Cowboys news: Several Dallas players land in PFF’s annual top-101 list

Cowboys on PFF ‘Top 101: Who Ranks for Dallas?- GEOFF MAGLIOCHETTI, Sports Illustrated

Do you agree with PFF’s assessment?

With Pro Football Focus unveiling its annual list of the NFL’s top 101 players, three Pokes made the cut, a subsection headlined by Micah Parsons at fifth overall and the second-best defensive player on the list behind Chris Jones of Kansas City (who trailed only teammate and fellow champion Patrick Mahomes). Behind him are running back Tony Pollard and receiver CeeDee Lamb, two offensive teammates who round out the top 50.

“It’s worth remembering that this was Parsons’ first full-time season as an edge rusher,” Parsons’ accompanying blurb writes. “He was immediately one of the best in the game, dominating lesser opponents and beating some of the best tackles in the game for their first sacks allowed this season.”

It’s hardly a surprise to see Parsons so high, providing yet another reward for his work through a mere two seasons of action. PFF was particularly impressed with the way Parsons adjusted to becoming a pure pass rusher as opposed to his professional debut which saw him move around the field. Parsons cashed in upon the switch, earning 13.5 quarterback takedowns.

BUY OR SELL: THE COWBOYS ARE “PUTTING QB DAK PRESCOTT ON NOTICE,” COULD DRAFT A QB EARLY- Rocky Garza Jr, Inside The Star

Nothing is guaranteed, including Dallas’ decision on drafting a QB.

While the front office hasn’t confirmed the report (which I believe is all a smoke screen), more drama occurred when Fox Sports radio host Jason Smith tweeted the Boys were sending Prescott a message.

Per Smith, he said:

“IN THE LAST TWO DAYS COWBOYS HAVE BEEN LINKED WITH C.J. STROUD & HENDON HOOKER. THIS IS A HUGE MESSAGE TO DAK PRESCOTT. DALLAS WILL “JORDAN LOVE” DAK AND DRAFT A QB THIS SEASON.”

He added that meant Prescott has to prove he can win this season, or they will trade him and move on. So, now with two reports possibly foreshadowing that the team has been considering different options – what does that mean?

First, to get this out of the way, IM SELLING on this whole sending-a-message scenario. When the initial report surfaced that the team was interested in Stroud, I was surprised.

However, the odds of the team trading a boatload of draft capital is slim to none. Do I believe the team needs to invest in a young quarterback to prepare for the foreseeable future? Of course.

3 prospects the Cowboys could take in first round of 2023 draft- Joey Pollizze, The Landry Hat

It is officially time to speculate who could be going off the board at pick 26.

3. O’Cyrus Torrence, OG

For the past decade-plus, the Cowboys have placed an emphasis on bolstering their offensive line. First-round selections of Smith, Martin, Frederick, and Tyron Smith show just that.

But don’t think taking one in the first round is out of the question for the Cowboys, especially if a player like O’Cyrus Torrence is staring them in the face at 26th overall.

Torrence played three seasons at Louisiana before transferring to Florida in his final college season. At Florida, he was widely regarded as one of the best guards in the nation, especially in the run game.

According to PFF, Torrence finished the season with a 91.7 run-blocking grade. That grade ranked number one amongst all guards in Power 5 conferences — ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and Pac 12.

O’Cyrus Torrence is too strong out here at the Senior Bowl! The @GatorsFB OG has been dominant today in 1-on-1 drills pic.twitter.com/s3Wtk01IBt

— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) February 1, 2023

The Cowboys love taking offensive linemen early and he might perfectly fit their scheme, a team that loves to establish the run.

Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy entering very rare air among all-time NFL head coaches- Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire

As a seasoned head coach, with every year McCarthy remains in the league, he continues to add accomplishments to his résumé.

Entering his 17th season as a head coach, McCarthy’s regular-season record is 155-97-2.

Those 155 wins place him 20th all-time.

Seriously.

And, barring an utter catastrophe, the 59-year-old will likely move past a massive legend or two at some point during the 2023 season.

With three more wins, McCarthy will tie Bud Grant, the longtime Vikings coach who led Minnesota to four Super Bowl appearances.

Six victories will put him alongside Mike Holmgren, who is enshrined in both the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and the Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor.

If the Cowboys can get to 11 wins this upcoming season, McCarthy will move into 15th place beside the legendary Paul Brown, a coach so enmeshed within the fabric of the NFL that he has a team named after him… as well as another team’s home stadium.

3 galaxy brain trades the Cowboys would love to make this offseason- Jakob Ashlin, FanSided

It is time for the front office, and Jerry Jones, to get smart about the way they construct this roster.

Cowboys galaxy brain trade No. 1: Ezekiel Elliott to the Broncos

COWBOYS GET

WR TIM PATRICK

BRONCOS GET

RB EZEKIEL ELLIOTT

Elliott is a popular trade candidate this offseason. Last season, Tony Pollard was the team’s leading rusher with 1,007 yards. He also averaged an efficient 5.2 yards per carry, which was the third-highest among running backs.

Elliott has been a vital piece to the Cowboys’ success in recent years, but his $16.72 million cap number exceeds his current value to the franchise. Pollard is more than capable of serving as the lead back, and Elliott averaged a career-low 3.8 yards per carry last season.

Trading Elliott sounds simple, but some projected returns may be unrealistic. Elliott plays the position with the lowest longevity in the sport. He will be entering his eighth season and has logged over 1,800 career carries. Most importantly, his $16.72 million cap hit will be the highest among all NFL running backs this season, and he has four years left on his current deal. Receiving a mid-round pick is unrealistic. 24-year-old James Robinson, who rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2020, carried a $546,946 cap hit, and he netted the Jacksonville Jaguars only a sixth-round pick.

Jalen Ramsey would be a home run for the Cowboys, but it won’t be easy- David Howman, Blogging The Boys

As long as the possibility is greater than zero, fans will hold out hope.

The problem is that adding Ramsey would be really, really difficult for the Cowboys. They’re currently $7.5 million over the cap, meaning they’ll need a series of restructures and extensions (looking at you, Dak Prescott) just to be cap compliant. Then there’s all the players they want to keep, headlined by Tony Pollard. If Dallas does indeed hit Pollard with the franchise tag, that’s $10 million right there. There are still other names to consider, like Terence Steele, Leighton Vander Esch, Donovan Wilson, Dalton Schultz, Connor McGovern, and Jason Peters. Not all of those names will be re-signed, but the Cowboys have a lot of work to do just to be able to afford those guys and have enough money to sign their draft picks (usually a maximum of $9 million total but often less than that).

Add Ramsey into the equation, now. The Rams are not looking to trade him because he’s not good anymore; while Ramsey had a down year, it was more indicative of the team as a whole than his individual performance. The Rams are considering this to save money. In fact, there is an out in Ramsey’s contract for this offseason that allows Los Angeles to save up to $17 million in cap space, depending on whether the trade occurs before or after June 1st.

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