Cowboys news: How much the Cowboys will delve into free agency is a debate

Dallas Cowboys should avoid overpaying for big-name free agents - Kenneth Wilson, The Landry Hat

Jerry’s checkbook is hefty, but should he dive deep into free agency?

When you look at the free-agent landscape, you see names like J.J. Watt, Von Miller, A.J. Bouye, and a very tempting Leonard Williams (really makes me consider asking them to break my own rule, for his multipleness and ability to generate a rush inside). The Dallas Cowboys, as painfully tempting as it seems and maybe at the time, shouldn’t go that route.

That’s what they did last season and it didn’t work. It’s also something that has, sort of, plagued Jerry Jones for many years.

He’s often tried to bring in the big-name guy, though most of the time on offense, and it has rarely worked out the way it was intended. Roy Williams is one example of a blunder that cost the Cowboys several picks including a first-rounder.

Terrell Owens was a bit more successful, putting up really good numbers across his regular-season tenure with Dallas, but never helped the Cowboys get to a Super Bowl and in fact, came up rather small in just a pair of postseason appearances.

Cowboys legend Deion Sanders dominates in 1st game at Jackson State, after Aikman cameos pre-game - Cameron Burnett, Yahoo Sports

It’s always time for primetime.

Hall of Famer Deion Sanders coached his first collegiate game on Sunday for Jackson State. The Tigers started their season with a dominant 53-0 win at home against Edward Waters College. Jackson State’s offense was running on all cylinders and the defense came through with a shutout in the former Dallas Cowboys star’s debut.

Jackson State’s season was postponed in the fall after the FCS decided to move their season to the spring and their eight-game slate began on Sunday.

Previously Sanders had been the offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian School in Texas before accepting the job at Jackson State as head coach. During his tenure, Sanders was a part of back-to-back state titles, coaching his son, Shedeur Sanders, at quarterback. Sanders’ son is a 4-star recruit and signed his NLI in December to play for his father at Jackson State.

Bold Prediction: Cowboys Will Have 3 WRs Over 1,000 Yards in 2021 - Matthew Lenix, Inside the Star

It’d be a magnificent feat.

Through the first four weeks of the 2020 season, the Cowboy’s three-headed monster at receiver was going to make this rare feat a reality. Cooper was on pace for over 1,600 yards, Gallup was set to hit 1,100 yards, and Lamb was looking at a 1,200-yard rookie campaign. Unfortunately, Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5 against the New York Giants.

All three receivers saw their production take a dip with Andy Dalton, Garrett Gilbert, and rookie Ben DiNucci under center. Cooper somehow managed to have his second consecutive season over 1,100 yards and also set a career-high with 92 receptions, which speaks to his outstanding ability. His unit mates didn’t fare so well.

Gallup finished with 59 receptions for 843 yards and five touchdowns. Those are still pretty good numbers considering the carousel at quarterback. However, his receptions decreased by seven, his yards by 264, and he scored one fewer touchdown than the previous season. Also, his yards per catch went down to 14.3 as opposed to 16.8 which led the Cowboys in 2019.

Dallas Cowboys: Trade for Texans cornerback Bradley Roby? - Reid Hanson, Sport DFW

Trade proposals are always a fun offseason past-time.

The Dallas Cowboys should inquire about veteran CB Bradley Roby because he may be on the market

The Houston Texans are having the NFL equivalent of an estate sale. The old regime has passed on and the new leadership seeks to sell off the assets and start fresh. Over the past year we’ve seen Houston’s window slam shut and players jumping ship. DeAndre Hopkins and J.J. Watt headline the list and DeShawn Watson may not be far behind.

One player who may also be on the trade block is their top cornerback Bradley Roby. Pro Football Focus recently included Roby on a list of “trades that make sense”based on the Texans volitivity and Roby’s tenuous relationship with them.

If you remember, Bradley Roby and Houston had a bit of a falling out last year. Following an argument with coaches over coverages in Week 9, Roby was told he would not be traveling with the team to Jacksonville. The team confirmed it was not for “injury or illness.”

A knockout in the Dak Prescott-Carson Wentz debate left Jerry Jones with an unexpected prize to claim - Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News

The prize for the Cowboys.

Consider that the competition now is the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, the Giants’ Daniel Jones and someone in Washington. Let’s call it Alex Smith for now.

Philadelphia has turned its offense over to Hurts, who made some delightful runs last year. He also went 1-3 with a 52% completion percentage that looks like something out of the ’60s. Call him a work in progress.

In New York, the ironically named Danny Dimes is 8-18 in 26 starts with 29 fumbles. That’s not a misprint. At this point, Daniel Jones should consider wearing those receiver gloves where the ball sticks to everything. It wouldn’t help his passing but he would be somewhat less of a turnover machine.

Washington’s Smith was the feel-good comeback story of 2020, but, the story had no staying power. Smith’s team won games and the division — almost solely because of its superior defense — but Smith had his lowest passer rating in 13 years (right behind Daniel Jones) and couldn’t overcome injuries to compete in the playoffs. He turns 37 in May. Perhaps Taylor Heinicke is the club’s quarterback this season.

What are the Dallas Cowboys biggest needs this offseason? - Mitch Larson, The Landry Hat

Aside from #4:

Defensive back

Death, taxes, and another year of considering defensive back to be one of the major holes on the Dallas Cowboys’ roster. Somethings in life truly just feel inevitable, don’t they?

Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, Xavier Woods, and special teams ace C.J. Goodwin are all headed towards free agency. Of those four, the only player who feels like a virtual-lock to return is Goodwin but he sees the bulk of his time on special teams, playing just 18 defensive snaps all year.

Last year’s second-round pick Trevon Diggs had a very solid rookie season, getting beat (as rookies tend to do) but also frequently flashing the ability to be a star, all while injuries forced him to match up with some of his opponent’s best wide receivers right out of the gate. I firmly believe Diggs can be a star on this defense, but even if he is playing to his fullest potential, he and slot corner Anthony Brown aren’t going to be enough to stop opposing offenses.

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