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The links for your Monday morning.
A Quarterback Loaded Class Will Help the Cowboys in the 2018 NFL Draft - Mauricio Rodriguez, Inside The Star
With several new franchise quarterbacks emerging over the last couple drafts, grabbing a top-tier QB is all the craze now. And with five prospects (Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson) all possibly going in the first round, this could open the door for the Cowboys to capitalize.
Teams drafting quarterbacks early will result in top talent falling. Some will naturally go before the Cowboys pick, but they will certainly benefit from this QB class.
Another way they can benefit is pretty simple. The Cowboys pick at 19th. After them, the Bills, Saints and even the Jaguars might be looking for a QB.
If the Cowboys don’t feel like taking a player and wish to trade down, they’ll probably have some offers by teams trying to trade up and get a QB before another team does.
Worst-Case Mock Draft: What happens if all Cowboys pet cats are gone? - K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire
Many fans are hoping that one of the players the Cowboys have a first-round grade on makes it to them at pick 19. That could be cutting it close if there are only a dozen or so players that make the grade. K.D. Drummond asks us to examine a scenario where all the elite talents are gone. Who would you pick then?
That’s what happened in the first round of this mock using FanSpeak’s On The Clock Premium Simulator; all of the top targets were taken when Dallas got on the clock. Dreaming of seeing Calvin Ridley line up opposite Dez Bryant? Sorry, he went Top 5. Predicting Marcus Davenport as the RDE to compliment DeMarcus Lawrence? Nope, Top 10. Want Vita Vea to be the centerpiece to a disruptive defensive line? Well, he’s a Cheesehead in this scenario.
Here are the results of his poll:
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Senior Bowl Mock Draft: What happens if Cowboys bail from first round? - K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire
K.D also entertains another route should all the good players come off the board before the Cowboys are on the clock. He explores a trade scenario that takes them out of the first round and land two extra second-rounders. What kind of damage could the Cowboys do with those picks?
In the latest iteration of our Mock Draft series, we’re going to move backwards in a major way, just to get an idea of what kind of options may be available for the Cowboys. Using On The Clock’s premium simulator, the New York Jets looked to move up to Dallas’ No. 19 slot to select QB Mason Rudolph of Oklahoma State. They gave up their two second-round selections, No. 37 and No. 49.
A trade back scenario may be a reasonable possibility if certain teams feel compelled to jump up to get a quarterback.
2018 Senior Bowl stock watch: Whose stock is rising and falling after the Senior Bowl? Michael Sisemore, Blogging The Boys
Our own Michael Sisemore gets us all caught up on who's hot and who's not following Saturday's Senior Bowl action, including a familiar name linked to the Cowboys.
Stock Up
North DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Oklahoma
There will be a few pass rushers that make this list but nobody had a better statistical outing than Okoronkwo. He’s so disruptive at the point of attack with violent hand movements and is just so fun to watch for any pass-rushing enthusiast. Watch him easily destroy his man to take down the quarterback:
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, EDGE out of @OU_Football, showing some excellent bend, speed, and leverage while working against Alex Cappa in #Seniorbowl. Height wont hold him back with skills like those. #NFLDraft #NCAAF #OU pic.twitter.com/BepOitFTUa
— Freshly Distilled Analysis (@Draft_On_Tap) January 27, 2018
He’s getting knocks for his lack of size at 6’1, 240 lbs, but apparently the Dallas Cowboys are interested as they have already met with the young man. He helped himself in a big way notching four tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. Four tackles may not seem like much but all four were for losses including the two sacks. The Cowboys took another speedy rusher from Oklahoma a few seasons ago in Charles Tapper, they just might fall in love with this prospect.
Why Malik Jefferson could be an option for Cowboys in Round 2; two QBs to watch on Day 3 of draft - Dane Bruglar, SportsDay
Unless Roquan Smith falls drastically, a linebacker may not be in the cards for the Cowboys with their first-round pick. Dane Brugler was asked if Malik Jefferson could be a possibility at pick 50 and here is his response:
Question: Is Malik Jefferson an option for the Cowboys in the second round?
Dane Brugler: I think he could be on the short list. The athleticism is fantastic, but the instincts are very up and down and with everything just getting faster in the NFL, you worry about the processing speed. But his movement skills and character will keep him on the draft board and he could be an option at No. 50.
How Jason Witten, other Cowboys fared in the 2017-18 Pro Bowl - SportsDay
How did the Cowboys in the Pro Bowl perform on Sunday in Orlando, Florida?
Jason Witten, DeMarcus Lawrence and Travis Frederick represented the Cowboys in a 24-23 loss for the NFC. Last year’s contest featured Dak Prescott, Dez Bryant, Ezekiel Elliott, Tyron Smith, Zach Martin, Sean Lee and Frederick.
Classic @JasonWitten sideline looks. #ProBowl pic.twitter.com/h09jmyiWUo
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) January 28, 2018
Dallas Cowboys' Jason Witten and Travis Frederick preparing to take the field for the #ProBowl. https://t.co/aD2sHcbPOG pic.twitter.com/yJHFkrU11T
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) January 28, 2018
Jason Witten caught two passes for 16 yards, DeMarcus Lawrence had one tackle and Travis Frederick did his thing at center.
Ex-NFL scout: If the Cowboys are looking for a new tight end, here are a few options - SportsDay
Speaking of Jason Witten, could the Cowboys find his replacement in this year’s NFL Draft?
Would the Cowboys be happy if they got Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki, and in what round?
Bryan Broaddus: Yeah, I have him in the third round myself. He’s not a blocker, that’s something, and a lot of these guys are that. They’re athletes, and they’re down-the-field players. He did a really good job of catching the football, finding space. Those are the things he was able to do at Penn State, you can clearly see that. As far as being an inline guy, that’s what you’re looking for if you’re looking for a complete guy. You’re saying, “OK, do I want a guy that’s just all catch, no block, or do I want a guy that’s got a little bit of balance, a little bit of both?” He is not that guy.
DeMarcus Lawrence’s agent: Whenever the Cowboys call, we’re ready to talk - SportsDay
Will things between Demarcus Lawrence and the Cowboys get done quickly? The Tank’s agent believes so.
Lawrence’s agent, David Canter, told ESPN that he expects things will pick up in a few weeks, ande plans on meeting with the Cowboys at the NFL combine.
”I would imagine that they’re probably not just letting us get to free agency and leave Dallas,” said Canter.
”I was in a similar situation a few years ago with another unbelievably mature 25-year-old named Olivier Vernon. And things worked out pretty well for us with the Giants. The Dolphins had similar comments, and so you just kind of wait and see. Whenever the date comes that my phone rings, we’re ready to talk.”
Lawrence Agent's Cold Shower For Bucs - ***FAKE-NEWS-SOURCE***.com
Fans of other teams are resigned to the fact that Lawrence will not hit the open market in free agency.
Some Bucs fans are holding out hope that Cowboys edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence, off a 14.5-sack season, hits the open market in six weeks so AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht can throw open the Team Glazer vault.
However, Lawrence’s agent, David Canter, all but closed the door on those hopes when speaking with ESPN’s Jenna Laine this week. He admitted he cannot foresee the Cowboys failing to reach contract terms to keep Lawrence in Dallas.
Canter confessed the only way he can envision Lawrence hitting the open market is if the Cowboys, like the Dolphins two years ago with Vernon, say all the right things during the winter but neither sign nor tag Vernon, which is how Vernon was free to sign with the Giants.
‘Optimistic and opportunistic’: Former Cowboy All-Pro Everson Walls’ road to Hall of Fame brink is filled with grace - David Moore, SportsDay
Moore has a great story on former Cowboys defensive back Everson Walls and his road to being named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s definitely worth your time to read.
Reaching the finals in his final year of eligibility simply fits his career arch, the latest step in what has been an unconventional journey.
Walls is a compassionate and selfless friend who gave his kidney to a former teammate with diabetes. He’s an athlete who refused to let an iconic play negatively impact him, going on to befriend the receiver who beat him and embrace the historic nature of The Catch while fashioning a long, successful career in its wake.
“I’ve been what you would call an optimistic person and an opportunistic person,’’ Walls said.
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