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The Playmaker tries his hand at being the Paydaymaker, a top free agent may or may not still be an option in Dallas, a veteran surprises in his new surroundings, an owner remembers a fallen friend, and a former sackmaster brings state history to life on the stage. Those stories and more make up this latest edition of News and Notes.
Michael Irvin: pay Prescott, or ‘pack it up and go home’ :: 105.3 The Fan
Amid news that Dak Prescott’s agent has floated a figure of $34 million per year past the team as the cost for retaining the quarterback, Cowboys icon Michael Irvin doesn’t blink at the price tag. In fact, the outspoken Hall of Famer has some strong words for anyone who’s seriously thinking about not paying Prescott.
“Every minute you wait, it’s costing money,” Irvin told 105.3 The Fan on Friday. “This is an asset that’s trending in the right direction. You got to pay him this money. Dak’s agents aren’t gonna let you come in under Carson Wentz.” The reference, of course, is to the Eagles’ recent $128 million four-year extension of quarterback Carson Wentz, a deal that guarantees Wentz over $107 million.
Irvin went on to spell out in no uncertain terms just how instrumental Prescott is to the team’s overall success. “If they don’t pay Dak, we can all pack it up and go home. It’s over. How are you going to get anything out of the other guys if they’re seeing that you aren’t taking care of the top guy? Why should I give you all I got? You got to be smart about this, and this is a no-brainer.”
Is Eric Berry ‘still in the mix’ for Dallas? Depends on who you ask :: NFL.com
Former All-Pro safety Eric Berry is still without a team. NFL insider Ian Rapoport appeared on the league’s airwaves this week to say that he believes “there are three teams interested” in obtaining Berry’s services before training camps get underway. In particular, he singles out the Cowboys, saying they’d “still be in the mix.”
Dallas, of course, hosted the ex-Chief in March during the free agency period, but Berry left team headquarters without an offer, and the Cowboys went on to sign George Iloka at the safety position instead. And while Jeff Heath and Xavier Woods have held their own during OTA work and minicamp, the rumor mill continues to try to play matchmaker between Berry and the Cowboys.
But Mike Fisher of 247 Sports has been quick to provide a counterpoint to the theory, casting doubt on Rapoport’s speculation specifically.
.@RapSheet has compelling thoughts on future of Eric Berry; a HEALTHY Berry can surely help somebody. But two #Cowboys sources tell me they have no real interest in the former All-Pro safety. pic.twitter.com/O98BRtprL1
— mike fisher ✭ (@fishsports) June 13, 2019
“The Cowboys’ position on this was clear in March,” Fisher writes on 247 Sports, “in their statements… and in their actions regarding the player, and it is clear now. Management here inside the building sees no reason for the Cowboys to be connected with Eric Berry.”
Gallery
Cowboys 53-man roster projection
view 63 images
Randall Cobb picked as offseason standout surprise :: The Mothership
It’s perhaps iffy to label a guy with 40-plus receiving touchdowns in 8 pro seasons a surprise, but Cowboys fans didn’t necessarily know what they were getting when the team signed former Packers wideout Randall Cobb. The onetime Pro Bowler played just nine games last year for Green Bay and posted only 38 catches.
But his spring work in Dallas has been impressive enough to see him named the team’s biggest offseason surprise on the club’s website. Cobb “admitted his first days learning a new offense were an adjustment,” according to the writeup, but “Cobb and Prescott have built an early rapport, and the veteran receiver has shown a knack for getting open and a dynamic burst for yards after the catch.”
ESPN agrees. In a similar list of each team’s surprise standouts of the 2019 offseason, Todd Archer also singles out No. 18.
“Cobb’s versatility can expand the offense for others, such as Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup,” Archer writes. “Cobb looked quick in and out of his breaks and fast enough to make pays down the field. Will he put up the 1,287 yards he had in 2014? No, but he gives Dak Prescott a security blanket in the slot who can turn a small gain into a big one.”
Zack Martin named to NFL Network’s ‘All-Analytics Team’ :: NFL.com
NFL Network’s Cynthia Frelund has crunched the numbers, and one Cowboys player ranks as the very best in the league at his position, according to some advanced stats. Frelund’s “individual contribution metric,” as she calls it, is “a numerical value that adds (or subtracts) each player’s impact on their team’s ability to win games, for every snap.”
And according to that contribution metric, no one played right guard better in 2018 than Zack Martin. Frelund calls out Martin’s pass protection (ranked first among right guards at keeping defenders 5 feet or more from his quarterback), but it’s his contributions to the ground game that really dazzle.
She notes: “When [Ezekiel Elliott] ran into Martin’s space (think of the gaps directly to the left and right of Martin), Zeke recorded his highest yards-per-rush mark (5.2), along with the most rushes of 10-plus yards (14). My point is, even with opposing defenses anticipating Elliott’s use and lining up accordingly, Martin was able to keep defenders away from Elliott and lay the groundwork for Elliott to produce his best results on the ground.”
Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Jerry Jones remembers Broncos owner Pat Bowlen :: The Mothership
Pat Bowlen, longtime owner of the Denver Broncos, passed away on Thursday. On Friday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shared his remembrances of Bowlen on the team’s website, calling the occasion “a sad day for football.”
Jones called Bowlen “a kindred spirit” and referenced the sense of “brotherhood” he shared with the Broncos’ owner. Bowlen was 75, and while an official cause of death was not specified, it is known that Bowlen had suffered from Alzheimer’s for a number of years.
Pat Bowlen is slated to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August.
Former DE Greg Ellis bringing Texas history to life on stage :: Dallas Morning News
Greg Ellis was a dominant part of Cowboys history from 1998 through 2008 as a defensive end. Now he’s shining a light on a chapter of Texas state history in his second career. Ellis is the co-writer and director of a play titled Juneteenth The Play, coming to the stage this weekend in Dallas and next week in Fort Worth.
The play traces the history of the two-plus years from the January 1, 1863 enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation that freed all slaves to June 19, 1865, the date when word of that directive finally reached slaves still being held in Texas. June 19, traditionally called ‘Juneteenth,’ is celebrated every year as a holiday of remembrance.
Dallas Morning News arts writer Michael Granberry explains, “Juneteenth The Play serves as a story of how love, faith, and prayer between a Texas slave named Tippy and a fellow slave named Henry somehow sustain them through slavery, even for the 2-1/2 years in which they should have been free.”
This isn’t Ellis’s first time telling state history through the arts. He produced and acted in the 2015 film Carter High, a true story about a Texas high school football team whose state championship title was stripped away after six players were later found to have been part of a widespread burglary ring.
“I enjoy helping people,” Ellis is quoted as saying in the article. “And part of helping people is educating people. And to educate them, you have to grab their attention.”
The Cowboys chose Ellis 8th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft, famously passing on wide receiver Randy Moss. Ellis went on to play 11 years in Dallas, finishing his Cowboys career with 77 sacks, 20 forced fumbles, 9 fumble recoveries, and 4 interceptions. He made the Pro Bowl in 2007, the same season he was named the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year following an Achilles tendon tear suffered in 2006.
Gallery
Cowboys 2019 Offseason Player Power Rankings
view 63 images
Continue reading...
Michael Irvin: pay Prescott, or ‘pack it up and go home’ :: 105.3 The Fan
Amid news that Dak Prescott’s agent has floated a figure of $34 million per year past the team as the cost for retaining the quarterback, Cowboys icon Michael Irvin doesn’t blink at the price tag. In fact, the outspoken Hall of Famer has some strong words for anyone who’s seriously thinking about not paying Prescott.
“Every minute you wait, it’s costing money,” Irvin told 105.3 The Fan on Friday. “This is an asset that’s trending in the right direction. You got to pay him this money. Dak’s agents aren’t gonna let you come in under Carson Wentz.” The reference, of course, is to the Eagles’ recent $128 million four-year extension of quarterback Carson Wentz, a deal that guarantees Wentz over $107 million.
Irvin went on to spell out in no uncertain terms just how instrumental Prescott is to the team’s overall success. “If they don’t pay Dak, we can all pack it up and go home. It’s over. How are you going to get anything out of the other guys if they’re seeing that you aren’t taking care of the top guy? Why should I give you all I got? You got to be smart about this, and this is a no-brainer.”
Is Eric Berry ‘still in the mix’ for Dallas? Depends on who you ask :: NFL.com
Former All-Pro safety Eric Berry is still without a team. NFL insider Ian Rapoport appeared on the league’s airwaves this week to say that he believes “there are three teams interested” in obtaining Berry’s services before training camps get underway. In particular, he singles out the Cowboys, saying they’d “still be in the mix.”
Dallas, of course, hosted the ex-Chief in March during the free agency period, but Berry left team headquarters without an offer, and the Cowboys went on to sign George Iloka at the safety position instead. And while Jeff Heath and Xavier Woods have held their own during OTA work and minicamp, the rumor mill continues to try to play matchmaker between Berry and the Cowboys.
But Mike Fisher of 247 Sports has been quick to provide a counterpoint to the theory, casting doubt on Rapoport’s speculation specifically.
.@RapSheet has compelling thoughts on future of Eric Berry; a HEALTHY Berry can surely help somebody. But two #Cowboys sources tell me they have no real interest in the former All-Pro safety. pic.twitter.com/O98BRtprL1
— mike fisher ✭ (@fishsports) June 13, 2019
“The Cowboys’ position on this was clear in March,” Fisher writes on 247 Sports, “in their statements… and in their actions regarding the player, and it is clear now. Management here inside the building sees no reason for the Cowboys to be connected with Eric Berry.”
Gallery
Cowboys 53-man roster projection
view 63 imagesRandall Cobb picked as offseason standout surprise :: The Mothership
It’s perhaps iffy to label a guy with 40-plus receiving touchdowns in 8 pro seasons a surprise, but Cowboys fans didn’t necessarily know what they were getting when the team signed former Packers wideout Randall Cobb. The onetime Pro Bowler played just nine games last year for Green Bay and posted only 38 catches.
But his spring work in Dallas has been impressive enough to see him named the team’s biggest offseason surprise on the club’s website. Cobb “admitted his first days learning a new offense were an adjustment,” according to the writeup, but “Cobb and Prescott have built an early rapport, and the veteran receiver has shown a knack for getting open and a dynamic burst for yards after the catch.”
ESPN agrees. In a similar list of each team’s surprise standouts of the 2019 offseason, Todd Archer also singles out No. 18.
“Cobb’s versatility can expand the offense for others, such as Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup,” Archer writes. “Cobb looked quick in and out of his breaks and fast enough to make pays down the field. Will he put up the 1,287 yards he had in 2014? No, but he gives Dak Prescott a security blanket in the slot who can turn a small gain into a big one.”
Zack Martin named to NFL Network’s ‘All-Analytics Team’ :: NFL.com
NFL Network’s Cynthia Frelund has crunched the numbers, and one Cowboys player ranks as the very best in the league at his position, according to some advanced stats. Frelund’s “individual contribution metric,” as she calls it, is “a numerical value that adds (or subtracts) each player’s impact on their team’s ability to win games, for every snap.”
And according to that contribution metric, no one played right guard better in 2018 than Zack Martin. Frelund calls out Martin’s pass protection (ranked first among right guards at keeping defenders 5 feet or more from his quarterback), but it’s his contributions to the ground game that really dazzle.
She notes: “When [Ezekiel Elliott] ran into Martin’s space (think of the gaps directly to the left and right of Martin), Zeke recorded his highest yards-per-rush mark (5.2), along with the most rushes of 10-plus yards (14). My point is, even with opposing defenses anticipating Elliott’s use and lining up accordingly, Martin was able to keep defenders away from Elliott and lay the groundwork for Elliott to produce his best results on the ground.”
Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Jerry Jones remembers Broncos owner Pat Bowlen :: The Mothership
Pat Bowlen, longtime owner of the Denver Broncos, passed away on Thursday. On Friday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shared his remembrances of Bowlen on the team’s website, calling the occasion “a sad day for football.”
“My favorite Pat Bowlen memory is of the two of us kicking each other under the table with excitement, like a couple of school kids, as we were finalizing the television agreement that brought Rupert Murdoch and FOX into the NFL as a broadcast partner in 1993. It has always stuck in my mind as a testament to his vision for doing what was right for the immediate and long-term future of our League. It wasn’t a popular decision at the time, but it was the right one.”
Jones called Bowlen “a kindred spirit” and referenced the sense of “brotherhood” he shared with the Broncos’ owner. Bowlen was 75, and while an official cause of death was not specified, it is known that Bowlen had suffered from Alzheimer’s for a number of years.
Pat Bowlen is slated to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August.
Former DE Greg Ellis bringing Texas history to life on stage :: Dallas Morning News
Greg Ellis was a dominant part of Cowboys history from 1998 through 2008 as a defensive end. Now he’s shining a light on a chapter of Texas state history in his second career. Ellis is the co-writer and director of a play titled Juneteenth The Play, coming to the stage this weekend in Dallas and next week in Fort Worth.
The play traces the history of the two-plus years from the January 1, 1863 enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation that freed all slaves to June 19, 1865, the date when word of that directive finally reached slaves still being held in Texas. June 19, traditionally called ‘Juneteenth,’ is celebrated every year as a holiday of remembrance.
Dallas Morning News arts writer Michael Granberry explains, “Juneteenth The Play serves as a story of how love, faith, and prayer between a Texas slave named Tippy and a fellow slave named Henry somehow sustain them through slavery, even for the 2-1/2 years in which they should have been free.”
This isn’t Ellis’s first time telling state history through the arts. He produced and acted in the 2015 film Carter High, a true story about a Texas high school football team whose state championship title was stripped away after six players were later found to have been part of a widespread burglary ring.
“I enjoy helping people,” Ellis is quoted as saying in the article. “And part of helping people is educating people. And to educate them, you have to grab their attention.”
The Cowboys chose Ellis 8th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft, famously passing on wide receiver Randy Moss. Ellis went on to play 11 years in Dallas, finishing his Cowboys career with 77 sacks, 20 forced fumbles, 9 fumble recoveries, and 4 interceptions. He made the Pro Bowl in 2007, the same season he was named the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year following an Achilles tendon tear suffered in 2006.
Gallery
Cowboys 2019 Offseason Player Power Rankings
view 63 imagesContinue reading...