Dallas Cowboys - Player News (2024)

Cowboys signed RB Ezekiel Elliott, formerly of the Patriots.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport were first on the report, stating that the Cowboys and Elliott have agreed to terms on a deal pending a physical. The two sides parted ways last offseason as part of a cap-saving move that cleared $11 million for the Cowboys last offseason. Zeke would eventually land in New England, where he served as a lightly-used backup before turning into a PPR merchant Week 14 after Rhamondre Stevenson was sidelined with a high-ankle injury. Over the final five weeks of the season, Zeke rushed for 72-213-1, while adding another 27-159-2 through the air. He averaged a mere 3.5 YPC on the season, and at almost 29 years old, continues to look like a player who has hit the proverbial wall. Opportunities will be easy to come by in a Dallas backfield that currently features Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, and Royce Freeman, but Zeke shouldn’t be viewed as a permanent solution to this backfield’s problems. With that said, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy stubbornly deploy him in a lead role early on.

Cowboys sign Minnesota TE Brevyn Spann-Ford.

After redshirting his first season at Minnesota in 2018, Spann-Ford (6’7/260) caught five passes over his next two seasons. He rotated into the starter role during the 2021 season, starting all 24 of his games in his last two seasons. Spann-Ford finished his six years at Minnesota with a 25-239-2 line for the 2023 season. Though he struggles with drops and physicality, Spann-Ford’s size can allow him to be a mismatch in the passing game. Similarly, he can be a big blocker for the run game. His combine numbers show a subpar athletic profile, running a 4.77 40-yard dash and jumping a 31.5-inch vertical, both bottom-two among participating tight ends. Spann-Ford’s size will be an asset at the NFL level, though he will need to get more physical to make up for a lack of athleticism.

Cowboys selected Louisiana OT Nathan Thomas with the No. 233 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Thomas (6'5/332) was a 2-star Offensive Tackle from Chalmette, Louisiana in the 2019 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. Having been underrecruited, Thomas resorted to his home state Ragin’ Cajuns. He finally earned the starting nod in 2022 and held down the Left Tackle spot for the last two years. Thomas is a plodder, in all the best and worst ways, at a 39th percentile height but a 91st percentile weight. When Thomas is able to latch onto a defender, there is rarely any recourse they can take to remove themselves from the situation. With plus grip strength and a strong core, Thomas can corkscrew defenders and gain momentum in his favor. However, Thomas’ ability to find and pounce on opponents leaves much to be desired. His processing skills are slower than ideal, though he is able to handle stunts when a defender is handed off to him. Defenders can often see his punches coming due to a slight hitch in his kick that foretells a punch. When he is in a phone booth, Thomas is adept at forcing adversaries out of commission, but he needs to avoid overcommitting with a lunge that misses more often than it hits. Ultimately, Thomas could be a long-term backup on a pro team that has the ability to slot in at multiple slots in the case of an injury, with the occasional jumbo package.

Cowboys selected Wake Forest CB Caelen Carson with the No. 174 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Carson (5’117/199) is a physical man-coverage corner with a harassing demeanor at the line of scrimmage and jolting hands that jam opposing wideouts in press coverage. He has good field awareness, is consistently peaking in the backfield and isn’t afraid to lay the heavy hit on the ball carrier. Primarily lining up outside, 521 of his 650 reps this year were on the boundary, Carson possesses notable ball hawking tendencies, having swatted away seven or more pass breaks up the last three seasons. Despite grading in the 72nd percentile or higher in coverage each of his four years at Wake Forest, he only recorded three interceptions. He displays advanced straight line speed which allows him to give space pre-snap and close quickly, but he can get turned around at the top of routes. He didn’t test at the Combine, but Carson flashes educated footwork and can get in and out of breaks with haste. He will take some bad angles in run support, which accounts for his 68th percentile PFF run grade in 2023.

Cowboys selected Notre Dame LB Marist Liufau with the No. 87 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

A native of the Island of Oahu, Liufau (6'2/234) is the latest in a long line of Hawaiian-born players who went onto the NFL. He redshirted as a freshman in 2019 but managed to draw three starts in 10 games during the pandemic shortened season. He was set for a full-time starting role in 2021 when he sustained an ankle injury that cost him the entire campaign. Fortunately Liufau returned better than ever in 2022, racking up 95 tackles with 4 PBU with just 102 receiving yards allowed in coverage over the last two seasons. An 85.4 PFF cover grade ranked sixth overall among all Power Five linebackers while his 25 pressures ranked 15th among his P5 contemporaries. While he ran a solid 4.64s 40-yard dash (81st%) and 4.18s shuttle run (92nd%), his jumping and bench portions of Combine testing were sub-25th percentile marks for a 5.64 RAS. Liufau plays with a frenetic pace and is hungry to make plays, but is often left out of position in his run fits as a result. He profiles as a core special-teamer who rotates in defensively on passing downs.

Cowboys selected Kansas State OG Cooper Beebe with the No. 73 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Beebe (6’3/322) was recruited as a defensive tackle, but moved to the offensive side of the ball permanently shortly after arriving on KSU’s campus in 2019. He started seven games at right tackle in 2020, allowing three sacks and an elevated 3.3% pressure rate before sliding over to left tackle the following year. Beebe’s play improved substantially, slashing his pressure rate to 1.4% with zero sacks allowed. Despite locking down the blind side edge with a sterling 87.5 PFF pass block grade and 81st percentile run grade, Beebe was asked to change positions for a third-consecutive season. Now a left guard, Beebe once again thrived by posting the fourth-highest pass block grade (89.3) in the nation and decreasing his pressures allowed from 10-to-9 despite playing 64 more pass reps than the prior year. His blocking acumen reached its apex last season, with Beebe holding opponents to a microscopic 0.5% pressure rate despite logging 122 snaps between LT and RT. He received All-American recognition for the second consecutive season in addition to being named a finalist for both the Outland and Campbell Trophies. Beebe is versatile, athletic and smart enough to earn his Day 2 draft capital.

Cowboys selected Western Michigan EDGE Marshawn Kneeland with the No. 56 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Kneeland (6’3/267) was a largely unrecruited two-star prospect at the FBS level who also played basketball and ran track in high school. He played sparsely for his first couple of seasons before earning a starting role in 2022, racking up 25 pressures and 24 stops to go with a 77th percentile PFF overall grade in nine games. He has had trouble staying on the field at times, missing multiple games in each of the last two campaigns with calf and elbow injuries. Being a small school athlete, Kneeland’s combine testing was an important part of his evaluation process. While the straight line speed marks were decent with a 4.75s 40-yard dash (79th%) and 1.65s 10-yard split (77th%), his 4.18s shuttle (97th%) and 7.02s 3-Cone (91st%) were outstanding. His solid 35.5” vert (88th%) and 9’11” broad jump (81st%) helped elevate Kneeland’s Relative Athletic Score to a very respectable 9.08 RAS. A rare power-edge in a speed-rusher-dominated draft class, Kneeland explodes into contact with the intention of caving in his opponent’s chest and driving him into the backfield. What Kneeland lacks in refined technique, he makes up for in sheer tenacity and desire. Kneeland has the requisite strength and athleticism to develop into a fearsome edge-setting defensive end if he can develop his moveset with NFL-level coaching.

The Dallas Morning News’s Michael Ghelken reports Ezekiel Elliott signing with the Cowboys is “increasingly imminent.”

Ghelken noted that Dallas drafting a running back would not change the team’s interest in bringing back Zeke. The former and soon-to-be Cowboy has already visited Dallas this offseason. The Cowboys running back room is currently headlined by Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn. Though all signs point to them drafting Texas running back Jonathon Brooks, Zeke may be viewed as a better option to back Brooks up based on his experience and pass-blocking abilities. Brooks would still be the top rookie back in dynasty circles if Dallas drafts him, though Zeke could vulture a few touchdowns at the goal line.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Texas RB Jonathon Brooks is “high high high” on the team’s board.

As of right now, the Cowboys’ top running backs are Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn. Dallas will next take the podium at pick No. 56. Brooks is the favorite to be the first running back drafted and most analysts see him as a second-round talent. There isn’t much dot-connecting to do here because Jones is doing most of it for us. All signs point to the Cowboys drafting Brooks if he makes it to them. Brooks was an elite runner in his lone season as a starter at Texas but is coming off a torn ACL. Though it was late in the season, all reports indicate he will be ready by Week 1, if not earlier.

Cowboys selected Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton with the No. 29 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

A converted three-star DT prospect who transferred to OU from TCU, Guyton (6’076/322) is one of the few first-round caliber 2024 tackles who transferred from their original school. Oklahoma OC Jeff Lebby planted Guyton at LT throughout 2022 fall camp with Guyton starting OU’s opener against UTEP before Lebby hit the eject button and moved him over to the right side, where he remained for the duration of his Sooners tenure. Guyton shuttled in and out of the starting lineup as he acclimated to his new position, recording 352 snaps at RT while allowing two sacks and one hurry despite missing a few games due to injury. He finally settled into a starting role this year and stayed mostly healthy logging 663 snaps with zero sacks, three hits and nine hurries. Though he allowed 12 total pressures on the year, none of those miscues resulted in an interception or an incompletion. There was no escape on run plays when the mammoth tackle was bearing down on defenders, as Guyton was credited with a 0% blown run block rate on 303 opportunities, an achievement that speaks for itself. His Combine performance only solidified Guyton’s blue chips status with a 1.76s 10-yard split (87th%), 7.5s 3-Cone (89th%) and jaw-dropping 34.5” vertical jump (98th%) for a superb 9.70 RAS. Blessed with impressive agility, Guyton’s flexibility and fluid hips allow him to cut off defenders on run plays and beat speed rushers to the outside. If anything Guyton’s quickness is so pronounced that savvy edge rushers will bait him on the loop to induce oversets and cross his face. His pad level can get high at times, exposing his chest and leaving him susceptible to bull rushes when he isn’t centered. He only started for one season in his four year collegiate voyage, so Guyton is still coming into his own and will likely have some early growing pains, but the pieces are in place for him to develop into an athletic mauler if handled properly.