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The Dallas Cowboys under new head coach and offensive play-caller Brian Schottenheimer will look ot put more of an emphisis on the run game in 2025.
With the Cowboys one of the worst in the NFL at running the football, it makes sense that under Schottenheimer, who has skins on the wall, making offense's potent rushing the football, tries to help out Dak Prescott.
Of course, Dak still needs weapons to throw to, and aside from CeeDee Lamb last season, no one else really came with him.
Jalen Tolbert (610 yards, seven touchdowns), Jake Ferguson (494 yards), and KaVontae Turpin (420 yards, two touchdowns) were the pick of the bunch. But then there's Brandin Cooks.
The veteran endured a horror year due in part to injury. He only managed 10 games after dealing with a knee infection. Now a free agent, ESPN thinks that The Archer's time in Dallas is up.
"While Cooks is still only 31 years old, the well-traveled veteran entered the league at age 20, so there's more tread on his tires than for other players at the same age," ESPN writes. "He made $8 million with the Cowboys last season, but as an unrestricted free agent, he's probably looking at something closer to $3 million on a one-year deal. For a player who has dealt with concussions and has made $116 million during his career, that might not make it worth his while to return."
Adds our own Mike Fisher: "There is value there as a locker-room leader. But late in the year, defensive backs just sat on him - in part because Cooper Rush was the QB, of course ... but also because Cooks' scary threat as a deep-ball guy is fading.
"The door isn't closed. But ... Not prioritizing Cooks is a relatively easy call.''
In truth, this is low-hanging fruit, and while Cooks returning on the lowest salary (Spotrac.com has a $5 million APY market value) could tempt Dallas, it might be time to let Tolbert and the like take another step up.
Yes, Lamb needs a running mate, whether that comes via free agency or the draft, but Dallas' No. 2 receiver can't be Cooks. His leadership and what he's done for the younger receivers on the roster are priceless, but after a down year, the time might be coming to part ways.
It's been a couple of seasons of decent output both on and off the field, but now is the time for the Cowboys and Cooks to part ways and let the younger receivers try their hand at making a splash in Schotty's offense.
More must-reads:
- Saints' QB picture remains unclear with end of preseason nearing
- Packers HC bothered by rookie's 'unacceptable' behavior during preseason game
- The 'Season rushing TD leaders by NFL team' quiz
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Shane Steichen dropped a big hint about the Colts’ QB battle
The Indianapolis Colts have yet to name their starting quarterback for the 2025 season, but coach Shane Steichen may have dropped a big hint about who the choice may be. Steichen said Saturday that he was close to making a decision between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson in the ongoing camp battle. He may have tipped his hand, however, when answering a question about what traits he was looking for in his starter. “I think it’s the most consistent guy,” Steichen said, via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. “I really do, because at the end of the day, you’ve got to be able to move the football consistently up and down the field, and making good decisions. You know what I mean? I mean, at the end of the day, you can have splash plays, but if you’re doing that sparingly and up and down. … I think it’s got to be on a consistent basis, to get to where we want to go.” The knock on Richardson all along has been his inconsistency, and it is a bad sign for his prospects that Steichen put such an emphasis on that as part of his answer. Richardson’s physical talents are undeniable, but his decision-making has left something to be desired, and the offense has at times stalled out with him at the helm of it. Jones does not bring Richardson’s big-play potential, but would likely leave the Colts with a better idea of what they will get every Sunday. Richardson has put in extra work to try to win the job, but has been sidelined for a large part of the offseason with a shoulder injury, coupled with a dislocated pinky suffered during the preseason opener. It has also been suggested that Jones entered camp as the favorite, so Richardson had to play well enough to supplant him. Jones started Saturday’s preseason game and went 7-of-11 for 101 yards. Richardson went 6-of-11 for 73 yards, but he had one big play negated due to a penalty. The Colts ultimately lost 23-19 to the Green Bay Packers.
Did the Dallas Stars just get handed a surprise top-six option on waivers?
The NHL waiver wire is heating up as training camps approach, and the Dallas Stars could be positioned to make a sneaky claim that solves one of their biggest depth concerns. Every year, playoff-caliber teams see useful players slip onto waivers simply because of cap space or roster crunches. Waivers often surface players who can slot higher in the lineup than expected. Last year's examples included Eeli Tolvanen, who went from waiver claim to impact forward in Seattle. That kind of opportunity might now exist again, and the Stars have an opening in their top nine that could benefit from an under-the-radar pickup. In the case, the player in question is Jansen Harkins, who surprisingly hit waivers this week. Known for his speed and ability to drive play when given the right linemates, Harkins is the type of versatile forward who could slide up and down a lineup. He showed flashes of offensive skill in Winnipeg and Pittsburgh, and now at 28 years old, he might be hitting the stage of his career where opportunity and experience finally align. Why the waiver wire could be Dallas's hidden weapon As NHL.com pointed out, training camp always produces bubble players squeezed out of deep rosters. This year, names like former first-round picks and skilled but inconsistent wingers could be exposed. If Dallas wanted to roll the dice, they could target a cost-controlled forward who brings both energy and finishing ability. Adding a cap-friendly waiver piece could also free GM Jim Nill from needing to burn trade capital later in the season. "The waiver wire can be a goldmine if you're patient and know what you need. One man's cut is another team's solution," one NHL scout recently told Sportsnet. The Stars' depth chart shows room for such a gamble. With veterans like Evgenii Dadonov and Mikael Granlund gone, the bottom six has new minutes up for grabs. A waiver claim could be the simplest way to plug that gap without sacrificing draft picks. I think Dallas would be wise to keep an eye on the wire, because sometimes the quietest moves are the ones that swing playoff races.
Seminoles' chances at beating Alabama to start the season just got a whole lot better but at the cost of an unfortunate situation
No one in their right mind has the Florida State Seminoles beating the Alabama Crimson Tide here in a few weeks. Well, anyone who isn’t a die-hard Seminoles fan with a rational mind, I should say. That’s not to say they can’t or it won’t happen, but most people have Alabama winning that game. And, it makes sense when you think about the two rosters. Sure, this is not the same two-win roster from last year, as only a handful of the projected starters are returning from last season. But it is the same staff, and it’s not as good of a roster on paper as Alabama’s. Now the Seminoles have something going their way that could actually boost their chances at winning their first game of the year. And, it’s unfortunate that it happened, but the Seminoles can only take advantage of it. Seminoles to play Alabama with RB Jam Miller When you look at Alabama’s roster, they have stars everywhere. Jam Miller is a guy who was projected to be in that conversation for the 2025 season as the team’s likely starting running back. But, earlier this week, he suffered an injury. It’s unfortunate for Alabama that they could be without Miller for around six weeks with a dislocated collarbone. “Jam Miller suffered an upper-body injury in Saturday’s scrimmage and went in for a procedure on Saturday evening,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said in a statement. “Jam should recover fully with a timetable for his return yet to be determined.” This leaves Alabama with Richard Young, Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley, Louisiana transfer Dre Washington, and top 100 high school recruit AK Dear. Young, Hill, and Washington seem to be the guys who will get the carries against Florida State. Now, there are also some downsides to this – they have been prepping for Miller, and some of these other guys don’t have a ton of tape to go off of. But Mike Norvell is a head coach for a reason, so he will adapt.
Sophie Cunningham Offers Solution for Indiana Fever After Loss on Friday
The Indiana Fever have been dealt several bad hands throughout the season, under head coach Stephanie White. Indiana has played a majority of the season without Caitlin Clark due to injury and they recently received news that Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson would be out for the rest of the season with injuries of their own. While Clark and a few other members of the backcourt have been out, Sophie Cunningham and several other stars have taken over. On Friday, the Fever were dealt an unfortunate loss, losing to the Washington Mystics 88-84. Cunningham shared a solution for the Fever after they lost back-to-back games. "Not a lot of teams can beat us," Cunningham said. "For us it’s just remembering who we are. Got to get back to being dogs. Got to get back to being on our front foot. Not allowing teams to come in here and outwork us." The Indiana Fever have clearly proven that they are championship contenders, but injuries have plagued their season. Throughout the 2025 season, Caitlin Clark has posted 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game. All pressure lies on Sophie Cunningham and other stars on the team, but the Fever guard made it clear that as long as Indiana stays within their identity, they should find success. Cunningham has been strong for the Fever during her first season with the team, averaging 8.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. She stars alongside Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Natasha Howard and others while Clark is on the sideline.
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