Dallas Cowboys 2022 NFL preseason round-up: Micah Parsons, Jerry Jones, preseason preview…
The Cowboys have their first preseason game this week as they head to Denver for a joint practice with the Broncos on Thursday.
Dan Quinn emphasizes expectations for Micah Parsons
We wrote a few days ago about the expectations for Micah Parsons, the Cowboys’ most versatile player who has the ability to play multiple positions and play them well. Cowboys defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, has solidified the thoughts that Parsons will play as both a pass rusher and defensive end. The 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year came into the NFL as a linebacker and he dominated in that role. It was only because of other players’ injuries that Parsons stepped in to fill the role at defensive end. He even took the cornerback position a few times. He thrived in every position. Head coach Mike McCarthy shut the idea that Parsons would remain only a defensive end and now Quinn has made the argument for why he won’t as well.
“I think that’s what makes his skill set so unique. There’s a lot of players that can be on the edge. We’ve seen excellent players, hall of fame players that can rip the edge.” said Quinn. “There’s not a lot of guys that can move in and out of two spots. It actually causes a lot of matchup problems. The ways that we feature him and try to utilize him… I think also because of his speed it allows us to matchup and have some people behind the ball with that kind of speed. I love the role that he plays. Inside outside. And then using his speed. I’m pleased with how we are featuring him today.”
An elite pass rusher is definitely a plus for any NFL team, but having Parsons play just one position lets opponents know exactly what to expect. Not to mention, it would really just be a waste of his talents. Now it’s been confirmed by McCarthy, Quinn, and the man himself - Parsons will be as versatile as ever in 2022.
Jerry Jones not surprised NFLPA uses owner misconduct in Watson appeal
In the ongoing Deshaun Watson case, the NFLPA replied to the NFL’s appeal. As expected, they used the argument that in the past, NFL owners were not punished harshly for misconduct.
One of the owners in question is Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. He himself does not appear to be concerned about being included in the brief.
“It is a standard players association comeback,” Jones said. “That is the drill. That is the drill to go around to say you didn’t punish such and such. Anybody would know that every player case and every case that involves non-players in the NFL are dealing with dramatically different principle facts, which is all the difference in the world.”
Back in 2015, Jerry Jones was involved in a scandal in which the Vice President of communications, Rich Dalrymple, when he was accused of taking photos of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders in the locker room without their consent. It ended in a $2.4 million settlement with four of the cheerleaders. While it may be true that owners and even other players were not punished as harshly, it is not technically relevant to the case in question, and Jones seems to think so, too.
“It would be like walking down to the courthouse and saying, ‘you didn’t give that guy that much’ and not take into account what the action was or the circumstances behind it,” Jones said. “That’s called shooting volleys. That’s just shooting stuff over your back. That’s the way I look at it when I see something like that. I can’t talk about any club, Watson or to refer to anybody’s punishment,” Jones said. “I can only say that is what you get when you are part of the NFL. It’s not unexpected.”
Preseason Preview: Dallas Cowboys vs Denver Broncos
The Dallas Cowboys’ first preseason game is coming up this Saturday at 9 p.m. ET. when they take on the Denver Broncos in Denver. They will head to Denver earlier in the week to have a few practices with the Broncos ahead of the game. Obviously, it’s preseason, so we won’t see a lot of the big names. Ezekiel Elliott has made it clear he doesn’t find preseason practice necessary, so it looks like we won’t see him play until September. It’s not likely Dak Prescott gets any playing time in the first game, but you never know with Mike McCarthy. As for the Broncos, they have themselves a new coach, Nathaniel Hackett, plus quarterback Russell Wilson, so they will be interesting to watch, even in the preseason. For the Cowboys, it will be good to watch the wide receivers. Besides their no. 1 CeeDee Lamb, only Noah Brown has actually played a significant amount of time in an NFL game. So watching to see how Jalen Tolbert, Dennis Houston, KaVontae Turpin, and Simi Fehoko fare will be telling.