Cowboys Not Targeting Centers?
Don’t expect the Cowboys to find their replacement for Travis Frederick in the draft. Coach Mike McCarthy told reporters that he’s optimistic about his current options at center, including Joe Looney, Connor McGovern, and Connor Williams.
“I think Travis is a player that’s had a great career,” McCarthy said (via Michael Gehlken of DallasNews.com). “Obviously, he’s to be commended on that. But when we look at our current depth with the offensive line, you start off with Joe Looney and the two Connors. I think we’ve got great competition, great depth. We’ve got Marcus Henry there, also Adam Redmond.
“We have some really good flexibility, some really good numbers. So the fact that we’re able to get started and just start going through the language and how we’re going to call things, I think the fact that we have that much experience with the veteran group that we have here, I feel very good about moving forward.”
That probably takes the Cowboys out of the running for Michigan’s Cesar Ruiz, although the team could shift their focus to LSU’s Lloyd Cushenberry, Wisconsin’s Tyler Biadasz and Temple’s Matt Hennessy. After the 17th-overall selection, the Cowboys won’t be picking again until No. 51.
After seven years with the organization, Frederick announced his retirement last month.
Jerry Jones, Mike McCarthy On Aldon Smith
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy spoke about new acquisition Aldon Smith today, and it’s no surprise to hear that both men are optimistic about where Smith is in his bid to be reinstated by the league.
Dallas, of course, shocked the football world when it agreed to sign Smith earlier this month. Though the move seemed to come from out of left field, we soon learned that Smith — who was in the process of applying for reinstatement in March — has been sober for nine months and that the Broncos were also interested in his services. The new CBA does not make reinstatement any easier for indefinitely suspended players like Smith, but Jones and McCarthy are clearly hopeful that the 30-year-old will be cleared to return in short order.
“I would say first-hand that I know that [Smith] is very diligent in his work to do the things the NFL looks at to reinstate,” Jones said (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk). “I wouldn’t dare get into where the league is and how they will go about this process … [but] as a league, we really are bent toward the medical aspect of many of these problems or many of these things that have been in consideration when a player has to have some type of suspension. We’ve made it more medically oriented to where you can have good grades from doctors, and that weighs into being a player in the NFL.”
McCarthy, who first met Smith in December, talks about his initial impressions of the former 49ers star. “I was very impressed with everything that he’s done and his path,” McCarthy said. “I’ve always admired him from afar. Very impressive young man, and I’m looking forward to working with him.”
Smith’s contract represents a low-risk, high-reward gambit for the Cowboys. Though he has not played in an NFL game since the 2015 campaign, he recorded an incredible 42 sacks in his first 43 games in the league, and if he can earn reinstatement and work himself into game shape by the start of the regular season, he could become a key part of Dallas’ pass rush.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/21/20
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day.
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: WR Lance Lenoir
Miami Dolphins
- Waived/injured: DE Jonathan Ledbetter
Seattle Seahawks
- Claimed off waivers from Dolphins: CB Linden Stephens
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: CB Tye Smith
Cowboys Unlikely To Trade Round 1 Pick For Veteran
Picking in the first round for the first time in two years, the Cowboys are not likely to part ways with this selection for a veteran player, per Jerry Jones (via NFL.com’s Jane Slater, on Twitter). The Cowboys pick 17th Thursday.
This is notable because of the organization’s Jamal Adams interest. The Cowboys offered a first-round pick and change for Adams before last year’s deadline, Slater reported in October. The Jets turned that offer down, but Adams is skipping their virtual offseason program. The All-Pro safety’s future with the team is murky at this point.
Adams said last year he would love to play for the Cowboys. The LSU product is a Dallas native. But at this point, Slater notes the Cowboys do not have him on the front burner. The Jets will obviously pick up Adams’ fifth-year option, tethering him to their payroll through the 2021 season.
The Cowboys traded their 2019 first-round pick for Amari Cooper and have since extended him on a $20MM-per-year deal. An Adams re-up would cost more than $15MM AAV and likely more. A high price tag — for Adams or another veteran — would play into the Cowboys’ hesitance on giving up their first-rounder, per Jones (via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer).
Dallas balked at trading a first-round pick for Earl Thomas in 2018 and opted against pursuing him in free agency last year. The team did address its years-long safety need in free agency, doing so by signing Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to a low-cost deal. He is set to join incumbent Xavier Woods as a back-line starter. Woods is going into a contract year.
Cowboys’ Dak Prescott Set To Earn $31.4MM In 2020
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott doesn’t know whether he’ll get a long-term deal this offseason. But, at least he knows how much he’ll make if an extension doesn’t come together. Upon recalculation, the league has set the exclusive franchise tender salary for quarterbacks at $31.4019MM (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). 
[RELATED: “Very Positive” Talks For Cowboys, Prescott]
The franchise tag amounts are based off of the NFL’s top five salaries at the position. Last year, that figure was $26.824MM. When Prescott was tagged in mid-March, Jared Goff ($36MM/year), Ben Roethlisberger ($33MM), Kirk Cousins ($31MM), Russell Wilson ($31MM), and Jimmy Garoppolo ($26.6MM) topped the list. Afterwards, Cousins and Big Ben agreed to restructure their contracts, lowering their cap hits for 2020 and bringing Philip Rivers ($25MM), and Tom Brady ($25MM) into the top five.
With that change, Prescott’s projected tag amount wasn’t clear and some wondered if he’d wind up at odds with the league office over it. Ultimately, Prescott’s salary was calculated based on the previous Top 5. That’ll cost the Cowboys a few extra million this year and, potentially, many millions over the course of future seasons. Prescott now has extra leverage in talks thanks to the higher data point, and that will serve him well as he looks to reset the market.
The Cowboys have the option to tag Prescott in 2021 and again in 2022, but the numbers would be absolute cap busters. Next year, the tag would cost the Cowboys $37.7MM, a 20% raise over the 2020 salary. A third consecutive tag for 2022 would see a 44% increase, in excess of $54MM. Needless to say, the Cowboys want to get their star QB under contract at a more reasonable sum.
NFL Draft Rumors: Falcons, Steelers, Cowboys
The Falcons could be the most aggressive team in the NFL Draft, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen (on Twitter). Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time that GM Thomas Dimitroff went big on draft day – he gambled, and hit the jackpot, with his move up for Julio Jones in 2011. This time around, he could be looking to land one of the draft’s premier cornerbacks. As Mort notes, the Falcons will have to play against the likes of Tom Brady and Teddy Bridgewater this year. An elite defender like Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah or Florida’s C.J. Henderson could give them the artillery they need to keep up in the NFC South.
More draft rumblings from around the league:
- The Steelers don’t have a first-round pick, but head coach Mike Tomlin says he isn’t “fretting at all” (Twitter link via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com). The Steelers turned that selection into Minkah Fitzpatrick back in September and the former Fins cornerback rewarded them with a first-team All-Pro season. Pittsburgh will have to make the most of their remaining picks, especially since they rank near the bottom of the league in available cap room.
- Despite the Steelers featuring Joe Haden, Steven Nelson and Mike Hilton, they have drafted a cornerback in ten of the past eleven drafts. They also used a third-round pick on Justin Layne last year. Pittsburgh is slated to hold the No. 49 overall pick. After that, a compensatory selection landed in Round 3 (at No. 104). Should the Steelers feel compelled to further bolster this position, however, that move would more likely come on Day 3, per The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly (subscription required).
- The Cowboys have done “a ton of work” on Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com hears. After racking up 17.5 sacks and 37 hurries over the last two seasons while providing solid work against the run, Gross-Matos is in demand.
“Very Positive” Talks For Cowboys, Prescott
The Cowboys and Dak Prescott have had “very positive” contract talks within the last two weeks, according to a source who spoke with David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Apparently, things are trending in the right direction for the Cowboys and their franchise quarterback, regardless of whether he joins the Cowboys for the start of their online (and voluntary) OTAs.
[RELATED: Prescott Won’t Do Virtual OTAs This Week Without New Deal]
Prescott was kept out of free agency by way of a one-year, $31MM+ exclusive franchise tag. It’s a handsome sum, no doubt, but the QB is aiming for something in the neighborhood of Russell Wilson‘s contract. That deal, worth $35MM per annum, is the richest in the NFL.
This saga has surpassed the one-year mark. Prescott turned down a $33MM-per-year offer last year and has held firm on that front. It has now affected his offseason participation. While that ordinarily would not be a major issue, the Cowboys figure to have new wrinkles offensively after hiring Mike McCarthy. Kellen Moore remains OC, but Dallas’ offense will surely incorporate some of McCarthy’s concepts next season.
The latest on the Prescott contract front indicated he wanted a shorter-term deal. The Cowboys, as their 2019 extension spree most recently indicated, are proponents of longer contracts. A short-term pact would give the 26-year-old quarterback a chance at another monster payday in his early 30s or possibly before then. Given the events of the Prescott negotiation timeline to this point, his camp holding firm on this preference adds up.
The Cowboys have until July 15 to sign their quarterback to an extension. That would help the team’s cap situation; Prescott’s $31.5MM cap figure is anchoring Dallas’ payroll at the moment.
Cowboys Eyeing New Roles For DEs
- The NFL’s decisions on Randy Gregory and Aldon Smith are not expected to come until after the draft, but the Cowboys may have some different plans for them under DC Mike Nolan than they would have under Rod Marinelli. Instead of using their edge defenders as pure 4-3 defensive ends, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones said (via USA Today’s Jori Epstein) he could envision Smith and Gregory as hybrid-type players who rush from linebacker positions as well as defensive end slots. Gregory has only played defensive end as a pro, while Smith has mostly worked as a 3-4 outside linebacker.
2020 NFL Draft Picks By Team
The 2020 NFL Draft is just days away and it’s just a matter of time before picks are swapped and shuffled at lightning speed. Before the trading frenzy starts, let’s take a look at the draft picks owned by each team.
[RELATED: 2020 NFL Draft Order By Round]
Updated: 4-17-20 (5:00pm CT)
Arizona Cardinals
1-8:
3-72:
4-114:
4-131: (from Houston)
6-202: (from New England)
7-222:
Atlanta Falcons
1-16:
2-47:
3-78:
4-119:
4-143: (from Baltimore*)
7-228: (from Tampa Bay, via Philadelphia)
Baltimore Ravens
1-28:
2-55: (from Atlanta, via New England)
2-60:
3-92:
3-106*:
4-129: (from New England)
4-134:
5-170: (from Minnesota)
7-225: (from Jets)
Buffalo Bills
2-54:
3-86:
4-128:
5-167:
6-188: (from Cleveland)
6-207: (from Baltimore via New England)
7-239: (from Minnesota)
2020 NFL Draft Capital By Team
Every NFL team automatically gets seven draft picks per season, but thanks to lots of trades and the compensatory pick process, many clubs end up with more (or less) than their original seven selections. After running down the NFL Draft round-by-round, let’s take a look at how much draft capital each club has amassed:
Updated: 4-16-20 (6:00pm CT)
14 picks
- Miami Dolphins
12 picks
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Minnesota Vikings
- New England Patriots
10 picks
- Denver Broncos
- Green Bay Packers
- New York Giants
9 picks
- Baltimore Ravens
- Detroit Lions
8 picks
- Carolina Panthers
- New York Jets
- Philadelphia Eagles
7 picks
- Buffalo Bills
- Chicago Bears
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Dallas Cowboys
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- San Francisco 49ers
- Washington Redskins
6 picks
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Tennessee Titans
5 picks
- Kansas City Chiefs
- New Orleans Saints