News: BTB: Cowboys News: Why Dak Prescott Is Way Ahead Of Carson Wentz And Jared Goff

NewsBot · May 27, 2017

Latest Cowboys headlines: Ranking NFC East Quarterbacks; future superstar Jaylon Smith; Ryan Switzer continues to impress everybody.

Bill Polian: Dak Prescott's learning curve is 'way, way up' compared to Carson Wentz, Jared Goff - Jon Machota, SportsDay
Machota takes a look at what has changed from Dak Prescott from last year to this year and, and offers an interesting quote from Bill Polian in the process.

While comparing Prescott to the quarterbacks who were drafted with the first two picks last year -- Jared Goff and Carson Wentz -- Polian explained why Prescott is in the best situation.

"In Dak's case, he hit the jackpot," said the Pro Football Hall of Famer and six-time NFL Executive of the Year. "He's got everybody coming back from a great offense. The same coordinator, the same head coach, the same belief in the system.

"They're getting him ready to take a huge step in terms of being able to run the game and to manipulate defenses. His learning curve is way, way up compared to the other two."

Cowboys OTAs: Dak Prescott Shows Up To Camp Stronger And Faster - DannyPhantom, Blogging The Boys
After showing up to OTAs bigger and faster, all signs are pointing up for the Cowboys young star.

On Monday, he showed up to OTA’s not only a year smarter, but he’s stronger and faster as well. Clarence Hill Jr. recently reported that according to Cowboys’ QB coach, Wade Wilson, Prescott has eclipsed his rookie numbers in the team’s off-season program in terms of speed, strength and agility.

“They tested last Monday,” Wilson said Wednesday during the media availability of the first week of OTA practices. “He has improved strength-wise, flexibility-wise, speed-wise, quickness-wise. He is not resting on anything that went on last year.”

Prescott’s off-season workout program was spent with the same coach that helped prepare him for the NFL Draft, Tom Shaw, who runs the Performance Enhancement Camp in Orlando. Shaw has a long-lasting reputation of training elite quarterbacks, including Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. It always help to have one of the best providing the instruction, but credit Prescott with such a strong desire to put in the work. Dak had this to say about his off-season program results...

“My numbers went up,” Prescott said. “It’s just working hard continuously. That is how I have gotten to where I am in life. I’m not going to forget that and keep working hard. … I don’t look at what’s behind me. I look at where I can go and what I can do. The only way I know to do that is through hard work. That is something I continue to try to do.”

Ranking The NFC East Quarterbacks: Dak Prescott Edges Out Eli Manning - Manik Aggarwal, Blogging The Boys
Aggarwal ranks Prescott as the No. 1 QB in the East in part due to the bright future ahead of Prescott, but his selection of Eli Manning (he of the mediocre 83.7 career passer rating) at No. 2 is a headscratcher.

Eli Manning enters his 14th year as the starting quarterback for the New York Giants. During this time, he is a two-time Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP and a four-time Pro Bowler. He owns the majority of passing records in Giants history and is easily one of the best quarterbacks of the last 15 years. His Achilles heel over the years has been inconsistency and turnovers. As he enters the 2017 season, he is flanked by the best receiving corps in the NFL and so there will be plenty of passing. Eli Manning is the second best quarterback in the division and it will be his arm that keeps the Giants’ championship window open.

Desparation is a stinky cologne: trading up for a 1st-round QB is generally a terrible idea - Ryan Wilson, CBSSports.com
Wilson looks all teams that traded up in the first round for a quarterback since 2008 and concludes that those trades almost never (ever, ever) work. Here's his take on Jared Goff and Carson Wentz.

Was Jared Goff worth it? It sure doesn't seem like it, and that assessment isn't solely because Goff struggled. Recent history should've clued Fisher and Snead in, partly because they were on the other end of a blockbuster draft trade -- scroll up and re-read the Robert Griffin III section. But desperation is a stinky cologne, and it cost Fisher his job. Now it's up to quarterback guru Sean McVay, 31 years old and hired in the offseason, to get the most out of Goff.

Was Carson Wentz worth it? It's too early to say. Initially, Wentz, who played at North Dakota State in the FCS, looked like the real deal, but as often happens with rookies learning to adjust to the NFL game, he hit a rough patch and never really recovered. The Eagles could've decided not to make the deal to move up for Wentz and taken Dak Prescott, who went in Round 4, but nobody -- Prescott included -- thought he would have the season he did.

If Jaylon Smith plays, the Dallas Cowboys have a superstar - Noah Strackbein, Slap The Sign
This Notre Dame blog can hardly contain its excitement at the idea of Smith playing this season.

At Notre Dame, there was no one as exciting to watch on the defensive side of the ball than Jaylon Smith. The athletic linebacker redefined the position and made his mark in South Bend during his three years there.

Now, he’s hoping to return, and if he does, the Dallas Cowboys will have the steal of the 2016 draft. As someone who’s already considered one of the best young players in the league, before even playing a game, Smith has the biggest potential of almost anyone who’s been drafted over the last two years.

Dallas took a chance, and if it pays off, they have the best player of the 2015 draft class. Smith is a future Hall of Famer when healthy. All he needs to do is beat this knee injury, and his career will forever be one of the best.

Momentum continues to build for Jaylon Smith’s return - Clarence Hill, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Jaylon Smith is still wearing a brace for drop foot, but the Dallas Cowboys are confident he will contribute this season.

Coach Jason Garrett is typically more buttoned down than Jones in his evaluations, but he is doing nothing to temper the enthusiasm and says there have been no setbacks so far.

“I just know that he’s made a lot of progress and it’s such a great story because it was a serious injury that he’s had,” Garrett said. “His optimism, his outlook in life is just rare. I really do believe that’s helped him get better and better. He’s worked very hard. He’s in a good environment to get better and he’s embraced it. There's been no obstacles up to this point. He's just done a really nice job working to get back."

Ryan Switzer is more than Cole Beasley's backup -- Cowboys have 'significant' role for rookie WR - Jon Machota, SportsDay
Injuries to Beasley and Lucky Whitehead allowed Switzer to get many more snaps than originally planned - and he ran away with the opportunity.

"He's a classic slot receiver," Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "He has a similar game [to Beasley], but he has his own things. We would really like those two guys to be able to complement each other and run real similar route trees. Certainly a huge bonus with him is his ability to be a returner in our special teams.

"His role is significant. You can see right now he's getting reps that we wouldn't have ... if he wasn't here. He complements Beasley and also gives us some big-time needed depth at that position."

Bryan Broaddus: Switzer continues to impress everybody - SportsDay Staff
In this excerpt from his recent appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Broaddus talks about Switzer, Dak Prescott, and the Cowboys' backup QB situation. Here's his take on Switzer.

You can actually see [receivers] do things in these types of practices. Switzer, with no Cole Beasley with a sore hamstring and Lucky Whitehead went in very early in practice and didn't come back, left Ryan Switzer to take a lot of the slot role stuff and he was able to take advantage of that.

He ran a really nice route against some zone coverage and found some space. Jeff Heath was a little late getting over, but he made a great adjusted catch, got both feet down. So he continues to impress everybody.

He was a former running back when he got to North Carolina. He's from West Virginia, was a former RB so he's got some thickness to him. When he stands next to Cole Beasley, they're looking each other right in the eye but he does have more thickness, more bulk. That's served him well. When you watched him play at North Carolina, that's why he had the ability as a punt returner because of the thickness, the secure catch, and then the running-back ability and instincts. The thick body actually helps him take some of those hits he was able to withstand.

Why Rico gathers will make the roster in Dallas - Kendall Kaut, Our Daily Bears
In response to a mailbag question, the SB Nation Baylor blog offers a stunningly logical reason for why Rico Gathers will make the roster this year.

Rico will make the Cowboys roster. If he doesn’t, all these stories about Rico Gathers making leaps are lies. They can’t all be lies.

Bryan Broaddus: How did Cowboys first-round pick Taco Charlton fare vs. Tyron Smith in OTAs this week? - SportsDay Staff
Broaddus had a recent appearance on 105.3 The Fan and talked about Taco Charlton, David Irving, and Jaylon Smith. Here's his take on how Taco Charlton fared vs. Tyron Smith

They started him out playing at right DE and that's where they want to look at him. He played with really good power. You can see the power even when you watched him at Michigan. He's one of those guys who'd take his one arm, put it in the middle of the chest of a blocker and gain a little control but he's got to learn ... quickness.

He got Tyron off balance a couple of different times and then Tyron just flat hit him in the throat one time and knocked him down. It was one of those days where you get experience going against one of the best in the league. He gave Tyron a little problem with power and Tyron gave him a little problem with power.

They kicked him inside with their dime package when they put the six defensive backs on the field. He got kicked inside to play with the three technique on the outside shoulder of the guard and his spin move was really, really good, able a couple times to get home that way.

The kid's doing things to free himself. He's just not rushing up the field and getting blocked so he's trying to do things. Technique will come, hopefully the quickness will come, and we'll see him have more success like he did inside rushing the passer.

Mailbag: Guessing At The Starting OL? - Bryan Broaddus & David Helman, Dallas Cowboys
In addition to handling a question about the most likely future Hall of Famers on the roster, Broaddus and Helman tackle a reader question about the likely starting OL.

Question: In regard to the offensive line shuffle, which seems likelier at this point: A) La’el Collins moves to RT and Jonathan Cooper (or someone else) starts at LG; B) Collins stays home at LG and Bell or Green grabs the starting job at RT?

Bryan: I love this question. I am going to say "B.” I think, when it's all said and done, that Green will play well in the preseason and it will force Collins to stay at guard. I know folks don't trust Green, but I am going to say that things turn around for him health-wise this season.

David: It’s entirely possible that Cooper regains the form that made him a first-round draft pick in 2013, but I need to see it to believe it. I know that La’el Collins can handle himself quite well at guard, and I know that Chaz Green is a decent right tackle when he’s healthy. By the time September rolls around, I think that’ll play out on the field. I’m thinking the starting line is Tyron-Collins-Frederick-Martin-Green for Week 1 against the Giants.

What matters and what doesn't during OTA season - Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.com
Rosenthal explains that there's some news coming out of OTAs that's worth paying attention to, like the status of players coming off injury or previously unreported injuries. But there are also things not worth obsessing over, like depth charts, veteran absences from OTAs, or the run game.

The running game: The Packers have practically eliminated the running game from OTA practices because it's so hard to simulate without pads or tackling.

"The practice environment with the helmets and the shorts and the rules in place, the run-game production is minimal as far as the quality of work," coach Mike McCarthy said this week.

Despite this, you'll see plenty of overzealous OTA analysis describing which running backs or offensive linemen are "flashing" or "rising" in practices that barely resemble the sport we watch on Sundays.

ESPN writers say Commanders got 'measurably worse' this offseason - SportsDay Staff
The DMN takes a look at an ESPN In$ider article that doesn't paint a flattering picture of the 2017 Commanders.

Six NFL writers for ESPN are going through an offseason series examining the best and worst aspects of 2017 teams, and it's not looking good for the Washington Commanders. All six were asked which team they think got "measurably worse" this offseason and four picked Washington.

"The Commanders' offensive organization and creativity took a hit when McVay departed for the Rams' head-coaching job," ESPN's Kevin Seifert wrote. "Plus, Cousins knows the team's confidence in him long term is measured. That's not a good combination -- and it doesn't even begin to address a defense that, charitably, doesn't look much better than the one that allowed 378 yards per game last season (No. 28 in the NFL)."

Allen Iverson explains why he's a Dallas Cowboys fan - Jon Machota, SportsDay
Over the last few days, a lot of BTB members have posted FanPosts about how and why they became Cowboys fans. Allen Iverson joins the fun and tells his story:

"My mom made me a Cowboy," Iverson explained. "She used to make me watch the Cowboys when I was like 5-years-old all the way up to the age I'm obviously a fanatic now. My mom made me a Cowboy. The people from Philadelphia had to realize that was the case. I'm not from Philadelphia.

News: BTB: Cowboys News: Why Dak Prescott Is Way Ahead Of Carson Wentz And Jared Goff

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