Dallas Cowboys

Tolbert showed some signs of life in his second season in 2023 after only catching two passes as a third-round rookie the year prior. The South Alabama product posted a 22-268-2 line on 36 targets across 17 regular-season games, and Gallup's release now leaves Tolbert poised to take another step forward as a potential No. 3 receiver in 2024.

Dallas' defense could be very short-handed for Sunday's matchup with starting corners Diggs and Caelen Carson both questionable and its top two pass rushers, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, already ruled out.

Turpin ranks fourth among Cowboys wide receivers with eight targets and 55 receiving yards, trailing CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert and Cooks. With Cooks out of the picture against Pittsburgh, Turpin is likely to see the field frequently in three-receiver sets alongside Lamb and Tolbert, though Jalen Brooks could also see additional action at wide receiver. Turpin is known primarily for his special teams prowess as a return man, but has four receiving touchdowns since the start of last season, including a 16-yard touchdown catch in Week 3 against the Ravens.

Jalen Tolbert becomes a potential add with Cooks reportedly recovering from a knee infection, and he's outperformed the veteran so far this season anyway with 13 catches, 160 receiving yards and a touchdown through Dallas' first four games.

Lawrence has been placed on injured reserve, sidelining him for a minimum of four games. However, there's no guarantee that he'll be ready immediately when eligible to return, and he could end up missing the majority of the regular season. The Cowboys signed KJ Henry to the active roster and are also expected to elevate Carl Lawson from the practice squad to cover for Lawrence's absence.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said that he didn't have a specific timeline for Parsons' return and added that the star edge rusher would be getting a second opinion. The injury occurred when Giants left guard Greg Van Roten fell on the back of Parsons' leg during a pass-rush play, which led to the latter's exit from the game and an eventual cart ride to the locker room for X-rays.

Lawrence was injured in the Cowboys' Week 4 win over the Giants and is in danger of missing more than four weeks. This is a severe blow to Dallas' pass rush with All-Pro Micah Parsons suffering a high ankle sprain in the same game and also expected to miss time.

Parsons, who's recorded 13 or more sacks in each of his first three NFL seasons, is at risk of missing additional games as well due to the nature of his injury. With fellow starting end DeMarcus Lawrence just put on IR, the Cowboys may have to get creative to generate a pass rush on Justin Fields.

It's a tactic that worked well in the end for both CeeDee Lamb, who signed the second-biggest deal of any wide receiver in the league in August, and Dak Prescott, who became the league's highest-paid player just before the start of the 2024 season with a new contract that pays him $60 million per year. Parsons is likely headed for a new contract that will make him the highest paid non-QB, but allowing players like Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt to reset the edge rusher market first will only give him more leverage in negotiations. Parsons, a first-round pick in 2021, will be playing on the final year of his rookie contract in 2025 if he doesn't get an extension.

Ferguson has yet to be officially ruled out, but things seem to be trending that way as he manages a bone bruise and MCL sprain sustained in the season opener against the Browns. Schoonmaker would presumably top the depth chart if Ferguson sits given Schoonmaker's status as a 2023 second-round draft pick, though the Cowboys also have rookie undrafted free-agent signing Brevyn Spann-Ford and John Stephens, who has a hamstring injury and has yet to play in an NFL game.

Ferguson was originally feared to have suffered an ACL tear, so the subsequent diagnosis was actually a welcome one. The third-year tight end noted Wednesday he feels his pain is essentially gone, and head coach Mike McCarthy did not hesitate to say that he had optimism that Ferguson could suit up versus the Saints.

The Cowboys have recently re-signed Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb to lucrative long-term extensions. Micah Parsons is another big name who is nearing free agency, but he remains under contract on his rookie deal through the 2025 season. The team's executive vice president Stephen Jones noted that the team will engage in extension talks with Parsons following the 2024 campaign, a negotiating strategy by the Cowboys that has resulted in both Lamb and Prescott signing contracts right at the top of the market at their respective positions.

Bland suffered a foot injury toward the end of training camp and was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return. Fowler acknowledged that there is still a long way to go in Bland's recovery, so the outlook on the cornerback's recovery could change. Once he is back, the Cowboys will boast a fearsome pair of ballhawks in the secondary with Trevon Diggs at corner as well.

Prescott began his ninth season with the Cowboys in Sunday's 33-17 win over the Browns. Troy Aikman spent 12 seasons in Dallas, and Prescott would surpass that mark by one year if he plays all four seasons of his record-setting extension, which kicks in at the beginning of the 2025 season.

Ferguson was injured in the season opener and missed last week's loss to the Saints, but is good to go after participating fully in Friday's practice. The tight end is coming off a strong 2023 campaign in which he caught 71 passes for 761 yards and five touchdowns.

Cooks is an interesting character reference for Prescott, considering he's also played with Tom Brady and Drew Brees during his career. Cooks pointed out Wednesday that even those future Hall of Famers "had a lot help around them." The veteran wideout went on to emphasize the importance of the Cowboys' skill-position players stepping up their level of play for Prescott and noted he took personally what he deemed as disrespect for his quarterback.

The Cowboys reached an agreement with CeeDee Lamb, which reportedly took priority over Prescott because he did not report to camp. With that situation resolved, Prescott's deal will get all the attention of the Cowboys' front office. Per Graziano, talks have been positive over the last few weeks, and the value of any deal ultimately reached is expected to surpass $55 million per season.

Ferguson -- the Cowboys' fourth-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft -- had a productive sophomore campaign, when he caught 71 passes on 102 targets for 761 yards and five touchdowns over 17 regular-season games. He displayed chemistry with Prescott last season and during this year's training camp, and if Cooks cannot suit up for Week 1 against Cleveland, Ferguson could be a go-to target in the passing game at the start of the 2024 regular season.

Tolbert didn't play in any of Dallas' preseason contests, but he was one of the standout players early in training camp and took advantage of his first-team reps due to Lamb's absence. If Cooks were to be held out of the Cowboys' regular-season opener against the Browns, Tolbert would be in position to see more targets in the passing game from quarterback Dak Prescott. Across 17 regular-season games last season, Tolbert caught 22 passes on 36 targets for 268 yards and two touchdowns.

Cook was a Pro Bowler just two short seasons ago in Minnesota, but the 2023 campaign was an almost total washout that saw him spend time with both the Jets and Ravens. Cook stated Thursday he's fully recovered from the shoulder surgery he'd undergone last offseason, and he added he was looking forward to learning from the entire Cowboys running back room while ideally getting a chance to prove himself again at age 29.

Prescott saw the other marquee offensive player on the Cowboys with a contract snafu, top target CeeDee Lamb, finally put pen to paper on his long-awaited deal earlier this week, but the star signal-caller remains in limbo. Therefore, while Prescott confirmed not having a hard deadline in mind, he also remarked "it says a lot if it is or if it isn't" with respect to whether that pre-Week 1 timeline is met. Prescott's agent Todd France and the team have been in talks all summer, but a deal doesn't appear close to imminent.

Vaughn made the Cowboys' 53-man roster Tuesday, along with Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle. Elliott and Dowdle are expected to get the majority of playing time on offense, with Vaughn's contributions limited primarily to special teams. If Dallas eventually brings Cook up to the active roster, Vaughn would be at risk of getting cut, as the Cowboys may not want to carry four running backs on the roster.

Dowdle was one of three running backs named to Dallas' 53-man roster Tuesday, along with Ezekiel Elliott and Deuce Vaughn. While Dowdle will likely get a chance to earn a prominent role early, the Cowboys now have the option of signing Cook to their active roster if the team isn't impressed with the early returns from Dowdle, who has logged just 96 rushing attempts since entering the professional ranks in 2020.

The Cowboys kept three running backs when they trimmed their roster down to 53 players Tuesday: Elliott, Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn. Elliott and Dowdle both seem poised for significant roles on offense, but Cook could cut into both of their workloads and even has a chance to emerge as Dallas' leading backfield option down the line. Cook had just 214 rushing yards in 2023, but he notched at least 1,135 yards on the ground in each of the previous four seasons.

Bland had nine interceptions - five returned for touchdowns - in 2023 in a remarkable sophomore campaign.

Lamb has staged a training camp holdout while seeking a contract extension. It's unclear exactly what kind of progress has been made, but Archer reports that the Cowboys' latest offer would make him the second-highest paid receiver in the league behind Justin Jefferson. Jones has repeatedly spoken with confidence about getting a deal done with Lamb, and he has also downplayed the negative effects of the star wide receiver's absence from camp.

The Cowboys' acquired Phillips from the Giants on Wednesday to provide depth at defensive tackle behind Smith and Osa Odighizuwa. Smith relayed that Phillips' addition to Dallas' defensive front brings in much needed competition and pushes the group to another level where "iron sharpens iron." Phillips spent the last two years with the Bills, accumulating 35 tackles, including 4.0 sacks, and seven passes defended across 26 regular-season contests.

Jones made waves last week when he remarked the team didn't feel any urgency to get a deal with Lamb completed, but he subsequently walked back those comments and confirmed the talented wideout was "missed" when speaking on the Cowboys' pregame show prior to the team's exhibition opener. Lamb has yet to participate in training camp as he seeks a contract that could potentially surpass the four-year, $140 million deal Justin Jefferson inked with the Vikings earlier in the offseason.

Prescott is entering the final season of his contract with Dallas, but unlike teammate CeeDee Lamb, the quarterback is taking part in training camp. Prescott dealt with an ankle injury recently but practiced without limitations Wednesday, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. Less accomplished quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love recently signed four-year contracts with average annual salaries of $53.1 and $55 million, respectively, but the 31-year-old Prescott is five years older than those quarterbacks.

Prescott participated in Thursday's full practice without any apparent limitations. In contrast, Friday's practice was of a lighter variety with the teams set to face off in their respective preseason openers Sunday, a game Prescott was already not slated to play in. Archer reports the team labeled the decision to hold Prescott out as precautionary, and he's unlikely to miss any additional practice time.

Lamb is balking at playing out the final year of his contract at a salary of $17.99 million and instead is seeking long-term security in the form of what could be the richest contract for a wide receiver in NFL history. The talented wideout was placed on the reserve/did not report list earlier in the week so the Cowboys could add a roster spot, and Lamb directly responded to a social media report about Jones' comments with a post that simply stated "lol."

Lamb has not reported to training camp, choosing to work out in Houston as he looks for a contract extension. Lamb and the Cowboys appear closer to reaching an extension, with Jones noting Saturday that conversations between the two sides are "good right now." Lamb is in the fifth year of his rookie contract and is slated to earn $17.99 million, and Patra notes that the All-Pro wideout's salary could be double that figure once an agreement has been struck.

The 2022 fifth-round pick had a season for the ages by cornerback standards a year ago, recording nine interceptions and returning an NFL-record five of them for touchdowns on the way to a First-Team All-Pro nod. Bland is learning a new scheme this summer due to the arrival of Mike Zimmer as the team's defensive coordinator, and the ball-hawking third-year pro appears on his way to proving he can be just as effective within it as he was over his first two seasons.

Lamb is on a quest for a long-term deal that would potentially make him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL, and he's therefore not with the Cowboys as they begin training camp. Tolbert, who already took a step forward in his sophomore 2023 campaign after a forgettable two-catch rookie season, has taken Lamb's spot on the first-team offense during each of the first two practices, and Patrik Walker of the team's official site reports Tolbert is already flashing plenty of chemistry with Dak Prescott.

Both Martin and Elliott have been at a summertime stalemate with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in their respective careers -- Martin missed three weeks of training camp in 2023 before a contractual adjustment was made, while Elliott missed all of camp and preseason in 2019 before landing a six-year deal. Each player noted it's difficult to be at home while the rest of the team is in camp, but both expressed that the team unequivocally supports Lamb in his quest for long-term security.

Prescott's increasingly tenuous contract situation was naturally a hot topic at Jones' annual camp-opening press conference. The star signal-caller, who's heading into the final year of his current deal, has been talked up by Jones before, but no new contract appears imminent. Nevertheless, Jones went out of his way to be clear about his feelings regarding the quarterback's future with the team when asked Thursday. "Just to be very specific, I do not think that this will be his last year with the Cowboys at all," Jones said.

Lamb led the NFL with 181 targets in 2023, and Prescott's connection with Lamb played a large part in the quarterback pacing the league with 410 completions and 36 touchdown passes last season. Dallas and Lamb have plenty of time to resolve the contract dispute that's currently keeping him away from the team, but the possibility of his absence stretching into the 2024 season can't be ruled out.

Lamb is expecting a new deal after the likes of Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown all received lucrative long-term deals this offseason. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network further reports that the two sides have worked on a deal, and Lamb's absence will certainly add some urgency to the Cowboys' side of things. True holdouts are rare due to the fines that players accrue for not reporting, though Lamb appears prepared to take the short-term financial hit.

That backup job to Dak Prescott is the short-term goal, but Archer notes Lance is also prepping for a potential shot at free agency next offseason. A serious leg injury and the subsequent development of Brock Purdy conspired to oust Lance from San Francisco, but he's slated to get the bulk of reps in preseason games this summer as he tries to beat out Cooper Rush for the No. 2 role with the Cowboys. Lance has been prepping through his workouts with Christensen, which have included a focus on the quarterback's footwork, grip and velocity.

The Cowboys have publicly stated they plan to use a committee at running back, which will include Ezekiel Elliott. However, Yousuf believes that Dowdle is the player best positioned to emerge as the leader of the backfield. He had a solid third season as a pro in 2023, racking up 361 yards on 85 carries, but he appears to have a shot at surpassing those numbers in 2024.

Prescott said Tuesday during a youth football camp he was hosting that he is feeling great and went on to explain that he wore the boot after his ankle was a bit sore following some extensive workouts. Prescott will be ready for training camp, which is set to begin July 25.

Per Archer, the injury isn't expected to impact Prescott's availability for training camp, which begins July 25 for the Cowboys, in any way. It's uncertain when or how Prescott suffered the injury, as his last on-field work at the team facility was June 5.

Machota projects Dallas will keep Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn at running back along with fullback Hunter Luepke, while cutting Freeman and Malik Davis. If Freeman fails to make the team, it would be a missed opportunity for the veteran running back considering Dallas has arguably the least impressive backfield in the NFL entering the 2024 season. Freeman will have a chance to make his case for a spot with Dallas during training camp and preseason after compiling 319 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 4.1 yards per carry with the Rams over 14 regular-season games in 2023.

Rush is battling Trey Lance for the backup spot behind Dak Prescott. Machota believes the job is Lance's to lose given his superior upside, and the Cowboys are unlikely to roster three quarterbacks, which would leave Rush as the odd man out.

Lance is likely to get a roster spot over Rush given Lance's far greater upside. While Rush has six NFL starts under his belt compared to Lance's four, Lance's superior physical tools led to him being drafted third overall in 2021 by the 49ers. According to Machota, Lance would have to have an awful training camp and preseason to lose the competition for Dallas' backup spot behind Dak Prescott.

The Cowboys, as has been their pattern in recent years under Jerry Jones, have dragged their heels in working out a new deal for star players like Lamb, preferring to let the market establish itself first. The 25-year-old wideout will be looking for something comparable to the $35 million per season that Justin Jefferson got from the Vikings, and Lamb seems unlikely to report until he gets it.

Ferguson took the leap in his sophomore campaign in 2023, finishing with 71 catches on 102 targets for 761 yards and five touchdowns across 17 regular-season games en route to his first Pro Bowl selection. The 2022 fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin was Dak Prescott's second-favorite target last season behind CeeDee Lamb, and Ferguson will rightfully draw more attention from opposing defenses in 2024.

Michael Gallup departed this offseason and the Cowboys made no significant additions to their wide receiver corps, leaving the depth chart behind CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks unsettled. Tolbert and Brooks have both have gotten positive reviews to this point in the offseason, with Brooks getting praise for his ability to work in short areas and excel on slant routes. He played only 74 offensive snaps in 2023, his rookie season.

Getting Prescott's situation resolved first makes sense for salary cap reasons, but time is growing short for the team to get new contracts in place for both star players before the season begins. Lamb will be looking for a contract at least in the neighborhood of the one Justin Jefferson just signed with the Vikings, which had an average annual salary of $35 million and $110 million in guaranteed money.

All three stars are eligible for extensions, although Parsons is under contract for two more years and will almost certainly have to wait for the other two Dallas players to get their deals first. Prescott's leverage as a quarterback who can't be given the franchise tag next offseason puts him in position to match or potentially even exceed a $55 million average annual salary, a mark so far only reached by Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence. Resolving Prescott's situation and lowering his cap hit would then give the Cowboys more flexibility in extending Lamb this offseason.

Naturally, the fact Prescott appears increasingly likely to play out the final year of his contract this season and enter free agency next offseason is the biggest storyline attached to the star quarterback. However, Shook notes that Prescott's on-field success, or lack thereof, in 2024 will also likely determine the future of head coach Mike McCarthy, as well as the long-term direction of the franchise. Naturally, it will also have a direct impact on the value of Prescott's next contract, which could still come with the Cowboys.

Martin has had a decorated NFL career, as he's a nine-time Pro Bowler and seven-time first-team All-Pro, though there has been a glaring lack of playoff success during the guard's 10-year stint with the Cowboys. If Dallas finally reaches the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1995, Martin may decide to go out on a high note and hang up his cleats.

Lamb is awaiting a new contract, and there has been some speculation that a deal could come quickly for him now that Justin Jefferson has reset the wide receiver market. Nevertheless, Lamb continued his absence from the team's offseason activities and is now subject to fines. Coach Mike McCarthy expressed no concern over Lamb's absence.

Parsons is seeking a new contract from the Cowboys, which undoubtedly played a role in his absence. However, he also provided a more detailed response to defend his decision to stay away from team activities, citing his relatively small stature for his position and his desire to let his body heal. While coach Mike McCarthy called Parsons' absence a missed opportunity to learn new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's defense, Parsons was unconcerned and said he'd have plenty of time to gel with the defensive unit during training camp.

All signs indicated that Lamb was content to let Jefferson re-set the wide receiver market before getting serious with his own negotiations, and that happened Monday when Minnesota made its star wideout the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Lamb's new deal may end up coming in just below the $35 million average annual salary or the $110 million in guarantees that Jefferson got, but his patience is still going to be amply rewarded. Lamb is set to make $17.99 million in 2024 on the final year of his rookie contract after leading the league in receptions last year with 135 while finishing second to Tyreek Hill in receiving yards with 1,749.

Vaughn relayed after Thursday's practice that he had conversations with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer at the end of last season about being utilized in the slot, with the running back adding that he wants to be a versatile player for the Dallas offense. While he's likely third in the backfield behind Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle, Vaughn could be used across multiple positions on offense and special teams, serving as a utility player in a similar fashion to Taysom Hill and Cordarrelle Patterson.

Cooks has been a big name in the league for most of his 10 seasons, posting six 1,000-yard campaigns and four 80-plus catch tallies. However, Blair points out Cooks has never made a Pro Bowl or received a first-team All-Pro nod. The veteran wideout also had some struggles finding his way in Dallas' offense in the early part of the 2023 season, before coming on with a 43-539-6 line from Week 10 through the wild-card loss to the Packers.

McCarthy only conceded that not being on the field whenever there's an opportunity in the offseason is "an opportunity that's been missed." Otherwise, the veteran head coach stated that Parsons had been around the facility much more than had been made public, adding the star linebacker had also been involved in one-on-one meetings with coaches about the new defense being installed by coordinator Mike Zimmer. "He's engaged," McCarthy said. "He'll be ready when it's time."

Kendricks played under Zimmer when he was head coach in Minnesota. Upon the coach's departure in 2022, Kendricks made critical comments of Zimmer's style, but he has since clarified that he was simply frustrated by the team's 8-9 record that season. Kendricks spent the 2023 campaign with the Chargers and signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Cowboys this offseason.

After the Cowboys released Michael Gallup in March, Tolbert moved into the WR3 spot on the depth chart behind Lamb and Cooks and ahead of KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Brooks. Tolbert saw more looks in the passing game in 2023, registering 22 catches on 36 targets for 268 yards and two touchdowns while playing 454 snaps on offense across 17 regular-season games. He's received plenty of praise from his coaches and teammates this offseason, with Cooks noting that Tolbert is going to "crush" whatever expectations are put in front of him.

The 2021 third overall pick of the 49ers did not take a snap during his 2023 debut campaign in Dallas, but Lance is believed to have a legitimate opportunity to wrest No. 2 duties away from Rush with a strong enough training camp and preseason. Lance reported this week his confidence is much higher than when he came into the league despite how his tenure in San Francisco went, and he added he now has a full grasp of Mike McCarthy's offense due to the time he's put in familiarizing himself over the last several months.

Prescott is in the final year of the four-year, $160 million deal he signed in 2021, and he has both a no-trade and no-franchise-tag clause in his contract. The veteran signal-caller has said he'd like to remain with the Cowboys and team owner Jerry Jones has echoed that sentiment from his perspective, but there apparently hasn't been any tangible progress on locking Prescott in beyond 2024. Nevertheless, Prescott has not missed an offseason workout, supporting the notion he's primarily focused on the season ahead.

Overshown was a third-round draft pick of the Cowboys in 2023 but missed his entire rookie season due to a preseason ACL tear. Once fully recovered, the linebacker out of Texas will compete for playing time against 2024 third-round draft pick Marist Liufau and free-agent addition Eric Kendricks in a defense that lost perennial Pro Bowl linebacker Leighton Vander Esch to retirement.

Prescott's contract status figures to be a story line throughout the summer, but barring injury, the star quarterback will be under center for this marquee season-opening matchup. The Cowboys will be making their first trip to Cleveland since Prescott's rookie 2016 campaign, and the 30-year-old signal-caller will be going up against a Browns defense that allowed the fewest yards per game in 2023 while also recording 49 sacks and 18 interceptions.

After spending one season in New England, Elliott reunited with Dallas on a one-year, $2 million contract. With Tony Pollard signing a three-year deal with the Titans, Elliott is the presumptive leader of a Cowboys backfield that includes Rico Dowdle, 2023 sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn and veteran Royce Freeman, with Malik Davis and Snoop Conner battling for a roster spot. In his three seasons under McCarthy from 2020-22, Elliott took 712 carries for 2,857 yards and 28 touchdowns over 47 games.

Elliott will be 29 years old when the 2024 season kicks off and has lost a step, so he likely won't see much usage on outside runs. The experienced running back can still churn out yardage inside, though, and Elliott is better suited for goal-line work than Rico Dowdle or Deuce Vaughn, who currently represent his main competition for backfield touches. The Cowboys led the NFL with 29.9 points per game last season, so Elliott could be in store for plenty of goal-line opportunities.

The executive compared Kneeland to former Bengals defensive end Robert Geathers, who exceeded 3.5 sacks only once in his 11-year career. Kneeland was selected 56th overall by the Cowboys in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he's unlikely to get many pass-rushing opportunities in a defense that has Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and Sam Williams at defensive end.

Tolbert has only 24 catches for 280 yards and two touchdowns through two NFL seasons, but the 2022 third-round draft pick projects to see a consistent role in three-receiver sets, as Michael Gallup signed with the Raiders and the Cowboys didn't select another wide receiver in 2024 until the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks occupy the top two spots on Dallas' wide receiver depth chart, but Tolbert could emerge as the top remaining option out of a group that includes return specialist KaVontae Turpin, rookie sixth-rounder Ryan Flournoy and second-year pro Jalen Brooks.

Flournoy was taken by the Cowboys with the 216th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, and he will compete for a wide receiver depth spot behind CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and Jalen Tolbert. Flournoy played two seasons with Southeast Missouri, accumulating 118 catches for 1,823 yards and 13 touchdowns while being named to the First-Team All-Big Ohio Valley Conference in both years.

A police spokesperson noted there was insufficient evidence an offense was committed when providing a reason for the department's decision. The original allegations could still have ramifications in coming months as far as the court system is concerned, however, as both Prescott and the alleged victims are still in the midst of lawsuits they've filed against each other.

Archer notes the decision was hardly surprising, considering Lance's fifth-year option would have cost the Cowboys $22.4 million and would have been fully guaranteed. Although Lance remained a healthy scratch for all 17 regular-season games and the team's postseason contest last season, Archer reports team brass and coaches are happy with the progress he made in practice and will likely afford him plenty of action in this summer's three preseason games.

Christian McCaffrey was unsurprisingly the first player off the board in ESPN's first post-NFL Draft fantasy football mock draft, but Lamb went right after him in the 10-team PPR mock. Field Yates selected Lamb, unfazed by Lamb's absence from Dallas' voluntary offseason program as the wide receiver angles for a new contract ahead of his fifth NFL season. Lamb ranked second in the NFL with 1,799 receiving yards and third with 12 touchdowns in 2023 while leading the league in receptions with 135.

Archer notes the Cowboys already met with Elliott and his agent early this week and then saw the Panthers move ahead of them in the second round Friday night and select Texas' Jonathon Brooks, who Dallas was reportedly interested in. While owner Jerry Jones naturally left the door open for the selection of at least one back in the final four rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday, it appears increasingly likely Dowdle will soon have Elliott as a backfield mate once again following the latter's one season in New England in 2023.

Prescott is coming off an MVP-caliber season in which he completed 69.5 percent of his passes for 4,516 yards and a career-high 36 touchdowns. His magical season came to a grinding halt when Dallas was unceremoniously knocked out of the postseason by Green Bay in the NFC wild-card round. Prescott is set to become a free agent next offseason, and his chances of suiting up in a different uniform in 2025 will be tied to Cowboys' performance this season.

Dallas is expected to add a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft after letting Tony Pollard walk in free agency, but Dowdle is already facing increased competition from a veteran option in Freeman. Dowdle's 361 rushing yards last season were second on the team behind Pollard's 1,005. Freeman, meanwhile, had 319 rushing yards with the Rams in 2023 and rushed for a career-high 521 yards as a rookie with the Broncos back in 2018.

Heading into the final year of his rookie contract, Lamb is set to make $17.2 million in 2024, but getting a contract extension is his priority this offseason. The Eagles just reset the wide receiver market by giving DeVonta Smith a three-year, $75 million extension with $51 million in guaranteed money, and Lamb can reasonably expect to land a deal north of that after posting career-best numbers in 2023.

The NFL is implementing new kickoff rules for 2024 that mirrors what the XFL has done. Fassel said that Parsons has "lobbied" him to be the primary kickoff returner, and while the special teams coach admitted that the pass rusher would be "fantastic" at that position, he recognized that it's not going to happen. However, Parsons could see time on kickoffs in crucial, late-game situations with the new rule changes in 2024.

Tolbert showed some signs of life in his second season in 2023 after only catching two passes as a third-round rookie the year prior. The South Alabama product posted a 22-268-2 line on 36 targets across 17 regular-season games, and Gallup's release now leaves Tolbert poised to take another step forward as a potential No. 3 receiver in 2024.