Dallas Cowboys 2022 NFL preseason round-up: Wide receiver options, Dan Quinn, Mike McCarthy…
TO thinks he could be the hero the Cowboys don’t know they need. In other news, Dan Quinn is willing to give up his position for Mike McCarthy if necessary.
Jerry Jones says there’s no urgency to add veteran wide receiver
Despite the fact that the Cowboys are now down two of their veteran wide receivers with Michael Gallup still recovering his ACL and James Washington suffering a foot fracture in training camp, Jerry Jones says there’s really no rush to bring in someone new. They still have their no. 1 receiver, CeeDee Lamb, who will take Amari Cooper’s spot now that he’s moved on to the Browns. They are also still watching third-round draft pick Jalen Tolbert closely in camp as a potential starter alongside Lamb. Other options include veteran Noah Brown, newly signed KaVontae Turpin, undrafted rookie Dennis Houston, T.J. Vasher, and fifth-round 2021 pick Semi Fehoko. If they do decide to sign one of the available free agents, they’ve got $20 million in cap space to do it. But Jones does not see it as necessary just yet.
“It doesn’t create an urgency for us at a veteran receiver,” said Jones. “We like these young guys.”
Wide receiver T.J. Vasher ready to step up
Texas Tech graduate T.J. Vasher signed with the Cowboys in 2021 and spent his whole rookie season on injured reserve. Now that he’s fully recovered, he’s ready to make a name for himself, especially with the Cowboys’ needs at receiver. It seems everyone is always talking about Vasher’s potential. During his time at Tech, he dealt with injuries and other external factors that seemed to keep him from ever really reaching his full potential. Now that Vasher is healthy with the Cowboys, though, it could be his time to finally realize that potential.
Terrell Owens is ready to fill the hole at WR
TO has never fully given up on his future in the NFL, despite not having played a game in the league since 2010. And yet, after hearing the news that James Washington fractured his foot, Owens was at the ready.
Owens is now 48 years old. He recently played in the Fan Controlled Football League and has never stopped talking about his confidence that he could return to the NFL and be successful. Back in his prime, TO was one of the best, ranking third in league history for receiving yards and touchdowns and eighth in receptions. He is in the Hall of Fame as of 2018. He was in the NFL for 15 seasons, three of which were with the Cowboys. He reached 1,000 or more receiving yards in all three of those years. It’s not a likely solution for the Cowboys to sign a player closer to 50 than 40, who hasn’t played a game in over 10 years, but nice to know they have options, I suppose.
Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn offered to leave to help Mike McCarthy
It’s no secret that head coach Mike McCarthy is under pressure to have a winning season this year. Talks have already started about who could replace him after this season if he does not do that. The most-discussed name has been former Saints coach Sean Payton, but if that doesn’t work, the next-best thing could be for the Cowboys to look in-house. It seemed for a while that Kellen Moore would make sense, but recently Dan Quinn has looked to be an even better option. He has head coach experience and has been successful as the defensive coordinator for the team. When speaking on that topic, however, Quinn told USA Today that he offered to actually leave the team to make things easier for McCarthy.
“I was like, ‘Hey man, let’s talk about it and see what you think. ‘If it’s easier for to me go, just say the word and I’m gone’,” he said.
Quinn said that McCarthy laughed and said maybe he would have agreed to that in the past, but not anymore.
“I think winning is better with you here,” said McCarthy.
Could Teven Jenkins join the ‘Boys?
The Cowboys lost their hope for filling the hole at right tackle when rookie OT Matt Waletzko injured his shoulder during training camp last week. Tyler Smith will be the backup at left tackle and the other options at OT are Josh Ball, Aviante Collins, and Isaac Alarcon. It’s been reported that the Chicago Bears are looking for someone to trade their second-round 2020 pick, Teven Jenkins, which could be just the guy the Cowboys need.
When the Bears drafted Jenkins, they had hope he would fill their needs at left tackle, but injuries hampered that opportunity and Braxton Jones and Riley Reiff gave them other options. He has since shown he can play better at right tackle, which would fit perfectly with the Cowboys.