Dallas City News

Expectations for Ezekiel Elliott in return to Cowboys: ‘I think I still am a dominant guy’ – Jon Machota, The Athletic

Ezekiel Elliott talked to the media about his return to the Cowboys and his expectations for this upcoming season.

“I got unfinished business,” Elliott said Wednesday of his return to the Cowboys on a one-year deal. “I’m here to chase that ring. … I’m going to do whatever I need to do and whatever I can do to help this team be successful.”

After being drafted fourth overall in 2016, Elliott immediately became the lead back in Dallas, winning two rushing titles. He led the team in rushing for six consecutive seasons. But he returns to a group that is expected to run with more of a committee approach. Elliott could end up getting the most carries for the Cowboys this season, but so could Rico Dowdle, Royce Freeman, Malik Davis or a player who isn’t even on the current roster.

Elliott’s rushing yards per game average has decreased each of his eight seasons in the league, going from 108.7 his rookie year to 37.8 last year.

“I think I still am a dominant guy,” Elliott said from the team’s annual Reliant home run derby at Riders Field. “I got to go out there and prove that, but that’s the motivation. I think we all know how I feel about competing and leaving it all out there for my team.”

Aubrey kicks appendicitis, talks 2024 rule changes – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com

Brandon Aubrey discussed his offseason surgery and shared his thoughts on the new NFL kickoff rule.

It’s rinse and reset,” he said. “You just wanna go out there and perform every game. I thought about it this offseason, enjoyed it and then put it on the shelf; and I’ve moved on to this year. This year is gonna be its own thing, and I’ve gotta go out and make sure it’s a good year as well.”

He first had to recover from a bout with appendicitis, however, not unlike what head coach Mike McCarthy found himself up against during the 2023 season. Aubrey’s was caught in its fairly early stage though, allowing him to push through to the goal of attending his first-ever NFL Pro Bowl.

I guess one could say Aubrey couldn’t stomach missing out on such a moment.

“Some forced R&R there,” he joked. “I had it [removed] the day after the Pro Bowl. … It was four days before the Pro Bowl when it started hurting, so I went to the doctor and they checked it out. They did a scan and said, ‘Yeah, you’ve got appendicitis.’

“They gave me some antibiotics instead of taking it out then and there, to give me 10 days, and then I made it through the Pro Bowl then got it [removed].”

And he can now turn his attention to the league’s new kickoff rule, one he’s a huge fan of.

“I love it,” said a smiling Aubrey. “It’s gonna save my leg and give me a chance to go out there and hit some unique balls. [Special teams coordinator John “Bones” Fassel] is aggressive so he’ll give me all the opportunity in the world to go out there and make mistakes, and live with them.”

Dak Prescott on contract talks: ‘Communication has been back and forth’ with Cowboys – David Moore, Dallas Morning News

Dak Prescott answered questions about the progress on his contract extension (or lack thereof).

Any progress made in his discussions about an extension?

He paused for a moment and smiled.

“Not necessarily,” Prescott said. “Obviously still conversations. Aware of what Jerry (Jones) said and everything he said is dead on, communication has been back and forth.”

“But yeah.”

What else is there to say? Prescott has made it clear he wants to remain the quarterback of the Cowboys. Jones has said that’s his intention.

And yet here he is in the final year of his contract. If the two sides couldn’t hammer something by early March — where the reduction of his salary cap hit for the upcoming season would have allowed the club to take its customary approach to free agency — there’s no pressure at this moment to get it done.

Dak Prescott reiterates he wants to remain with Cowboys long term but focus is on 2024 – Charean Williams, PFT.com

The lack of clarity on Prescott’s contract status has given rise to all sorts of speculative narratives, and it looks like those will accompany us for a while yet.

The Cowboys continue to insist Dak Prescott will be on the team long term, but they have done nothing to ensure that. The quarterback reiterated Thursday that he wants to remain with the Cowboys for the rest of his career, but he knows that might not happen.

Prescott is entering the final year of his contract, and with a no-tag clause, he could leave after this season.

The sides talked for almost two years before Prescott got his second deal. They appear nowhere close to a third deal.

Until they reach agreement, it remains possible they won’t, and Prescott will leave for somewhere else next year.

Cooks taking Tolbert under his wing in year two – Nick Harris, DallasCowboys.com

As Jalen Tolbert prepares to battle it out for the WR3 spot this season, Cooks plans to help mentor him along the way.

“With Brandin Cooks coming in and being a mentor for me, it’s helped me a lot in the game and the little things you need to be great in this league,” Tolbert said. “He’s done it for a long time, so having him in my corner is special. One thing for sure, he’s not going to let me fail and I’m not going to let myself fail.”

Keeping the young receiver confident and away from the thought of failure also stood out to Cooks, as he quickly reaffirmed Tolbert’s belief.

“Absolutely not, the kid is special,” Cooks said. “The ability, the talent is there. I’m just looking forward to him really getting his shot being out there. He’s going to work for it, that’s one thing he’s going to do. He deserves this opportunity and I can’t wait to see it.”

2025 NFL Draft: Compensatory pick projections for every team – Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

The race atop the eternal comp pick leaderboard remains tight. The three teams with the most comp picks from 1994-2024: 1. Baltimore (56), 2 Dallas (54), 3. Green Bay (52).

And it looks like Baltimore (4 picks in 2025) and Dallas (4) will extend their lead over Green Bay (1) next year.

Shout-out to the Cowboys, who have leaned heavily into the compensatory-picks game. Dating back to 2021, the Cowboys have added a minimum of two compensatory picks per year, and that trend will extend in 2025, with Dallas almost guaranteed to hit the limit of four additional picks after losing five qualifying players and (notoriously) signing none this offseason.

Projected compensatory picks: Three in Round 5; one in Round 6.

Key free-agent losses: Dorance Armstrong (Commanders), Tyler Biadasz (Commanders), Tony Pollard (Titans), Tyron Smith (Jets), Dante Fowler Jr. (Commanders).

Key free-agent additions: None.