Dallas Cowboys invested in toughness – will it pay off?

[JayFord]

Yes, they are all tough, just not focused.

at all

leading the league in penalties is a lack of focus....

 

[CCBoy]

at all

leading the league in penalties is a lack of focus....

Lack of discipline. The person may be fully focused and cheating by preference.

 

[CCBoy]

John Ridgeway
The fourth and final player jockeying to make the roster at defensive tackle in 2022 is John Ridgeway from Arkansas. He was drafted in the fifth round of this years draft. Being that Dallas used a fifth-round pick this year to enhance the defensive tackle position should tell you exactly how they feel about the position. This past season for the Razorbacks, he tallied 39 total tackles, four of them for losses, as well as two sacks. His stats do not jump off the page, but he has a mean streak about his game and tends to be in the play more times than not. He’s not the most athletic guy around, but he makes up for it with good technique, good strength, and a high motor...

...After being bullied in the playoffs by the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas needed to address that issue and they did so by drafting Ridgeway. Overall, Ridgeway is the safest bet among the group to make the team due to his toughness and for the simple fact Dallas drafted him while having the other three currently on the roster. Trysten Hill gets the second slot simply based on a higher ceiling and just turning 24 years old. Carlos Watkins is on the cut line depending on how deep Dallas goes at this position. Watkins is a solid player, nothing flashy about his game, and he’s already hit his ceiling as an NFL player. The Hill and Watkins decision was close but being that the battle is for a backup position, the conventional thinking suggests to go with the higher ceiling player. Quinton Bohanna has the size Dallas wants, but compared to the other three, he’s very raw as an NFL prospect. Hopefully Dallas can stash him on the practice squad and see how he develops.

Cowboys DT position will have a battle for the depth spots on roster - Blogging The Boys

 

[CCBoy]

Two years ago, the Cowboys had one of the worst pass defenses in recent history. Now, cornerback is one of their strongest positions. The starting trio of Trevon Diggs, Anthony Brown, and Jourdan Lewis played so well that Dallas ranked second in pass defense DVOA last year.

All three return, with Diggs looking to improve on an already productive 2021 season. But Brown and Lewis may see competition from last year’s rookies, Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright, as well as newly-drafted DaRon Bland. Either way, the Cowboys are in good shape at this position.

Early roster prediction (6): Trevon Diggs, Anthony Brown, Jourdan Lewis, Nahshon Wright, Kelvin Joseph, DaRon Bland...

Dallas Cowboys roster predictions and positional rankings - Blogging The Boys

 

[CCBoy]

Safety

It almost doesn’t feel real to say but the Cowboys’ safety position is in good shape. Jayron Kearse had a career year wearing the green dot for Dallas last year, and he returned on a two-year extension. Malik Hooker received a similar extension after coming on strong towards the end of the year.

They’ll play alongside Donovan Wilson, who’s struggled to stay healthy throughout his career and will be entering the final year of his rookie contract. That’s a solid trio of safeties near the top, and Israel Mukuamu may have a chance to do more after effectively redshirting last year...

Dallas Cowboys roster predictions and positional rankings - Blogging The Boys

 

[CCBoy]

David Helman
@HelmanDC

Jourdan Lewis & Malik Hooker combined for a nice tip drill INT of Dak Prescott today. But the best thing I saw today was Tyler Smith. Who got to take a 1v1 rush from Micah Parsons @ LT & stopped him cold. Parsons said the vets are taking note of Smith’s strength, specifically.

 

[Daillest88]

Any word on tyler biadasz

 

[Jake]

So we’re goin from Hotboyz to tougher? OK, gotcha. We’re goin’ all the way!

Tuffboyz!

 

[kskboys]

Very true but I don't think getting a couple of "tough" players is gonna solve the issue, the change has to come from the coach as long as Jerry is GM.

A no nonsense coach is what this team needs to change the culture...tired of seeing this team getting punked.

Absolutely. However, that coach needs the right players, and it appears that we are now finally drafting some of the right type. Too bad we slunk back into the gutter last draft and fell for the Kelvin hype.

 

[noshame]

I think he's confuses mental toughness with physical toughness

 

[Bullflop]

I think the differences between the Cowboys and the elite teams are more than simply being tough. To my way of thinking, it's capable management, leadership, coaching and the discipline that results from those things. NFL football is something that needs to be managed and coached by those with the experience and knowledge necessary to make it a consistent success.

There are numerous things that serve well to promote success. The Cowboys organization lacks good management and leadership from the top. That deficit tends to filter throughout the team from top to bottom. Jerry, Stephen and the Jones family simply lack a grasp of what it takes to produce a successful NFL football team. They fail to realize what's needed to manage their team and hire capable people to produce an elite winner.

 

[baltcowboy]

What was presented was direction. That involves quality of drafts to include this year's class...and it was accentuated.

Last year, veterans and toughness there was as well, accentuated and still growing on the carpet!

Bingo. Parsons and Kearse are as tough as they come when comes to football players. Hopefully Smith, Williams, Clark and the Razorback kid can bring it this season.

 

[CCBoy]

Any word on tyler biadasz

One positive is that the Cowboys do seem to have solid depth, which will likely come in very handy at some point this year. But Dallas will need a lot of things to go just right for this unit to actually improve from a 2021 performance that was, at best, uneven.

Early roster predictions (10): Tyron Smith, Tyler Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Zack Martin, Terence Steele, Connor McGovern, Josh Ball, Matt Farniok, Matt Waletzko, Alec Lindstrom...




Tyler Biadasz was considered to have improved in the second half of 2021, but his road still has a ways to go. Camp for the offensive line, will reveal a lot.



Josh Ball played 34 career games with 18 starts (10 at left tackle, eight at right tackle) at Florida State, Butler Community College, and Marshall before being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round (138th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft. The 24-year-old, 6’8”, 304-pound offensive tackle is entering his second-year with the Cowboys after pretty much being redshirted as a rookie. With a year under his belt, and in the system, he may have a leg up on the competition to become Tyron Smith’s primary backup and the team’s swing tackle in 2022.

Matt Waletzko was a 28 career game starter at left tackle in his three-year career at North Dakota State before being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round (155th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. The 22-year-old, 6’8”, 305-pound offensive tackle is a developmental player with intriguing athletic ability/traits. Despite being a developmental prospect, he has just as much of a chance to become Tyron Smith’s eventual replacement at left tackle as anyone else currently on the roster. He may have to prove himself little more, but the opportunity is there if he can seize it.

Tyler Smith played 24 career games with 13 starts at left tackle in two years at Tulsa before being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round (24th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. The 21-year-old, 6’6”, 332-pound offensive lineman is probably the favorite right now to eventually replace Tyron Smith. In the meantime though, he’ll likely replace Connor Williams as the starter at left guard. Depending on how he performs as a rookie at LG, and how the other young tackles play, he could either remain as the starter at LG or get the opportunity in the not-too-distant future to kick outside to LT.

Cowboys trying multiple options to find Tyron Smith’s eventual replacement - Blogging The Boys


The team is banking on very good size and player level tough...