July 16th, 2019 Matt Loede Posted in Features
Monday was a day that many gaming fans wait for each year, the day that the most popular sports series of all-time puts out their player rankings.
That game of course is Madden football, and this year Madden 20 is once again going to be a game played by millions who are into the NFL and video games.
One aspect of the game is player rankings, and the top Cowboys player on the list is right guard Zack Martin with a mark of 96.
Halfback Zeke Elliott is in at a mark of 94, as is Center Travis Fredrick and left tackle Tyron Smith.
Check out all the Cowboys Rankings by clicking HERE.
July 13th, 2019 Matt Loede Posted in News
Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence says his priority to to be ready by Week 1 of the regular season but he has another goal in mind-to beat Michael Strahan's single-season sack record before Broncos linebacker Von Miller does-according to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk.com.
"My goal is to be the best that's ever played this game," Lawrence said Saturday at SportsCon 2019 in Dallas. "For sure, I want to beat that sack record, make it my own, so he can talk about beating my record. I'm going to just wait until I get to the season and then worry about sacks."
The 27-year-old Lawrence had 14.5 sacks in 2017 and 10.5 last season so it is not an unrealistic goal. And his efforts earned him a five-year, $105 million contract this offseason.
What could keep him from his goal is his rehab from shoulder surgery. Lawrence postponed the surgery until he got paid and as a result did not go under the knife until mid-April.
Currently 12 weeks into a 4-6 month recovery timetable, Lawrence is expected to start training camp on the active/PUP list and neither he nor the team see a need to rush him back for preseason reps.
"The mobility and my strength is coming back naturally," Lawrence said. "I'm working every day. I'm able to do things. I'm just still limited. Just taking my time. I've got time still."
July 12th, 2019 Patrick Sells Posted in News
There has been a lot off press this offseason about the queue of young talent in Dallas, which includes Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, Jaylon Smith, Byron Jones, and others-waiting to get paid on their next contract.
Prescott for one has made it clear he does not plan to give the Cowboys a hometown discount and believes there is going to be adequate money to pay everyone with the rise in the salary cap according to Jori Epstein of USA Today.
"For somebody to say you can only take so much because of the salary cap or you can only do this or that, I don't know how fair that is to say," Prescott said.
"Because with gambling, with everything going into this league, everything is going to continue to keep going up. It's important for all these guys to get every bit of their worth. I want to see Zeke the highest-paid. I want to see Amari the highest-paid.
"I want to see myself up there. And I don't think any of that is too far-fetched. Because at the end of the day, when it's all said and done, a year or two later, you're not going to be the highest-paid. That's just the way the game goes."
Prescott is correct that the salary cap has continually increased this decade. Each of the past six seasons the cap has leaped by at least $10 million.
This year it increased by $11 million to $188.2 million. With other potential revenue sources available in the coming years, the balloon could continue to inflate.
But even with the ballooning salary cap, can the Cowboys really give everyone top-of-the-market deals or are some players either going to have to agree to team-friendly deals and/or leave for another team to get paid?
"I don't think it's fair to sit there and say, 'This guy can't get that because he needs the rest of the team,'" Prescott said. "The rest of the team can all get theirs with the way the league is trending."
Prescott himself has long been one of the biggest bargains in the NFL. A Day 1 starter ever since he was drafted in the fourth round in 2016 out of Mississippi State, Prescott is due to make $2.025 million in 2019 in the last year of his rookie deal – more than what he's made the past three seasons combined ($1.62 million).
For context, that is less than league backups Chad Henne ($2.55M) Drew Stanton ($3M) AJ McCarron ($3M), and Nate Sudfeld ($3.095). The Cowboys have been in negotiations with Prescott on a new deal, but given his draft status, a contract extension could be tricky.
What it won't be is a hometown bargain if Prescott has anything to say about it.
July 5th, 2019 CJ Posted in News
Randy Gregory will petition the NFL for reinstatement in the next week to 10 days in the hopes he will be cleared to take part in training camp, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports citing sources.
No paperwork has been filed at this point. But the process is underway with the intent, sources said, of submitting the required documents so the league office will have time to review and potentially rule on the request before camp starts.
The Cowboys depart for Southern California on July 25. The first practice of camp in Oxnard is scheduled two days later.
Gregory was suspended in late February for violating the terms of his conditional reinstatement. This marks his fourth suspension under the league's substance abuse policy since the Cowboys selected him in the second round of the 2015 draft.
There's no guarantee commissioner Roger Goodell will fully reinstate the defensive end before the end of the month. Given Gregory's history, it appears unlikely the league would levy a fourth suspension that would result in no missed games.
July 3rd, 2019 Matt Loede Posted in News
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday.
The meeting stems from an altercation Elliott got into earlier this offseason in Las Vegas.
While Elliott himself was apologetic following the meeting, there was no word one way or another whether he'd face suspension, Vincent Frank of Sportsnaut reports.
Now, according to Jane Slater of NFL Media, the expectation is that Elliott won't be disciplined by the league.
A source with knowledge of the situation tells me they're confident there won't be a suspension for Ezekiel Elliott. I'm told the Las Vegas police department removed Zeke from situation to protect him but found no merit to victim's claim.
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott Issues Apology for Off-Field Conduct
July 2nd, 2019 Matt Loede Posted in News, Police Blotter
Ezekiel Elliott met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in New York on Tuesday to discuss a May incident in Las Vegas involving the Cowboys running back.
Elliott issued an apology for his off-field conduct via Twitter following the conclusion of the meeting, Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com reports.
"I've worked hard to make better decisions and to live up to the high standards that are expected of me," Elliott wrote. "I failed to do that here and I made a poor decision."
The meeting between Elliott and Goodell was preceded by an incident where the running back had a confrontation with a security guard at a Las Vegas music festival. Elliott was briefly detained but never arrested after the guard fell after being nudged by the running back.
Despite never being charged with a crime, Elliott is subject to a fine or suspension under the league's personal conduct policy. The NFL has not yet issued a statement on Tuesday's meeting.
Joining Elliott in New York for the meeting were members of Cowboys counsel, sources told NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
This isn't the first time Elliott and Goodell have met to discuss the Cowboys running back's off-field behavior.
Elliott was suspended six games in 2017 for violating the personal conduct policy. The suspension came after a year-long league investigation into domestic violence accusations made against Elliott despite the running back never being charged by police.
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott to Meet with Roger Goodell in Vegas
July 1st, 2019 CJ Posted in News
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is set to chat with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell Tuesday in New York over an incident that occurred in Las Vegas.
League sources told ESPN and the Dallas Morning News on Monday that Elliott was summoned to discuss his behavior after an incident with a security guard at a music festival in May.
Elliott was briefly handcuffed but not arrested after a security guard was pushed. TMZ Sports released a video of the tailback, which showed him shoving the man to the ground at the Electric Daisy Carnival. The man, who was wearing an "event staff" sweatshirt, fell against a fence before hitting the ground.
Police handcuffed Elliott and escorted him away from the area. The running back was seen having an argument with his girlfriend before turning his attention to the security official, according to ESPN.
Elliott is subject to a fine or suspension under the league's personal conduct policy. Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones previously said he didn't believe the running back would face any discipline.
"I think that the main thing is that I don't see anything that needs supporting," Jones said in May. "In terms of his status with us, [it] has not been impacted in any way. And frankly, I know how conscientious he has been in the off-season, and that's good enough. No, I don't see that having any consequences for us."
Cowboys WR Amari Cooper Wants to Stay in Dallas 'For a Long Time'
June 24th, 2019 CJ Posted in News
Wide receiver Amari Cooper says he wants to be a Cowboy "for a long time" according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News.
Cooper insists he "isn't thinking" about his contract, which expires at the end of this season. Despite making little headway in extension talks, it's clear the 25-year-old seems himself staying in Dallas long-term. "I do want to be a Dallas Cowboy for a long time," said the three-time Pro Bowler. "I love the organization. I love everything we have going on."
Originally the No.4-overall pick in the 2015 draft out of Alabama by the Oakland Raiders, Cooper fell out of favor with Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and was dealt to the Cowboys at midseason in a trade that was widely ridiculed in the NFL at the time.
Cooper enjoyed a rebirth in Dallas last year, totaling 725 yards and six touchdowns in nine games, and is still just 25 years old.
He is scheduled to net $13.9 million in the final year of his rookie deal and is reportedly looking to become the highest-paid wideout in the league on his next deal, which would put him over the $18 million/year Odell Beckham Jr. netted on his contract extension.