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Offseason in Review: Dallas Cowboys by profootball rumors
Offseason In Review: Dallas Cowboys
July 25th, 2017 at 6:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson
https://www.profootballrumors.com/
The Cowboys appeared doomed when Tony Romo suffered a back injury during Week 3 of the 2016 preseason, but fourth-round rookie quarterback Dak Prescott — combined with an excellent running game — led Dallas to an NFC-best 13-3 record and a Divisional Round appearance. With Romo retired, the Cowboys headed into the offseason with clear needs on defense that could be filled either through free agency or the draft.
Notable signings:
Although Terrance Williams posted the fewest receiving yards of his career in 2016, underlying metrics show that the 27-year-old actually produced an above-average season. Among wide receivers with at least 50 targets, Williams finished 11th with a 72.1% catch rate. The former third-round pick ranked 17th in Football Outsiders‘ DYAR (which measures total value) and fourth in DVOA (per-play value), and while run-blocking isn’t that important a skill for a wide receiver, Williams contributed in that realm of offense as well, finishing No. 22 in the run game, according to Pro Football Focus
But despite that production and his relative youth, Williams re-signed with the Cowboys on a deal that pays him just $4.25MM per season. Reports prior to free agency indicated Williams could score an annual salary in the $6-8MM range, but Williams instead landed a per annum average that’s below the likes of Travis Benjamin, Markus Wheaton, Rishard Matthews, and Jermaine Kearse. Clearly, soft factors could be at play here, as Williams indicated he took less money to stay in Dallas because of his comfort in the locker room, and there’s some incalculable benefit to playing on a young, contending team. But the Cowboys found a value in Williams, allowing them to spend cap space elsewhere.
Dallas made a concerted effort to retain the skill players on an offense that ranked third in DVOA a year ago, and that included re-signing veteran running back Darren McFadden to a cheap contract. McFadden, 29, was sidelined by injury for the majority of the 2016 campaign, but he’s still a high-quality backup who — along with Alfred Morris — will allow the Cowboys to tread water if and when Ezekiel Elliott is suspended. In 2015, McFadden, buoyed by the league’s best offensive line, topped 1,000 rushing yards for the second time in his career while averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
Kellen Moore was also re-signed to act as a reserve, but it’s very surprising that the Cowboys haven’t entered the free agent market to find a more experienced backup quarterback. While Dallas did express interest in Josh McCown, it hasn’t brought in another veteran to compete with Moore, and may be content to allow the former Boise State Bronco to be Dak Prescott‘s No. 2. Moore, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2012, has only attempted 104 regular season passes in five NFL seasons. The best signal-callers remaining on the open market include Colin Kaepernick, Christian Ponder, Shaun Hill, and Robert Griffin III.
While the Cowboys brought back the majority of their offensive skill players, the club did sustain two losses along the offensive line in Ronald Leary (free agency) and Doug Free (retirement). Dallas plans to move La’el Collins to right tackle, meaning former first-round pick Jonathan Cooper will get the first crack at left guard. Despite being selected seventh overall in 2013, Cooper has never been a full-time starter through four NFL seasons. As such, it’s fair to wonder if Byron Bell, another free agent signee, will get a shot to overtake Cooper on the left side
Dallas didn’t use the free agent period to overhaul a defensive unit that ranked 17th in DVOA last season, but it did bring Nolan Carroll aboard, signing the former Eagles corner to a three-year deal. Carroll is now on the wrong side of 30 and wasn’t effective in 2016 (No. 92 CB among 109 qualifiers, per PFF), so he won’t be the answer for a secondary that lost the majority of its starters. But the Cowboys can get out the Carroll deal after one season and $4MM, so it’s a worthwhile risk to add the veteran to a beleaguered defensive backfield.
Defensive tackle Stephen Paea is a fair bet to improve upon the 321 snaps he played for Cleveland last year, and the 29-year-old might be the best interior lineman on the Cowboys’ roster. Cedric Thornton, signed to a four-year deal last spring, seems to have been miscast as a 4-3 defensive tackle, while Maliek Collins struggled mightily during his 2016 rookie season. Paea, meanwhile, has been quietly effective for several years, and should help a front seven that Pro Football Focus ranks 26th heading into the regular season.
Draft picks:
Dallas also went after several corners in the draft, and while Chidobe Awuzie was the higher pick, Jourdan Lewis might be the more talented player. Lewis, a Michigan product, fell in the draft due to an alleged domestic violence incident, but now that he’s been found not guilt, he should be able to contribute during his rookie campaign. Lewis allowed a reception only once every 21.8 snaps in 2016, good for sixth-best among this year’s draft class, per Pro Football Focus, which ranked Lewis as the No. 3 corner available.
The Cowboys turned to offense in the fourth round to draft Ryan Switzer, who is essentially a replica of incumbent slot receiver Cole Beasley, at least from a stature standpoint. Both stand 5’8″, while Switzer weighs in at 181 pounds and Beasley comes in at 174. As their player profiles at MockDraftable show, however, the pair performed very differently at the combine. Beasley finished in the 81st and 83rd percentile in vertical jump and broad jump, respectively, while Switzer ranked in just the 13th and 23rd percentiles in those same categories, an indication that Switzer may not be as explosive as Beasley.
Extensions and restructures:
Offseason In Review: Dallas Cowboys
July 25th, 2017 at 6:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson
https://www.profootballrumors.com/
The Cowboys appeared doomed when Tony Romo suffered a back injury during Week 3 of the 2016 preseason, but fourth-round rookie quarterback Dak Prescott — combined with an excellent running game — led Dallas to an NFC-best 13-3 record and a Divisional Round appearance. With Romo retired, the Cowboys headed into the offseason with clear needs on defense that could be filled either through free agency or the draft.
Notable signings:
- Terrance Williams, WR: Four years, $17MM. $9.5MM guaranteed.
- Nolan Carroll, CB: Three years, $10MM. $3MM guaranteed.
- Jonathan Cooper, G: One year, $2MM. $500K guaranteed.
- Stephen Paea, DL: One year, $2MM. $500K guaranteed.
- Brice Butler, WR: One year, $1.1MM. $300K signing bonus.
- Byron Bell, OL: One year, $2MM. $250K guaranteed. $500K available via incentives.
- Damontre Moore, DE: Two years, $1.665MM. $100K guaranteed.
- Kellen Moore, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $100K guaranteed.
- Robert Blanton, S: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- Darren McFadden, RB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- Justin Durant, LB: Contract terms unknown.
Although Terrance Williams posted the fewest receiving yards of his career in 2016, underlying metrics show that the 27-year-old actually produced an above-average season. Among wide receivers with at least 50 targets, Williams finished 11th with a 72.1% catch rate. The former third-round pick ranked 17th in Football Outsiders‘ DYAR (which measures total value) and fourth in DVOA (per-play value), and while run-blocking isn’t that important a skill for a wide receiver, Williams contributed in that realm of offense as well, finishing No. 22 in the run game, according to Pro Football Focus
But despite that production and his relative youth, Williams re-signed with the Cowboys on a deal that pays him just $4.25MM per season. Reports prior to free agency indicated Williams could score an annual salary in the $6-8MM range, but Williams instead landed a per annum average that’s below the likes of Travis Benjamin, Markus Wheaton, Rishard Matthews, and Jermaine Kearse. Clearly, soft factors could be at play here, as Williams indicated he took less money to stay in Dallas because of his comfort in the locker room, and there’s some incalculable benefit to playing on a young, contending team. But the Cowboys found a value in Williams, allowing them to spend cap space elsewhere.
Dallas made a concerted effort to retain the skill players on an offense that ranked third in DVOA a year ago, and that included re-signing veteran running back Darren McFadden to a cheap contract. McFadden, 29, was sidelined by injury for the majority of the 2016 campaign, but he’s still a high-quality backup who — along with Alfred Morris — will allow the Cowboys to tread water if and when Ezekiel Elliott is suspended. In 2015, McFadden, buoyed by the league’s best offensive line, topped 1,000 rushing yards for the second time in his career while averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
Kellen Moore was also re-signed to act as a reserve, but it’s very surprising that the Cowboys haven’t entered the free agent market to find a more experienced backup quarterback. While Dallas did express interest in Josh McCown, it hasn’t brought in another veteran to compete with Moore, and may be content to allow the former Boise State Bronco to be Dak Prescott‘s No. 2. Moore, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2012, has only attempted 104 regular season passes in five NFL seasons. The best signal-callers remaining on the open market include Colin Kaepernick, Christian Ponder, Shaun Hill, and Robert Griffin III.
While the Cowboys brought back the majority of their offensive skill players, the club did sustain two losses along the offensive line in Ronald Leary (free agency) and Doug Free (retirement). Dallas plans to move La’el Collins to right tackle, meaning former first-round pick Jonathan Cooper will get the first crack at left guard. Despite being selected seventh overall in 2013, Cooper has never been a full-time starter through four NFL seasons. As such, it’s fair to wonder if Byron Bell, another free agent signee, will get a shot to overtake Cooper on the left side
Dallas didn’t use the free agent period to overhaul a defensive unit that ranked 17th in DVOA last season, but it did bring Nolan Carroll aboard, signing the former Eagles corner to a three-year deal. Carroll is now on the wrong side of 30 and wasn’t effective in 2016 (No. 92 CB among 109 qualifiers, per PFF), so he won’t be the answer for a secondary that lost the majority of its starters. But the Cowboys can get out the Carroll deal after one season and $4MM, so it’s a worthwhile risk to add the veteran to a beleaguered defensive backfield.
Defensive tackle Stephen Paea is a fair bet to improve upon the 321 snaps he played for Cleveland last year, and the 29-year-old might be the best interior lineman on the Cowboys’ roster. Cedric Thornton, signed to a four-year deal last spring, seems to have been miscast as a 4-3 defensive tackle, while Maliek Collins struggled mightily during his 2016 rookie season. Paea, meanwhile, has been quietly effective for several years, and should help a front seven that Pro Football Focus ranks 26th heading into the regular season.
- Acquired a 2017 sixth-round pick (No. 191; S Xavier Woods) from the Jets in exchange for a 2018 fifth-round pick.
- Acquired a 2017 sixth-round pick (No. 216; CB Marquez White) and a 2017 seventh-round pick (No. 239; WR Noah Brown) from the Patriots in exchange for a 2017 sixth-round pick (No. 211; T Conor McDermott).
Draft picks:
- 1-28: Taco Charlton, DE (Michigan)
- 2-60: Chidobe Awuzie, CB (Colorado)
- 3-92: Jourdan Lewis, CB (Michigan)
- 4-133: Ryan Switzer, WR (North Carolina)
- 6-191: Xavier Woods, S (Louisiana Tech)
- 6-216: Marquez White, CB (Florida State)
- 7-228: Joey Ivie, DT (Florida)
- 7-239: Noah Brown, WR (Ohio State)
- 7-246: Jordan Carrell, DE (Colorado)
Dallas also went after several corners in the draft, and while Chidobe Awuzie was the higher pick, Jourdan Lewis might be the more talented player. Lewis, a Michigan product, fell in the draft due to an alleged domestic violence incident, but now that he’s been found not guilt, he should be able to contribute during his rookie campaign. Lewis allowed a reception only once every 21.8 snaps in 2016, good for sixth-best among this year’s draft class, per Pro Football Focus, which ranked Lewis as the No. 3 corner available.
The Cowboys turned to offense in the fourth round to draft Ryan Switzer, who is essentially a replica of incumbent slot receiver Cole Beasley, at least from a stature standpoint. Both stand 5’8″, while Switzer weighs in at 181 pounds and Beasley comes in at 174. As their player profiles at MockDraftable show, however, the pair performed very differently at the combine. Beasley finished in the 81st and 83rd percentile in vertical jump and broad jump, respectively, while Switzer ranked in just the 13th and 23rd percentiles in those same categories, an indication that Switzer may not be as explosive as Beasley.
Extensions and restructures:
- Exercised 2018 fifth-year option for G Zack Martin ($9.341MM).
- Claimed QB Zac Dysert off waivers from the Cardinals.
- Learned DE David Irving was suspended four games (PEDs).
- Signed 13 undrafted college free agents.
