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Cowboys news: Mike McCarthy has big plans for Michael Gallup

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Cowboys, Mike McCarthy reveal big Michael Gallup plans after Brandin Cooks trade - Dan Fappiano, ClutchPoints

Even if the Cowboys draft a wide receiver in the first round, Michael Gallup will have a bigger role in the offense.

McCarthy told Gallup that he will be featured more in the offense, via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. Around the Cowboys’ facilities, there is an expectation that Gallup is poised for a big jump entering his sixth NFL season.

Dallas drafted Gallup in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. By 2019, Gallup looked like a future star with the Cowboys as he caught 66 passes for 1,107 and six touchdowns. He followed that up with a 59 catch, 843 yard and five touchdown performance in 2020.

However, Gallup tore his ACL after appearing in nine games in 2021. He made his return and played in 14 games this past season, but Gallup has yet to mirror the success of his early career. Last year, Gallup caught just 39 passes for 424 yards and four touchdowns.

Still, the Cowboys clearly believe in Michael Gallup. Dallas gave him a five-year, $62.5 million extension last year. Now two years removed from his ACL tear, Mike McCarthy is looking for Gallup to get back to his explosive ways.

5 Realistic Draft Fits For Dallas Defense - Kyle Youmans, Dallascowboys.com

If the Cowboys add talent to their defense in April, here are names to look out for.

As the Dallas Cowboys prepare to add new prospects to the roster, they’ll have to measure out the value, need, and risks to accurately make their decisions for the draft class. Will the needs outweigh the value? Or will the value overshadow the needs at a particular moment in time? It’s a balancing act that all teams go through, even if the answer is as simple as taking the best fit.

With all those factors in play, here is one 2023 NFL Draft prospect that fits the Dallas situation for each defensive position.

Edge Rusher: Will McDonald IV, Iowa State

If you think there are already an ideal number of edge rushers on the roster with the likes of Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong and more? Add another one. McDonald fits the mold as a different style than the other rushers on the roster and brings a finesse game clad with speed and length. His constant production as a three-time All-Big 12 honoree in Ames gave just a glimpse of his next-level production. Teams will have to decide if he can add some power to his finesse game in the NFL. But for now, that gives Dallas a welcome change-of-pace.

Interior Defensive Line: Mazi Smith, Michigan

For a team that has excelled in rushing the passer but struggled to stop the run over the last few years, a big nose tackle could be the missing piece. Dallas secured that midway through last season with the addition of Jonathan Hankins. And while he re-signed with the Cowboys this offseason, even he isn’t a long-term fix for the run defense. That’s where Mazi Smith comes in. One of the best run defenders in all of college football last season, Smith tallied a team-high 25 pressures and 48 tackles. He plays with incredible strength and flashes some lateral quickness when shedding blocks. His addition to Dan Quinn’s front seven could help free up multiple playmakers around him for years to come.

Cowboys and Giants in Talks with ‘High Demand’ TE: Report - Evan Reier, Heavy.com

Dallas has been linked to some of the tight end prospects at the top of the draft, but they are trying to find some diamonds in the rough as well.

Dallas has made a few splashes this offseason, but there is still plenty of time for the NFC East franchise to make another. The same goes for any NFL team, but the Cowboys can put the proverbial icing on the cake.

Heavy’s senior NFL reporter Matt Lombardo is now stating that Dallas has been in conversation with East Carolina prospect Ryan Jones. However, the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills also have their eye on Jones.

“Big-bodied #EastCarolina TE Ryan Jones has been in HIGH demand, drawing interest and multiple conversations with the #Giants, #Cowboys, and #Bills, per sources. Jones, 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds, caught 41 passes for 413 yards and 4 TDs in 2022,” Lombardo posted on Twitter on April 14.

Dallas is seemingly in need of a new tight end after they allowed Dalton Schultz to walk after a year on the franchise tag. That being said, they did just introduce two rookies to the position group last year, making their process going forward all the more interesting.

This list ranks the best GMs in the NFL. Where did Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones place? - Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Jerry Jones, along with the rest of the front office, had one of the best offseasons acquiring talent. Did that rank them amongst the best GMs in the NFL?

On Thursday NFL.com ranked the best general managers in the NFL. Where did the Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones rank?

Jones was ranked as the 10th-best GM in the NFL with a focus on his impressive drafting résumé and some smart free agent moves this offseason such as trading for Brandin Cooks and signing Stephen Gilmore.

“The top-shelf talent is close to the top of the league,” Gregg Rosenthal wrote in the post on Thursday. “There are homegrown Hall of Famers. After two straight years of winning, which has become a rarity in the Jerry Jones era, it’s time to give this front office some credit. Perhaps the increased influence of personnel VP Will McClay and COO Stephen Jones has helped the Cowboys, who still struggle at times with self-scouting (SEE: Amari Cooper trade).”

Jones wasn’t the highest-ranked GM in the NFC East. That honor went to Eagles GM Howie Roseman, who Rosenthal ranked as the best GM.

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