Cowboys news: Instead of a mock draft, a “players to avoid for the Cowboys” mock un-draft

3 NFL Draft prospects the Cowboys should avoid - Rucker Haringey, Fansided

A reverse mock draft, who not to pick.

1. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Linebacker, Notre Dame

Owusu-Koramoah was highly productive for the Fighting Irish this year and arguably comes into the pre-draft process as most team’s No. 2 ranked linebacker after Micah Parsons. He’s expected to be selected somewhere between 7-12 in this draft.

The Cowboys have spent a lot of high-end draft capital on the linebacker position in recent years. Jaylon Smith was a second round pick in 2016 and Leighton Vander Esch was the team’s first rounder in 2018. The group still isn’t making enough plays to really elevate the Dallas defense.

That’s why it’s possible that the Cowboys might want to add a playmaker like Owusu-Koramoah this year. The reason they should pass on him is that he doesn’t match up well with the team’s relatively vanilla defensive system.

Owusu-Koromah can thrive playing for a team that gives him a chance to match up in coverage against wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs in base packages. The Cowboys don’t often put their linebackers into that kind of space. Owusu-Koramoah landing with Dallas could effectively waste his best skills.

NFL rumors: Cowboys-Texans Dak Prescott-Deshaun Watson blockbuster trade would make too much sense, ex-Jets GM says - Chris Franklin, NJ.com

This fantasy NFL trade is likely to stay one.

Tannenbaum said that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had made a costly mistake, ranging in the area of $40-to-$50 million by not signing Prescott to a long term extension two years ago. Tannenbaum added that he could have signed Prescott for less money.

By doing a sign-and-trade deal, Tannenbaum said the Cowboys would be able to cut their losses in a year and get Watson instead of a compensatory pick if Prescott were to hit the open free agent market in a year.

“Two years ago, it would have been about $32 to $33 million a year for Dak Prescott,” Tannenbaum said. “Now that number is going to be closer to $40 million in five or six years. That’s about a $50 million mistake. Kirk Cousins is a great example, and Dak’s going to do even better. One way for Jerry Jones, who’s in a very unique position of not having leverage, traded for Deshaun Watson get a player who’s slightly better under contract for five years.”

Brian Martin’s 2021 1st-round Mock Draft: The Dallas Cowboys Select… - Brian Martin, Inside The Star

Mock draft season is in full swing.

OT Rashawn Slater, Northwestern

If the Dallas Cowboys were hoping to land one of the top CBs with the 10th overall pick than this is probably their worst case scenario. With both Caleb Farley and Patrick Surtain II already off the board they are forced to draft the highest rated player still available which will more than likely be Rashawn Slater.

Slater isn’t a consolation prize though. There are those who believe he is the best OT prospect in the 2021 draft class and someone who has the versatility to play any position on the offensive line. Considering Dallas’ entire OL was injured at some point last season, with the exception of Connor Williams, that versatility could be invaluable.

Rashawn is a plug-and-play tackle if either Tyron Smith or La’el Collins for whatever reason suffer any setbacks after they both had season-ending injuries last year. Considering Smith hasn’t played in more than 13 games since 2015 that’s a good insurance policy to have. It could even make Tyron a salary cap casualty if they need a little more money to work with in the offseason.

Cowboys to play Steelers in 2021 Hall of Fame game - Chris Cwik, Yahoo Sports

A re-do is on the menu.

The Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers are making up for last year’s postponement. The two teams will kick off NFL preseason play in August at the 2021 Hall of Fame game.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame made the announcement Monday. The matchup is a reset of the scheduled 2020 game, which was canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Cowboys and Steelers will meet Aug. 5 at 8 p.m. ET.

The NFL canceled the entire preseason due to health and safety reasons. The league managed to play every single game during the regular season in 2020, but dealt with postponements and COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the year.

What’s Next For Safety: In-House Decisions To Make - Nick Eatman, DallasCowboys.com

The safety position remains an issue.

For the Cowboys, particularly at safety, the first decision needs to start in-house.

The Cowboys have had Xavier Woods in the starting lineup for the past three seasons, but he’s about to enter free agency as his four-year contract will expire in March. He will likely get the chance to test the free-agent waters, as it’s highly unlikely the Cowboys will attempt to re-sign him before March 17, or at all.

Last year, Woods was ranked 56th among all safeties by the website ProFootballFocus.com, which does an intense grading scale on every player at every position. However, for some clarity, Seattle’s Jamal Adams, a player the Cowboys nearly traded for back in the offseason when he was with the Jets, ranked 53rd on the PFF list. (Donovan Wilson was 18th among starting safeties).

But the Cowboys have tried Woods for the past three seasons and the results have been marginal at best.

This past year was the first season of his career in which he didn’t record at least one interception. After getting one pick as a rookie in 2017, Woods had two in each the past two seasons before this year. And it’s not like the chances weren’t available to Woods, who played the second-most defensive snaps for the Cowboys in 2020, behind only Jaylon Smith.

Should the Cowboys allow these free agents to leave? - Steven Mullenax, The Landry Hat

Aside from a few defenders, no one should be expected to return after this unit's performance.

Chidobe Awuzie, CB

Former second-round selection, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, didn’t have an ideal season in his final year of his rookie deal as he played just eight games due to injury.

The Cowboys have started a secondary revolution with the selection of corner Trevon Diggs in the second round of the 2020 draft. That trend should continue in April.

Still, the Cowboys would be smart to retain either Awuzie or Jourdan Lewis in order to act as a bridge player for their younger peers.

Xavier Woods, S

A sixth-round selection back in 2017, safety Xavier Woods has exceeded his humble draft status. And while he’s been a consistent starter in the secondary, his play has been less than spectacular.

Not one to give up big plays, Woods doesn’t make them either. With the emergence of Donovan Wilson this past season, Quinn could decide to upgrade from Woods via either free agency or the draft.

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