Cowboys OTA Notes: Offensive Changes, First Team O Line, Play Today – John Machuta, The Athletic
out with the old. with the new. Here are some of the changes the Cowboys are going through in OTAs. Plus one big differentiator.
One notable change is that there is a new veteran wide receiver working with the first team offense. Brandin Cooks took on the first group reps, which included CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup. Much like Amari Cooper of the past, the Cowboys once again have three starting wide receivers all capable of 1,000-yard seasons.
“Obviously I’m still learning, but you know, McCarthy has been a part of a lot of explosive crime everywhere he’s been,” Cox said. “That’s what it feels like. He wants to be explosive and dynamic with all his players. And that’s what I’m still learning about.”
A big part of the offensive transition is identifying what works best for the current squad. Two-time sprint champion Ezekiel Elliott is no longer on the team. Dalton Schultz, the starting quarterback for Dallas for the past three seasons, is now with the Houston Texans. There are also many moving parts along the line up front, which may not be fully settled for several months.
There is a lot of work to be done between now and the season opener on September 10th. An OTA practice doesn’t tell much of a story. Prescott believes the small details will be the difference in which group plays “faster” and “cleaner”. McCarthy’s West Coast offense is likely to limit the number of reads Prescott has on a given play.
Today’s play. Rookie RB Deuce Vaughn caught a 45-yard pass from Will Grier on a 7-on-7 drill. Vaughn did an excellent job of tracking the ball and returning for the catch. The defensive backs weren’t going full speed or trying to intercept passes during a drill. McCarthy is keen not to be fined for the third year in a row for having a lot of contact with the team during OTA practices.
Tony Pollard Participates in Cowboys OTAs – Shane Taylor, Inside Star
Five months after breaking his fibula, Tony Pollard is back on the court during the OTAs. This is a good sign of his recovery.
After undergoing surgery four months ago to repair his lower leg, head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Thursday that Pollard has been involved in the lower-tempo portions of the team’s offseason activities up to this point.
Michael Gilkin, Cowboys reporter for the newspaper Dallas Morning NewsHe said Pollard had a planned exit after about 20 minutes of work.
Pollard ran in team practice, matching expectations at his stage of recovery from a broken leg. OL Terence Steele (ACL) looks in great shape but has only taken mental reps, so obviously this is going to be a slow process.
Pollard averaged 5.9 yards per touch last season, and led the NFL in that category with at least 200 touches in 2022. Great news for Dallas, but with questions still lingering about whether or not Pollard would be healthy to be a cornerback to start the year in September, we needed news, and that was good. .
Ranking NFL Playoff Competitors Needing Free Agent WR DeAndre Hopkins – Gary Davenport, Bleacher Report
Cowboys are ranked near the top of the list as far as possible suitors for the recently released Deandre Hopkins.
The Cowboys really made a move at wide receiver this year, flipping a pair of late picks to the Houston Texans for Brandin Cooks. But the move doesn’t stop the Cowboys from going after Hopkins, either. The primary trio of CeeDee Lanb, Cooks and Hopkins will give Dak Prescott an embarrassment of riches in the passing game. Throw in Michael Gallup, and you have a quadruple that’s guaranteed to give defenses fits in four wide groups.
It’s been three decades since the Cowboys reached a level NFC Championship A game, and if that long, dry spell doesn’t inspire a need to rush, something else should be doing. Lamb, Micah Parsons, and cornerback Trevon Diggs are nearing the end of their rookie deals. The salary cap situation in Dallas is going to get really dicey, really soon. The time for the “win now” mentality is, well, now.
And no major league owner wants another championship more than Jones.
As it stands now, the Cowboys are about $10.5 million under the salary cap — room is there if the deal is structured properly to get Hopkins on the team.
KaVontae Turpin in WR Might Be the Real Thing for 2023 Cowboys – David Howman, Blogging the Boys
The early returns from the KaVontae Turpin have been really good in OTAs. Is Turpin ready to come?
It didn’t take long for Turpin to become a fan favorite in Dallas after that, hosting a kickoff and punt return for a touchdown in the same preseason game. While Turpin failed to score a touchdown in the regular season, he was one of the most electric running backs in the NFL and was named to the NFL Pro Bowl as a result of.
However, some felt he could do more. After all, Turpin’s greatest contributions to the USFL came as a receiver, totaling 540 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games. But Turpin has only seen the field on offense for 5% of his snaps in 2022, with two touchdowns converting to one catch for nine yards and three carries resulting in 17 yards.
Fans aren’t the only ones who want more Turpin Time on offense. the man himself He vowed to give the Cowboys “no choice.” But to use it more on that side of the ball in 2023. And if a first round OTA is anything to go by, Turpin at least gets a chance to prove he belongs there.
But Turpin faces an uphill battle. CeeDee Lamb is clearly the best dog at receiver, and Brandin Cooks is expected to be a smooth tackle at second. Michael Gallup also has another year removed from his ACL injury and will see more action this season. And the team still has high hopes for Jalen Tolbert, who has already seen 27 more offensive snaps than Turpin despite having a completely disappointing rookie year.
More than that, though, is the scale of the problem for Turpin. Standing at 5’9″ and around 155 lbs., Turpin is naturally limited in the kind of ways he can run him effectively. There aren’t many receivers this size that last in this league, and that means Turpin will need a clearly defined role in order to make a real impact. on the attack.
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