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Would a Marvin Harrison Jr. trade unlock his potential? History offers hope, and a warning
Marvin Harrison Jr.'s NFL career might be better off with a trade, but the team that acquires him must believe they can get more out of him
Amari Cooper
WR · FA · 31 yrs · exp 10 · Alabama
Status
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Stories linked to this player — newest first.
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Browns, Jets Week 5 injury report: 10 sit out practice, including key players
10 players sit out practice, including key players for the Browns and Jets
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Browns vs. Steelers: Winner takes the lead in AFC North in 'Thursday Night Football' matchup
In the Week 4 edition of "Thursday Night Football," the Cleveland Browns host the Pittsburgh Steelers in an old-school AFC North clash. The Browns have won two straight games after being dismantled by the Jacksonville Jaguars in their season opener. Both of those wins came via late game-winning touchdown passes, followed by the defense bowing up and holding the opponent down on the final possession. Pittsburgh also enters at 2-1, having won a pair of one-possession games sandwiching a rather embarrassing loss to the New England Patriots . Pittsburgh's defense has been quite good, while its offense came alive for the first time this past weekend against the division rival Cincinnati Bengals . Which of these two teams will improve to 3-1 and at least temporarily take over first place in the division? We'll find out soon enough. Before we break down the matchup, here's a look at how you can watch the game. Pittsburgh's offense looked pitiful in both its season-opening win against the Atlanta Falcons and its Week 2 loss against the Patriots, but things changed quite a bit this past week against the Bengals. In Weeks 1 and 2, the Steelers gained a combined total of just 499 yards. That was 350 through the air and 149 on the ground. They produced 31 first downs and turned the ball over three times. In Week 3 alone, they gained almost as many total yards (411), and that was nearly true both through the air (273) and on the ground (138). They turned it over once, with an interception going through a receiver's hands and landing in a defender's lap. Cleveland's defense hasn't quite been as torn up over the last two weeks as it was by the Jaguars in Week 1, but it's not like it's been a shutdown unit. The Browns gave up 313 yards to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense that has looked fairly ordinary this year (they had 282 yards against the Bengals and 243 against the Vikings ), and gave up 360 to the Panthers while benefiting from three different turnovers on downs. The Steelers will once again be without Rico Dowdle here, which means it'll be the Jaylen Warren show in the backfield. Warren played 90% of the snaps last week and tallied 20 touches for 176 yards. Though it could have had plenty more if a long touchdown run hadn't been called back or he hadn't slipped in the open field on what would have been another long touchdown. Cleveland has allowed opponents to gain 4.5 yards per rush this season, while the Steelers have gained 4.3 per rush themselves. Pittsburgh has run for more yards with each game, however, going from 58 yards to 91 to 138. Aaron Rodgers has completed only 58.4% of his passes this year at a minuscule average of 6.2 yards per attempt, and most of that production came last Sunday against the Bengals. He has struggled to connect with receivers downfield, finding much more "success" in the underneath zones with checkdowns to Warren, Pat Freiermuth , Darnell Washington and more. The Browns have generally been stingy against yards after the catch, allowing opponents only 278 so far and a below-average 4.3 per reception. The Steelers will need to find ways to break tackles underneath to create yardage if Rodgers isn't going to hit on his deep balls. Deshaun Watson has not played nearly as badly this year as in his previous seasons with the Browns. He's actually completed 68.2% of his passes at 7.2 yards per attempt, with five touchdowns against just one interception. He's led game-winning drives in the fourth quarter of each of the last two games. The Browns have struggled to run the ball so far, checking in at 3.5 yards per carry, which ranks 29th in the NFL . Those numbers are propped up by Watson's scrambling, however. Quinshon Judkins leads the backfield with 42 carries (no other back or receiver has more than four) and has averaged just 3.0 yards per tote. His best game came in the opener, at 3.9 per carry. The Browns cannot run the ball whatsoever. The Steelers played extremely strong defense against the Fal [... truncated ...]
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Week 4 injury report for Browns
Yahoo Sports NFLSource ↗
Browns ruled out three players for their Week 4 game
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Despite Week 1 loss, one group on the Browns offense improved
Yahoo Sports NFLSource ↗
Browns offense improved despite loss
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Was Carnell Tate worth the No. 4 pick? What history says about expectations for the 2026 first-round WRs
The Titans selected WR Carnell Tate fourth overall, sparking debate over his value versus other top prospects. The article examines Tate’s college production, compares him to past top‑5 picks, and discusses expectations for his NFL role
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Cleveland Browns news: QBs struggle in preseason Game 1, injuries, and other notes
The first preseason game is in the books for Todd Monken’s Cleveland Browns. Sunday morning Dawg Chow follows it up
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Stephen Jones believes 'it's realistic' to keep CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens long term
The Steelers all but gave away George Pickens in the 2025 offseason, trading him to the Cowboys for a third-round pick. The wide receiver set new career highs with 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns and made his first Pro Bowl. CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys’ No. 1 wideout, had 75 receptions for 1,077 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games last season. The Cowboys have both back for this season, but with Pickens playing 2026 under the one-year, $27.3 million franchise tag, the team will have a decision to make in 2027. Do the Cowboys try to keep both? If they keep only one, which one? The Cowboys have $94 million a year currently committed to Dak Prescott and Lamb. If Pickens has another season like last season, he will want to be paid at the top or near the top of the wide receiver market, which is led by Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s $42.150 million per season. Executive vice president Stephen Jones noted that the Cowboys will pay defensive tackle Quinnen Williams but said he believes they can find a way to keep Lamb and Pickens. “Yeah, just you got to tell me the rest [of our spending], too,” Jones told Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports. “At some point, you’ve got to figure that out. But no, I think it’s realistic .” In 2021, Lamb’s second season, he passed Amari Cooper as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver. The Cowboys shipped Cooper to the Browns for a fifth-round pick and spent the next four years looking for a No. 2 wide receiver until they acquired Pickens. Dallas had three different wideouts (Noah Brown, Brandin Cooks and Jalen Tolbert) as their second-leading wideout behind Lamb in the three seasons from 2022-24. The Cowboys’ 4,527 passing yards in 2025 ranked second only to the Rams and, with all 11 starters back, prompted Prescott this offseason to name the team’s offense the Greatest Offense There Is (GOTI). Few teams have the duo that the Cowboys have in Lamb and Pickens. “I’d say the two of them did pretty damn good,” Jones told Epstein. “Would you take that again? Hell, yeah, you would. But can they be better? I think they can. And the good news is it’s not like we’re naked without them.” Lamb already is campaigning the Cowboys to find a way to keep Pickens, knowing it makes his job easier. “I’m sure we can make a way,” Lamb told Epstein. “I know it’s going to be a little crazy, but I know we can make a way for this one. Listen, this is my advocation: '@ Jerry, can you please figure out a way? Let’s figure it out. I don’t care what needs to happen.’ “‘Let’s figure it out and it’s going to get you a couple more championships.’”
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Cleveland Browns Hidden Gems: 3 Secret Superstars on the 2026 roster
How far can an NFL team go without a QB? Three underrated Cleveland Browns (including a QB) are here to help answer that question
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Fantasy Football AFC North Snapshot: 1 key nugget from each team going into 2026
Scott Pianowski shares one thing that stands out for fantasy football for each AFC North team going into 2026
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Cowboys 2026 roster rundown: WR George Pickens
Since the 2000s began, the Cowboys have had several trades for big-name wide receivers. It’s still too early to make an official proclamation, but so far, the trade for George Pickens is looking like it may be the most successful. Our rundown series now comes to one of Dallas ’ brightest stars, and perhaps their most talked-about player this offseason. Years in NFL: 4 Acquired by: Trade (2025) 2022 was a year of sweeping change for the Pittsburgh Steelers . Ben Roethlisberger retired, there was a new general manager, and the receiver position was also in flux. George Pickens was part of this new offensive era, a second-round pick to go with first-round quarterback Kenny Pickett . Unlike the rookie QB, Pickens was an immediate contributor in a trio with Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool . Pittsburgh traded Claypool away in November, leaving Johnson and Pickens as the clear starting duo. For three years, Pickens’ talent was clear but so were issues with his maturity and relationship with the Steelers. The team struggled to find its next QB, going through the poo-poo platter of Pickett, Mitch Trubisky , and Mason Rudolph before bringing in Russell Wilson in 2023. While Wilson helped bring some respectability back at QB, Pickens’ status with the team was already breaking down. Criticism of his effort became public, and he went into his fourth year without a clear path forward in Pittsburgh. As it turned out, the path led to Dallas. Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick were sent to the Cowboys for a 2026 third-rounder and Dallas’ fifth-round pick in 2027. For the Steelers, it was a decent return on a former second-rounder who they clearly had no intention of re-signing after his rookie deal. For the Cowboys, it was an immediate upgrade at WR2 and a much-needed wingman for CeeDee Lamb , who’d been carrying too much of the receiving load since the departure of Amari Cooper and the decline of Michael Gallup . For Pickens, the fresh start was clearly needed. Whether it was a new set of coaches, the pressure from his expiring contract, finally having the right QB in Dak Prescott , or all of the above, Pickens exploded in 2025 with new career highs of 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. He went to his first Pro Bowl and was a Second-Team All-Pro. In one year, Pickens went from the Steelers’ chopping block to the Cowboys’ franchise tag. A long-term deal was not reached this offseason, but Pickens reported to all mandatory activities and has said he’s ready to be at camp and play 2026 on the franchise tag. Even with the contract issue, Pickens’ relationship with Dallas seems undamaged and there’s plenty of excitement for his second season. Years Left: 1 2026 Cap Hit: $27.3 million Honestly, we’ve been waiting to do this one until we saw how the contract negotiations played out. But as of July 15th, the window for franchised players to sign a long-term deal closed and Pickens is now locked in to the franchise deal for 2026. We’ll circle back to this circus next February/March. Role: Starting WR Roster Chance: 100% We have one of those “great problems to have” with the rising debate over who the Cowboys’ true franchise receiver is between Pickens and Lamb. How you feel about it depends on what you value in a receiver, and much credit you give one guy’s presence to helping the other thrive. In the end, does it even matter? Dallas has two receivers that would be the clear number one for most NFL teams, so let’s just enjoy it. One of the fascinating things to watch in 2026 will be how defenses adjust to Pickens’ breakout. Does he get increased attention, making life easier for Lamb? Do teams commit so much to stopping the superstar receivers that guys like Ryan Flournoy and Jake Ferguson have huge years? Will Dallas’ running backs be the biggest beneficiaries from high concern over the passing attack? Without a doubt, Pickens’ presence makes all of this possible. As good as Lamb was from 2022-2024, Pickens’ arrival opene [... truncated ...]
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Cleveland Browns news: Not another QB training camp battle
The Cleveland Browns face a quarterback competition between veteran Deshaun Watson and rookie Shedeur Sanders, while their wide receiver room is also a point of interest with new additions Tylan Wallace, KC Concepcion, and Denzel Boston. The article also touches on past disappointing trades and previews the tight end position for training camp
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Predicting headlines from the first week of training camp
The Dallas Cowboys head out to training camp in California at the end of this month, and this means that after one week into August, they will have spent a week in Oxnard. That point is important for today’s discussion because we are about to look into that exact spot in the future. Here are three headlines that we predict will emerge from the first week of Cowboys training camp. Something we will likely see when training camp begins is the Cowboys taking things slow with George Pickens . CeeDee Lamb will also likely get a veteran day or two. Ultimately there are going to be more opportunities than normal for a player like Ryan Flournoy, and he has already made it a point to make the most of what he is given to work with. This is the classic sort of headline that emerges from training camp, and if you squint your eyes enough you can even see a world where people are suggeesting trading him away for help elsewhere. Think about the conversations we would have when Lamb, Amari Cooper , and Michael Gallup were frolicking around Oxnard. Obviously the Cowboys have had work sessions since drafting Caleb Downs, but training camp is a different animal. This is where the real and true work begins. It stands to reason that Caleb Downs is going to really announce himself. His presence on the team feels similar to Micah Parsons ’ in that they are both standouts on defense, but Parsons wasn’t exactly who he became during his rookie training camp. In this way Downs feels like someone he shares an alma mater with in Ezekiel Elliott . The world of Cowboys Nation is ready and hungry for Caleb Downs to take center stage, and it stands to reason that we will see this exact phenomenon unfold. It is normal as humans to try and connect dots. We innately want to answer questions. The biggest question on defense right now is who is going to support the team at linebacker. We have been carrying this question for months, and the most significant answer by way of a roster move was the trade for Dee Winters. Training camp is the exact opportunity where that work starts to be shown. Winters will have a legitimate chance to show that he is the proper piece in place for the heart of Christian Parker’s defense, and it would be a common training camp trope (not to say that it wouldn’t be real or legitimate) to hear that he is doing so in a successful way. What headlines do you anticipate seeing after the first week of training camp? Let us know in the comments below
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Cleveland Browns training camp 2026: WR preview, Part 1 – Suddenly loaded with options?
Yahoo Sports NFLSource ↗
Looking over the Browns’ wide receivers for training camp
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Everyone is asking the wrong question about Brandon Aiyuk
Let's start with the obvious question: Will Brandon Aiyuk ever be the same player again? By the time he plays another meaningful NFL snap -- and, for now, the Washington Commanders seem like the favorites to land him -- he'll be 28 and nearly two years removed from the torn ACL and MCL that ended his 2024 season. That's enough to make you wonder if Washington would get the player San Francisco once viewed as its No. 1 receiver. Or would it be the latest iteration of a game-changing talent whose career was altered by a devastating injury? But we might be focusing on the wrong thing: the biggest issue working against Brandon Aiyuk isn't his age; it's the time away from football played at the highest level. If Aiyuk stayed healthy, he'd likely be smack-dab in the middle of his physical peak. Instead, he is attempting to jumpstart a career after a 20-month competitive drought. This is incredibly uncommon in today's NFL. To map out what his road back looks like, we have to separate the biological clock from the injury clock. We tend to lump every ACL recovery into the same bucket. A player tears a knee, rehabs for a year, and comes back. Aiyuk's situation is different; between the injury, rehabilitation and everything surrounding his future, he'll likely go almost two full calendar years without meaningful football. That's an absurdly long time for a skill-position player whose game depends on timing, rhythm and repetition. But to understand the true cost of that missed time, we first have to answer a more basic question: What normally happens to good receivers at 28? I looked at a group of established veterans* whose games have been built as much on route running, separation and technical refinement as pure athleticism. *Historical averages for an established cohort of NFL wide receivers included: Jordy Nelson , Keenan Allen , Robert Woods , Davante Adams , Odell Beckham Jr. , Allen Robinson II, Amari Cooper , Stefon Diggs , Tyler Lockett , Michael Thomas , Cooper Kupp , Chris Godwin , Calvin Ridley , Terry McLaurin . Age Yards per Route Run PFF Route Grade Phase of Career 26 2.11 82.0 Prime years 27 1.92 80.2 Prime years 28 2.05 80.7 ... Still firmly in prime The takeaway: turning 28 does not trigger a sudden athletic-decline tax. Efficiency and grading remain remarkably stable. If Aiyuk fails to return to form, you can't blame the birth certificate; you have to blame the rust. Finding historical precedents for Aiyuk is incredibly difficult because healthy, in-their-prime receivers rarely sit out this long. In fact, after digging through more than 5,500 NFL receiver seasons, I found exactly four modern examples that even came close to Aiyuk's combination of both established production and roughly 20 months away from football. The four presented a mixed bag of warning signs and hope. Jordy Nelson returned from a torn ACL and immediately looked like himself again. Calvin Ridley was away from football for 23 months and topped 1,000 receiving yards, but his layoff stemmed from a mental health leave and an NFL suspension – not a major injury – which complicates comparisons to Aiyuk's situation. Odell Beckham Jr. returned after a 19-month absence following his ACL tear and reinvented himself as an efficient complementary receiver. Michael Thomas came back after nearly 20 months away, only to have another injury cut short what had been an encouraging start to his return. Player Age at Return Time Away Why He Missed Time First Season After Return The takeaway for Aiyuk Jordy Nelson 31 13 months Torn ACL (2015 preseason) 97 rec., 1,257 yds., 14 TD Best-case scenario: returned almost immediately to All-Pro form after a conventional ACL timeline but also missed just 13 months. Calvin Ridley 28 23 months Mental health leave and NFL suspension (not injury) 76 rec., 1,016 yds., 8 TD Best calendar comparison , but without the challenge of returning to form after serious injury. Odell Beckham Jr. 31 [... truncated ...]
QB · DAL
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Cowboys countdown to kickoff: Top 100 iconic games – Day 61
Yahoo Sports NFLSource ↗
It is Day 61 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff. We are looking back at the 100 most iconic games in Dallas Cowboys history. The countdown will leads us right up to the opening game of 2026. Our look back doesn’t depend on just one criteria for our rankings. We take into consideration things like how big the game was for the organization, how memorable the game was, games that had unusual events take place, games that are a part of NFL lore, Cowboys firsts, and games where the Cowboys just plain dominated. Variety is the spice of life and we have all different kind of Cowboys games to review. At the bottom, we’ll link each day of the countdown so you can go back and check out any you missed. Here we go for Day 61 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff, when we revisit one of the defining games of the Amari Cooper era. The Cowboys had traded a first-round pick to Oakland for Cooper in October, a move that was questioned heavily at the time. By early December, nobody in Dallas was questioning it anymore. Against the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles, Cooper delivered one of the great receiver performances in franchise history and walked off Philadelphia in overtime. For much of the afternoon, this did not look like a shootout. The first half was all field goals, with Brett Maher giving Dallas a 6-0 halftime lead. The Cowboys moved the ball, but penalties, turnovers, and red-zone issues kept the Eagles alive. Maher’s biggest swing came right before halftime, when he drilled a 62-yard field goal, setting a Cowboys franchise record at the time. The game finally opened up in the second half. Philadelphia tied it at 9-9, but Prescott and Cooper started taking over late. In the fourth quarter, Prescott found Cooper for a 28-yard touchdown to put Dallas ahead 16-9. The Eagles answered to tie it, and then Dallas hit the explosive play that made Cooper look worth every bit of the trade cost. On the first play of the Cowboys’ next possession, Prescott found Cooper down the right sideline for a 75-yard touchdown, giving Dallas a 23-16 lead. Philadelphia still would not go quietly. Carson Wentz answered with a late touchdown drive, eventually tying the game 23-23 and forcing overtime. The Eagles had shown plenty of fight, but the extra period belonged to Dallas. Prescott marched the Cowboys downfield on the opening possession, and on the final play, he threw once more to Cooper. Eagles corner Rasul Douglas tipped the pass, but the ball bounced right into Cooper’s hands near the 7-yard line. Cooper gathered it, walked into the end zone, and AT&T Stadium erupted. Cooper’s final line was ridiculous with 10 catches, 217 yards, and three touchdowns. He had the 28-yard go-ahead score, the 75-yard lightning strike, and the overtime winner off the deflection. Ezekiel Elliott was just as important to the shape of the game, rushing for 114 yards on 28 carries while adding 79 receiving yards on 12 catches. This game belongs on the countdown because it was the moment Cooper’s arrival fully transformed the 2018 season. Dallas had started 3-5, then won five straight after the Monday night loss to Tennessee , and this overtime win effectively gave the Cowboys control of the NFC East. It was a rivalry game, a playoff-race game, a revenge game against the defending champions, and a signature moment for one of the best midseason trades in franchise history. . Amari Cooper’s 217 receiving yards were a career high, and his three touchdowns all came after halftime. Countdown To Kickoff by day: 1 00 , 99 , 98 , 97 , 96 , 95 , 94 , 93 , 92 , 91 , 90 , 89 , 88 , 87 , 86 , 85 , 84 , 83 , 82 , 81 , 80 , 79 , 78 , 77 , 76 , 75 , 74 , 73 , 72 , 71 , 70 , 69 , 68 , 67 , 66 , 65 , 64 , 63 , 62
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Buffalo Bills 2026 scouting report: wide receiver Jalen Virgil
Yahoo Sports NFLSource ↗
The Buffalo Bills are evaluating wide receiver Jalen Virgil as part of their "91 players in 91 days" series. Virgil, 27, signed a one-year, $1.075 million deal with the Bills on February 10, 2026. He spent the 2025 offseason and training camp with Buffalo but suffered a hamstring injury, leading to his release with an injury settlement. He later spent time on the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad
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Cowboys 2026 roster rundown: WR CeeDee Lamb
It’s not often that your franchise wide receiver is one of the least-talked about guys on the roster, but that’s been CeeDee Lamb ’s offseason. As his fellow starter and even the backup have been getting a lot of attention, Lamb’s been almost taken for granted as a returning superstar in the Cowboys offense. Years in NFL: 6 Acquired by: 2020 1st-round pick It’s a tale most Cowboys fans already know well. In 2020, the Cowboys already had Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup as a solid starting duo of receiver. But when Lamb, generally considered a top-10 talent, fell to them at the 17th pick, it was too much value to turn down. Dallas scooped Lamb up, likely preventing him from becoming an Eagle within the next few picks. Lamb, Cooper, and Gallup formed a three-headed monster, each getting over 100 targets on the season. But with Mike McCarthy replacing Jason Garrett, and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the team wasn’t in great shape to take advantage of its strength at receiver. The team was 1-3 even before Dak Prescott ’s major leg injury, then there was only so much Kellen Moore’s offense could do to counter a terrible defensive year. Lamb still had a great rookie season with 935 yards and five touchdowns, but the best was yet to come. In 2021, Lamb began several streaks that remain in effect to this day. It was his first 1,000-yard season, his first trip to the Pro Bowl, and his first year as Dallas’ top receiver. His ascension to franchise status was a factor in Cooper being traded away the following offseason. In 2023, Lamb would earn a First-Team All-Pro nod as the NFL receptions leader, also breaking Dallas single-season records for receptions and receiving touchdowns that Michael Irvin had held since 1995. While he’s missed a couple of games each of the last two years, and played hurt through others, Lamb has never relinquished his top spot in the offense. George Pickens is the only Dallas WR to even come close to challenging him, but that debate will continue into next year. What a nice problem for the Cowboys to have! Years Left: 3 2026 Cap Hit: $19.7 million Lamb’s cap hit is well below his average annual salary of $34 million thanks to restructuring and void years. As such, the dead money against his contract makes him almost uncuttable through 2027 and perhaps even the final year. Thankfully, he’ll only be 29 in 2028, so there’s plenty of optimism for Lamb remaining a potent offensive weapon for the duration of the contract. Role: Starting WR Roster Chance: 100% Well, this one’s easy. Lamb will be right back in his usual spot as a favorite weapon for Dak Prescott. While fans and media may clamor over who is Dallas’ top receiver between him and Pickens, the players don’t seem remotely concerned about it. Both guys can eat in this high-volume offense, with plenty left on the table for Jake Ferguson , Ryan Flournoy , and others. Even if Pickens does remain the Cowboys’ most productive receiver in 2026, Lamb’s going to be fine. He’s got his money, and seems to be one of Pickens’ number-one fans on the roster. He and Prescott have both done a great job of helping Pickens feel welcomed in Dallas after leaving a rough situation in Pittsburgh , and continue to express support during this offseason’s contract issues. It’s good to have guys you can count on, and especially when they’re also among the elite players at key positions. CeeDee Lamb was a gift in 2020 and has kept on giving ever since. There’s no reason to think that will change this year. Check out our previous player profiles from this series: RB Israel Abanikanda | S Justin Barron | G T.J. Bass | C Cooper Beebe | CB DaRon Bland | G Tyler Booker | CB Josh Butler | S Alijah Clark | OT Ajani Cornelius | RB Malik Davis | DT Tommy Dunn | CB Cobie Durant | OLB Donovan Ezeiruaku | TE Princeton Fant | TE Jake Ferguson | WR Ryan Flournoy | C Matt Hennessy | S Malik Hooker | OLB James Houston | QB Sam Howell | WR Jordan Hudson | LB Shemar James | G Trev [... truncated ...]
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Cowboys predictions that feel bold now, but won’t be later
Yahoo Sports NFLSource ↗
The idea of bold predictions is so interesting. We step out on a limp and try to forecast something that feels impossible on most levels, but few of them leave it slightly within range if we squint our eyes. Today we are going to be talking about bold predictions that feel bold now, but later on down the road it might feel plain and obvious. These things tend to happen over time. Imagine if, for example, someone had said that rookie Ezekiel Elliott would lead the league in rushing while the Dallas Cowboys took home the top seed in the NFC. That was a decade ago and a lot has changed, but you get the idea. Let’s begin. This is an interesting year for the Cowboys offense. Opposing teams are obviously aware of how potent the group was last season, and it stands to reason that George Pickens may receive more attention on a game-by-game basis than he did in his inaugural season with the team. Still though he has proven to be an extremely dangerous threat opposite of CeeDee Lamb , and considering that Ryan Flournoy presents as a very serviceable third option, there are plenty of players to guard on defense. This feels similar to 2021 when the Cowboys had a tried and true trio of Lamb, Amari Cooper , and Michael Gallup . We never really got to see the three of them shine on a game-by-game basis for a variety of reasons, but the composition of everything led to the emergence of Dalton Schultz . That season was the first of consecutive ones where Schultz averaged double-digits per reception. Jake Ferguson has already done this in a season, incidentally the first that Schultz was gone, back in 2023 when Dak Prescott finished second in MVP voting. Circumstances around Ferguson feel similar to what they did around Schultz a handful of years ago, and he may be the most primary beneficiary of all of the other players that opponents have to deal with. This one may be me trying to manifest more than any other. Shavon Revel entered a really volatile situation from an overall perspective last year. He was a highly-touted draft prospect, but given that he was coming off of a torn ACL and that dampened his overall ceiling for his rookie year. Factor in that the Cowboys were still going at things with Trevon Diggs as a part of their plan in the secondary, and that the defense as a whole was so poorly constructed, it was difficult for anybody to properly thrive. An argument can be made that time has allowed for a proper settling for Revel in general, but that the Cowboys doing so as a unit has been helpful in parallel. This is the time when Revel has to remind everyone why there was such high belief around him last year. He is going to have every opportunity in the world to earn a starting job, and you could argue that the only real player ahead of him in the cornerback room at large is DaRon Bland which is a shaky proposition in its own right. Again, this is something that kind of has to happen for the Cowboys to take the next step. It just feels like it might off of the number of opportunities alone. Javonte Williams is well-entrenched as the Cowboys’ primary running back. Williams will get all of the traditional workhorse opportunities in a Schottenheimer sort of offense, one that Brian proved he was able to run along the lines of the NFL’s famed Marty Ball version that his father deployed. In today’s league though, you need to have a number of available options out of the backfield. There are a lot of people wish-casting (as I did with Revel above) that Jaydon Blue could be that player; we are not even a year removed from the coaching staff not exactly trusting him. Things can change, but there is a lot to overcome there. Plus, Phil Mafah represents the type of running that can close out games when matters are close and tough in the fourth quarter. He can help ice games away after the Cowboys offense has done work (with Jake Ferguson averaging 10 yards per reception, obviously!). What are some bold preditions you have that you thi [... truncated ...]
Data comes from cached Sleeper and KTC snapshots. Values update when the sync jobs run.