Dallas, TX
Cowboys news: Will McClay addresses what went into signing Ezekiel Elliott
McClay details reasons for Zeke return to Cowboys – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
Will McClay points to Zeke’s 2023 Patriots film that proves he still has it.
Loving what they saw from the former two-time NFL rushing champ in his lone season with the New England Patriots, the Cowboys’ front office points at 2023 performance as a key driver in a deal for a reunion being struck, as well as the now-rebuilt offensive line in Dallas.
“Zeke is a winning, starting running back in the league,” said vice president of player personnel Will McClay.
‘Tis true, because while the Cowboys weren’t able to get over the postseason hump in Elliott’s first stretch in Dallas, they’ve won plenty of regular season games together en route to the former fourth-overall pick earning a list of individual accolades.
He may not be the 2016 version of himself, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still be valuable to what the Cowboys are trying to do this coming season, and particularly when factoring in the rebuilt offensive line.
“You turn on the tape and you saw him doing things like power gap scheme running, inside-outside zone, helping in pass protection — all those things to show that the ability is still there,” McClay said of Elliott’s 2023 film. “Adding it to this roster, it adds a guy that loves football, wants to win here, wants to be here, and adds to the roster from a leadership standpoint as well as his ability to play.”
It’ll be a group approach in Dallas, with Elliott leading the charge.
“I think the running back position, in this day and age, is not that old school, one guy as the lead back and the others fill in,” said McClay. “It’s by committee. And what he adds to the group, we’re excited about. As well as the other pieces [that we’ve added] to it.”
Those other pieces include first-round pick Tyler Guyton and third-round pick Cooper Beebe, both being looked upon as likely Day 1 starters, along with seventh-round pick Nathan Thomas, adding three very capable players to a starved offensive line.
If all goes according to plan, Elliott may see a resurgence in Year 9, and that’s what everyone in the building is banking on.
Joel Klatt belives Dallas Cowboys passing on a running back was an oversight – Griffin McVeigh, On3.com
Despite bringing Zeke back, Dallas still may not have done enough at running back.
Most thought Jerry Jones would select one on Day 2 but wound up without a running back in the draft class — a move FOX’s Joel Klatt did not understand.
Jonathon Brooks was somebody Jones publicly admitted the Cowboys were interested him. But he went No. 46 overall to the Carolina Panthers, 10 spots ahead of Dallas’ second-round pick.
“Jonathon Brooks goes off the board,” Klatt said. “And I’m thinking to myself ‘You know what, that’s probably good for Dallas. Go ahead and be patient and now you have those two or three guys in the third round that you can select.’”
Klatt had three other guys on his big board he liked. Florida State‘s Trey Benson, Michigan‘s Blake Corum, and USC‘s MarShawn Lloyd. Benson was already gone by the time Dallas was back on the clock but there was an opportunity to take one of the other two.
“So, we get to the third round — they had two picks in the third round… They take guard Cooper Beebe out of Kansas State. Interesting, because there is not a consensus at the top of the interior offensive line.”
Next time Dallas was slated to pick again at No. 87, Corum was taken by the Rams, and in Klatt’s eyes, giving them a perfect opportunity… Until they went in a completely different direction.
“So now, there is only one left, at least in my estimation,” Klatt said of Lloyd. “So now the Cowboys are taking their second pick in the third round and they need a running back. And they take Marist Liufau from Notre Dame. A linebacker, an off-the-ball linebacker. An off-the-ball linebacker. I get it, (Leighton) Vander Esch, the whole situation. They need that too.
“And then the next pick, the Green Bay Packers, who you will likely have to play at some point in the playoffs, take Marshawn Lloyd.”
Finding the fit for all 8 Dallas Cowboys draft picks – Brian Martin, BloggingTheBoys.com
Here’s where some of Dallas’ top picks will fit in this year.
With time to reevaluate and reflect on the eight new players the Dallas Cowboys added via the 2024 NFL Draft, we’ve put together a little list as to what type of role each one of this year’s draft picks could play as rookies this season.
1.29 – LT Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
The Cowboys traded down five spots with the Detroit Lions and also picked up an extra third-round pick (73rd overall). In doing so, they landed Tyron Smith’s immediate replacement and a player who should be their blindside protector for hopefully the next decade. He may have some growing pains early on while he continues to develop, but all the tools are there to be a longtime fixture at LT.
2.56 – DE Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan
The Cowboys surprisingly passed over RB Trey Benson here, instead choosing to give Mike Zimmer some more help on the defensive side of the ball. Marshawn Kneeland is a hard-nosed, greedy defensive end who will bring immediate toughness to Dallas’ defensive line. He’ll be hard-pressed to supplant DeMarcus Lawrence or Micah Parsons as a starter, but he should receive significant playing time as a rotational player as a rookie.
3.73 – OC Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
Cooper Beebe may have been the best pick of the Cowboys entire 2024 draft class. His toughness and mauler mentality should immediately pay dividends to Dallas’ offensive line from Day 1. He may have never officially started at OC during his time at Kansas State, but that’s likely the position he will step into early on as Tyler Biadasz’ replacement. Down the line he could be Zack Martin’s heir apparent considering No. 70 is entering a contract year.
3.87 – LB Marist Liufau, Notre Dame
Like Marshawn Kneeland, Marist Liufau is another Mike Zimmer-type of player he needed for his defensive scheme. Many believed the Cowboys may have over-drafted here due to the “need” of the position, and the fact they didn’t pick again until the 174th overall pick in the fifth-round, but the former Notre Dame LB will compete for playing time as a rookie nonetheless.
Cowboys post-NFL draft depth chart: How will O-line shape up? Jon Machota and Saad Yousuf, The Athletic
Two rookie starters on the O-line?
It’s hard to break this down into positions this early in the process. The early projection would be that the starting line, from left to right, would be: Guyton, Smith, Beebe, Martin and Steele. There will be competition, though, to see which guys can push to break into the starting five. Martin at right guard is about the only position written in ink.
Depending on which five guys prove to be the best way to go, there could be movements to fill positions, such as Smith playing left guard or left tackle, Beebe playing guard or center, Steele could be a sleeper to flip to left tackle if Guyton needs to be at his college position of right tackle.
There are a lot of questions in terms of how it will all play out in the end but the Cowboys have the talent to put forth a formidable offensive line.
Cowboys to decline Trey Lance’s fifth-year option, source says – Todd Archer, ESPN
All the QBs on Dallas’ roster are set to be free agents after 2024.
Unsurprisingly, the Dallas Cowboys will decline to pick up the fifth-year option on quarterback Trey Lance, a source told ESPN.
That decision was essentially made in August when the Cowboys acquired Lance from the San Francisco 49ers for a 2024 fourth-round pick. Had the Cowboys picked up the option, it would have cost $22.4 million, been fully guaranteed and been at odds with the club’s stated preference of keeping Dak Prescott after 2024.
As it stands, the Cowboys do not have a quarterback on their roster signed beyond this season, with Prescott, Lance and Cooper Rush set to hit unrestricted free agency in March. The Cowboys are unable to use the franchise tag on Prescott, and the quarterback recently said talks had not really started on an extension.
Lance is set to make $5.31 million this season in base salary and option bonus as part of the fully guaranteed, $34.1 million deal he signed with the Niners as the third pick of the 2021 draft.
While Lance was inactive for every game last year, the Cowboys liked the progress he made in practice. He figures to see expanded action in the three preseason games this summer because Prescott has not played in the exhibition season since 2019.
Earlier this offseason, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said Lance’s “arrow” was pointing up.
The Dallas Cowboys are heading into training camp with a tight end competition that deserves more attention than it’s getting. While it’s already identified as a meaningful camp battle, I don’t think we’re talking about the implications enough. After all, how it turns out will say a lot about the past and present of the team.
You see, tight end Luke Schoonmaker, the Cowboys’ 2023 second-round pick, is fighting for the No. 2 spot at tight end behind Jake Ferguson and potentially for his 53-man roster spot entirely. The outcome of this battle will reveal a lot about the harsh reality of the 2023 draft class and potentially, of a new way of doing things in Dallas. Let’s break it all down.
Schoonmaker’s production speaks for itself
It’s hard to believe, but Schoonmaker is entering his fourth year with the Cowboys. Over 51 games, he has 49 receptions. That’s under one catch per game for a player Dallas drafted believing he could compete with Ferguson for the starting job back in 2023. No bueno.
Schoonmaker was always a traits-based prospect who never fully developed. As of today, the best way to describe his play is that he doesn’t do one thing at an above-average level. He’s a decent blocker (I’d even say below average) and a decent pass catcher (again, below average). He doesn’t stand out in any phase of the game, and that’s a problem when the competition is gaining ground.
Brevyn Spann-Ford and Michael Trigg are coming for those snaps
Take Brevyn Spann-Ford, who is competing for the No. 2 tight end role. We still need to see more from him as a pass catcher, but Spann-Ford can flat-out block in the run game. He consistently shows up on film, and the Cowboys were comfortable enough to let him take on defensive tackles in their blocking scheme rather than just sealing backside defensive ends. That’s unusual for a tight end and speaks to his physicality. Right now, I’d say Spann-Ford is the clear frontrunner for the No. 2 spot behind Ferguson.
That pushes Schoonmaker into a battle for the No. 3 tight end spot, which may be the last roster spot available at the position. Dallas began the 2025 season with only three tight ends on its 53-man roster, and I have no reason to believe 2026 will be different.
The name to watch there is undrafted rookie Michael Trigg. Trigg has his own battle to fight. He needs to prove that the off-the-field concerns that followed him through multiple college programs and suspensions are behind him. If he does that, the Cowboys will have something different in Trigg: a big-bodied target who can develop as a pass catcher without needing to be attached to the offensive line. He has the physicality and the tools to evolve as a blocker, too, as long as he’s willing to get his hands dirty.
If Trigg has a strong training camp, Schoonmaker could end up without a roster spot.
DALLAS – A Dallas seafood wholesaler has been ordered to pay a $250,000 fine after admitting it falsely labeled the country of origin of salmon, federal prosecutors announced on Friday.
Seafood Supply Co. fined
What we know:
Seafood Supply Co. was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty in March to two counts of violating the Lacey Act, a federal law that prohibits trafficking in falsely labeled fish, wildlife and plants.
According to court records, the company falsely identified Chilean salmon as originating from Scotland or other European countries between January 2020 and February 2022. Prosecutors said the mislabeling allowed the company to market less expensive Chilean salmon as higher-value European product.
Understanding the Lacey Act
Dig deeper:
The Lacey Act requires accurate labeling of imported fish and other wildlife products.
Federal officials say the law helps protect consumers and ensures fair competition in the marketplace by preventing companies from misrepresenting the origin of seafood products.
What’s next:
The investigation was conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement as part of Operation Upstream Diligence, a federal initiative targeting seafood fraud and illegal trade.
The case was prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the Department of Justice.
Emma Ruby
A historic downtown cemetery has found itself in the crosshairs of a group skeptical about the direction of development in downtown Dallas.
The Pioneer Park cemetery is home to the graves of Dallas’ founders. Nearly every major Dallas myth hero and corresponding street name can be found etched into the stones — many of which date back to the 1800s. But the burial site also sits in the heart of downtown, tucked between the convention center and City Hall building.
It’s that location that worries the Save City Hall coalition, a group of organizers who have stood opposed to plans for Dallas’ municipal government to abandon the I.M. Pei-designed building on Marilla Street. According to a notice the coalition sent to the city on Thursday, surveyors have been spotted at the cemetery in recent weeks, and rumors have begun to emerge that the graves may have been included in the latest plans to develop the convention center and surrounding area.
“Pioneer Cemetery is hallowed ground, not a real estate opportunity,” the coalition said in a statement. “The law is crystal clear: you cannot simply pave over the founders of this city to build a basketball arena or a convention center hall. Any attempt to disturb these remains without strict adherence to state statutes is not just a civil violation — it is a jailable felony.”
The notice is the seventh that the coalition has sent to the city in recent months, and each threatens litigation if Dallas’ government fails to comply with various codes and ordinances. In reference to Pioneer Park, the coalition claims that the cemetery’s status as a historical landmark protects it from demolition or tampering. The notice also outlines an extensive process that must be followed when moving remains.
A city of Dallas spokesperson confirmed to the Observer Thursday afternoon that the city was aware of the notice, but stated that any work being done at the cemetery is above board and planned. The city declined to comment on the notice itself.
“Pioneer Park is currently under a plan to refurbish the steers and rider, fix the drainage and replant. There is no plan to change the site into something different,” the statement said.
Still, this is not the first time that the cemetery’s downtown location has been questioned.
The Dallas City Council approved the construction of a new convention center back in 2022. At the time, the state-of-the-art facility came with a $2 billion price tag. (Four years and two construction delays later, we’re looking at a $3.8 billion total.)
Some council members opposed the plan, in part because of the cost. But the Pioneer Park cemetery was cited as a challenge for the site plan, with council member Cara Mendelsohn stating that “across the nation,” people in the events, convention, and hospitality industries “make fun of Dallas for having a cemetery outside of its convention center.”
On Thursday, Mendelsohn declined to say whether she’s heard of any plans involving the redevelopment of the cemetery, but said she’s asked about the burial site “probably 10 times” during various council meetings, and has never been given “a straight answer.”
Still, the staunch supporter of City Hall said she could be persuaded into endorsing a cemetery relocation, with one major stipulation.
“I could support moving Pioneer Cemetery to Old City Park or combining it into one of the historic cemeteries in the city limits if the agreement included a provision to not abandon [or] relocate City Hall,” Mendelsohn said.
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