As OTA week comes to a close, what did we learn about the Cowboys, especially those returning from injury? Quarterback Dak Prescott looked the part and was involved in many drills. Some of his teammates spoke highly of his return, saying he threw the same he did before the injury. The Cowboys announced they will hold joint practices with the Los Angeles Rams, their divisional playoff opponent from 2018.
Cornerback Jourdan Lewis returned to Dallas on a three-year contract and looks to have found his role for the Cowboys as their slot corner for 2021. Who could rookie defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa become in the NFL? Will defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s system help linebacker Leighton Vander-Esch?
Here’s the news and notes for the weekend.
Catch-Up: Check Out Top Headlines From OTA Week :: Dallas Cowboys
Link Every headline, observation, and storyline from every day of the opening week of Cowboys OTAs, including first impressions, number changes, predictions, and more. -AH
Jourdan Lewis appears to finally have defined role in Cowboys defense :: Cowboys Wire
Link Cowboys Wire’s own Matthew Lenix discusses the upcoming expectations for cornerback Jourdan Lewis, who the Cowboys re-signed to a 3-year deal this offseason. -AH
Top 11 all-time NFL players from service academies :: NFL.com
Link One of the greatest Dallas Cowboys of all-time, Roger Staubach as the choice for top player from a service academy is an easy one. Learn more about Staubach, and find the rest of the top 11 all-time players from service academes. -AH
Cowboys DC Dan Quinn will try to turn Osa Odighizuwa into the next Grady Jarrett :: Blogging the Boys
Link Cowboys third-round rookie Osa Odighizuwa has many similarities to another defensive tackle that Dan Quinn drafted just a few short years ago, Grady Jarrett. Under Quinn, Jarrett, a fifth-round pick, became one of the best defense tackles. Can Odighizuwa’s career follow a similar trajectory? -AH
Opportunity awaits 4️⃣ @dak pic.twitter.com/qN3jwaCROv
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) May 28, 2021
Cowboys to hold joint training camp practices with Los Angeles Rams :: Cowboys Wire
Link NFL training camp is going to look much more like the training camp of old than last year’s did. The NFL approved joint-practices amongst teams, and the Cowboys have already found a partner in the Los Angeles Rams. -AH
Mailbag: Quinn’s System Helping Vander Esch? :: Dallas Cowboys
Link In the latest edition of the Dallas Cowboys mailbag, staff writers David Helman and Jonny Auping dish out some OTA knowledge relating to two crucial Cowboys, Leighton Vander Esch and Ezekiel Elliott. -AH
Cowboys TE Schultz on Dak Prescott: ‘The ball’s coming out the same as it was before the injury’ :: NFL.com
Link Dak Prescott has had a smooth recovery from his ankle injury, and was able to participate in OTAs this past week. Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz said Prescott is already in the excellent form he was at the beginning of last season. -AH
Keanu Neal Has Always Been A Linebacker At Heart :: Dallas Cowboys
Link The Cowboys’ biggest free agent addition, Keanu Neal says he feels right at home in his transition from box safety to linebacker with coverage skills.
As others sit, Dak Prescott believes Cowboys’ offseason work will ‘pay off’ :: ESPN
Link Not every team in the NFL is taking advantage of OTAs. For obvious reasons, with a pandemic still going on despite improvements thanks to the vaccine rollout, some teams have opted to skip some or most of their congregations as groups. The Cowboys’ QB feels Dallas is in a place to take advantage of their strong attendance numbers.
Does the blind side still exist? Investigating big plays against the left and right tackle :: PFF (paywall)
Link Going into 2020, a common refrain around the virtual offices of Cowboys Wire was that La’el Collins could have surpassed Tyron Smith as the Cowboys more important and better tackle. This study dives deep into the old-school thought process that the blind side is more important than the front side and challenges the convention. The long and short of it?
While the margins are certainly small, our findings suggest that pass-rush wins against the right tackle lead to more pressure, pressure from the right side leads to more sacks and sacks from the right side lead to more fumbles. There is no difference in pass-rush wins from the right or left side in terms of offensive results. Additionally, the better edge rushers line up across the right tackles. On the flip side, right tackles enjoy more help from tight ends, and the variance in skill level across the league seems to be higher for left tackles.
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