With Von Miller’s latest publish on his social media that had him in a Cowboys uniform, is that foreshadowing of what’s to come back? Or is that frequent for gamers with out a staff to publish that? Either approach, my actual query is that if a transfer like that may make sense for the Cowboys? He’s older however nonetheless appears productive. – Jeff Lyons / Claremore, Okla.
Nick: A couple of questions to deal with right here. For one, no I don’t assume it’s frequent for gamers to publish footage like that. Then once more, it’s uncommon that free brokers are on the road for this lengthy, nonetheless lobbying for work. At least, that’s what it may appear Miller is doing. Then once more, he could be simply having enjoyable and realizing that he could fire up the pot by posting one thing like that, particularly in a Cowboys uniform.
But the actual query you need to know and actually all of us do – would that transfer really make sense? Honestly, I don’t assume the Cowboys could be in a scenario to disregard it. Yeah, you may take a look at his age at 37 years outdated, however the quantity that issues extra to me is the 9 sacks he had simply final 12 months. In truth, in his 14-year profession, he’s produced a minimum of 5 sacks in 13 of them. I imply, till he reveals you that he’s actually slowing down, then I believe some NFL staff ought to give him a shot. And in saying that, why not the Cowboys – a staff that he not solely needs to play for contemplating his Texas ties, however a staff that was horrible on protection final 12 months and nonetheless have loads of inquiries to reply relating to a move rush.
Sure, I believe the likes of Rashan Gary and Ezeiruaku and Malachi Lawrence and even Sam Williams ought to give them a lift off the sting. But I wouldn’t hate it if the Cowboys entertained this. Now, from what I’ve been instructed, there isn’t much curiosity proper now from the Cowboys’ aspect. But let’s get to coaching camp and see if it seems there’s a want for higher rushers off the sting. If so, I wouldn’t doubt the Cowboys will search for outdoors choices and this one may really prime the record.
Three edge gamers the Cowboys could add not named Von Miller.
The most suitable choice out of the three gamers that we’re taking a look at right now would simply be Joey Bosa. The third total choose within the 2016 NFL draft, Bosa is getting into his eleventh season within the NFL. He spent 9 years with the Chargers and had 343 tackles and 72 sacks in that span, however he additionally handled loads of sturdiness considerations, which had loads to do with them shifting on forward of the 2025 season.
Bosa performed final 12 months with the Buffalo Bills, showing in 15 video games and recording 29 tackles, 5 sacks, and an NFL-leading 5 compelled fumbles. There will all the time be sturdiness considerations with Bosa, however he’s any individual who’s well-rounded, extremely skilled, and is aware of how to get after the quarterback. If Dallas will get into the common season and isn’t seeing what they like out of their group of move rushers, signing any individual equivalent to Bosa, assuming he’s nonetheless obtainable, could be a successful transfer.
Oh the locations these gamers could go.
It is vital to have a spectrum of kinds. We all have hopes, needs, needs, desires, ambitions, you identify it. There are ways in which we’d all prefer to see this upcoming Dallas Cowboys season go. In an ideal world, cease me if in case you have heard this earlier than, this may be the one that lastly delivers the ring, the one ring to rule all of them, to Mordor.
You by no means know, although. Seasons can go plenty of other ways as a result of they’re constructed upon plenty of various things, together with plenty of totally different gamers. There are all the time a variety of outcomes for these kinds of issues and right now we need to deal with the participant portion of all of it.
It feels truthful to say that there’s a world the place Donovan Ezeiruaku is one of the best move rusher on the Dallas Cowboys. Heck, perhaps there’s a world the place he’s a prime 10 move rusher.
Ezeiruaku stormed on the scene in coaching camp final 12 months, however clearly every part concerning the Cowboys protection (and the Parsons commerce) broke the second the common season really began. On some degree we can provide individuals like Ezeiruaku a mulligan for his or her involvement.
That is now not the case. The protection has been outfitted very in another way and there may be as sturdy of a presence alongside the inside as there ever has been by the use of Quinnen Williams. No one is anticipating Ezeiruaku to be something particular, however he has to reside as much as his second-round billing.
And he could! That feels possible, really. But whenever you say issues like “second-round pick” and “Dallas Cowboys” you will have wounds from the previous that make you surprise whether it is value simply by no means really deciding on anybody there once more.
It could be an actual bitter capsule to swallow if he was unable to take that step and if he was simply one other second-round miss from the staff. This season goes to inform us loads which ones it truly is.
A blueprint for the Cowboys to construct a Super Bowl roster.
How do you construct an NFL staff able to making it to the Super Bowl? Ask 10 of your pals and also you may get 10 totally different solutions. Ask 10 NFL basic managers and their responses may range simply as considerably.
While there is likely to be a couple of commonalities right here and there, there’s no one-size-fits-all resolution to constructing a roster. There are loads of cliches about how groups want an amazing protection, an amazing quarterback, a dominant offensive line or a great deal of expertise to make it to a title recreation, nevertheless it takes only some seconds to consider clear counterexamples to every of these potential guidelines or paths ahead.
The 2025 Seattle Seahawks, in fact, did one thing that lots of people (myself included) didn’t assume was potential: win a Super Bowl with Sam Darnold as their quarterback. Darnold was glorious throughout totally different stretches of the season and performed considered one of his finest video games as a professional within the vital NFC title game victory over the Rams, however even the well-traveled QB admitted he didn’t play very nicely within the Super Bowl. The Seahawks fielded an amazing protection all season, and when Darnold did battle, Devon Witherspoon & Co. made up for his or her quarterback.
The New England Patriots, who got here up simply quick within the Super Bowl, is likely to be an excellent larger outlier of a roster construct. One 12 months faraway from being one of many worst groups within the league, the Pats accelerated their improvement by means of an enormous free agent spending spree. At the identical time, they benefited from the identical second-year leap at quarterback that we’ve seen drive success for groups such because the Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes, the Baltimore Ravens with Lamar Jackson and the Philadelphia Eagles with Carson Wentz, with that final squad successful the title even after its franchise quarterback was injured.
Let’s take a big-picture take a look at how NFL groups construct Super Bowl winners. The calculus of NFL roster constructing developed in 2011, when the league and its gamers landed on a brand new collective bargaining settlement that locked rookie salaries in place and established clear timelines to free company. Teams have gotten youthful consequently, with basic managers leaning into the fee management afforded by draft expertise. The common snap-weighted age for NFL groups in 2010 on a given play was 27.7 years outdated. In 2024, that determine had fallen by greater than a half-year to 27.1 years outdated.
Daily dialogue query: What is the oldest piece of Cowboys memorabilia you will have?