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Jan 02, 2024

Cowboys News: Dak’s urgency, Pollard’s new tattoo, debating TE at 26

Recent departures in Dallas have the face of the franchise thinking differently

Recent departures in Dallas have the face of the franchise thinking differently all of a sudden. Dak Prescott admits that his window for championships isn't as open as it once was and that there's a new sense of urgency for the 2023 Cowboys. To help him get there, he’ll lean on newly-signed Brandin Cooks, who it turns out holds a unique spot among all active receivers… and could be a precursor to a certain college prospect at the same position.

Meanwhile, we’re debating whether taking a tight end in the first round is the final push the Dallas offense needs… or a patently unwise investment. We’re evaluating what Stephon Gilmore's presence means for the secondary's cornerback quota, we’re looking ahead to a scary situation along the offensive line, and we’re identifying which Cowboys will be scheduled to hit free agency 12 months from now. All that, plus a player the Cowboys had been linked to finally lands in the Pacific Northwest, Tony Pollard joins a growing club within the Cowboys locker room, and why the Texas running back who could bring the most to the Cowboys may not be the one you’re thinking of. News and Notes from the weekend…

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Prescott has already watched several of his closest football brethren leave town this offseason, driving home the idea that even his own window is closing bit by bit. "Having all those guys depart, so many good friends and teammates and not win a championship," he mused last week. "The urgency was there but, now, as that's turned over, I realize I might blink and my career might be over… The urgency is now."

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Pollard is the latest Cowboy to get ink from tattoo artist Andres Ortega, just a week after Prescott's intricate leg sleeve made headlines. A photo that hit social media over the weekend shows Ortega's team working on Pollard's right leg (not the one he injured in January).

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Veteran tight ends aren't paid as much as other positions, which means rookie tight ends don't offer as much as other positions do in value or savings. If a team is lucky enough to find a generational one, he can be a cheat code for the offense for years. But you don't chase a lottery ticket. A bargain tight end in late free agency or a mid- to late-round draft choice bolsters an adequate crew of Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot, and Sean McKeon. And if they strike gold, great.

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An active offseason has addressed several needs in Dallas, but a premium tight end- yes, maybe even in the first round- could really be the thing that pushes the Cowboys over the top in 2023. The team wasn'tt leaning toward keeping Schultz, but replacing him with a dynamic playmaker is about the only hole left to fill.

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Gilmore is an excellent Band-Aid for the Dallas secondary, but a Band-Aid nonetheless. Locating a plug-and-play starting cornerback in the draft is no longer a must, but finding one who’d be capable of taking the reins in 2024 should still be high priority. DaRon Bland and Israel Mukuamu showed promise, but the team should take advantage of this year's deep draft class to snag another capable corner.

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The 32-year-old had been linked to Dallas the past two offseasons, largely because of his history with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. But the eight-time Pro Bowler will head back to Seattle; Dallas will likely keep looking for depth to add to its linebacking corps.

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How under-the-radar has the Cowboys’ newest receiving weapon been over his career? He's played nine NFL seasons, topped 1,000 yards in six of them… and never made the Pro Bowl. No other receiver in the game can say that.

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The Oklahoma prospect has a history of putting up monster number at every level of the sport thus far. He's a beast on 50/50 balls and is deadly when it comes to YAC. At 5-foot-11, he's smaller than the Cowboys generally like, but he plays bigger than his size and would be a major playmaker from the outside, letting Lamb work the slot in a whole new way.

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There's a very real chance that, one year from right now, Tyron Smith will have announced his retirement, and Tyler Biadasz and Terence Steele will both be free agents. A possible 60% turnover on the unit in 2024 could definitely play into how the Cowboys approach next month's draft.

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Another week, another batch of roster changes. Dalton Schultz and Jake McQuaide are gone, Takk McKinley is back, Trent Sieg joins the crew, and Isaac Alarcon is set to cross the hall from offense to defense. Here's the entire 2023 Cowboys team as it stands today.

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There will be nine Cowboys starters looking to leave a mark in a contract year this upcoming season, including Tony Pollard, Jayron Kearse, Trevon Diggs, and Dorance Armstrong. Another dozen-plus could also become free agents in 2024. Lamb will be eligible to receive the fifth-year option on his contract.

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For all the salivating over Bijan Robinson, the Longhorns’ other rushing prospect is quite a story, too. A quarterback who was emergency-switched to running back a week before his freshman season at Texas, all Johnson did for the next four years was average at least 5.2 yards every time he touched the ball. He's got speed, size, a viselike grip on the ball, can block all day, and is a model teammate in the locker room.

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