Cowboys news: Jonathan Hankins acquired from Raiders ahead of trade deadline

Cowboys-Raiders trade grades: Dallas acquires Johnathan Hankins, bolstering DL depth, per report - Cody Benjamin, CBS

Cowboys fans have wanted a trade and the team served it via Jonathan Hankins for a late-round pick swap.

The Cowboys boast one of the best defenses in the NFL. On Tuesday, they bolstered it, acquiring veteran defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins from the Raiders in a swap of late-round draft picks, according to NFL Media. A 10th-year player with starting experience dating back to his days with the rival Giants, Hankins is playing out a one-year contract and figures to slot in as a potential starter in Dallas. He arrives along with a 2024 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2023 sixth-rounder, per reports.

One of the few weaknesses on Dallas’ defense has been stopping the run; the Cowboys have allowed the 20th most rushing yards in 2022, despite their 5-2 start. Hankins, meanwhile, has built a reputation as a run-stopper at 6-foot-3 and 340 pounds. With the Raiders since 2018, the big man saw a decrease in defensive snaps during Las Vegas’ two-game win streak, but was once a core piece of the club’s defensive line. It’s possible he could take over on the Cowboys’ front as early as Sunday, when Dallas will be up against the run-heavy Bears in Week 8.

Report: Cowboys expected to sign former Dan Quinn CB in wake of Lewis loss - Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire

With Jourdan Lewis out for the season, the Cowboys sign a former Dan Quinn cornerback.

The loss of cornerback Jourdan Lewis for the season to a Lisfranc injury looks like it will open the door for rookie DaRon Bland to get more playing time, as well as Kelvin Joseph and even Nahshon Wright.

But the ripple effect means there’s a new opportunity at the bottom of the depth chart, too. And the Cowboys are looking to one of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s former players to fill it.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport is reporting that the team is expected to sign Kendall Sheffield to the practice squad. Sheffield was a fourth-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2019 under then-head coach Quinn.

Over three seasons in Atlanta, Sheffield started 20 games and saw time in 18 more. He recorded 72 solo tackles (101 total), six passes defended, and two forced fumbles. He was released in May and spent this past training camp with the Texans. After starting the 2022 season on the waived/injured reserve list, he was released by Houston in mid-October.

CeeDee Lamb on pace for his second straight 1,000-yard season - Shane Taylor, Inside the Star

CeeDee Lamb is set to break the 1,000-yard mark for a second consecutive season.

Lamb does not pop off the screen and put up ridiculous stat lines like some other true No. 1 wide receivers in the league, but when you dive into his numbers, you will find him inside the top 15 in receiving yards.

Lamb is currently 14th, which is impressive for an offense that has leaned on the run in the absence of Dak Prescott. I’ll be honest, and I did not think he would be sitting inside the top 20 right now.

Through the first seven games, Lamb has 37 receptions on 66 targets, 479 yards, and two touchdowns, good for an average of 68.4 yards a game.

He is ahead of guys like Deebo Samuel and Mike Evans, only 16 yards behind Mike Williams and 30 fewer than Davante Adams.

Should Kellen Moore or Mike McCarthy be calling plays for the Cowboys? - Randy Gurzi, The Landry Hat

Should offensive play-calling for the Cowboys switch hands midseason?

The Dallas Cowboys are 5-2 and won four games without their starting quarterback this season. With that being the case, it’s easy to think everything is going well, but there is still one area where they could improve — their offensive efficiency.

Coming into their Week 7 game against the Detroit Lions, Dallas was just 27th in the NFL in yards on offense. Clearly, their wins were coming courtesy of their defense, which was eighth in this same category. That’s a far cry from a season ago when they were first in yards offensively.

Head coach Mike McCarthy has a background as an offensive-minded coach and during his 13 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, he always called the plays. He had a ton of success doing this, landing in the top 10 for points in nine of those campaigns — and won a Super Bowl as well.

His deference to Moore was out of respect for what Moore had done in that role with Dallas. In 2019, Moore ran one of the most efficient offenses as a rookie coordinator and while he declined in a huge way in 2020, that was largely due to Prescott breaking his ankle in Week 5. He rebounded nicely in 2021 but the regression this year is alarming especially when it comes to his red zone work.

NFL Power Rankings, Week 8: Cowboys hit top five; Packers’ plunge continues into bottom half of league - Dan Hanzus, NFL.com

The Cowboys break into the top five of this week's NFL power rankings.

These Cowboys feel more dangerous because their success or failure won’t solely rely on a high-profile offense being asked to rise to the occasion when it counts. Teams built to win shootouts can be exposed in the postseason — but a team with a dominant defense? That will travel into January and perhaps beyond.

We saw that again on Sunday at Jerrah World, where the Cowboys’ D again carried the day with five turnovers that led to 21 points in a 24-6 win over the Lions. The heavy lifting on Dan Quinn’s side of the ball allowed Dak Prescott (19 of 25, 207 yards, TD) to gently ease himself back into the mix after missing five weeks with a thumb injury. Prescott will only improve with more reps, making the Cowboys a well-rounded contender on the level of the Eagles.

Blogging The Boys Podcast Network and YouTube Channel

We offer a different show every single day on the Blogging The Boys podcast network, and on weekdays we offer two different shows every single day.

• Monday: 1st and 10 with Dave Sturchio, Tony Catalina, & Aidan Davis
• Monday: Hidden Yardage with Mark Lane and Sean Martin
• Tuesday: The Writer’s Block with Jess Nevarez and Brandon Loree
• Tuesday: BTB Roundtable with various BTB Staffers
• Wednesday: NFC East Mixtape with RJ Ochoa and Brandon Lee Gowton
• Wednesday: Talkin’ The Star with Connor Livesay
• Thursday: The Ocho with RJ Ochoa
• Thursday: Ryled Up with Roy White and Tom Ryle
• Friday: Girls Talkin’ Boys with Kelsey Charles and Meg Murray
• Friday: The Star Seminar with Danny Phantom and Rabblerousr
• Saturday: The World’s Team with Meg Murray and Paul Stewart

Also every single weekday features a roundup episodes of sorts similar to these news headlines that catches you up on everything that you need to know! Make sure to listen to Dallas Cowboys Daily hosted by Jess Nevarez from Monday through Friday. We also offer live shows every weekday afternoon on the Blogging The Boys YouTube Channel.

The Blogging The Boys podcast network is available on all major podcast platforms.

Subscribe here on Apple devices.

Subscribe here if you are a Spotify user.