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Cowboys News: Stealing signals, delaying the inevitable, and return of the chosen one

angeltorres
·6 min read
19

The Cowboys have moved on from the debacle in Arizona and begun practicing for their Week 4 opponent, the New England Patriots. While their attention has moved on, injuries to the offensive line remain a concern. With Bill Belichick coming to Texas, a clean bill of health would greatly benefit the team and there are hopeful signs some of the starting group could return. Dallas did end up making a roster move, bringing in a former first-round offensive lineman for depth purposes.

Belichick is on the cusp of a monumental milestone and it is up to the Cowboys to delay that achievement by at least another week. Combined with an emotional return by one of the franchise’s best players, prepping for signals that could be poached and revisiting draft regrets, this week is shaping up to be a doozy.

 

Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott expects 'some emotions' vs. Cowboys :: ESPN

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Emotions will run high when former Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott returns to play against his former team for the first time in his career. Elliott signed with New England after being released by Dallas in the offseason. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hinted at a possible tribute for the Cowboy’s third all-time rushing leader. “I don’t know what I’m necessarily expecting,” Elliott said. “It’s definitely going to be weird, just being in a different uniform, being in the visitor’s locker room. But I think it’ll just be a good experience kind of seeing the fans again.”

6 key Cowboys now on initial Week 6 injury report as vet days return :: Cowboys Wire

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Dallas took to the practice field today in preparation for their upcoming matchup against New England and a few familiar names have yet to return to full action. Zack Martin and Tyler Biadasz worked with the rehab group while left tackle Tyron Smith was missing altogether. DeMarcus Lawrence and wideout Cedee Lamb also missed practice with the “Rest” designation. Backup lineman Chuma Edoga was limited with the same elbow injury he hurt against the Jets.

Bill and his amazing breakdown of the Cowboys :: Bill Belichick

Cowboys add former first-rounder to practice squad; team currently has 4 centers :: Cowboys Wire

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The Cowboys free agent center inked Billy Price to the practice squad. Special teams ace C.J. Goodwin was signed to the 53-man roster after the injury to star cornerback Trevon Diggs. The open practice squad spot allowed the team to sign Price. The former Bengals 2018 first-round pick started multiple games and provides depth at the position. Center Brock Hoffman was elevated for the third and final time this season from the practice squad.

Bill Belichick going for his 300th regular-season win :: Pro Football Talk

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New England earned their first win of the season by defeating the Jets but find themselves looking up at both division rivals Dolphins and Bills. If the team was looking for more incentives in this game, Bill Belichick could become only the third coach in NFL history with 300 regular season wins joining Don Shula (328) and George Halas (318).

 

Cowboys react to Patriots adding Will Grier to roster :: Dallas Cowboys

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Ezekiel Elliott isn’t the only Dallas player going up against his former team on Sunday. Quarterback Will Grier was added to the New England 53-man roster after a short stint on Cincinnati’s practice squad following his release from Dallas. Concerns over sign stealing became a concern after the move was made. Quarterbacks often have intimate knowledge of the inner workings of an offense, so the Cowboys must be ready to counter any inside information Bill Belichick may have uncovered.

Do the Cowboys regret drafting Schoonmaker instead of Torrence? :: Cowboys Wire

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The Dallas Cowboys entered the draft with rumors that the team would target a tight end early. While the team didn’t select one in the first round, they did draft Michigan tight end Luke Schoonmaker with their second-round draft pick. While the offensive line Dallas has constructed could be formidable, injuries continue to keep the projected starting five from taking a snap together. Passing on a potential starting-caliber offensive lineman for a reserve tight end has some rethinking the team’s draft approach to the second round.

Three blinking lights for Mike McCarthy

Cowboys 53-man roster, elevation-eligible players vs Patriots for Week 4 :: Cowboys Wire

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Practice squad elevations are reserved to a three-game maximum. While center Brock Hoffman has used up all of his elevations, there are a few players who could help this team against the Patriots. A player would have to be signed onto the 53-man roster in order to play once his eligibility has expired.

Cowboys say red zone woes are ‘not a personnel issue,’ which isn’t entirely true :: The Athletic

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“The most important thing is that we’re getting down there more than anybody,” coach Mike McCarthy said “We lead the league in 10-plus drives, so we’re moving the ball. That’s the hard part. We have some strong feelings that we’re not going to talk about in here (publicly) on things we can improve on.”

In fairness, this isn’t exactly a one-game overreaction. In Week 2 against the New York Jets, the Cowboys were 2 for 6 in the red zone, something quarterback Dak Prescott even lamented on after that game. It just wasn’t a big talking point because the team won big, and as the saying goes, winning is the greatest deodorant.

NFL offensive line rankings ahead of Week 4 :: Pro Football Focus

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When healthy, the Cowboys have one of the NFL’s best groups. When.

LT Tyron Smith
LG Tyler Smith
C Tyler Biadasz
RG Zack Martin
RT Terence Steele

Story originally appeared on Cowboys Wire