Cowboys news: Rookie OT will miss “some time” with shoulder injury

Status Of Rookie Matt Waletzko’s Shoulder Injury - Rob Phillips, DallasCowboys.com

Matt Waletzko will miss some time in his pursuit of the swing tackle position.

Rookie offensive tackle Matt Waletzko will not practice the next two days as the Cowboys evaluate his shoulder injury, head coach Mike McCarthy said.

“I think once we get to next week we’ll have a better handle on it,” McCarthy said.

...

At the moment, there doesn’t appear to be a clear frontrunner for the swing tackle job. Waletzko’s injury means more practice reps for young tackles Josh Ball, Aviante Collins and Amon Simon.

First-round draft pick Tyler Smith also got some backup tackle snaps in the OTAs but has been primarily splitting first-team left guard reps with Connor McGovern.

“We started in the spring where he was probably 60-40 guard and tackle, but we want to give him more pure guard reps just to get him comfortable,” McCarthy said. “I think that’s important and let him build a good foundation in there.”

Will Tony Pollard’s Running Stats Grow or Decline? - Tony Stahl, Inside the Star

What will Tony Pollard’s role be in 2022?

Tony Pollard showed off some great speed and recognition during the 2021 season. He had 130 attempts at running back with 719 total yards. That’s a lot of stats for someone who is a second-stringer to Ezekiel Elliott. The real question is, will Pollard have better stats this season or worse?

We all know Tony’s main position isn’t running back but kick returner. We can first take a look and see if he has improved throughout his three seasons as a Cowboy.

2019: 14 Returns and 245 yards

2020: 32 Returns and 766 yards

2021: 17 Returns and 489 yards

With this information, it’s obvious to see that Pollard gained far more yards in 2020 than in any of his other seasons. However, it’s easy to ignore the fact that he had nearly two times more returns in 2020 than in 2021.

When looking at Pollard’s average yards on a kick return, he had 28.8 yards per run in 2021 while in 2020 had 23.9 yards per carry. So, the answer would be yes, Tony Pollard has achieved great progress throughout his three years as a kick returner.

Now as a running back, it already looks like Pollard is on a path to success:

2019: 86 attempts and 455 yards

2020: 101 attempts and 435 yards

2021: 130 attempts and 719 yards

Predicting the 2022 NFL season; training camp edition - Matt Holleran, Blogging the Boys

How will the Cowboys do in 2022?

Analysis: The NFC East is going to be a lot more competitive than many people think. The Dallas Cowboys (+3) have a clear advantage at the quarterback position, which ultimately will lead to them winning the division, but they made some questionable moves this offseason that they will come to regret. Dallas’ offense will miss Amari Cooper big time, and they’ll struggle out of the gate without Michael Gallup. The Cowboys start the season going 3-3 through the first six weeks, but rebound to go 7-4 down the stretch and win the East for the second straight season.

The Eagles, despite Jalen Hurts’ limitations, do just enough to sneak into the playoffs with 10 wins. The Commanders start off hot, winning four of their first six games, but fade down the stretch as Carson Wentz struggles to take care of the football. The Giants win an unimpressive four games as Daniel Jones’ tenure as New York’s signal-caller comes to an end.

Cowboys’ Zack Martin and Tyron Smith aren’t focusing on Hall of Fame trajectory just yet - David Moore, Dallas Morning News

One day the duo will be in Canton.

OXNARD, Calif. — Zack Martin tries not to talk or think about it.

He’s not about to boldly proclaim his intention to collect as many Pro Bowl appearances as he can on the way to the Hall of Fame. Teammate Tyron Smith staked that ground 11 years ago when he was drafted.

But nine years deep into his Cowboys career, Martin quietly concedes his body of work should at least put him in the conversation.

“Obviously, it’s a goal of mine,’’ Martin said after the completion of practice in the first week of training camp. “I’m not going to lie. It’s not something I’ve never thought about.

“But you know, right now, I’m still in the middle of it. For me, it’s cliché. I’ve done some cool things in my career, but I’d like to win the whole thing. Put the cherry on top.’’

It’s an interesting dichotomy. Settling on a starting five and establishing the depth chart in the offensive line arguably tops the list of what the coaching staff must accomplish while the team’s in Southern California.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott: ‘I plan for this to be the golden year’ - Kevin Patra, NFL.com

It’s the GOLDEN YEAR.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott turns 29 years old Friday and already has designs on making it his best year yet.

“It will be the golden birthday,” Prescott said Thursday, via ESPN. “I plan for this to be the golden year.”

Entering his seventh season, the Cowboys haven’t had as much playoff success as they’d like with Prescott, winning one of four playoff games under his leadership.

The Cowboys haven’t won the Super Bowl since 1995. They’re 4-11 in the playoffs since lifting that Lombardi, the lowest winning percentage among 27 teams to play in 10-plus postseason games in that span.

Prescott knows the pressure is on to get over the hump finally.

“I mean obviously knowing the quarterbacks that played specifically for this team and knowing their legacy and the ones that we hold at the highest standard are the ones that have Super Bowl rings,” Prescott said. “It starts there for me, trying to fill the shoes of those guys that have come before me and do something for this organization that hasn’t been done in a long time.”

Kavon Frazier announces retirement - Charean Williams, PFT

An ex-Cowboy hangs them up.

Former Cowboys safety Kavon Frazier announced his retirement Friday with plans to pursue some business ventures.

“As I approach getting ready for my seventh training camp, I realize that something is missing,” Frazier wrote on social media. “Something isn’t the same. These last six years has been a rollercoaster. From a kid with one offer to Central Michigan to being a core player on America’s Team, I have no regrets. Many people know me as a core special teams player and some know me as a guy who dealt with a lot of injuries, but it’s time to change that narrative. No longer will people just identify me as a football player. Football is something that I played, but it doesn’t define me as a person. I’m a man of God, a husband, a father and an entrepreneur. With that being said, today I’ll be walking away from the game I played for the last 20 years to pursue my entrepreneur journey and make a real difference in our community.”

The Raiders cut Frazier in March, and he has remained a free agent since.

The Cowboys made him a sixth-round choice in 2016, and he spent his first four seasons in Dallas. He played 461 snaps on defense and 638 on special teams with the Cowboys and totaled 67 tackles.

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, and Aidan Davis
• Monday: Hidden Yardage with Mark Lane and Sean Martin
• Tuesday: The 75O with Tony Casillas and RJ Ochoa
• Tuesday: BTB Roundtable with various BTB personalities
• Wednesday: The NFC East Mixtape with RJ Ochoa and Brandon Gowton
• Wednesday: Talkin’ The Star with Connor Livesay and Mark Schofield
• 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.

Subscribe to the Blogging The Boys YouTube Channel for videos throughout every week right here.