front was key — he could move inside or rush the passer around the edge. In those five years, he averaged nearly eight sacks per season, but sacks don’t tell the full story of his importance to those great Seattle defenses. He was equally great against the run.

”My time in Seattle was great because I didn’t just grow as a player, I grew as a man, and I grew as an individual. I could never say anything bad about Seattle,” Bennett said. “I feel like Seattle was such a great part of my life. I’m so thankful for the city.”

Different perspectives: Two complete 7-round Cowboys mock drafts - Jon Machota and Saad Yousuf, The Athletic

The Cowboys need to have a good draft this year with all the players they’re potentially letting go of in the offseason and with how much money they’re about to invest in Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper. Jon Machota and Saad Yousuf offer two different seven-round mock drafts for the Cowboys.

Second round, No. 51 overall: Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne

The Cowboys have needed safety help for what seems like forever. It’s unlikely to get addressed in the first round this year. But what about in the second? Top safety prospects Nasir Adderley, Taylor Rapp and Juan Thornhill fell to Dallas late in the second round last year. The Cowboys passed in favor of DT Trysten Hill. Maybe they get a chance at another quality safety prospect like Dugger this year.

Small school players haven’t been popular with the Cowboys since Will McClay started running the team’s drafts in 2014, but Dugger has the elite athletic ability (4.49 40-yard dash, 42-inch vertical) and size (6-1, 217) to be an immediate impact player. After going defensive tackle in the first round, cornerback was under serious consideration here, but none of the prospects presented more upside than Dugger.

Another option was Boise State’s Curtis Weaver. The Cowboys had a formal visit with him at the combine, which should come as no surprise considering how many former Broncos standouts the franchise has added. For a defense that’s very thin a week before the start of free agency, the thought of coming out of the first two rounds with Kinlaw and Dugger looks excellent on paper. Both would be expected to make an immediate impact.

BTB Podcast

The Cowboys are playing in the HOF game! We have thoughts on this and much more on the latest episode of The Ocho.

Make sure that you never miss an episode from Blogging The Boys by subscribing to the Blogging The Boys podcast feed!

Also make sure to subscribe to the official YouTube Channel from Blogging The Boys. We’ve got big plans coming there throughout the offseason and you don’t want to miss a thing!