Cowboys 1st & 10: Are Pass-Catching Killer B’s An 'A+' Idea?

In this edition of First and 10, I look at the thought of the Dallas Cowboys bringing in either Dez Bryant or Antonio Brown. Plus, the top Cowboys stories of the week - Including NFL Draft Notes ...

1) Maybe the ‘Killer B’s’ isn’t a ‘Killer idea?’

The Cowboys have some questions marks at wide receiver beyond Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. No one would dispute that. There is talent there, but there are questions about whether any of those players can become a capable No. 3 receiver. But, just a reminder, Tavon Austin remains available as a free agent.

So, naturally, at this time of year, especially when practically every NFL fan is on lockdown, the temptation is to try and solve the problem NOW. Some Cowboys fans and watchers are trying to solve the problem with Dez Bryant.

Bryant has made it clear in past weeks that he’s open to a reunion with the Cowboys. Jerry Jones has made it clear that he thinks of Dez Bryant in the shower. Now, if you followed that story you KNOW what Jones meant. But, honestly, it’s the best thing he’s said since ‘glory hole,’ so I’m going to go back to that well as often as possible.

Well, earlier this week Bryant headed out to the practice field to work out with one Dak Prescott, social distancing rules be damned.

.@DezBryant notes that he just worked out with @dak ... so there’s that. pic.twitter.com/31tIC6aAD8
— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) April 2, 2020

Yep, the even posed for a quick group photo (that’s six feet apart guys, not six inches apart, if you’re lucky).

Another day, another group of high-profile football players flaunting their failure to follow important pandemic guidelines #WakeUp #GrowUP https://t.co/JmU4iklj5y
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 3, 2020

What’s the best way to ingratiate yourself to your (potential) new (old) boss? Well, ingratiate yourself to his top employee, of course.

Will Bryant’s workout with Prescott make a difference? Who knows? The Cowboys don’t appear to be in a hurry to sign extra receiving help; I know you are hearing rumors of "things heating up'' ... but I've seen the texts Fish has gotten on Dez in the last few days.

"Backburner'' is the key word.

But that doesn’t mean Cowboys watchers don’t have more ideas. Like, oh, I don’t know, Antonio Brown?

Should the Risk-Taking #Cowboys Even Think About Antonio Brown? Does @BriAmaranthus Really Want to Argue About This With Me?! https://t.co/fjzphoIQd1 via @SInow pic.twitter.com/9QNde5WN13
— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) April 4, 2020

Our Bri Amaranthus explored the topic earlier this week. And, if you think about it, Brown fits Jerry’s M.O. Highly productive player who has taken a fall from grace, mostly due to his own actions, but may still have enough talent in the tank to make a difference. All he needs is a prove-it deal to make it work. Jerry has signed 50 of these guys, it seems like. In fact, he signed one this week. But we’ll get to that.

Personally, I’d let another team take that risk. Too much baggage, too much instability. Don’t want any part of it. Plus, you know, he’s formally been charged with assault in Florida. So there’s that.

But here’s why it’s worth tracking the Cowboys when it comes to Brown and Bryant, at least for a little bit longer.

Dallas is unlikely to address wide receiver depth until after the NFL Draft, and the reason is obvious. This draft has a wealth of wide receivers that could be taken in the middle rounds that can contribute this year (lest anyone forget how the Cowboys got Gallup in the first place. Mid-round pick, folks. Gallup had more than 1,000 yards receiving last year). The Cowboys, in my opinion, are hoping to address the need there. The cost will be cheaper, they’ll hold the rights to that player for four years and they can use the additional cost they might have incurred to sign Bryant or Brown to address other needs.

So while all this back-and-forth about Bryant and Brown one day being Cowboys is all fun and games, I don’t expect it to happen. And if you’re trying to put your best team together for 2020, it probably shouldn’t happen.

2) MY NINTH COWBOYS SI 7-ROUND MOCK DRAFT

Earlier this week I published my NINTH Cowboys SI 7-Round Mock Draft. I did this mock Thursday and I explored the concept of ‘best player available.’ Does that really mean what we think it means? And if it does mean an absolute adherence to the principle, what does that mean to a Cowboys mock draft? I explore the idea here, and, if you ask me, it didn’t go well.

Check out the results of this mock draft here. And, next week, check out Mock No. 10.

And, don’t forget, links to my previous 7-round mocks are below:

Mock Draft 1.0 (Jan. 27)

Mock Draft 2.0 (Feb. 4)

Mock Draft 3.0 (Feb. 11)

Mock Draft 4.0 (Feb. 18)

Mock Draft 5.0 (March 5)

Mock Draft 6.0 (March 12)

Mock Draft 7.0 (March 19)

Mock Draft 8.0 (March 26)

In other Mock Draft news, Mike Fisher wrote a piece about ESPN.com NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. and one of his latest draft possibilities — that a certain wide receiver could give the Cowboys a hard-to-beat WR trio, should his name come up on draft day.

Check out the story here.

3) REX RYAN, ANALYST

An NFL analyst for television, typically, isn’t that controversial. Now, don’t confuse Stephen A. Smith or Skip Bayless for NFL analysts. They’re not. But someone like former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan should be good for television. He has a good sense about the game and doesn’t shy away from giving his opinion, one that is usually rooted in good analysis.

And then there was Friday on ESPN, when Ryan appeared on Get Up. Asked about Amari Cooper, he told the show’s hosts that Cooper was “the biggest disappearing act in the National Football League.” He followed that up with “I wouldn’t have paid this turd.”

So, obviously, Ryan had issues with the 5-year, $100 million deal the Cowboys paid Cooper in free agency. And if you dig into his 2019 numbers, yes, Cooper had some lackluster games. But, frankly, I’d rather pay Cooper that deal than try to cobble together a couple of low-cost vets or draft another rookie in the first round to try and replace him. In this case, the devil that you know is DEFINITELY better than the devil that you don’t. Plus, you don’t get to go to four Pro Bowls for no reason (that’s how many Amari’s been to, incidentally).

So, why not say that, Rex? Why resort to using the word ‘turd?’ My ears aren’t sensitive. But if you want to be taken seriously, provide some serious analysis.

Fish broke down the appearance here, and he also points out that the $100 million deal, as per the usual in the NFL, isn’t REALLY a $100 million deal.

Plus, NFL players are sticking up for Cooper, which they really shouldn’t have to do.

Rex Ryan u sleep!!! https://t.co/xc2HKCmUM4
— Darius Slay (@bigplay24slay) April 3, 2020

ESPN’s Ed Werder felt the need to chime in with, you know, facts?

Since debuting for the #Cowboys in Week 9 of the 2018 season, Amari Cooper ranks in the top 10 in receptions (132), receiving yards (1,914), and receiving TD (14) among wide receivers.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) April 3, 2020

4) ALDON SMITH IS A RISK. BUT HOW BIG A RISK?

There was a time that Aldon Smith was the cream of the crop among pass rushers in the NFL. But starting in 2012 legal issues consumed him. A DUI. Illegal possession of an assault weapon. A DUI for marijuana. An alleged hit and run and DUI. Anger management courses. Domestic assault. Finally, the NFL banned him from the league.

So, naturally, the Cowboys wanted a piece of that, right?

Jerry Jones will always sign one boom-or-bust guy each offseason (remember we talked about this earlier, right?). You can practically set your watch by it. But exactly how ‘risky’ is this decision by the Cowboys? Mike Fisher walks you through that in this piece from earlier this week.

5) COWBOY MAVEN INTRODUCES ITS NEW PREMIUM DISCUSSION BOARD

We are kicking off our premium drive at Cowboy Maven by introducing CowboyMaven+, which will be our premium membership message board.

Until midnight on Thursday the board will be open to everyone. Following that week the board will be open to premium members. If you sign up to Cowboy Maven and post in this thread between now and midnight on Thursday you will get 30 days of premium access and board access for FREE!

No credit card needed. You get to experience the best Cowboys news on the planet for free for a month, and if you like what we are doing — and we believe you will — you can then sign up to become a premium member at that time.

Once the premium board goes into play the membership price will be $5.99 per month, or less than $0.20 per day. That membership comes with a year's subscription to the Sports Illustrated magazine.

This does not mean all of our content will be locked behind a paywall either. But we will be bringing you more new, exciting, and original content than ever before, from the best staff of writers and content creators on the network.

Thanks to all who have made Cowboy Maven such a home run success over the last few months, and to everyone who has signed up and who will be signing up. This is going to be an awesome ride as we make continue to make Cowboy Maven the go-to place for everything Dallas Cowboys related.

Plus, don’t forget to subscribe to the CowboysSI.com YouTube channel. With great content from our Mike Fisher, Bri Amaranthus and the rest of the CowboySI staff, it’s a one-stop shop to get instant video comment on what’s going on with the Dallas Cowboys, along with great video features, breaking news and interviews.

Click here to subscribe and get in on the action.

6) CELEBRATING THE COWBOYS’ 60TH

The Dallas Cowboys are celebrating their 60th season in the NFL in 2020 and Richie Whitt is counting down the 60 biggest moments in franchise history. Here’s the link to the full list.

7) WHITT’S END ON … THE COWBOYS WANT THEIR MONEY

In a time where 10 million people have filed for unemployment in the last two weeks, the Dallas Cowboys are stumping for their season ticket payments by May 5. So, there’s that. Richie Whitt points out how bad a look that is in this week’s Whitt’s End.

Plus …

Richie’s friend, a nurse on the front line of COVID-19, texted to vent.

Richie fixes the NBA Playoffs.

Richie makes the obligatory Tiger King reference.

Richie on the Cowboys’ Aldon Smith gamble.

And more. Just click here.

8) I GUESS WE’RE STARTING TO RUN OUT OF THINGS TO TALK ABOUT

With basically all of sports shut down for the foreseeable future, the NFL is still churning out headlines. Most of them have to do with free agency and the NFL Draft. This one, well, we have to get into the Way-Back Machine to explore this one.

Once upon a time, Wade Phillips was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Once upon a time, Wade Phillips was fired as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. That’s how it goes. But did his successor, Jason Garrett, have something to do with Phillips being shown the door? Well, 105.3 The Fan’s G-Bag Nation had Phillips on the show earlier this week and asked him the question, point blank. Here is Phillips’ response.

9) COWBOYS BLITZCAST ON DAK, DEZ AND ALDON

Want Cowboys talk? Look and listen as we dig into Dez + Dak and the addition of Aldon Smith.

Welcome to the ‘The Blitzcast – A Dallas Cowboys Podcast’ by Drunk Sports in partnership with CowboysSI.com. “BigRed” Lance Dorsett and Timm “IndyCarTim” Hamm are your hosts as we discuss all things Dallas Cowboys and all things NFL!

Among other topics, the pair discuss the Dez/Dak workout and what that might mean for Dez's future with Dallas, and does Jerry Jones thrive on this attention given to his contract negotiations with Dak?

They also say hello to Aldon Smith and welcome him to Dallas, and wonder, how much money will he REALLY make with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020 and talk about the future of Jamal Adams and wonder if it includes Dallas.

Check out the podcast here.

10) TWEET OF THE WEEK

Speaking of the Way-Back Machine …

Wanna talk Cowboys? Hit me up at Postins on Twitter at @PostinsPostcard or Mike Fisher on Twitter @FishSports

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