While football fans are thrilled to have the sport back in a matter of days, it’s been a long and hard road to get here. That road was longer and harder and exponentially darker for Dak Prescott. Leading off this edition of News and Notes, the revelation from Prescott himself that the sudden death of his older brother this spring was self-inflicted, and that the quarterback had already been dealing with anxiety and depression in the days that preceded the terrible news. The 2020 season will no doubt take on extra significance for No. 4.
Elsewhere, the latest on Amari Cooper’s mysterious status, concern about the offensive line minus La’el Collins, a sneak peek from Zeke, keeping hope alive for Earl Thomas, Zack Martin’s money moves, Randy Gregory’s remarkable comeback, and Jerry Jones’s personal financial ranking among his fellow NFL owners. All that, plus odds on the Cowboys not only claiming the East but winning the Super Bowl. And how fans can bring a taste of AT&T Stadium to their own living room on gamedays this fall.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott talks struggles during offseason with depression, brother’s suicide :: CBS DFW
The Cowboys passer opened up on an episode of In Depth with Graham Bensinger about the April death of his older brother Jace. Dak Prescott spoke about the difficulties of dealing with the COVID-19 crisis in the spring, and how anxiety and depression started to set in, all just before he got the news that his brother had killed himself at age 31.
“I knew my brother… he had a lot of burdens on him. He had a lot of tough things… my sense of saying that is it showed me of how vulnerable we have to be as humans, how open we have to be because our adversity, our struggles, what we go through is always gonna be too much for ourselves,” Prescott said. “Never too much for a community, never too much for the people in the family that you love. So we have to share those things.”
Cowboys’ Amari Cooper on resistance training at practice, Week 1 status unknown :: Cowboys Wire
The team has been cautious with its WR1, limiting Amari Cooper’s involvement at recent practice sessions to sideline work, resistance bands, and lots of stretching. He was listed as a full participant on Wednesday, however, with an eye on taking the field in Sunday’s season opener.
Film room: 3 matchups to watch during Cowboys-Rams, including a pay-per-view worthy showdown :: DMN
John Owning outlines and explores in detail two of the most intriguing matchups of Week 1, maybe the season. Zack Martin taking on draft-classmate Aaron Donald, and Amari Cooper trying to shake free from Jalen Ramsey.
Game Theory: Every NFL team’s chance to win its division :: NFL.com
NFL Network’s analytics expert Cynthia Frelund works the numbers to determine each club’s probability to win their division crown. The Cowboys come in with a 47% shot at claiming the NFC East, slightly higher than the Eagles’ chances. (Only the Chiefs are a better bet, according to her model.)
Peter Schaffer interview :: The ‘Boys and Girl Podcast
Jane Slate and Bobby Belt sit down with Randy Gregory’s agent for a fascinating conversation about the newly-reinstated defensive end and his remarkable journey back to the NFL. If you think you already know Gregory’s story, give it a watch with an open mind.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones continues to leave the door open for Earl Thomas kind of :: Blogging The Boys
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones joined The Rich Eisen show and had positive things to say about free agent safety Earl Thomas. But he also acknowledged that he likes what the Cowboys have currently at the position.
Mailbag: Level of concern about the O-line? :: The Mothership
Rob Phillips and David Helman of DallasCowboys.com discuss their thoughts on the offensive line going into Week 1. Spoiler alert: how many games La’el Collins actually misses is directly proportionate to their level of concern.
The case for all 32 NFL teams to make Super Bowl LV in the 2020 season from the Jags to the Chiefs :: ESPN
The Cowboys are listed with the fifth-highest probability to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. The team is “probably looking to ride a path like that of the 2016 Falcons to glory,” Bill Barnwell says, with an offense that should be able to outscore most opponents and a defense that “just has to get to league average.”
Elliott feels ‘in-tune’ for 2020, says ‘sky’s the limit’ for Cowboys offense :: Cowboys Wire
The superstar running back tried not to give away any secrets, but fans (and opposing defenses) should expect to see a lot more of No. 21 running routes and catching passes as he simultaneously aims for another rushing title as part of a potentially-electrifying offensive attack.
Michael Irvin has picked the Dallas Cowboys to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. https://t.co/8i2Hdwfp3F
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) September 9, 2020
Cowboys restructure Martin, save $8M; how they may spend it :: Cowboys Wire
After restructuring the contract of Tyron Smith a few weeks ago, the Cowboys have now done the same with Zack Martin to free up $8 million in cap space. K.D. Drummond breaks down how the additional funds might be spent.
NFL’s richest owners revealed for 2020; Cowboys’ Jerry Jones lands at No. 2, well behind league’s richest man :: CBS Sports
The Cowboys are the most valuable sports franchise on the planet, but the team’s owner doesn’t top the list when it comes to personal wealth. Panthers owner David Tepper is the league’s richest man, with a net worth nearly $4.5 billion more than Jones’.
Dallas Cowboys will sell barbecue, margaritas, fajitas for delivery or pick-up during pandemic :: Dallas Morning News
Not heading to AT&T Stadium for a game this fall? That’s okay; you can let the food come to you. The team will sell group-sized portions of gameday fare- including margaritas by the quart- that will feed up to 20 people. The priciest tailgate package will set you back $1,200.
