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The Dallas Cowboys rookie class was underwhelming this past season

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The Dallas Cowboys rookie class was underwhelming this past season


When it comes to Dallas Cowboys criticism the primary targets are pretty well understood. Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones, Mike McCarthy and/or Dak Prescott are often under the microscope for this, that or the other. That is par for the course when it comes to life within and around America’s Team.

In terms of people who rarely catch any kind of strays, Will McClay has no real reason to. For the most part what McClay touches turns to gold as he oversees the Cowboys’ draft process, but it is more than fair to discuss his most recent crop of draftees.

NFL.com gave the Dallas Cowboys rookie class a failing grade

While McClay has a track record of mostly incredible success, his most recent handiwork is hardly anything to behold. The season ended over a month ago for the Cowboys and with it the first NFL season for their rookie class. All told the Cowboys hardly got any contributions from their rookies, the majority of contributions came from undrafted free agent Brandon Aubrey who turned in one of the greatest seasons that an NFL kicker ever has (not just rookies).

But the draft class was underwhelming to say the last. Michigan men Mazi Smith and Luke Schoonmaker hardly impacted the overall campaign, and while DeMarvion Overshown offered plenty of promise, he was lost back in the preseason portion of things. Deuce Vaughn captivated everyone’s attention, but wound up inactive more often than not down the stretch. Needless to say it was a pretty forgettable class.

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Recently the folks over at NFL.com graded every rookie class and Dallas came in below passing, aka failing.

Round 1

(No. 26) Mazi Smith, DL | 17 games/3 starts

Round 2

(58) Luke Schoonmaker, TE | 17 games/0 starts

Round 3

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(90) DeMarvion Overshown, LB | 0 games/starts

Round 4

(129) Viliami Fehoko Jr., DL | 0 games/starts

Round 5

(169) Asim Richards, OL | 8 games/0 starts

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Round 6

(178) Eric Scott Jr., DB | 0 games/starts

(212) Deuce Vaughn, RB | 7 games/0 starts

Round 7

(244) Jalen Brooks, WR | 7 games/0 starts

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Notable Free Agent Signees

TJ Bass, OL | 17 games/2 starts

Hunter Luepke, FB | 17 games/0 starts

Tyrus Wheat, DL | 12 games/0 starts

The Cowboys had a pretty strong season, but their rookies’ contributions were extremely limited. Among their eight draft picks, only five saw the field, although a handful of undrafted players did help give the group of first-year pros in Dallas a boost. (It is too bad for the Cowboys’ grade that All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey’s time in the USFL disqualified him from rookie status in his first NFL campaign.)

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Smith was one of the main Year 1 contributors, although he started just three games and ranked fourth among Dallas DTs in snaps. Asked to play more 3-technique than nose tackle (his college position), Smith showed greater impact later in the regular season — even so, he logged just four snaps in the playoff loss to Green Bay. It’s clear the Cowboys will expect more from him in 2024.

No other rookie made an impact on defense. Overshown could be the long-term replacement for Leighton Vander Esch, but he suffered a torn ACL, and his first season ended up being a wash. Neither Fehoko nor Scott were active for any game, in what amounted to redshirt seasons for both.

Schoonmaker worked primarily as a run blocker and goal-line receiver before his receiving duties were slightly expanded later in the season. Like many rookie tight ends, he needed more seasoning. Luepke proved to be a nice find in a league that has somewhat phased out fullbacks; he earned a role as a lead blocker and was given whatever crumbs were left over when it comes to touches (six carries, three catches). He’ll have a chance to reprise that role, with head coach Mike McCarthy returning.

Bass outplayed Richards, filling in up front when injuries hit the interior of the Cowboys’ O-line. Vaughn was a great story on draft weekend, getting to work with his father, Cowboys assistant director of college scouting Chris Vaughn. But while he showed some flashes against the Jets in Week 2, he struggled to find a role on offense or special teams, and he will likely need a strong offseason to secure his spot on the team.

Brandon Aubrey was technically omitted from the assessment which pulls the group down even further. Will McClay has had plenty of hits as mentioned at the top, but he has some explaining to do for this particular mess.

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What is particularly disheartening about the rookie class is that it is hard to envision how the top of it can impact things right away. While you obviously want everyone to contribute, the largest likelihood of that happening comes from your top 100 selections and the Cowboys have question marks hovering around all of theirs.

Overshown offers the greatest promise, but coming back from an ACL tear means we should all exercise some patience there. Schoonmaker has legitimate potential, but the Cowboys have a star at tight end in Jake Ferguson who is clearly ahead of him on the depth chart. It would have been nice to feel like Mazi Smith could fill the void that Johnathan Hankins might leave behind, but that feels questionable at best right now.

Hitting on draft picks is a must in the NFL and the Cowboys really did not hit on any last year. That cannot happen again.



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Federal, local agencies tout results of North Texas anti-crime operation before World Cup

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Federal, local agencies tout results of North Texas anti-crime operation before World Cup


With a little more than two weeks until the first FIFA World Cup match in Dallas, local and federal law enforcement agencies announced Wednesday the conclusion of a major operation targeting organized crime in North Texas.

Representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF Dallas, FBI Dallas, Dallas police, Frisco police and other agencies said Operation Red Card focused on violent crime, drug trafficking and human trafficking networks ahead of the international tournament.

Officials said the operation lasted about 10 weeks and involved efforts to seize drugs and firearms, arrest offenders and disrupt criminal activity.

“It is evident that this operation has been an extraordinary success leading up to the FIFA World Cup,” said Ryan Raybould, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas.

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Raybould said the operation resulted in about 250 indictments.

Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux praised the coordination between local and federal agencies.

“Right here, this is what right looks like. Us, working together to keep everyone safe in Dallas,” Comeaux said. “I love working with my federal partners and U.S. Attorney’s Office for us to continue to keep everyone safe in Dallas.”

Comeaux said fugitive operations tied to the U.S. Marshals Task Force have led to more than 1,300 arrests involving felony warrants.

“We’re over 1300 arrests of individuals that don’t belong on the streets because of felony warrants,” he said.

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The chief also discussed the department’s drone program and preparations underway before the first World Cup match.

“We’re trying to get everything set up before the first game. It’s a lot of moving hands when it comes to that,” Comeaux said. “Right now, we have eight drone docking stations up. And we are using them now when it comes to first responders.”

“And listen, when those drones are up, you can see clearly different criminal activities that are taking place,” he added.

Federal enforcement operations have faced scrutiny nationwide in recent months. Raybould addressed questions about balancing heightened security with maintaining a welcoming atmosphere for visitors.

“They are vigorously enforcing the law but they’re also great men and women that are representatives of the institution that they represent, and they do ton of outreach events, they do reentry events,” Raybould said. “So that’s their job. I expect that to continue.”

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Jake Holmes, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, also addressed immigration enforcement and drug trafficking investigations.

“Tackling illegal immigration and tackling drug trafficking are really one in the same fight,” Holmes said. “Multiple drug houses, based on intelligence we received, revealed that networks of people in the United States are leveraging their connection back in their home countries.”

Joseph Rothrock, FBI special agent in charge, said officials used security planning from previous Super Bowls as a reference point for the World Cup, though he noted the scale of the tournament is much larger.

“Here in Dallas, that’ll be more matches than any other host city in the United States,” Rothrock said. “As far as comparing this World Cup to previous World Cups, it really doesn’t compare. It’s the first time that we’ve seen the World Cup hosted in three different countries.”

Raybould said Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal initiative focused on reducing violent crime through partnerships with local agencies, will continue beyond the World Cup. He said the program has been in place for 20 years and uses local crime data to identify areas needing additional enforcement resources.

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Why is George Pickens back in the news? Because Emmitt Smith made it so

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Why is George Pickens back in the news? Because Emmitt Smith made it so


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George Pickens hasn’t been in the news for a week now, so something had to break and it came in the form of a Cowboy legend giving him advice on how to handle his contract situation.

There is also speculation that this year will be his last with the Dallas Cowboys and the last year in the silver and blue for a former Texas Longhorn linebacker. CeeDee Lamb and coach Brian Schottenheimer are also in the news, or what passes for it in late May in the NFL.

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Here are some Cowboys headlines.

George Pickens, Emmitt Smith

The NFL’s all-time rushing leader and Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith went on to the NFL Network’s The Insiders show and shared his opinions about George Pickens’ situation. Pickens’ contract status has been a major storyline this offseason and he is now set to play on a one-year franchise tag.

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Indications are he wasn’t a long-term contract (as anyone would), but Jerry Jones has not opened negotiations on this. Smith’s advice to Pickens is something Cowboy fans hope Pickens follows.

Smith said: “I would say to George Pickens right now, you just ran into the business side of sports, period. There’s nothing else but pure business. Try not to take it personally. I know you will, because I would take it personally too, but shuffle that energy to your performance because I think your performance itself is going to speak a lot louder than anything else.”

Meanwhile, the blog Inside the Star predicts Pickens, as well as linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, will not be with the team in 2027.

Of Pickens, Mark Heaney writes, “We’ve seen the front office be unwilling to even negotiate a long-term deal, likely due to the issue of paying two wide receivers at the top of the market. In theory, the Cowboys could franchise tag him again next offseason, but consecutive tags mean a 120% increase from the previous year’s salary; that’s unsustainable for the organization. Instead, I think we see him dealt for some compensation ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft.“

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DeMarvion Overshown

Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, a Texas Longhorns product, has tantalized Cowboys fans when he’s been healthy, but that hasn’t been much. He missed all of his rookie year in 2023 with a blown-out knee, which came after several strong preseason games.

He blew out his knee again late in the 2024 season, which caused him to miss the first half of the 2025 season.

Mark Heaney of the blog Inside the Star predicts that this coming season, one way or another, will be Overshown’s last in Dallas.

He writes: “The other guy, DeMarvion Overshown, is a genuine fan favorite, and it is easy to understand why. Former Texas Longhorn, electric, high-energy player when healthy, true team leader. That all resonates with the Dallas faithful in a significant way, but it doesn’t change the facts around his situation, especially when it comes to health.

”Overshown has had major struggles with staying on the field, and if he comes asking for a big bag in 2027 after more issues this year, Dallas will say no.

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”On the flip side, his elite potential could result in a huge year that, similarly to Pickens, prices Dallas out from extending him to a long-term deal. The addition of Jaishawn Barham in the draft adds another layer to it, as he should be able to replace Overshown next year.”

CeeDee Lamb

Last week new New York Giants coach John Harbaugh, took a shot at the Dallas Cowboys at New York’s town hall event, saying, “All I care about is tomorrow’s practice, because if tomorrow’s practice is the way it’s supposed to be, that will be one more step in the direction of being a good enough football team to kick the Cowboys’ ass.”

Evidently mocking Harbaugh fell to receiver CeeDee Lamb, who went on Instagram to post a rather understated, “lol that’s cute.”

This being May, that was enough to grab some headlines and get his name back in the news.

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Dallas Cowboys coach

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer will enter his second year as head coach, marking his fifth year with the club. He is now looking to sell his McKinney home for $3.8 million in order to move closer to the Cowboys’ headquarters in Frisco (McKinney is about a half-hour drive from Frisco).

“It really is just time being closer to work, and every minute counts, when you’re at that level, for him,” listing agent Carrie Himel told Neil Franklin of the Dallas Morning News.

For those interested, the house is listed at 5,700 square feet.

Dallas Cowboys tickets 2026

Seat Geek is the official partner of the Dallas Cowboys, so this is where to get official tickets. The Cowboys are also offering packages for the Week 3 game in Rio de Janeiro against the Ravens, ranging from $1,200 to $5,750. That doesn’t include airfare, and the cheap rate doesn’t include a hotel.

Other places to buy tickets, which will be more expensive but with a much larger selection than the official tickets, include StubHub, Ticketmaster and Vivid Seats. Those sites also offer tickets for away games.

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Bret Bloomquist can be reached, bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.



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Dallas Police Provide Update on Tuesday Morning Homicide

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Dallas Police Provide Update on Tuesday Morning Homicide


The Dallas Police Department is investigating the shooting deaths of three people at a party being held at a short-term rental on Tuesday morning.

The department posted a video update to social media hours after the incident occurred.

According to DPD, police responded to a shooting call in the 3700 Vilbig St. at around 12:28 a.m. The preliminary investigation found that four people had been shot at a party being hosted at a short-term rental.

Two of the victims died at the scene and one died at the hospital. The fourth victim is in stable condition. All of the victims are adults.

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At this time, police have not made an arrest and are still carrying out a preliminary investigation. Police said there was not a threat to the general public, but a suspect had fled the scene.

As of Monday, there had been a total of 74 homicide offenses recorded by Dallas police in 2026. That includes seven justifiable homicide offenses, 55 murder and non-negligent manslaughter offenses, and another 12 negligent manslaughter offenses.

This time last year, the department had recorded 79 homicide offenses, including five justifiable homicides, 64 murder and non-negligent manslaughter offenses, and another 10 negligent manslaughter offenses.





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