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Plenty of Cowboys are making news with some major milestones: capping off an educational career, taking a new job, celebrating a birthday that ends in a zero.
One Cowboy is giving back to his community, a batting order’s worth of Cowboys is digging the long ball, and a Cowboy hopeful is being compared to one of the all-time greats. Oh, and there’s a modest proposal on exactly what went wrong with the team’s offense in 2018 and how to fix it in 2019. That’s in this edition of News & Notes.
Daryl ‘Moose’ Johnston joins front office of Dallas XFL team :: Blogging the Boys
Former Cowboys fullback Daryl ‘Moose’ Johnston seems to be approaching a front office football gig the same way he approached goal lines blocking for Emmitt Smith: over and over until he breaks through. After his tenure as director of player personnel for the San Antonio Commanders of the AAF proved to be short-lived due to the league folding during its inaugural season, Johnston has signed on to serve in the same capacity for a club in another rival league.
OFFICIAL: @DarylJohnston will be joining the @XFLDallas staff as the Director of Player Personnel. #XFL2020 pic.twitter.com/5k3kF2OFiW
— XFL (@xfl2020) May 15, 2019
As per Dave Halprin of Blogging the Boys, Johnston “will now assist head coach Bob Stoops in creating a Dallas franchise for the new XFL league that will start play at the conclusion of the upcoming NFL season.”
The second iteration of the XFL already has broadcast deals with ABC/ESPN and FOX, and league creator Vince McMahon has said that he has enough funding to keep the league going for multiple years.
Red zone struggles named as Cowboys’ biggest failure to be overcome in 2019 :: The Athletic
‘Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it,’ as the saying goes. In dissecting the Cowboys’ 2018 problems, Bob Sturm of The Athletic thinks he’s found a way for the team to avoid the same fate in 2019.
Sturm presents eye-opening stats that definitively prove the sneaking suspicion many fans had as they watched last season’s games: “Almost nobody was more inefficient at scoring touchdowns in the red zone than the Dallas Cowboys.” The club ranked 29th in that category, with only the Jets, Jaguars, and 49ers faring worse. And no team was worse at scoring touchdowns after having a first-and-goal opportunity.
But why the ineptness for a team with legitimate weapons on offense? Sturm points to several factors. Quarterback Dak Prescott’s passing numbers drop off in the red zone, for a variety of reasons. The team was without Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, two traditional red zone targets. The offensive line was not as strong as in years past, thanks to Travis Frederick’s absence and the subsequent shuffling of others to fill the void. Finally, Sturm writes that former offensive coordinator Scott Linehan was “unable to help this group with schematic advantages” when they got inside the 20.
Knowing that, Sturm has ideas on how new OC Kellen Moore can attack 2019 red zone opportunities differently. The big one? Let Prescott use his feet when the team is on the doorstep. In that situation over his three years, Prescott has “averaged 4.46 yards per carry and scored 18 touchdowns,” Sturm notes. “There is no other player in the NFL with anything close to over four yards per carry in the red zone and over 10 touchdowns. Not even close.”
For fans looking to dive deep into the numbers, it’s a great read, even if it brings many of last season’s frustrations back to the surface.
Jaylon Smith to graduate from Notre Dame :: 247 Sports
Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith is trading in his helmet and jersey for a cap and gown… for one day, anyway. The 2016 second-round draft pick is set to graduate with the Class of 2019 from the University of Notre Dame, according to the school’s director of football media relations.
2,025 @NotreDame undergraduates will receive degrees during Commencement Weekend.
That contingent includes @thejaylonsmith
Yes, the current @dallascowboys & former @NDFootball All-American linebacker, who took 21 credits this spring#4for40#GraduatingChampions #CEV pic.twitter.com/cWCuMW76h5
— Michael Bertsch (@NDsidBertschy) May 14, 2019
Smith returned to school after the Cowboys’ postseason exit to finish up the 21 credits he still needed to earn his Film & Television degree. 247 Sports has a look at Smith’s remarkable story, with this weekend’s commencement ceremony in South Bend just the latest chapter.
But after turning his tassel, Smith is expected back at The Star for the beginning of voluntary OTAs on May 21.
Cowboys players step to the plate in Home Run Derby :: @dallascowboys (Instagram)
Amari Cooper, Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, Travis Frederick, Jason Witten, Jaylon Smith, Jeff Heath, Zack Martin, Tyron Smith, and Sean Lee are just a few of the Cowboys players who switched sports for charity at the Reliant Home Run Derby at Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco on Wednesday.
View this post on Instagram
The 2019 @reliantenergy HR Derby benefiting @salarmydfw is here!
#ReliantDerby #CowboysHuddleFor100
The annual event raises funds for The Salvation Army, with over $330,000 being raised since 2012. Head coach Jason Garrett was slated to act as an honorary manager, but was expected to take a turn at the plate, too.
Prescott ended up being named the MVP of the night after hitting five home runs for the win. Witten came in second, Lee placed third, and Elliott finished fourth. In all, the festivities raised $58,000.
Kavon Frazier helps put laptop computers in Dallas schools :: 247 Sports
Cowboys safety Kavon Frazier teamed up this week with the Conn’s Home Plus retail chain and Hewlett-Packard to hand out 120 laptop computers at schools in the Dallas Independent School District. Frazier and the chain’s CEO made surprise visits to four schools to present the gifts in person.
Helping students reach their academic potential.
We joined forces with HP & Kavon Frazier to do the Technology Caravan, where we donated 120 laptops to 4 schools in the Dallas Independent School District, this will help more than 2,600 students thrive in school. pic.twitter.com/TnWkYmGhZu
— Conn's HomePlus (@ConnsInc) May 15, 2019
The three-year veteran from Central Michigan has been an active member of the Dallas community when it comes to outreach, with his foundation getting involved in everything from holiday shopping sprees to summer football camps to movie screenings for Dallas-area youth.
Did the Cowboys just try out the next Tony Romo? :: Sport DFW
Philip Nelson is not a name many fans are familiar with. But a few guys who know a thing or two about NFL quarterbacks know him, and the Cowboys are sniffing around to see if he might be the next Cinderella story. Reid Hanson of Sport DFW takes a look at the Eastern Carolina passer, who was brought to Dallas for a minicamp audition that could lead potentially to a training camp invite.
Once one of the top-rated high school arms in the country, Nelson began his collegiate career at Minnesota, but soon transferred to Rutgers for undisclosed reasons and sat out a year. Then Nelson was dismissed from the school after he was involved in an offseason bar fight that left another person with permanent injuries. Nelson sat out a second-straight season after transferring again, this time to Eastern Carolina. And while he played well as a fifth-year senior, it was not enough of a body of work for Nelson to be drafted.
Despite his seemingly less-than-stellar resume, quarterback guru Mike Martz has called Nelson “a starter in this league,” and the Cowboys’ own position coach likes him, too. According to FS1’s Joel Klatt, “Kitna kept saying… that this guy is like Tony Romo… Nelson might just be the next great undrafted quarterback in this league.”
Emmitt Smith turns 50, urges fans to help charity :: @EmmittSmith22 (Twitter)
All-time rushing champion Emmitt Smith celebrated his 50th birthday on Wednesday, and asked that kids in North Texas be the ones who get the gifts. The legendary No. 22 himself took to social media calling for fans to consider making a $22 donation to Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities, a nonprofit organization that creates educational opportunities through mentoring, grants, and scholarships.
I have a BIG birthday today… the 5-0! Nothing would make this birthday more special than having my fans join in to celebrate.
Wish me a Happy Birthday by donating $22 to @smithcharities to help support a child’s future.
I appreciate it!! Donate
: https://t.co/bdoHLPud7z pic.twitter.com/Q88v6jsj5Z
— Emmitt Smith (@EmmittSmith22) May 15, 2019
Smith, of course, played most of his career in Dallas, earning three Super Bowl rings along the way and MVP honors in Super Bowl XXVIII. He was named league MVP in 1993, was an 8-time Pro Bowler, and became the league’s all-time leading rusher in 2002. Smith is enshrined in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor.
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One Cowboy is giving back to his community, a batting order’s worth of Cowboys is digging the long ball, and a Cowboy hopeful is being compared to one of the all-time greats. Oh, and there’s a modest proposal on exactly what went wrong with the team’s offense in 2018 and how to fix it in 2019. That’s in this edition of News & Notes.
Daryl ‘Moose’ Johnston joins front office of Dallas XFL team :: Blogging the Boys
Former Cowboys fullback Daryl ‘Moose’ Johnston seems to be approaching a front office football gig the same way he approached goal lines blocking for Emmitt Smith: over and over until he breaks through. After his tenure as director of player personnel for the San Antonio Commanders of the AAF proved to be short-lived due to the league folding during its inaugural season, Johnston has signed on to serve in the same capacity for a club in another rival league.
OFFICIAL: @DarylJohnston will be joining the @XFLDallas staff as the Director of Player Personnel. #XFL2020 pic.twitter.com/5k3kF2OFiW
— XFL (@xfl2020) May 15, 2019
As per Dave Halprin of Blogging the Boys, Johnston “will now assist head coach Bob Stoops in creating a Dallas franchise for the new XFL league that will start play at the conclusion of the upcoming NFL season.”
The second iteration of the XFL already has broadcast deals with ABC/ESPN and FOX, and league creator Vince McMahon has said that he has enough funding to keep the league going for multiple years.
Red zone struggles named as Cowboys’ biggest failure to be overcome in 2019 :: The Athletic
‘Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it,’ as the saying goes. In dissecting the Cowboys’ 2018 problems, Bob Sturm of The Athletic thinks he’s found a way for the team to avoid the same fate in 2019.
Sturm presents eye-opening stats that definitively prove the sneaking suspicion many fans had as they watched last season’s games: “Almost nobody was more inefficient at scoring touchdowns in the red zone than the Dallas Cowboys.” The club ranked 29th in that category, with only the Jets, Jaguars, and 49ers faring worse. And no team was worse at scoring touchdowns after having a first-and-goal opportunity.
But why the ineptness for a team with legitimate weapons on offense? Sturm points to several factors. Quarterback Dak Prescott’s passing numbers drop off in the red zone, for a variety of reasons. The team was without Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, two traditional red zone targets. The offensive line was not as strong as in years past, thanks to Travis Frederick’s absence and the subsequent shuffling of others to fill the void. Finally, Sturm writes that former offensive coordinator Scott Linehan was “unable to help this group with schematic advantages” when they got inside the 20.
Knowing that, Sturm has ideas on how new OC Kellen Moore can attack 2019 red zone opportunities differently. The big one? Let Prescott use his feet when the team is on the doorstep. In that situation over his three years, Prescott has “averaged 4.46 yards per carry and scored 18 touchdowns,” Sturm notes. “There is no other player in the NFL with anything close to over four yards per carry in the red zone and over 10 touchdowns. Not even close.”
For fans looking to dive deep into the numbers, it’s a great read, even if it brings many of last season’s frustrations back to the surface.
Jaylon Smith to graduate from Notre Dame :: 247 Sports
Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith is trading in his helmet and jersey for a cap and gown… for one day, anyway. The 2016 second-round draft pick is set to graduate with the Class of 2019 from the University of Notre Dame, according to the school’s director of football media relations.
2,025 @NotreDame undergraduates will receive degrees during Commencement Weekend.
That contingent includes @thejaylonsmith
Yes, the current @dallascowboys & former @NDFootball All-American linebacker, who took 21 credits this spring#4for40#GraduatingChampions #CEV pic.twitter.com/cWCuMW76h5
— Michael Bertsch (@NDsidBertschy) May 14, 2019
Smith returned to school after the Cowboys’ postseason exit to finish up the 21 credits he still needed to earn his Film & Television degree. 247 Sports has a look at Smith’s remarkable story, with this weekend’s commencement ceremony in South Bend just the latest chapter.
But after turning his tassel, Smith is expected back at The Star for the beginning of voluntary OTAs on May 21.
Cowboys players step to the plate in Home Run Derby :: @dallascowboys (Instagram)
Amari Cooper, Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, Travis Frederick, Jason Witten, Jaylon Smith, Jeff Heath, Zack Martin, Tyron Smith, and Sean Lee are just a few of the Cowboys players who switched sports for charity at the Reliant Home Run Derby at Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco on Wednesday.
View this post on Instagram
The 2019 @reliantenergy HR Derby benefiting @salarmydfw is here!
#ReliantDerby #CowboysHuddleFor100 A post shared by Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) on May 15, 2019 at 4:52pm PDT
The annual event raises funds for The Salvation Army, with over $330,000 being raised since 2012. Head coach Jason Garrett was slated to act as an honorary manager, but was expected to take a turn at the plate, too.
Prescott ended up being named the MVP of the night after hitting five home runs for the win. Witten came in second, Lee placed third, and Elliott finished fourth. In all, the festivities raised $58,000.
Kavon Frazier helps put laptop computers in Dallas schools :: 247 Sports
Cowboys safety Kavon Frazier teamed up this week with the Conn’s Home Plus retail chain and Hewlett-Packard to hand out 120 laptop computers at schools in the Dallas Independent School District. Frazier and the chain’s CEO made surprise visits to four schools to present the gifts in person.
Helping students reach their academic potential.
We joined forces with HP & Kavon Frazier to do the Technology Caravan, where we donated 120 laptops to 4 schools in the Dallas Independent School District, this will help more than 2,600 students thrive in school. pic.twitter.com/TnWkYmGhZu
— Conn's HomePlus (@ConnsInc) May 15, 2019
The three-year veteran from Central Michigan has been an active member of the Dallas community when it comes to outreach, with his foundation getting involved in everything from holiday shopping sprees to summer football camps to movie screenings for Dallas-area youth.
Did the Cowboys just try out the next Tony Romo? :: Sport DFW
Philip Nelson is not a name many fans are familiar with. But a few guys who know a thing or two about NFL quarterbacks know him, and the Cowboys are sniffing around to see if he might be the next Cinderella story. Reid Hanson of Sport DFW takes a look at the Eastern Carolina passer, who was brought to Dallas for a minicamp audition that could lead potentially to a training camp invite.
Once one of the top-rated high school arms in the country, Nelson began his collegiate career at Minnesota, but soon transferred to Rutgers for undisclosed reasons and sat out a year. Then Nelson was dismissed from the school after he was involved in an offseason bar fight that left another person with permanent injuries. Nelson sat out a second-straight season after transferring again, this time to Eastern Carolina. And while he played well as a fifth-year senior, it was not enough of a body of work for Nelson to be drafted.
Despite his seemingly less-than-stellar resume, quarterback guru Mike Martz has called Nelson “a starter in this league,” and the Cowboys’ own position coach likes him, too. According to FS1’s Joel Klatt, “Kitna kept saying… that this guy is like Tony Romo… Nelson might just be the next great undrafted quarterback in this league.”
Emmitt Smith turns 50, urges fans to help charity :: @EmmittSmith22 (Twitter)
All-time rushing champion Emmitt Smith celebrated his 50th birthday on Wednesday, and asked that kids in North Texas be the ones who get the gifts. The legendary No. 22 himself took to social media calling for fans to consider making a $22 donation to Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities, a nonprofit organization that creates educational opportunities through mentoring, grants, and scholarships.
I have a BIG birthday today… the 5-0! Nothing would make this birthday more special than having my fans join in to celebrate.
— Emmitt Smith (@EmmittSmith22) May 15, 2019
Smith, of course, played most of his career in Dallas, earning three Super Bowl rings along the way and MVP honors in Super Bowl XXVIII. He was named league MVP in 1993, was an 8-time Pro Bowler, and became the league’s all-time leading rusher in 2002. Smith is enshrined in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor.
Gallery
9 Free Agents Cowboys should consider after the draft
Continue reading...