Cowboys news: Dallas will visit the Los Angeles Rams for joint practices

Rams will hold joint practices with Raiders and Cowboys - Myles Simmons, PFT

Looks like the Cowboys are officially ‘going going back back to Cali Cali’ and will be joining the Rams for some training camp practices.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no joint training camp practices last year.

That will not be the case in 2021 and the Rams are planning on seeing not one, but two teams.

Per Jourdan Rodrigue of TheAthletic.com, Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay said Thursday that the Rams will have joint practices with both the Raiders and Cowboys this summer.

What Does NFL’s $208M Salary Cap Ceiling for 2022 Mean for Cowboys? - Jess Haynie, Inside The Star

With the NFL announcing the 2022 cap ceiling, how does that effect the Cowboys future plans?

Yesterday the NFL and the NFLPA announced their agreement on a salary cap “ceiling’ for 2022 of $208.2 million. What does this figure, a potential major increase over previous projections, mean for the Dallas Cowboys now and next season?

You’ve probably already seen articles about Dallas having one of the worst cap situations in the league for 2022. Doom and gloom projections that showed the Cowboys anywhere from roughly $24-$34 million over the cap have cycled since QB Dak Prescott got his massive new deal last March.

Hopefully you’ve also seen the work of various Cowboys writers explaining that the team has several ways to deal with that problem. There is a lot of room in Dak’s contract, plus those of WR Amari Cooper, DE DeMarcus Lawrence, G Zack Martin, and others for restructuring and creating sufficient salary cap space to get back in the black in 2022.

5 Bucks: McAddo’s Role; New No. 9, QB2 & More - Bucky Brooks, Dallascowboys.com

NFL analyst Bucky Brooks gives his take on the latest Cowboys news.

Dak is back.

Mike McCarthy and Co. should breathe a sigh of relief after watching No.4 return to action at the beginning of OTAs. Despite Prescott sitting out 11-on-11 drills to avoid inadvertent contact, the sight of the veteran throwing passes all over the yard should inspire the Cowboys and their coaches to dream big in 2021. The sixth-year pro has joined the ranks of the elite as a passer and playmaker after back-to-back seasons with gaudy production and high efficiency. Most important, Prescott has evolved from game manager to playmaker as a premier QB1 in a quarterback-driven league.

If No.4 is able to fully execute all of the movement that enabled him to test the defense as a passer and runner, the return of the Cowboys’ QB1 makes this team a dangerous one to face this fall.

Don’t sleep on Ben McAdoo’s new role.

The Cowboys’ decision to bring in McAdoo as a consultant will not only give Mike McCarthy an extra set of eyes on the offense but he could add some creativity to the game planning process. The former New York Giants’ head coach is a crafty schemer with a knack for creating opportunities for star players, particularly wide receivers. During his tenure with the G-Men as a play-caller, he helped Odell Beckham, Jr. take the league by storm with three straight seasons with at least 90 receptions and 1,300-plus receiving yards. In addition, OBJ tallied 35 touchdowns in 43 games despite opponents paying close attention to his whereabouts.

Trevon Diggs learning from Anthony Brown in second year - Riley Gates, 247Sports

As Diggs heads into year two, it looks like he has been leaning on some veteran teammates for help.

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs has a year in the NFL under his belt and will enter the 2021 season with experience on the field as a starter, but the second-round pick in 2020 is still seeking advice and guidance from veterans in his locker room. In a recent meeting with the media, Diggs explained that veteran cornerback Anthony Brown has been helping him along the way.

“That’s like my big brother,” Diggs said of Brown, according to the team website. “I go over to his house. He’s a really good influence on my career. I ask him questions all the time. It’s good to have a good vet in your corner that you can talk to.”

A sixth-round pick out of Purdue in 2016, Brown was not necessarily expected to stick with Dallas after it drafted him. But Brown has remained with the organization for his entire career so far. He’s started 41 games and played in 66 games during those five seasons and in March of 2020, Brown signed a three-year contract with the Cowboys, so Diggs will continue to have that guidance and leadership in the locker room.

Cowboys Ezekiel Elliott boldly predicted to win rushing title in 2021 - Steven Mullenax, The Landry Hat

Zeke is looking for a major bounce-back year.

Ezekiel Elliott, the sixth-year running back for the Dallas Cowboys, has led the NFL in rushing yardage twice in his career. Once as a rookie back in 2016 and the other two seasons later.

But the soon-to-be 26-year old is coming off the worst season of his professional career. Elliott recorded a career-low 979 rushing yards in 2020 despite being a 15-game starter for Dallas. He also tied a career-high in fumbles with six.

In defense of Elliott, the Cowboys lost their starting quarterback, Dak Prescott, to a season-ending ankle injury in Week Five. And the offensive line in Dallas was decimated by injuries all year long.

Still, Elliott failed to carry the offense on his shoulders when the team really needed him to do so, resulting in a disappointing 6-10 record in 2020. And that poor performance has some questioning if Zeke is even the best running back on the team anymore.

But one analyst believes Elliott will have a resurgence in 2021. Here’s what Adam Schein, a contributing columnist for NFL.com, recently wrote on the league’s official website after making the bold prediction that Elliott could once again lead the NFL in rushing yards this upcoming season …

As disgruntled QBs seek more respect from their teams, Dak Prescott’s relationship with Cowboys couldn’t be better - Calvin Watkins, DMN

With so much turmoil among NFL QBs, the Cowboys and Dak are a-ok.

That leaves us with Prescott, pleased about signing a $160 million, four-year contract and with a voice within an organization that respects him.

“I think it is dependent on the person, what they want and the obligation they feel they should have,” Prescott said regarding his voice to the front office. “I trust the people around here that have those titles and have those positions to do what they need to. And they do ask me and bring me into the loop on things when they feel like they should.”

It’s not so much that the Cowboys seek Prescott’s permission when making personnel decisions, because they don’t need it, but the respect is there so that the quarterback doesn’t get blindsided by moves.

Take the decision to draft linebacker Micah Parsons at No. 12 overall. The Cowboys didn’t call Prescott to let him know Parsons was coming off the board, but guess who knew quickly?

“Yeah, I heard from Dak,” Parsons said. “He was one of the first people to reach out. I can already tell he is a big leader.”

Players such as defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and cornerback Trevon Diggs contacted Parsons when he was drafted. The Cowboys want him to feel welcomed into a dirty business.

Prescott is at the doorway ushering everyone inside.

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.