By: Jake Rajala

The Dallas Cowboys have a freak talent at left tackle by the name of Tyron Smith. The Texas legend, Duane Jerry Jones, drafted Smith ninth overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. The rampage by Smith was established in 2013 (when he made his first Pro Bowl). It didn’t take long for him to be a cream of the crop OT after 2013, as he garnered first-team All-Pro honors in 2014. The behemoth-like figure also snatched AP honors in 2016. In his entire career, Smith registered a whopping eight Pro Bowl selections.

With that enunciated, there is a pivotal, intriguing question surrounding the Boys LT: Is Smith a future Hall of Famer?

I have zero doubt that Smith is a HOF lock at this point in time. He has been a true John Wick-like figure for the Boys OL over the past decade. His accumulation of awards led him to be named to the 2010s All-Decade team. It would be more than a shame if one of the top OL in that span would not be cast into football heaven.

Smith may be a Goliath-like football player, but he isn’t sinless. The Cowboys OT missed three contests in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. In 2020, he even sadly missed 14 contests. The story of his injury habits arose in 2021 (six missed games) and he has yet to play in 2022. He may be gifted, but he has struggled to maintain an imposing, on-field presence in his NFL journey.

Similar to fellow Cowboys royalty, Tony Romo, Smith has failed to win a World Championship in his career. Nonetheless, Smith certainly still has time at 31 years old to win a Super Bowl. It should be noted that former elite Rams LT Andrew Whitworth won a Lombardi trophy at the age of 40 last season. The potential cap casualty in Dallas, Smith, may not win an SB ring with the Boys, but he can surely aspire to taste the Super Bowl triumphs elsewhere.

I expect Smith, who is coming off a Pro Bowl season in 2021, to play a few more seasons in this league. If he can garner a couple of more Pro Bowl seasons or win a Super Bowl with a loaded squad, he should cement himself as a first-ballot HOFer.

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By Chinmay Kulkarni

”˜The Dallas Cowboys are the most overrated team in NFL history ”“ that’s a statement from a Cowboys fan. The magic of “America’s team” has slowly faded away in previous memory. It’s insanity to think that performing the same thing over and over again would ever yield different results, but since the turn of the 21st century, the Cowboys have floundered mightily in the playoffs. As nearly every NFL-fan and Cowboys hater has memorized, previous Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has two playoff wins in his career, followed by Dak’s one playoff win against the Seahawks in the 2018 playoffs. I will say that Romo was a first-class QB and one of the best-undrafted gems of all time. Nonetheless, Dallas has failed to advance past the divisional round of the playoffs since 1995, the year they won the Superbowl. Many younger fans like me don’t even have memories of their post-season success, and it’s something of a wild card that TV personalities have used to express disdain over the overhyped “franchise”.

However, it’s not worth dwelling on the past. We all should take a long look in the mirror to figure out what needs to be done. Though the kneejerk reaction is to fire everyone, surprisingly, the fish doesn’t stink from the top down. The Dallas play-calling has been abhorrent, playing the wrong plays at the wrong time, and culminating in the QB sneak on 4^th down at the end of their playoff loss to the Niners.

It’s no doubt that Kellen Moore has built an offense with the best weapons in the league ”“ 2^nd best passing offense, 9^th best running offense, best offense by total yards ”“ the accolades don’t stop on the scoring side of the ball. Jones also really deserves credit for adding figures like Ceedee Lamb, Michael Gallup, and retaining Tyron Smith in the past few years. Unfortunately, these players and awards are meaningless without discipline, being the single most penalized team in the NFL and ceding the most penalty yards per game. Does this team not have the hunger, does this team have a bad coaching staff, are they drafting amazing prospects with a disregard for the intricacies of the game ”“ these are questions that the front office must ask.

A surprising bright spot for the Cowboys has been the defense. Atlanta outcast Dan Quinn has managed to convert a weak defensive unit into one of the best in the league, having the most takeaways of any unit on the season. CB Trevon Siggs and LB Micah Parsons have been elite figures and they could very well wind up as Hall of Fame talents. Parsons has been so impressive that he’s garnered comparisons to Lawrence Taylor. Meanwhile, CB Trevon Diggs was an interception machine, despite being burnt toast a lot of the time. The Boys defense was a fine complement to Prescott and they led the league in turnovers for good reason. But, will it be enough to help the NFC East champions conquer pedestrian QBs in playoff seasons ahead?

The biggest question on defense rests with edge rusher Demarcus Lawrence, who is a $19 million dollar question mark. The fact is that they need him to stay and he might know it, too. Lawrence was a fierce run-stopper, sack machine, and a defensive touchdown highlight reel when he was healthy. The Cowboys could look to move Amari Cooper and make sure they can afford Lawrence. If Cooper leaves, they might be able to obtain Tank Lawrence and soon to be free agent WR Michael Gallup.

The coaching faces in Dallas could have a reshuffle. Dan Quinn and Kellen Moore are already interviewing with other teams for head coaching opportunities. Moore is a hot commodity and every team wants an OC that can put up 5,000 passing yards with a QB. But, Kellen Moore could even stay in Dallas in the near future. Mike McCarthy could feel the ole heat Jason Garrett received if he loses another playoff game. With some of the best weapons in the league on both sides of the ball, which young coach in the NFL wouldn’t turn down an opportunity to coach in Dallas?

All in all, It’s predictable that the Cowboys will make the playoffs next year. The question is, what will happen after that?

The post Can the Dallas Cowboys turn the tide in 2022? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Dallas Cowboys illustrious wide receiver Amari Cooper has been a fine weapon for 2021 Comeback Player of The Year favorite Dak Prescott over the past few seasons. Cooper rightfully earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2019 with a career-high receiving yard mark (1,189) and eight touchdown catches that tied a career regular season high.

Despite Cooper elevating his efficiency with Prescott, the Cowboys elected to draft WR Ceedee Lamb to bolster the WR group in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. Flash forward to 2022, it appears that Lamb has been a fantastic draft pick and the 27-year-old Cooper is slowly fading out of the big picture. In fact, the notorious Boys owner and GM Jerry Jones expressed his frustration with Cooper following the NFC East team’s early exit from the postseason. Per CBS Sports, Jones stated loud and clear that Cooper “ought to be able to catch it in the middle when they’re going with him”.

Jones could really opt to cut ties with Cooper for two reasons. If the Cowboys throw Cooper under the bus and then proceed to cut him, they could save a whopping $16 million. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they pardon Cooper and then use that extra money to keep the younger, highlight-reel WR Michael Gallup in town. Gallup is a free agent in 2022 and it seems obvious that he won’t be staying barring a large increase in cap space for the Boys.

So, will Cooper stay or go now? Well, if Dak does lose his physical beast of a wideout, here are the likely landing spots for Cooper’s services.

New York Jets

I would not be blown away if Jones sent Cooper to no man’s land, also known as the 4-13 New York Jets. The Jets are in the opposite aisle of the Cowboys, as they rest in the bottom of the AFC.

The Jets could look to make a big move at the WR position to help out the struggling 2021 rookie signal-caller Zach Wilson. The second overall pick from the 2021 draft struggled mightily last season as he threw more interceptions (11) than touchdowns (9). The 22-year-old QB will need more help than his 2019 rookie WR Elijah Moore, who led the team in receiving yards (538) and receiving touchdowns (5). The second-year WR Denzel Mims took a sophomore slump not just for himself, but for every WR in the league last season. Saleh knows that he needs talent across the board, but he needs to help Wilson with more explosions and a WR like Cooper can help override the weaknesses the Jets carry upfront.

We’ve seen young QBs in recent years like Josh Allen, Kyler Murray, and Tua Tagovailoa receive their firepower. It may be time for Zach Wilson to have a true opportunity to put up fireworks in the Big Apple.

The Jets have the fifth-most cap space in the league with roughly $48 million and attractive draft compensation in the 2022 and likely 2023 draft. Robert Saleh has the ammunition to acquire the Cowboys misfit wideout.

Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons WR group is looking like the Walking Dead in 2022. It’s been well noted that the Falcons missed their ex WR Julio Jones this season. To make matters worse, ATL will likely not have Calvin Ridley on their roster for training camp. Ridley retired mid-season and he’s been heavily rumored in trade talks over the past couple of weeks.

The 7-10 Falcons that arguably exceeded expectations this past season could take a massive jump to a winning record next season if they pair Amari Cooper with the 2021 rookie stud Kyle Pitts. The former Gator TE appears to be a future rockstar as he registered 1,026 yards in just his first season. Pitts The 21-year-old TE has a slow start to the year and he didn’t quite take off until October 10th against the Jets, but he did flash his rare ability against the Jets and many times afterward.

The third place NFC South squad shouldn’t completely pull the plug on their talented 36 year old QB. If the Falcons can equip Matty Ice with serious firepower, the Falcons could make a strong push for NFC South prominence as the Buccaneers may not have Tom Brady next season. If TB12 announces his retirement this offseason, all four NFC South squads will arguably have a massive question mark at QB. The door could be open for the Falcons to add a few pieces around their QB that led them to a Super Bowl and make a strong push for playoff city.

The Falcons cap situation is gloomy and it’s no secret that Ryan carries the highest cap hit on his team with a $48.6 million figure. The Falcons restructured his contract last offseason and I’d expect them to do that this offseason again. Ryan could be open to restructuring his contract if it helps them make a large addition, as well.

Los Angeles Rams

Sean McVay likes to have a blockbuster trade with his coffee in the morning. It’s clear that McVay wasn’t scared to make a push for big name profiles like Jalen Ramsey, Ndamukong Suh, Odell Beckham Jr, Matthew Stafford, and Von Miller. The LA big lights have clearly rubbed off on McVay since he took over as the Rams ring leader. The Rams are coming off a monster victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald shined. They are now fighting for a Super Bowl spot next weekend against their arch-nemesis in the SF 49ers, but they won’t slow down in the offseason. Odell Beckham Jr. will likely be headed elsewhere in the offseason as he is an overly shiny free agent and McVay could look to restock on firepower in the offseason.

The Rams bright head coach could look to add Cooper to an offense featuring 2021 Offensive Player of The Year candidate Cooper Kupp, soon-to-be healthy Robert Woods, RB Cam Akers, and gunslinger Matthew Stafford. Cooper may even be an upgrade over OBJ at this point in time. If Jerry Jones is open to sending Cooper to the NFC West superpower team, McVay may be tempted to close the books on the deal. If McVay loses at the hands of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, McVay could be convinced that they just need a bit more explosion to secure a Lombardi trophy in the near future.

Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson has quietly been removed from the cream of the crop QB conversation and Jim Harbaugh needs to make sure that issue is resolved. Mark Andrews has been a rockstar and one of the league’s top tight ends. Marquise Brown has been a speed demon and clear threat in his young career. The Ravens still need to be in awe of the Kansas City Chiefs with Tyreek Hill, Buffalo Bills with Stefon Diggs, and Cincinnati Bengals with Ja’Marr Chase on the outside. It’s clear Jackson needs his own juice at the WR position.

The Ravens can’t settle with additions like Sammy Watkins, who essentially had half the production of Saints WR Deonte Harris in New Orleans’s broken passing offense. Amari Cooper would simply be the perfect addition for the once NFL’s youngest MVP in Lamar Jackson. The Ravens are also slipping in the AFC North, as the Bengals and Steelers grabbed recently grabbed playoff spots ahead of them. Cooper can be a veteran wideout that can still ascend with Jackson throughout the upcoming years.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence will be screaming “somebody to love” by Queen this offseason. The new-look Jaguars should look to help out their 22-year-old QB and they have the cap space to do so. The former first overall pick hasn’t been treated well in his short Jaguars tenure thus far. The first-year head coach Urban Meyer failed Jacksonville which led to his early demise. Lawrence was also only gifted Marvin Jones Jr. and Travis Etienne (suffered a season-ending injury in 2021) in the past offseason, so there are obviously a few empty chambers remaining in Lawrence’s revolver. The Jags starting QB and the whole offense are left with a very heavy burden.

The former Clemson star threw more interceptions (17) than touchdowns (12) and his 24th ranked Jaguars passing offense couldn’t put up a fight in countless contests. The Jaguars offense scored 10 or fewer points in six games last season, as well. The RB position should see a boost with the return of Clemson RB Travis Etienne. It’s time for the WR group to see a competitive stud join the locker room. The new coach, who could be Jim Harbaugh, should look to make a splash addition on offense and help his highly touted QB. The Jaguars face a mountain in 2022, but they can make a leap of progress if they add a few pieces for respectable measures moving forward. If Lawrence can take a massive jump in 2022 with Cooper, the Jaguars could have the best QB-WR combo in the AFC South.

Honorable Mentions

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears moved on from the unpopular Matt Nagy in 2022. Yet, they have a big name QB in rookie Justin Fields and they will likely ink a head coach that is offensive-minded. A coach wonder like Eric Bieniemy, Byron Leftwich, or Kellen Moore could see themselves in the frigid Chicago area soon.

The team in the Windy City can’t allow Fields to burn out, especially with the expected exit from Aaron Rodgers in the NFC North. The new head coach desperately needs to bring in a big-name wideout like Amari Cooper. The 25th ranked passing offense a year ago looked miserable. They truly can’t expect Darnell Mooney (1,055) to be the best talent they carry at the lead WR spot. The Bears should see the once standout Allen Robinson leave the building, who reportedly didn’t speak to Matt Nagy for five months. Jimmy Graham, who could end up in the Hall of Fame (largely for his magic in New Orleans), will be out of Chi-town in the near age, as well.

Miami Dolphins

The 2021 rookie Jaylen Waddle was phenomenal with 104 receptions, 1,015 receiving yards, and six touchdowns. Waddle, who is lightning quick, might just be the next Tyreek Hill. The former first-rounder Devante Parker ought to be traded finally. The Dolphins fell short of reaching the playoff prize after they largely failed to put up any type of offensive production in a 34-3 loss against the Tennessee Titans in Week 17.

The Dolphins could be also moving on from former first-round Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa after ditching former Dolphins head coach Mike Flores this offseason. If the Dolphins land Amari Cooper, it will be much more attractive for the Dolphins to land a big-name QB. With the addition of Cooper, they may be able to attract the attention of Seahawks Russell Wilson or former MVP QB Aaron Rodgers. The arrival of a gifted QB and WR would help the third place Dolphins keep pace with the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady might just retire after his recent divisional-round loss or he may announce he’s making the last ride with Gronk into the 2022 season. After all, Brady is chasing “Michael Jordan” and he failed to add another championship ring to his belt in 2022.

The Bucs parted ways with former Pro Bowl WR Antonio Brown late in the season. Chris Godwin is also coming off a torn ACL and he is a 2022 free agent. If the Bucs move on from Godwin, it would be ideal if the Bucs sought out another talented WR to pair with Mike Evans. They have been rumored to land Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, but I would love to see Bruce Arians level up by obtaining Amari Cooper. There are two things that are closest to Arians’s heart: a glass of whiskey and the number one passing offense.

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by Michael Obermuller

The NFL Draft came and went like a hurricane once again, with winners and losers grades flying in from every analyst in America. According to aggregate rankings, some of this year’s draft champions were teams like the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets, and Miami Dolphins. Do any of these franchises actually have a shot at the Super Bowl though?

The short answer is yes. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers flipped the script in a single offseason, going from 7-9 to parade yachting through Tampa’s harbor. I know they signed the greatest quarterback the game has ever seen, but we’ve seen the NFL pull championship 180’s more often than any other sports league, and we could definitely see another dark horse Lombardi winner in February of 2022.

Based on both the NFL Draft and NFL Free Agency, here are four teams that could make the jump to SB Champs in what is now less than one calendar year away.

Cleveland Browns

Now I know this one seems like a cop-out, because the Browns were pretty darn good last season, but they’re still not even favorites to win their division according to most oddsmakers right now. On FanDuel Sportsbook, Cleveland has +1700 odds to win the big game, behind the AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens at +1400. To me, the Browns might have had the top draft in football, and that’s after having a solid free agency and an 11-5 record in 2020.

General manager Andrew Berry made a splash just before the draft when he signed edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. He had already bolstered the secondary in March, bringing in safety John Johnson III and corner Troy Hill (both formerly of the Los Angeles Rams), not to mention DT Malik Jackson and LB Anthony Walker elsewhere on the defense. This unit held Cleveland back in 2020, with a fluid consistency on the other side of the ball. After the signings they made, and the sleeper potential of draft picks like CB Greg Newsome II and LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (who never should have fallen out of the first round), it might be their strength just one year later.

The Brownies have been improving ever since Baker Mayfield took over at quarterback, and now this team is built to win it all. Top offensive line, ferocious pass rush, youthful secondary, blistering run game… oh, and star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. set to return from injury. Cleveland somehow faces a third-place schedule with a first-place roster, and I expect them to dominate.

Denver Broncos

A lot of people had the Denver Broncos as dark horses in 2020, but I promise you that I was not one of them. Even before the Courtland Sutton and Von Miller injuries (both healthy again), I thought Denver was a few missing pieces away from contention, but they may have solved a large chunk of that puzzle this offseason. They rank 11th on the aggregate draft boards, but I actually thought they deserved a higher grade. GM George Paton did a ton of things I liked this Spring, and it all started in the secondary with signings Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby. It continued in the draft.

The tweet above doesn’t even include seventh round pick Kary Vincent Jr., who I thought was one of the top value picks of the entire draft. The LSU cornerback’s rank seemed to fall after he opted out in 2020, but he was very productive the season before when the Tigers won the College Football Playoff. The Broncos needed a deep secondary that could keep up with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, and this one can. Factor in Miller and Bradley Chubb finally pairing together off the edge, and this defense could have championship pedigree under Vic Fangio. The offense should be no slouch either, with a plethora of young weapons and the one tricky question being at quarterback (Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater set to compete).

P.S. Denver is currently the front-runner to trade for Aaron Rodgers… and that would only boost their +2400 Super Bowl odds.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys may not have had the best draft grades in their entirety, but I thought they made a couple of very key selections early on, like middle linebacker Micah Parsons. After trading back for a couple of extra picks, the Boys drafted the top LB in the draft. Parsons is not only talented, he’s a leader with the ceiling of a Bobby Wagner type captain. They also filled their cornerback need in the second round (after missing out on Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain II), drafting Kelvin Joseph out of Kentucky (a solid prospect with elite speed), and UCLA defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa is another intriguing prospect nabbed in the third.

Jerry Jones and Dallas went defense, defense, and more defense this draft after dishing out $240 million to Dak Prescott this offseason, and I loved the commitment here by Jones and company. This offense was spectacular before Prescott’s injury, averaging 32.6 points per game (PPG) during the five games he started. Dak plus a healthy offensive line should put the Cowboys back near the top of the league in efficiency, but this defense was in desperate need of reinforcements, allowing the fifth most PPG last season. When you consider how many injuries the franchise suffered in 2020, plus the improvements they’ve made this Spring, they are an easy 2021 dark horse in my eyes at +2800 odds.

Chicago Bears

I’m surprising myself with this one as I’ve been one of the biggest Matt Nagy-Ryan Pace haters the past few seasons, and most Bears fans would probably agree with me after the way this franchise has been run. That could all change with one draft decision, however, the trade-up for dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields. Now you are either a Fields believer or you aren’t ”” and I am ”” ranking the Ohio State product as my QB1 in 2021 (yes, that’s including Trevor Lawrence). As expected, NFL GM’s disagreed with us Fields supporters drafting Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and Trey Lance over him. To be fair, I like Wilson and Lawrence and think both could be successful, Lance I’m less sure about it.

Having the game-ready Fields as the Chicago QB1 instead of Andy Dalton makes all the difference in the world when evaluating this roster’s chances, but it wasn’t just the addition of Fields that changed my entire perspective on the Bears. Pace was drafting like his life depended on it (only because it totally did), and I have to admit that he struck gold under pressure. Left tackle Teven Jenkins was a steal in the second (a first round talent that will start after the release of Charles Leno). Then guard prospect Larry Borom and cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. were also some picks with some major potential to be had.

This once-great defense still flaunts playmakers like Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith, Robert Quinn and Eddie Jackson. The defensive line should also get back 2020 opt-out Eddie Goldman alongside Akiem Hicks. So long as they get something out of corners Desmond Trufant and Jaylon Johnson, this is a formidable unit again in 2021. On the offensive side, the Bears managed to hold onto Allen Robinson, while adding interesting weapons like Damien Williams, Damiere Byrd and Marquise Goodwin for Fields to get the ball to. There are still problems to solve, but Chicago took a major leap in the Super Bowl odds after draft night in my opinion, yet they still sit at +4800 odds on FanDuel. I may just have to take that bet.

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