Cowboys Headlines: Dez Bryant makes CFHoF ballot, slams NFL's Pride Month campaign

USA Today

03-06-2025

Cowboys Headlines: Dez Bryant makes CFHoF ballot, slams NFL's Pride Month campaign
Dez Bryant has made headlines again, but not all of it is positive. The former Cowboys wideout is on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame in a deserved nod to his career at Oklahoma State. But Bryant has also stirred up some controversy with an online post where he unloads his inflammatory thoughts on one of the NFL's big social-issue campaigns. And to top it all off, one outlet's 2010 redraft makes his entire Cowboys career vanish.
Meanwhile, another member of the 88 Club likes what he saw at Cowboys practice over the weekend, and there's some confusion over just what jersey number the team's newest wide receiver will wear. We'll also share Tyler Smith's new role as the offensive line's leader, we'll reveal which Cowboys player is due for a big bounceback year, and we'll look into Solomon Thomas's possible redemption year. Micah Parsons has a problem with the offseason hobby of a highly-touted NFC East rookie, we'll explore the massive dead-money hit the team is taking, and we'll explain why one divisional rival's new coordinator has a former Cowboys head coach to thank for his opportunity.
Former Cowboys WR Dez Bryant among many locals on NFF College Football Hall of Fame ballot :: Dallas Morning News
Link
Bryant is one of 79 players on this year's ballot, along with fellow former Cowboys Flozell Adams, Kellen Moore, and Greg Ellis. Local college standouts Robert Griffin III and Josh Heupel are also included, as are coaches Tommy Tuberville and Gary Patterson.
Dez Bryant makes controversial statement regarding NFL Pride Month campaign :: SI.com
Link
A video for the NFL's Pride Month campaign in 2021 has made the rounds again on social media. Bryant took the opportunity to tee off on the inclusive messages contained therein, like 'Football is gay,' 'Football is lesbian,' 'Football is transgender,' and 'Football is for everyone.' "These are wild statements to make," Bryant wrote on X. "Excuse my silliness. I'm going to proudly tell my boys football is none of these things. I have nothing against Gays, but this is far from right."
After one practice, Hall of Famer vows '25 Cowboys 'will shock the world' :: Cowboys Wire
Link
Irvin is a believer in what Brian Schottenheimer has started in Dallas. After sitting in on Saturday's walkthrough, he was impressed with the obvious focus on competition and pressure that the coach is instilling in his players at every opportunity. It was, to the three-time Super Bowl champ, a noticeable difference over previous seasons. "We gon' shock your [expletive] this year," he promised.
Tyler Smith on revamped Cowboys' offensive line: 'It's important we rise to the occasion' :: The Mothership
Link
Smith has gone from being a rookie to being a team leader in three short years. Now he's taken it upon himself to bring the other two Tylers- Guyton and Booker- along in their development. He firmly believes the team's overall success is "gonna start and end with us" on the O-line.
Trust in the Trenches: NFC East offensive line rankings for 2025 :: Cowboys Wire
Link
The Cowboys could show real improvement here, especially behind new offensive coaches Klayton Adams and Conor Riley. But until the unit shows a big leap on the field, they rank no better than third in the division, ahead of New York but behind Washington and top-ranked Philadelphia.
Dead Money Blues: Almost $30 million in cap space used on these 6 former Cowboys :: Cowboys Wire
Link
Over 10% of the team's 2025 salary cap is going to Zack Martin, DeMarcus Lawrence, Brandin Cooks, and Michael Gallup. Cornerback Eric Scott and defensive tackle Viliami Fehoko are eating up much smaller chunks of cap space. None is with the team this season, but a few of those dead-money deals hurt worse than the others.
Bounceback candidates for all 32 NFL teams :: PFF
Link
Dak Prescott is the pick for Dallas. Yes, he was injured for much of 2024, but the truth is, he wasn't very good for the other half of the season, either. And that's after he was an MVP candidate the year before. Having George Pickens as a secondary option should certainly help Prescott's bounceback effort. (But don't overlook the need for Osa Odighizuwa to improve his run-stop numbers, too.)
Cowboys hoping to reap benefit of late-career surge from $41 million, former Top-3 pick :: Cowboys Wire
Link
Solomon Thomas is not just a former first-round pick; he's a former Top-5 pick. He could finally live up to that billing in the Cowboys' new-look defense under Matt Eberflus. He'll likely be a spot starter on the interior, alongside Osa Odighizuwa and Mazi Smith.
Micah 'The Lion' Parsons takes offense with rival rookie's offseason hobby :: Micah Parsons
New Dallas Cowboys linebacker Kenneth Murray is taking things 'personal' in 2025 :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Link
'When [opponents] are just running it down your throat, that's just unacceptable,' Murray said. The Cowboys have been abysmal in run defense lately, but he's been impressed by Matt Eberflus's attention to detail and plans to turn those numbers around in his first year with the team. The linebacker will get the chance early: Dallas will face five teams ranked in the top seven of rushing offense from 2024, including the second-ranked Eagles in Week 1, led by rushing champion Saquon Barkley.
George Pickens' Dallas Cowboys jersey number leaked on NFL Shop? :: SI.com
Link
Pickens has been taking the field in OTAs wearing No. 13. He wore No. 14 for Pittsburgh, but that number is currently worn by safety Markquese Bell. His college number, No. 1, belongs to wideout Jalen Tolbert. The team's online pro shop had No. 3 jerseys on sale with Pickens' name on the back... but Dante Fowler supposedly owns that number now that he's back with the Cowboys. Long story short, no one seems to know what jersey number Pickens will officially don in 2025.
Cowboys screwed in 2010 redraft as two teammates now go Top 20 :: Cowboys Wire
Link
PFF's re-do of the 2010 draft drastically changes the roster that Cowboys fans remember. Forget Dez Bryant and Sean Lee in this alternate reality; they both get picked in the first round, by the Raiders and Falcons respectively. Dallas instead takes wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders with their first-round selection. He originally went in the third round and actually outpaced Bryant in nearly every statistical category for receivers.
Deion Sanders believes 'foolish' pre-draft reports caused Shedeur Sanders' draft slide :: Awful Announcing
Link
The always opinionated Cowboys legend discounted anonymous reports that said Shedeur was "unprepared" for pre-draft meetings and blamed them for his son's drop from first-round possibility to fifth-round selection. 'But the Bible says God uses the foolish things to confound the wise," Deion said. "There was some foolish stuff that went on, but that gave them something that they needed. Like that edge that Tom [Brady] had, it gave them the edge that you had, it gave them the edge that I have. Folks said we weren't gonna be nothing."
Eagles OC Kevin Patullo has firm grasp of the bigger picture. Just ask Chan Gailey :: The Athletic
Link
Philadelphia's new offensive coordinator fought through some tough times with a bad and depleted team as a Kansas City staffer in 2008. But he also watched former Cowboys head coach Chan Gailey devise the pistol offense out of necessity. Gailey says the experience helped Patullo learn how to "take what we have and defeat what they have." Except now at 43, Patullo will have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL at his disposal.
Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!