Richard Paolinelli
Most of the attention on the offensive line this offseason has been on the new starters at left tackle and center. But the real focus should be on right tackle Terence Steele. Tyler Guyton – the Cowboys first round pick in April – is expected to be the starting left tackle. As for the starting center, …
To CeeDee, or not to CeeDee, that is the question – in Dallas. And the rub – if we’re going to keep this cheesy Shakespearean theme going – is that there is no easy answer to that question. Yes, CeeDee Lamb has proven he deserves to get paid. His numbers have improved every year that he’s …
Ezekiel Elliott’s second tour of duty with the Dallas Cowboys begins when camp opens in Oxnard in a few weeks. Elliott, the Cowboys first round pick in 2016, is looking to regain his form from his first four years. He’ll be hoping he’s left his last four underwhelming seasons behind him. Elliott will also have a …
There is a scene in the film, Moneyball, between Oakland’s A’s General Manager Billy Beane and Manager Art Howe. In 2001, the A’s had made the playoffs only to lose to the Yankees in the division series, 3-2. The 2002 season nears but there’s a problem. Oakland’s ownership was not going to spend a lot of …
With the beginning of training camp now just under three weeks away, many associated with the Dallas Cowboys will arrive in Oxnard with great expectations. That includes players, coaches, and the front office itself. Yesterday, I touched on Dak Prescott’s prospects for the upcoming season. Today, I will go to the very top and look at …
Last Monday we discussed a meme making the rounds that compared Dak Prescott to Patrick Mahomes. The point of it was to say that Prescott’s numbers in the last 50 regular season games were similar. Thus Prescott is as good a quarterback as Mahomes. Of course, no mention was made of their overall career numbers. Nor …
As we have pointed out ad nauseam here, it’s been nearly 30 years since the Cowboys have done any of the following: Won, or even played in, a Super Bowl. Won, or even played in, an NFC title game. Won a divisional round playoff game. The main reason for this lengthy drought? The organization’s front office. …
When it comes to coaching staffs in the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys have arguably the best overall among the top three positions. Mike McCarthy has won a Super Bowl and has led Dallas to three straight 12–5 seasons. Of the division’s head coaches, he’s the only one with a ring. Washington’s Dan Quinn led the …
A recent report indicates that at least some NFL owners are becoming alarmed at the recent contracts for quarterbacks. The solution they are considering is a salary cap on the position. If a salary cap within a salary cap sounds crazy, well, welcome to the NFL. As of today, the top 16 NFL contracts – by …
We highlighted the upcoming kickoff changes for the 2024 season yesterday. Especially their impact on the Cowboys’ special teams unit. But today let’s take at look at all four teams in the NFC East and try to determine which team benefits most from the changes. And which of the four teams enters the 2024 season with …
The NFL poached one major rule from the spring football leagues – and it’s a big one. Starting this year, the NFL has adopted the kickoff format first used by the XFL – now the UFL after that league merged with the USFL this year. We haven’t even played a preseason game yet and the changes …
There is a photo being passed around by Dak Prescott’s more ardent defenders as proof that Prescott is an “Elite” NFL quarterback. Let’s take a look at it shall we?: On the face of it the photo does seem to make a compelling argument in the Dak Pack’s favor. The numbers do appear to be quite …
The Dallas Cowboys had the best defensive backfield in the NFC East in 2023. It was arguably one of the best in the NFL. Want to know what terrifies the Cowboys’ divisional rivals? Dallas’ defensive backfield in 2024 is likely to be even better. And that doesn’t even take into account the possibility of the Cowboys …
In yesterday’s post about the Cowboys’ defensive line I offered the option of moving Micah Parsons to a full-time linebacker in 2024. The primary reason for that suggestion is simple. The Cowboys do not have a solid group at linebacker on the depth chart. The loss of Leighton Vander Esch to an early injury-driven retirement is …
In Mike Zimmer’s second turn as the Dallas Cowboys’ Defensive Coordinator, he has three rooms in various need of improvement. In the case of the defensive line, he has a lot of work to do. The interior of that line was the Cowboys’ Achilles Heel in 2023 and Dallas did very little to improve on it …
Every team in the NFC East shares one thing in common — they will start the 2024 season with different offensive lines than those with which they ended the 2023 season. All four teams in the NFL’s NFC East division have large question marks hanging overhead as the season begins. How these changes, in particular, play …
When Dalton Schultz departed Dallas for Houston prior to the 2023 season, many felt the Cowboys were weak at tight end. Instead, they arguably have the best tight end in the NFC East. They could have the best tight end room in the division too. In his second NFL season – and first as the Cowboys’ …
For the most part, the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles have the best rooms at every position in the NFC East. This fact is never more apparent than when the four teams’ receivers rooms are examined. And the difference between Dallas and Philadelphia in this case is razor-thin. At least it was through the 2023 season. …
Barring a move between now and September’s opening kickoff, the Dallas Cowboys will go into the 2024 without a strong RB1. True, Ezekiel Elliott will likely be the starter, but the Cowboys will be a running back by committee team. They’ll likely be a pass-first team too. The 2024 version of Elliott is nothing like the …
The question posed by the headline above is not so simple because it depends on which part of the season we’re in when the question is asked. If you are talking during the regular season then it is Dak Prescott hands down. But the water gets murky when the focus of the discussion turns to the …
The Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have met 22 times since Tampa Bay joined the NFL in 1976. Dallas has won 16 of those 22 games. The Cowboys are 12-2 at home but just 4-4 against the Bucs in Florida. The original orange creamsicle uniforms are no more. Nor is John McKay prowling the sidelines …