Cowboys news: Jake Ferguson, Brandin Cooks battle to be Prescott’s second option

30/06/2024

Which Cowboy will become the second option for Dak Prescott? - Mark Heaney, Inside the Star

Who steps up behind CeeDee Lamb for Dak Prescott in 2024?

Tight End, Jake Ferguson

If the Cowboys have one guy who is on the cusp of becoming a star, it is Jake Ferguson. The former third-round pick out of Wisconsin went from just 22 targets in his rookie year to 102 in his sophomore campaign. He reeled in 71 of those, leading to five touchdowns, over 700 yards, and a Pro Bowl nod.

Whether it be his athleticism in pass-catching, fierce competitiveness, personality, or overall tenacity, Ferguson is the whole package. His chemistry with Prescott also blossomed, and it was evident on game day last year. In just two years, he has become an elite tight end.

The big question for Ferguson to answer is whether will he take the next step and cement himself as the second option to Lamb. When you hear talk of the league’s best tight ends, Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Mark Andrews, and T.J. Hockenson get the first mentions. For the Cowboys offense to really take off, Ferguson needs to join that elite group.

Wide Receiver, Brandin Cooks

The other option to take the torch as the second option is veteran Wide Receiver, Brandin Cooks. For lack of a more eloquent description of him, Cooks is an absolute dog on the field. Despite his small size, it just seems that he makes the toughest catches, plays the hardest, and will always out-muscle a defensive back to reel a ball in.

Cooks had a slow start to his career in Dallas, but he took off as the 2023 season went on. He caught five of his eight touchdowns from the Thanksgiving mark onward, and his chemistry with Prescott seemed to increase each week. The Cowboys’ offense saw increased point totals and success when Cooks got the ball more often.

With Michael Gallup out of the picture, he is the only true veteran wide receiver outside of Lamb. This means that regardless of whether he beats Ferguson as the second option, he has a lot to carry in the wide receiver room. 2024 will be the 30-year-olds 11th year in the league and the last on his contract.

Dak Prescott Signing ‘Blank Check’ to Leave Dallas Cowboys for Raiders, Claims ESPN Analyst - Anthony Goss, Athlon Sports

Could Dak Prescott leave the Cowboys for “greener” pastures?

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will, should he be allowed to hit NFL free agency in March 2025, should have a “blank check’’ waiting for him to become the league’s highest-paid player ever, claims one former league GM.First, the fact: If the franchise quarterback and his team cannot find an agreeable number for both sides, Prescott appears poised to hit the free agency market where he should find a handful of other suitors.

Now the arguable hyperbole ...ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum detailed one of those potential spots for the eight-year veteran, calling upon the Las Vegas Raiders to make a pursuit for Prescott.

“If I’m (Raiders owner) Mark Davis ... I have a countdown clock in my office and that plane is fueled and ready to go,” Tannenbaum said. “And I’m giving Dak Prescott a blank check to go with Brock Bowers and Davante Adams.”

Is Prescott worthy of a “blank check’’? That’s a typical ESPN exaggeration, frankly. But, surely most teams view it this way: Despite his shortcomings in the playoffs, he has proven to be a player that contributes to winning and a team like the Raiders with some of those pieces in place could accentuate those qualities.

How the Sunday Ticket lawsuit could actually make the Cowboys even richer - Jennifer Bubel, Diario AS

The Sunday Ticket ruling continues to reverberate.

For NFL fans who don’t live in the market where their favorite team is broadcast, they are left with few options. The NFL’s solution to that problem used to be the Sunday Ticket. The problem for the fans is that rather than being allowed to pay for just the teams/games they wanted, they were forced to purchase the entire thing, which is quite expensive. That left many fans deciding to just give up and only watch the games in their market. And that led to a lawsuit against the NFL. Yes, it escalated.

On Thursday, the NFL lost that trial and was ordered to pay $4.7 billion in damages to fans, which could be tripled to more than $14 billion due to federal antitrust laws. Of course, the league plans to contest the verdict. But if it holds, it would leave all 32 NFL teams to pay the cost - about $437 million per team, at least.

Why the Cowboys could benefit from the Sunday Ticket verdict

One team, however, could cash in in the long run when all is said and done, and that is the $9.2 billion Dallas franchise, the Cowboys. Owner Jerry Jones was one of the people called to testify in the court case and even he himself said that it’s “flawed” to have each individual team do their own television deals because he is “convinced I would make a lot more money than the Bengals”.

He’s right, and the Bengals aren’t the only team the Cowboys would out-earn. If the Sunday Ticket makes a change that allows fans to choose a team-specific package,the Cowboys are likely to end up earning even more than they already do in broadcast premiums. They currently dominate in television audiences and have for several years.

Cowboys over/under: 5 sacks for DeMarcus Lawrence - Tony Catalina, Blogging the Boys

Setting the bar for Lawrence’s sack totals in his eleventh season with the Cowboys.

Realistic expectations for DeMarcus Lawrence in 2024

Since the completion of 2018, when Lawrence last finished with double-digit sacks, the narrative around the edge rusher has become a divisive one. Those who value sack totals look at a man who has never had more than 6.5 over the last five seasons and wonder if he isn’t the same player he once was.

On the other hand, those who look into other aspects of his play see a man who is still a force to be reckoned with, not only just in defending the run but also in his ability to apply pressure and disrupt offenses in the backfield. Lawrence’s four sacks in 2023 are not all that impressive on their own, but his ability to impact the game in a variety of different ways is why he is so respected within the locker room.

Lawrence’s impressive 91.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus last season confirms that he is still a productive member of this Cowboys defense that demands attention from opposing offenses. It’s the classic case of box score vs. tape that has dominated the sports scene over the last decade or so, but the reality remains that Lawrence is a valuable member of the Cowboys’ defensive unit, even if the actual sack numbers have dipped.

However, with the way free agency unfolded, with two veteran pass rushers heading out the door, and the Cowboys only adding one player in the draft that is hoped to help early on, a lot more eyes will be on Lawrence to capitalize and get home more frequently this year.

The question becomes now—can he do it? And if so, what is a realistic number to expect? In addition to his total mentioned in 2023, he has tallied six, three, and 6.5 in the last three seasons, respectively. Those numbers are nothing to write home about, but it is still a part of the big picture.