Success or failure will have nothing to do with their skilled position players!

[darthseinfeld]

Remember this team struggled to run the football last season against the top opponents. Booker should help as well as the new scheme, but it is not a guarantee it will be vastly improved. We are counting on a 2nd yr Center and a rookie to make a big jump.

Team has zero depth behind Mazi, if he struggles or gets hurt, we are in red alert status. Worry about Murray the most at linebacker.

Yup, after Odighizuwa and Smith we have a couple lottery tickets at DT

 

[CCBoy]

CC, Rico got you 4.6 per last year. You just happen to have a play-caller that decided to abandon the run as soon as there was a negative play.

Understood. That is my bottom line to include Blue.

 

[darthseinfeld]

That's contradictory. If he's not worth 20 mil, then he got more than market value.

Market value in the NFL does not mean all players at any given position get the same money.

He got less than Milton Williams and he is a better player. The market value for that quality penetrating DT's appears to be the low/mid 20's

 

[Cowboyny]

Jerry Jones has put those very things the strongest run game offensive lines a group of wide receivers we've had regular seasons where we were ranked in the top five on both sides of the football but in the playoffs something always goes wrong whether it's penalties or a group a small group of players just didn't execute mental mistakes problems it doesn't take much in a very game that's made up of a lot of pieces that need to play well together and when a couple just messed it up it's kind of hard to overcome.

Don't act like Jerry's never put the best runner offensive line got us a group of wide receivers all the way back to Bill Parcells this had a great group especially at the skill positions but also the offensive line we've had some of the best names at all the key triangle positions at corner pass rusher left tackle center I mean we've had some of the best of everything and it just went wrong at the wrong time..

I mean we can remember every moment i'm just not going to go over it all again but don't like wishing for the number one running back in the draft along with one of the best offensive lines assembled because we've already experienced that more than once along with some of the best wide receivers to play the game and it still didn't help this team in crunch time that same offensive line had 11 penalties that were one of the best offensive lines in football during the regular season they were just tripping over themselves... Then you're the same game you have four offsize penalties or whatever on the defense it's hard to win a game against the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs with 14 penalties I don't care who the names are on the back of the jerseys....

Teams like the 49ers were better up front and were terrible matchups for the Cowboys on both sides of the football. Yes, penalties have hurt this team, but they got beaten physically up front is the reason why they lost

 

[kskboys]

That is not a single indication of cause...that is just blame and only directed as to ownership, not facts. Are all states important in the Nation? Quick, re-explain taxation and tariffs again....

There are a pile of facts indicating that ownership is the primary issue here.

 

[kskboys]

He got less than Milton Williams and he is a better player. The market value for that quality penetrating DT's appears to be the low/mid 20's

Is he?

Osa is not great vs the run, so the "quality" is debatable. Osa got 20 mil per, so that is the low 20's.

 

[darthseinfeld]

Is he?

Osa is not great vs the run, so the "quality" is debatable. Osa got 20 mil per, so that is the low 20's.

Williams is one of the worst run defending DT's in the NFL. Osa isnt good, but Williams outright bad

 

[GMO415]

Cowboys have always had star, positional players throughout their roster, but the reason why they haven't won a Super Bowl in 30 years is their inability to win the trenches. 49ers, Rams, GB all dominated the trenches in our recent playoff losses:

-Cannot stop the run with any consistency, especially against the playoff teams. This started against the Rams several years ago, where misdirection gave the Cowboy defense fits. Teams started to avoid the Cowboy strong pass rush and ran the football with authority against their light personnel up front.

-It is the same script, but on the other side of the football. Cannot run the football with any consistency, especially against the playoff teams. Just like the offense avoiding the pass rush, defenses started to play shell coverage and dared the Cowboys to run against light boxes. They couldn't make teams pay!

-Offensive Line hasn't played well for years! Cannot run block as previously discussed, have had major struggles in pass protection, especially teams that don't blitz and always are among the most penalized units in the entire league that kill drives. We all kill their run defense, but the OL issues might be worse and this group is loaded with high draft picks. Just go back and re-watch all the Cowboy playoff losses to the 49ers, the offensive line is a big problem. It isn't coincidence that they made it a priority to fix this offseason.

Adding Pickens, Donovan EZ, Revel, Blue are terrific skilled, positional players, but the success inside the trenches on both sides of the football will determine how far this team goes this season and beyond!

Dak is inept without skilled position players. He lacks a transcending skillset to turn average receivers into something decent. Therefore, Mingo, Turpin, Vaughn, and Tolbert won't cut it.

 

[conner01]

Cowboys have always had star, positional players throughout their roster, but the reason why they haven't won a Super Bowl in 30 years is their inability to win the trenches. 49ers, Rams, GB all dominated the trenches in our recent playoff losses:

-Cannot stop the run with any consistency, especially against the playoff teams. This started against the Rams several years ago, where misdirection gave the Cowboy defense fits. Teams started to avoid the Cowboy strong pass rush and ran the football with authority against their light personnel up front.

-It is the same script, but on the other side of the football. Cannot run the football with any consistency, especially against the playoff teams. Just like the offense avoiding the pass rush, defenses started to play shell coverage and dared the Cowboys to run against light boxes. They couldn't make teams pay!

-Offensive Line hasn't played well for years! Cannot run block as previously discussed, have had major struggles in pass protection, especially teams that don't blitz and always are among the most penalized units in the entire league that kill drives. We all kill their run defense, but the OL issues might be worse and this group is loaded with high draft picks. Just go back and re-watch all the Cowboy playoff losses to the 49ers, the offensive line is a big problem. It isn't coincidence that they made it a priority to fix this offseason.

Adding Pickens, Donovan EZ, Revel, Blue are terrific skilled, positional players, but the success inside the trenches on both sides of the football will determine how far this team goes this season and beyond!

Games are mostly won in the trenches. Great recievers don’t matter if the QB is sacked, great RB can’t do much if he’s hit in the backfield. Same on D,

 

[CCBoy]

Defensive tackles will curb game changers and allow the offense to influence game flows...


The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2025 NFL season with a major point of emphasis: improving their defensive tackle play and addressing their poor run defense from 2024.

Under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, the team has overhauled the defensive tackle (DT) room to address this glaring weakness.

Osa Odighizuwa remains the heart of the Cowboys’ interior. He’s shown flashes of Pro Bowl-level play with his quickness and technique. After recording four sacks and seven tackles for a loss in 2024, he’s projected to elevate his play with support around him in 2025.

Mazi Smith, the 2023 first-round pick, is entering a critical third season. Smith underwhelmed last year, struggling with leverage and pad level, but the coaching staff believes his physicality and experience can translate into more production with refined fundamentals. Look for Smith to see an uptick in early-down snaps.

Solomon Thomas was brought in for depth and veteran leadership. His versatility and motor should help keep the interior rotation fresh, especially on passing downs.

---

Rookies to Watch: Jay Toia and Tommy Akingbesote​

In the 2025 NFL Draft, Dallas doubled down on fixing their run defense by selecting two promising defensive tackles:

 

[CCBoy]

• Jay Toia (Round 7, UCLA) is a 6’2”, 340+ pound nose tackle with a true gap-clogging skill set. His film shows natural leverage and stout run-stopping potential—something the Cowboys desperately lacked last season.

Toia could be a surprise contributor early in goal-line and short-yardage situations.

• Tommy Akingbesote (Round 7, Maryland) is a developmental player with athletic upside. At 6’4” and 306 pounds, he offers length and burst, but will likely be eased into the rotation.

If he develops, he could become a key rotational piece later in the year.

https://insidethestar.com/2025-cowboys-defensive-tackle-resurgence-incoming

 

[CCBoy]

There are a pile of facts indicating that ownership is the primary issue here.

Just how long do YOU think it takes to communicate upward. Quick, grab your 30 year calendar and start crying...

 

[Whyjerry]

It starts and ends with the trenches. An elite OL makes the offense go. An elite DL allows the secondary and LBs to make plays. It’s all about the trenches.

 

[CCBoy]

Undrafted but dangerous...

At 6’3”, 205 pounds, Holden has NFL-ready size and excels in contested catch situations—something the Cowboys’ receiver group lacks beyond Lamb and Pickens.

He posted an elite 83.3% catch rate in 2024, which was nearly 19% above expectation based on route depth.

That consistency and reliability make him a natural fit for Schottenheimer’s ball-control offense, which values precision over flash.

What may ultimately solidify Holden’s place on the roster is his special-teams value.

Depth receivers must contribute in the third phase of the game, and Holden’s physical style makes him a strong candidate for coverage units. His willingness to embrace that role could make the difference in a tight roster battle.
Traeshon Holden checks all the boxes: size, hands, physicality, and special teams potential.


https://insidethestar.com/undrafted-but-dangerous-holdens-shot-with-the-2025-cowboys