Cowboys news: Late-round receivers that could interest Dallas
6 late-round wide receivers Cowboys should monitor at NFL Combine – Randy Gurzi, Sports Illustrated
These late-round receivers should be sure to âcatchâ your eye.
Ricky White III, UNLV
Ricky White III topped 1,000 yards the past two seasons while scoring 19 touchdowns. He benefited from an explosive offense but should still be on the radar for any team wanting to add more firepower in the passing game. He has a strong feel for the game and is superior at tracking the ball in the air. Whiteâs primary concern is dealing with man coverage but he also offers special teams versatility. That means he can still contribute while learning to overcome his weaknesses.
Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
At 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, Jaylin Noel isnât the biggest wideout but you wouldnât know that by watching his tape. Heâs a tough receiver who wins more than his share of jump balls. Throw in his vertical speed and he could be a lot of fun in an offense that plans to utilize far more play-action passing.
Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas
If the Cowboys want to add someone with plenty of size, they could look to Andrew Armstrong from Arkansas. Born in Dallas, Armstrong began his collegiate career at Texas A&M-Commerce before spending his final two seasons with the Razorbacks. He proved to be a valuable weapon once he was in the SEC, recording 764 yards in 2023 and 1,140 in 2024. Despite his numbers and quick burst off the line, there are questions surrounding Armstrong. He might be able to quiet those at the Combine and given his ties to Dallas, the Cowboys will be watching.
Jimmy Horn Jr., Colorado
If Dallas wants someone who can stretch the field and offer help in the return game, they could look to Jimmy Horn, Jr. The 5-foot-9, 160-pounder didnât get the attention he deserved at Colorado, which is understandable. That team was loaded with star power on the field, plus they have Deion Sanders coaching them.
Horn still managed to stand out due to his developed route tree and elite speed. He would likely be around late on Day 3 and would give them someone capable of hitting the home run.
Are we sure this formula will work for the Dallas Cowboys? – Shane Taylor, Inside the Star
Did the Cowboys really get it right this time?
Here we are again, talking about an offseason filled with more questions than answers, and unfortunately for all of us fans, we are in store for much of the same.
With a boat load of pending free agents, the Cowboys coaching staff is brand new and when it comes to scoring points, this team is going to rely on three people.
Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Brain Schottenheimer.
Bad Formula?
This offense maybe reached its peak two years ago, and yes bringing back the same guy who was behind the scenes may help with familiar, that does not mean itâs a good formula. Look, Iâm not here to try and tell everyone how to run a football team, but now Micah Parsons is even speaking out.
This team has to get more talent or they have no chance. The formula to win games right now is getting a running back in the backfield that can produce, Rico Dowdle is one of over 20 pending free agents, will he return? I donât know. Brain loves to run the football, we know that is his and his dads philosophy, so is Jerry going to draft a back or not?
Potential Draft Picks
The clear-cut best running back prospect in the class, and a name that has been connected to the Cowboys early and often in mock drafts, with Jeanty. Kaleb Johnson is another guy that I really like from Iowa. Johnson racked up 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2024, proving to be the Hawkeyeâs primary source of offense.
He could be available when Dallas is on the clock at No. 44, and if they donât land a back in Round 1, he would be a tempting option. Yet, the back I really want Dallas to take is one of the two who just won the national championship. Think about this: TreVeyon Henderson finished his Ohio State career with 667 touches, 4614 yards, 48 touchdowns and ZERO fumbles.
Give me a guy who touches the ball as much as he did, plus playing in the big ten with nothing but NFL talent who didnât put the ball on the ground once. Other guys like Cam Skattebo, Dylan Sampson, Kaleb Johnson, TreVeyon Henderson and Devin Neal will all be around in the later rounds for this team to get.
ESPNâs 2025 NFL predictions makes intriguing statement about Cowboys – K.D. Drummond
What the experts think of ahead of 2025 season reveals about the Cowboys.
With the conclusion of the 2024 season and the requisite championship parade, the NFL world is ready to move on to bigger and better things. The chase for SuperBowl LX has begun and to kick things off, ESPNâs collection of analysts weighed in with their early thoughts about how things are going to shake out.
13 NFL experts were asked for their predictions about a wide variety of topics, including which two teams would represent their conferences in The Big Game, who would take home the MVP and what teams would breakout in a big way. 65 predictions were made, some with the requisite âif it isnât X, then Yâ double dips and the most interesting thing for fans of the Dallas Cowboys was that they werenât mentioned at all.
Not once. Has the malaise brought on by Jerry Jonesâ inability to manufacture hope among his teamâs fanbase finally soured the media from including Dallas in every conversation?
Dallas didnât garner a single thought in the entire lengthy article. There was no wild predictions they would breakout in the first year under head coach Brian Schottenheimer, no mentions of Dak Prescott or Micah Parsons as an MVP candidate.
More strangely, when given the opportunity to share one move theyâd like to see a team, any team, make this offseason, the Cowboys werenât even thrown a bone in that scenario.
It seems no one has much faith, or interest, in the Cowboys resurrecting themselves in 2025.
Meanwhile, NFC East rivals Philadelphia and Washington, both of whom Dallas will need to overtake within the division, were in predictions left and right. Four analysts had the Super Bowl champions returning to try and defend their title, and two others have penciled Washington in.
Cowboys 2025 offseason roster preview: Running backs – Jess Haynie, Blogging the Boys
When it comes to tailback, Dallas needs to rush to towards a solution.
Under Contract
Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke (FB), Malik Davis
Potential Departures
Rico Dowdle
It feels like weâve done a lap around the RB conversation and are right back where we started before the 2024 offseason. Tony Pollard was headed into free agency and there wasnât anyone of consequence under contract. Once again, we find last seasonâs starter with an expiring contract and not much to speak of behind him.
The cupboard wasnât as bare as most people thought a year ago. They didnât realize that Rico Dowdle had a 1,000-yard season in him. Once he was finally given full RB1 treatment around Thanksgiving, Dowdleâs productivity soared. Had the Cowboys not gotten nostalgic with Ezekiel Elliott early in 2024, Dowdle might have finished as the NFLâs third-leading rusher behind Barkley and Henry.
But even without those extra yards, Dowdle still enters the 2025 free agent market with momentum. Though he turns 27 in June, he has relatively low NFL mileage. An all-around player with skills that suit most systems, Dowdle should attract plenty of interest. And with this being his first chance at free agency with some actual juice, Dowdle may want to see how that feels before agreeing to anything the Cowboys might offer.
Granted, many would like to see a more explosive, game-breaking runner in Dallas. But that requires an outside move as none of the current in-house options fit the bill. At best, Hunter Leupke and Deuce Vaughn are utility players. And while Malik Davis has his fans from the last few preseasons, he couldnât even beat Dowdle for a roster spot.
Free Agency
While Dowdle wonât be the biggest name in the 2025 RB market, there isnât a Barkley-level option out there for teams needing a new starter. Aaron Jones and Nick Chubb are the more accomplished prospective free agents, saddled with their own age and injury concerns. Dowdle falls more into the next tier with guys like J.K. Dobbins and Najee Harris.
Without any splash signing to be had, Dallasâ strategy may be to re-sign Dowdle or replace him with someone comparable. If the team believes it can maintain the kind of production that Dowdle had in the back portion of last season, they might take more of a âmoneyballâ approach at RB and focus cap dollars and draft picks on bolstering other parts of the offense. If Dowdle could be that productive with last yearâs issues, imagine what could happen in stronger surroundings.
That said, the Cowboys were unwilling to pay the modest salaries that guys like Henry and Zack Moss got in last yearâs market. With renewed appreciation for running backs after 2024, the prices arenât going to get any lower. If Dallas is unwilling to cough up the cash to retain Dowdle or fill the spot with a veteran, then handling the position through the draft becomes more important.
