Dallas, TX
Will McClay confirms the Cowboys are looking to add more beef on the defensive line
Draft season is officially in full swing, with the 2024 NFL combine finishing up in Indianapolis. As teams have gotten a closer look at a long list of players that will be available in this year’s draft, the combine is also a great opportunity to gauge what types of players each team is looking for.
In the case of the Cowboys, one question on everyone’s minds is how the player evaluations change with Mike Zimmer arriving as the new defensive coordinator. Will McClay, the team’s vice president of player personnel and de facto draft czar, was asked that exact question in Indianapolis, and his answer was enlightening:
McClay made specific references to getting bigger twice in this interview, first saying that “this is a little different scheme, we’re looking for big, athletic football players.” Later, he said “we’re probably going to look more so at those bigger bodies on the inside, stopping that, and then we’re always looking for linebackers.”
McClay’s comments seem to suggest an internal emphasis on beefing up the middle of the defense with an eye towards stopping the run. That shouldn’t be a surprise, as solid run defense has always been a critical factor for Zimmer throughout his career, and the veteran coach has often sought out bigger bodies at defensive tackle and linebacker to get that done.
This should be music to Cowboys fans’ ears, as the run defense was consistently an area of concern in Dan Quinn’s three seasons as the defensive coordinator. To be clear, Quinn still produced some top-tier defenses each of those three years, but it was evident that Quinn wasn’t as interested in stopping the run as Zimmer is likely to be.
In fact, McClay and the Cowboys have already taken a step towards getting bigger on defense, as they selected Mazi Smith in the first round a year ago. Smith was a dominant run-stuffer at Michigan, where he weighed over 330 pounds and primarily played nose tackle. However, his rookie season saw Smith cut down to under 300 pounds and play a majority of his few snaps as a pass rushing 3-technique. This focus from McClay and Zimmer might suggest that Smith will be asked to bulk back up this offseason.
There are also quite a few defensive linemen in this draft that fit the bill of big and athletic, which makes McClay’s comments here all the more informative. Could the Cowboys once again target a big interior run-stuffer in the first round? That might not be the case, but there are plenty of players to watch at this combine.
T’Vondre Sweat is one of the more prominent names, as he’s been a fixture of the Texas Longhorns defense for the past few years. Sweat was one of the most dominant run defenders in college football this past year, and his 366-pound frame was a big factor in that. Despite that, Sweat posted a 5.27 40-yard dash time in Indianapolis, which is a big deal for a man his size.
Sweat isn’t the only big man in this draft coming out of the state of Texas. McKinnley Jackson in an Aggie man, having played at Texas A&M and making strides as a run-stuffer each year. Compared to Sweat, Jackson is as small as Deuce Vaughn, weighing in at “just” 326 pounds. He ran a 5.26 40, which isn’t as impressive as Sweat’s time comparatively speaking, but it does still reflect some solid athleticism for a bigger body.
McClay’s comments on looking for a linebacker also ring true, as Zimmer typically has worked with linebackers in the 240 to 250 pound range. There are a few prospects that fit that bill too, such as NC State’s Payton Wilson, Michigan’s Junior Colson, and Texas’ Jaylan Ford.
It should be noted that the Cowboys are reported to have held formal interviews at the combine with Colson, as well as Sweat and Jackson. They also had an informal interview with Ford.
It’s safe to say the Cowboys are doing their due diligence as it relates to their run defense, and their draft priorities may be changing to adjust to what Zimmer wants in his players. The Cowboys already have plenty of talent on this defense, but it looks like they’re now trying to supplement all that talent with some good, old fashioned beef.
The search for the next general manager or president of basketball operations of the Dallas Mavericks has begun. They terminated Nico Harrison in November, which was about nine months too late, and gave any available candidates clear notice that they were open for business.
The plan was always to wait until after the season to start the search. While names popped up as the season reached an end, they didn’t begin turning over the staff until the Monday after the season ended. However, Dallas Mavericks fans are not going to like how the team is going about the search.
Patrick Dumont Leading Search for General Manager
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Mavericks are not hiring a search firm in their hunt for a new lead executive. Instead, team governor Patrick Dumont is “acting as his own point person.”
This is an… interesting decision, to say the least. Dumont is not a basketball person whatsoever, and most organizations usually hire a search firm. The Chicago Bulls hired one as they look for their replacement for Arturas Karnisovas. Just because a firm is hired doesn’t mean a team will listen, though.
The Mavericks hired a firm in their last search for a GM. They let Donnie Nelson go in 2021 after a long tenure with the Mavs. Instead of listening to the firm, though, Mark Cuban ignored it to hire Nico Harrison, who had no previous NBA front office experience. Harrison had been an executive with Nike, which gave him connections with players like Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and plenty of others.
For a while, that seemed to be working out okay. While he still had some questionable transactions, such as trading for Christian Wood and letting Jalen Brunson walk in free agency, they were still able to make a run to the NBA Finals in 2024. Then, he blew it all up, trading away Luka Doncic for an older and injured Anthony Davis, and the team hasn’t been the same since.
It’s imperative that the Mavericks get this hire correct. The interim Co-GM setup with Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley has performed admirably, but the 2026 NBA Draft is important for the Mavs to get right. It’s their best chance to pair Cooper Flagg with another young star, as they don’t own their first-round pick again until 2031 after this.
Hiring the right GM could help bring in more draft capital by bringing in bad contracts or flipping veterans into picks.
Dumont was able to convince Rick Welts, a Hall of Famer, to come out of retirement to be the CEO and lead the charge for a new arena. Maybe Dumont pulls another rabbit out of his hat for the GM.
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For a moment, it looked like FC Dallas was on its way to another statement win at home tonight.
Petar Musa scored two first half goals, to extend his Golden Boot leading tally to nine goals. But after Dallas grabbed control, the Galaxy found a way back before halftime with goals from Lucas Sanabria and Joseph Paintsil.
The second half brought more chances and more frustration for Dallas, which finished the night with 13 shots to LA’s nine. In the end, the point stretched Dallas’ unbeaten run to five games, though just like last week, it felt like another match where Dallas left points on the table.
Key Moments
7’ – GOAL! After a poor pass back by a LA defender, Petar Musa was free to go one-on-one with the LA goalkeeper. After a touch to get ahead of a defender, Musa slotted home his eighth goal of the season from outside the penalty box.
21’ – Offside! Joaquin Valiente sent a floating ball over the Galaxy defense, where Musa was able to get behind the defense and make an easy play for what appeared to be his second goal of the night. The play was called offside despite a fairly lengthy review period.
38’ – GOAL! This one counts! Musa gets his second of the night off a great ball from Chris Cappis. Logan Farrington picked off the ball in the midfield. He then played Cappis wide to the left of the penalty area. Cappis immediately played a ball back across the goal for Musa to slide in and finish for his ninth of the season.
43’ – Goal LA. Lucas Sanabria got the ball near the top of the penalty area. He took a couple of touches to get outside the penalty box before firing a shot that beat Michael Collodi at the near post.
45+4’ – Goal LA. Gabriel Pec got the ball near the top of the penalty area. He pulled the ball back a bit, which caught a pair of Dallas defenders. This allowed Joseph Painstil to get free behind the Dallas defense as Pec played him through inside the penalty area. Pec immediately smashed home a shot above Collodi to tie the game.
75’ – Another offside goal. This time on a corner kick for Dallas, after a scrum in the penalty box, Kaick hammered home what looked to be the go-ahead goal. But after a few seconds the flag was raised due to a deflection on Osaze Urhoghide, who was in an offside position.
Instant Reaction
Yeah, this is another disappointing result for this team. In a real way, it felt like the first half against Houston from last month. Dallas grabbed the lead, looked in control, but some defensive miscues opened the game up for the visitors to climb back.
With a double-game week coming up, this will certainly be another game where Dallas will wonder ‘what if’ more than anything else…especially when you factor in the two goals called off for offside.
About the Subs
Eric Quill went to his bench for the first time in the 66th minute, as he brought on Santiago Moreno for Logan Farrington. Quill went to his bench again 81st minute with Ran Binyamin and Nolan Norris coming on for Sebastien Ibeagha and Deedson. The final sub came during stoppage time with Herman Johansson and Joaquin Valiente coming off for Sam Sarver and rookie Nick Simmonds, who made his MLS debut.
Man of the Match
No question about it tonight, it has to be Musa.
Where does this fit into the season
As of this writing, the draw puts Dallas into a three-way tie for 5th place with Real Salt Lake and Seattle. Both are in action right now and look firmly in control of their games. I’d expect Dallas to be in 7th place by the end of the night.
What’s next for FC Dallas
Dallas wraps up a three-game homestand next Wednesday night as they host Minnesota United.
Dallas, TX
Akheem Mesidor selected by Cowboys by Blogging The Boys in SB Nation’s community mock draft
Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami
Pass rush has been an issue since the Micah Parsons trade. The Rashan Gary trade helped, but Dallas still needs an injection of talent. Akheem Mesidor fits here because his body size allows for some versatility inside and out, something DC Christian Parker utilizes. Mesidor is also a high-motor player with a deep bag of pass rush moves.
His last season at Miami was full of disruption in the offensive backfield and he shows an all-around game, not just a bend-around-the-edge pass rusher. Yes, he’s a little older than you’d like in a rookie (25), but his motor, pass rush toolbox, and ability to play the run matches up with a need and makes him a quality pick at number 20.
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