Cowboys News: Here’s when Beckham will be ready, Cowboys’ Super Bowl odds

Odell Beckham Jr. has left The Star, but he’s still the top story as the football world grapples with what happens next. Though the Cowboys didn’t offer him a contract, Jerry Jones reveals that the two sides are still trying to work something out. DeMarcus Lawrence gets real about the whole situation, and Ezekiel Elliott gets grilled on why he wasn’t part of the full-court press effort by some of his teammates earlier in the week.

In other news, Tyron Smith is back at work, Kelvin Joseph took the day off, and Mike McCarthy is working to keep the team focused on maintaining their edge heading into a meeting with a 1-10-1 opponent. Micah Parsons has christened a new big cat on the Dallas defense, Dak Prescott has the offense cruising since his return, and there’s a new leader when it comes to Super Bowl-winning odds. The league’s analytics staffers give their two cents on who does it best, some Cowboys are looking for a boost in Pro Bowl votes, and why Dallas may not want to be the top NFC seed after all. All that and more in this edition of News and Notes.

Do Dallas Cowboys still want Odell Beckham? Jerry Jones says they are still working it :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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Beckham has left the building, but Jerry Jones says the team is still in talks to hire him. “We are still working on it,” the owner explained Wednesday. Mike McCarthy revealed that he and the free agent receiver talked more about “life and family” than football during their sit-down. “Extremely impressed with Odell and enjoyed our time together,” the coach told reporters. “I liked his vibe.”

Micah Parsons: Odell Beckham expects to play in five weeks :: ProFootballTalk

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Parsons got a prognosis from the free agent himself during his visit to Dallas. “He told me five weeks. Five weeks,” Parsons said. “No trainer, no doctor, no anybody can tell a player how he feels. It’s your body.” Parsons added that he got the impression that Beckham wants to play in Dallas.

Elliott defends not going to Mavericks game with Beckham :: Patrik Walker (Twitter)

DeMarcus Lawrence offers no-nonsense take on OBJ situation :: Jori Epstein (Twitter)

Cowboys activate Tyron Smith's 21-day practice window: 'He's definitely ready to go' :: Cowboys Wire

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The eight-time Pro Bowler was back at work Wednesday for the first time in 105 days. The Cowboys will have three weeks to either put him on the active roster or return him to injured reserve and end his season. While Smith could be active as early as this Sunday versus Houston, Week 15’s meeting with Jacksonville may be a more likely target.

Week 14 Injury Report: Cowboys newest starter misses practice :: Cowboys Wire

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Kelvin Joseph, the heir apparent to Anthony Brown’s cornerback spot, did not participate Wednesday with an illness. Neither did Sam Williams. Johnathan Hankins also missed for non-injury/personal reasons. DeMarcus Lawrence, Jayron Kearse, and Quinton Bohanna were limited.

Cowboys' Wilson has reached elite status in 2022 :: The Mothership

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Donovan Wilson is no longer a secret weapon when it comes to defense. The former sixth-round draft pick is tied for the team lead in tackles, has four sacks, and has even earned a nickname from Micah Parsons. “The Jaguar” has broken onto the big stage and become one of the best players in the NFL this season.

Micah Parsons among dozen Cowboys players in top 10 at position for Pro Bowl fan voting :: Dallas Morning News

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Micah Parsons leads the fan vote at outside linebacker; Zack Martin and Trevon Diggs are second at their respective positions. Donovan Wilson, KaVontae Turpin, DeMarcus Lawrence, CeeDee Lamb, Bryan Anger, Tony Pollard, Dorance Armstrong, Brett Maher, and C.J. Goodwin are all currently in the top ten at their positions. Fan voting goes until Dec. 15.

The Dak difference :: PFF (Twitter)

The Cowboys might want to rethink trying to get the #1 seed :: Blogging the Boys

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The top seed in the NFC bracket is still up for grabs, but should the Cowboys really want the first-round bye that comes with it? In the weeks when Dak Prescott has been on a normal seven-day interval, he has come out on fire. In his other starts, he’s been slow getting out of the gate. Extra recovery time for all is probably preferred, but there may be something to be said for keeping momentum entering the postseason.

ESPN projects surprising team as Super Bowl LVII favorite :: Yardbarker

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The Cowboys have a 29.3% chance of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February, according to ESPN’s projections. Those are the best odds in the NFL. Football Outsiders has Dallas with the third-highest likelihood; Pro Football Focus gives them the fourth-best chance.

McCarthy imploring Cowboys to ignore massive point spread vs Texans: 'Don't take the cheese' :: Cowboys Wire

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Dallas is a staggering 17-point favorite, but Mike McCarthy is not overlooking the Texans. “It’s the National Football League, and we all recognize that,” the coach said. The team will not practice in pads this week (a result of the winter schedule), but McCarthy still expects to “max it out” in terms of prepping to face his old nemesis Lovie Smith.

Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott strengthens Salvation Army involvement with $50K holiday donation :: Dallas Morning News

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The running back has brought plenty of attention to the Salvation Army by jumping into AT&T Stadium’s big red kettle on multiple occasions since his rookie year. On Wednesday, he just came directly to the warehouse. Elliott presented a $50,000 check toward the Angel Tree program to supply holiday gifts for children, special-needs adults, and seniors across North Texas. “When he jumps into the kettle, people write us checks,” a spokesperson said. “I don’t think he could have imagined in 2016 the ripple effect of this.”

NFL analytics survey 2022: Teams that use advanced metrics most, least :: ESPN

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Analytics staffers from twenty-one different teams have weighed in on a variety of topics. The Cowboys were mentioned among the clubs that produce the highest level of analytics work, and two voters put them in the top five when it comes to being the most analytically inclined. When asked to pick players who are underrated and overrated based on what they see in the metrics, two named Cowboys punter Bryan Anger as being underrated. Trevon Diggs and Ezekiel Elliott both got votes calling them overrated.

Past/Present: Witten named Coach of the Year :: The Mothership

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The future Hall of Famer has another piece of hardware for the trophy case. Witten was named Coach of the Year by the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools for guiding the Liberty Christian Warriors to a 10-2 record (an eight-win improvement over last season), a district championship, and a trip to the regional round of the postseason tournament. This was Witten’s second year as the school’s head coach.

Story originally appeared on Cowboys Wire