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Plus a side of Jason Garrett he keeps well hidden in public, along with the other articles you will want to read.
Jason Garrett ripped “soft” Cowboys offense after Week Two loss at Denver – Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk
The upcoming All or Nothing on Amazon that chronicles the 2017 Cowboys season is just a week or so away. According to those afforded a preview, it is quite good (although it will likely be difficult at times for Dallas fans to watch). And one thing that is being mentioned a lot is that it just blows up the image of Jason Garrett as always positive and supportive of his players, no matter what.
“The whole thing was soft,” coach Jason Garrett tells his offense after a Week Two loss in Denver, during the opening episode of Amazon’s All or Nothing that focuses on last year’s Dallas Cowboys. “Soft at the point of attack. Soft in the backside. It was soft with the runner. Not strong enough with the ball.”
Garrett, who has an affinity for profanity that could make Rex Ryan (maybe not him) blush, continued the verbal onslaught.
“We’ve established an identity in this league of being the most physical offensive line, the most physical running game,” Garrett said. “It was soft as hell. The foundation of this program is the word fight. I don’t care who we play, when we play, where we play. We’re up 100, we’re down 100. We’re gonna f–king fight. We’re gonna fight, we’re gonna fight, we’re gonna fight, we’re gonna f–ing fight.”
Dallas Cowboys: New documentary details Dez Bryant's growing frustration in final season with Cowboys | Kate Hairopoulos, SportsDay
One thing that fans will be watching All or Nothing the most closely for is likely to be for evidence of why the Cowboys parted ways with Dez. And this review indicates that there is a lot to learn.
Bryant's frustration at not getting more opportunities came out during a game at Washington in October.
"Come on, coach," Bryant says to Garrett during the game. "I'm wearing these mother [expletive] out."
He tells quarterback Dak Prescott that he didn't get the ball when he was in single coverage. Then he does it again.
"They went Cover One twice," he goes on, holding up two fingers. "Twice, twice, twice." The TV analysts assume he's complaining about being targeted only twice.
After a fade to the end zone that does come his way is too high, Bryant comes to the sidelines saying, "I just need a chance."
When he does get a chance later, Bryant drops a ball in the end zone.
Dallas Cowboys have time to prove they're better without Dez Bryant - Todd Archer, Dallas Cowboys Blog- ESPN
We aren't clear of the morass of articles about releasing Dez Bryant. Jason Garrett and others have spoken out about it, but aren't really making any huge revelations.
But reading between the lines is fairly simple. The “factors” that go into the decision are mostly financial. The Cowboys did not believe Bryant was worth the $12.5 million base salary and did not want him counting $16.5 million against the salary cap. There were production issues as well with Bryant’s numbers not coming close to what he was being paid.
Cowboys WR Noah Brown deserves expanded role in 2018 offense | A J Mada, Cowboys Wire
While the Cowboys are highly unlikely to replace Bryant with a player who has the same skills and ability he had, especially early in his career, they still are looking for someone who can be effective in the X role. And they may have an answer already on the roster in Noah Brown.
Brown is eerily similar to Bryant in terms of his physique. Both receivers stand at 6-foot-2 with Bryant currently weighing 220 pounds while Brown is 225. Most draftniks considered Brown a player who was leaving school a year early. If he had stayed in Columbus, who knows what Brown would be considered in this year’s draft class. Instead, he spent a year getting professional tutelage as an understudy to a man with a remarkably similar physical build.
At his pro day, Bryant ran a 4.52 40-yard dash; Noah Brown ran a 4.57 at his. Neither Bryant nor Brown are the fastest receivers, but where they excel is with their size and physicality.
Bryant had elite quickness out the gate. Brown had much better agility scores.
Dallas Cowboys: Thinner Dak Prescott lost 10 pounds | Clarence Hill, Jr, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Remember the "controversy" in recent years about Tony Romo looking a bit pudgy to start camp? That is not an issue so far for his replacement.
Dak Prescott has lost 10 pounds since the end of the season and looking thinner and trimmer as the Dallas Cowboys began the start of the offseason program this week in preparation for the 2018 season.
"I'm getting older," Prescott said Tuesday night. "I figure I better fix my diet now. I guess I've dropped a few pounds, but it's more about not eating the fast food, being 22 and realizing my metabolism is going to slow down."
Prescott said he is right where he wants to be and added that he will put on 5 pounds before the start of the season. He said the weight loss has nothing to do with him possibly running more in 2018, as the Cowboys move toward an offense more suitable to his skills.
Best-case draft roadmap, receiver targets, worth trading up? KT’s Cowboys mailbag! – Kevin Turner, The Athletic
Most of our readers don't have access behind the paywall for The Athletic, but this excerpt on what happened with Dak Prescott last season is worth sharing.
The biggest issue with Dak last year (aside from Zeke being suspended), was that when Tyron (Smith) went down, the team didn’t have an adequate plan to hold the fort down. Dak really lost confidence after he was sacked six times by Adrian Clayborn. It just messed with his whole psyche. Because he had no trust in his blindside being protected he wasn’t able to see progressions through. If the first read comes open, it was often missed because he sped things up, overcompensating for his lack of protection. The way that thought pattern works is 'I don't have time for my first read to get open, I have to get my eyes over to the second and third options because I'll get sacked if I don’t speed it up. His entire confidence level was shaken.
The Moment That Put the Dallas Cowboys in Limbo ✭ Mauricio Rodriguez, Inside the Star
While it is hardly the only factor involved, this is a perceptive take on how the course of the Cowboys franchise was so greatly altered by one snap in a totally meaningless game.
2014 is the closest the Cowboys have been to becoming Super Bowl champions once again. That season unfortunately crumbled to pieces in the divisional round when Dallas lost at Lambeau Field in a game full of drama. We moved on to 2015, which was going to be their year but then injuries, especially Tony Romo's, left the Cowboys in a season of defeat.
After that, 2016 was supposed to be it. That was going to be the season in which finally, America's Team would return to glory and hold the Lombardi Trophy up in the sky. With 36-year-old Tony Romo and veterans like Sean Lee, Jason Witten and more nearing their final years in the NFL, the window was closing.
#9's comeback was bound to be epic. Sadly, he never had the chance to prove it.
Romo would take the field for the first time in a long time in Seattle during the third week of the preseason. And less than two minutes into the game, on a second down, Cliff Avril would bring him to the ground and crush every Cowboys fan's heart.
Can Kris Richard Finally Tap Into Byron Jones' Potential? ✭ Brian Martin, Inside the Star
Moving Byron Jones from safety to cornerback is now official, and may be the first real impact of new assistant Kris Richard.
I personally believe this is the right move for both Byron Jones and what's best for the Dallas Cowboys secondary.
Byron Jones has spent the last two seasons playing safety. He showed promise in 2016 as rangy free safety. But unfortunately, he seemed to regress a little in 2017 when he was asked to take over for Barry Church as more of a box safety, eventually losing playing time to Kavon Frazier.
To me, this move has Kris Richard's fingerprints all over it. He prefers longer cornerbacks, something Byron Jones will give him on the outside. He had just that with the Seattle Seahawks in Richard Sherman, and now he has Byron Jones and Chidobe Awuzie.
Dallas Cowboys: Jason Witten wants to play until age 40 | Clarence Hill, Jr, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Jason Witten is a remarkable player who should wind up in the Hall of Fame. Having said that, it is hard to know if his attitude towards extending his career is really the best thing - especially after what happened to Dez.
“There's been a lot of things said over the years, especially the last few months,” Witten said Tuesday night. “I guess that's what happens when you get old. Maybe one day that will happen, but hopefully I can play until I'm 40 like some of these other guys. I'll take it one day at a time. My plan is to be here with the Cowboys. Absolutely.”
2018 NFL draft: 8 sleepers you should know before everyone else does - Dan Kadar, SBNation.com
One of the keys to having a successful draft is finding players in the later rounds that other teams undervalue. Here is one that may be getting a look at the Star given the needs of the Cowboys.
Alex Cappa, OT, Humboldt State
Cappa is the perfect example of how the Senior Bowl can help a draft prospect. Before it, he was considered a late-round player. But after the Humboldt State blocker showed he’s physical and can hold his own, Cappa has turned himself into a mid-round player. Cappa moves pretty well for a tackle, and plays with good strength. A year of development to hone his technique, and Cappa becomes a starter at either tackle or guard.
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