Cowboys news: Jabril Cox and Josh Ball sign their rookie deals

Cowboys Sign Pair Of Fourth-Round Draft Picks - Rob Phillips, Dallascowboys.com

Cowboys lock in a couple more draft picks and currently have five who remain unsigned.

The Cowboys continue to sign their 2021 draft class.

Both fourth-round picks, linebacker Jabril Cox and offensive tackle Josh Ball, signed their rookie deals on Thursday.

That means six of the Cowboys’ 11 draft picks are under contract. Fifth-round pick Simi Fehoko, sixth-round picks Quinton Bohanna and Israel Mukuamu, and seventh-round pick Matt Farniok signed their deals before last week’s rookie minicamp.

After winning three FCS national titles atNorth Dakota State, Cox transferred to LSU in 2020 and finished third on defense with 58 tackles (6.5 for loss) and 3 interceptions in just 10 games. Ball played left and right tackle at Florida State and Marshall and gave up only three sacks in 687 career snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

Cowboys four 2021 preseason games announced with dates and locations - Connor Livesay, Blogging The Boys

With the announcement of where and when Dallas will play their preseason games, the entire 2021 schedule is officially locked in.

As we approach training camp, the next biggest thing Cowboys fans will be looking towards is the 2021 NFL Preseason. After not having any preseason games in 2020, teams are looking forward to these games in 2021 more than ever before. For the Cowboys, all four of their preseason games now have dates and locations. Get your calendars updated.

With most teams having just three preseason games, the Cowboys will have four in 2021, as they makeup the 2020 Hall of Fame game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 5th.

They head to Arizona for the next game to take on the Cardinals on August 13th. The Cowboys normally leave Oxnard around the middle of August, so it’ll be interesting to see if they stick around a little longer in California due to being so close to Arizona in Oxnard.

After a trip down to Arizona to check in on Kyler Murray, Deandre Hopkins, and Kliff Kingsbury, the Cowboys will host the Houston Texans at AT&T Stadium. With the Houston QB situation in such a mess right now, it’ll be interesting to see how Houston handles their quarterbacks in the preseason.

Prescott 7th-best QB in 2021 per PFF, other NFCE QBs in his dust - Asa Henry, Cowboys Wire

We all know Dak is the best quarterback in the NFC East, but how do you feel about his rank within the league?

It is hard to overstate the importance of a quarterback in the NFL. Whenever a club has a great player at the position, they should do whatever in their power to retain his services, and that is exactly what the Dallas Cowboys did when they agreed to a record-breaking deal with Dak Prescott in the offseason.

It’s clear Prescott has become one of the league’s top signal callers, but where exactly he ranks amongst his peers has become a point of contention in some NFL circles. Pro Football Focus has emerged as arguably the leading player grading system, and the site recently released their quarterback rankings entering the 2021 season, where they ranked Prescott as the seventh-best quarterback in the NFL.

To provide some context the ranking, former NFL quarterback and current PFF analyst Bruce Gradkowski elaborated on PFF’s criteria for the list, stating,

“PFF’s quarterback rankings are based on grading every player on every play and tapping into multiple years of data to project future performance. We go beyond just last season’s performances, and the grading works to isolate each quarterback’s performance from that of his supporting cast, making for more effective projections.”

Reggie Robinson to Make Switch From Safety to Cornerback - Matthew Lenix, Inside The Star

Reggie Robinson has changed positions a few times in his young career, this latest move may be to stay.

The Dallas Cowboys had several defensive players join their roster in 2020 via the NFL Draft, and one of the most intriguing came in the middle of it. In the fourth round, the Cowboys selected defensive back Reggie Robinson, who played cornerback and some safety during his days at Tulsa. Although corner was his primary position, he was switched to safety midway through the season.

Unfortunately for Robinson, he didn’t log a single defensive snap as a rookie, calling into question the Cowboy’s move to switch him. Now, according to Mike Fisher of Sports Illustrated, Robinson met with Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn as well as defensive back coaches Joe Whitt and Al Harris, and he will be making a switch back to cornerback in 2021, his natural position.

Robinson only had four interceptions (all during his senior season in 2019) at Tulsa but he was excellent in several other areas. He ended his college career with 34 passes defended. Of his 132 tackles, 101 were of the solo variety, showing he has great instincts out in space. Also, he showed his value on special teams with four blocked field goals.

Dallas Cowboys: Connor Williams may be too good to stay in Dallas - Reid Hanson, Sportdfw.com

Perception hasn't always been reality when it has come to Connor Williams and his time here in Dallas. Could this be his last season wearing the star?

What if I told you the Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman that everyone loves to hate, is actually too good for us? Because that’s likely to be the case with fourth year left guard, Connor Williams.

Entering the last year on his rookie deal, Williams is set to hit free agency after this season. The former left tackle out of Texas has never really “felt the love” in Cowboys Nation and is quite likely playing his last season in Dallas. Not because Dallas wants to upgrade. But rather because Connor Williams is too good for the Cowboys to afford.

Now, this may sound absurd to a large faction of the Dallas fanbase. For years, Williams has been the soft spot in an otherwise robust offensive line unit. How could he suddenly be too good for Dallas?

Connor Williams is one of the best guards in football and chances are the Dallas Cowboys will not be able to afford him

5 Bucks: Why Cowboys Are Winning The Offseason - Bucky Brooks, Dallascowboys.com

Free agent signings and draft picks alike are always scrutinized, read why NFL analyst Bucky Brooks is bullish on the Cowboys and their offseason.

Cowboys are winning the offseason.

At a time in which a number of teams around the league are conducting abbreviated offseason programs, the Cowboys could gain an advantage on their rivals with a comprehensive spring/summer program that also features an extra preseason game. The team is not only getting near-perfect attendance at their “voluntary” workouts but they will have an opportunity to take advantage of an extra week of work at training camp and an additional preseason game. With the NFL slashing preseason games and players negotiating reduced time on the field during OTAs and mini-camps, the Cowboys could find their rhythm sooner than their opponents due to extra reps and instruction.

Although Mike McCarthy could elect to scale back on the intensity of some of the team drills throughout the offseason program to ensure players are healthy and available for training camp, the extra individual periods and walk-through practices will still enable players to master their fundamentals and techniques. Remember, the offseason is all about creating championship habits through detailed repetition. With more opportunities than their opponents to work on the grass, the Cowboys could rise above the competition this season.

DQ makes the grass his classroom.

The best coaches in the NFL are outstanding teachers with the ability to make complex concepts fairly simple for their players. Quinn takes it a step further by demonstrating his lessons on the field with a hands-on approach that is rare for play-callers. The former long-time defensive line coach spent extensive time with the trench warriors at Cowboys’ rookie camp, exhibiting patient but detailed teaching style on clips that hit social media over the weekend. Quinn’s work with Osa Odighizuwa, in particular, showcased his ability to teach and demonstrate on the grass with enthusiasm and vigor. Given the laid-back approach utilized by his predecessor (and the dismal results), DQ’s hands-on methods are a welcome change at The Star.

BTB Podcast Schedule

• Monday: Jersey Boyz with Dave Sturchio, Bret Ernst, and Keith Ernst
• Tuesday: The 75O with Tony Casillas and RJ Ochoa
• Wednesday: Talkin’ The Draft with Connor Livesay, Cole Patterson, and Dalton Miller
• Thursday: Ryled Up with Roy White and Tom Ryle
• Friday: Girls Talkin ‘Boys with Kelsey Charles and Meg Murray
• Saturday: Cowboys Hoy with Mauricio Rodriguez

We also offer daily episodes of The Ocho where we give you that day’s latest headlines so that you always stay caught up. The BTB podcast network is available on all major podcast avenues.

You can find your preferred platform right here. Make sure to subscribe, rate the feed, and leave a review! Our latest episode is available in the feed down below.